Bumpy Blueberry Pie

Let’s talk pie. Specifically, bumpy pie. I saw this recipe for bumpy cherry pie on Top With Cinnamon and thought, “Yep. This is happening.” But, as the CSA has been giving us boatloads of blueberries, peaches and plums, there’s been a moratorium on purchasing fruit from the grocery store. Thus, I bring you bumpy blueberry pie.

I was really hoping to get some cherries this (like we did last year) and may go on the hunt to see if any are leftover in our freezer. Because I’ve recently discovered that I actually like cherries (well, duh – you might say – red is my favorite artificial flavor) – and missed out on consuming the cherry galette that I made last year.

But, this year the CSA gave us blueberries from a different NJ farm (due to fruit shortages from the harsh winter/spring – aren’t they the nicest?). And, as I mentioned before – my family doesn’t have a history of being the biggest blueberry pie eaters. Well, my dad does. Just not the rest of us. So, this brings me to bumpy blueberry pie – an adaptation.

To be honest, I spent a Friday night baking this pie, instead of going out in Jersey City. Priorities. It didn’t end up being done until around 11 (and by done I mean out of the oven). You really should let the pie cool before cutting into it. Or you run the risk of all the berries falling out. Which you can see is clearly what happened to me. We’re not patient people, and I had promised my dad blueberry pie.

I wanted to try this recipe since the photos on Top with Cinnamon show a thicker, more cookie-like crust. Something that I thought would increase the crust:berry ratio. The pie was a success! It didn’t turn out quite like I expected – the crust was thinner and crunchier and the berries kept a lot of their shape and texture, but my mom and sister loved it. This pie is definitely worth turning on the oven in the middle of summer.

They both loved the almond base for the crust (this whole lack of food processor deal means I’m making good use of my mortar and pestle aka crushing almonds). Though I can’t compare it to a version with truly ground almonds, I quite like the texture that the not-quite completely ground almonds give the crust. My dad is still a traditional pie kind of guy, so I don’t think is the last blueberry pie you’ll see (and if you were wondering, the blueberry hand pies didn’t count as traditional pie either).

Next up, I want a pie with a cookie crust. Maybe a slab pie, because those have been on my list. But for now, I recommend warming the pie (I microwave, judge me) and then topping it with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream. Perfection.

Also, next up: anyone have some good almond meal recipes? Apparently, we have some laying around the house and I’m looking for a good use. Be on the lookout for that adventure. And in the meantime, I’ll try to post something that’s not blueberry- or strawberry-related.

Recipe adapted from Top with Cinnamon

For the filling:

2 pints fresh blueberries

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp all purpose flour

For the pastry:1 1/3 c all purpose flour
6 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 c ground almonds (I ground my own in a mortar & pestle)
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp almond extract (generous)

Directions:

1. Stir together filling and set aside
2. In a bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Rub the butter in (I use a pastry cutter) and add the remainder of the wet ingredients
3. Divide the dough into two balls and chill in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or in the fridge for at least 4 hours
4. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Roll out one ball on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper using a lightly floured rolling pin until slightly larger than an 8-inch pie plate. Place the pie plate upside down (opening side down) in the center of the dough. Flip both the dough/paper and pie plate. Peel away so the pastry lines the pie plate.
5. Fill with blueberry mixture and roll out the second ball (keep this one in the freezer/fridge while you work with the first. I do not recommend rolling out at the same time as the first). Flip the parchment paper on top of the pie and peel away. Crimp the edges and bake 30-40ish minutes until golden brown. Top with sugar (if desired, I forgot and just used ice cream)