The branches of Eleanora’s family tree are flowered on both sides with blueberry pie lovers.

So it seems inevitable that she, too, should love blueberry pie.

“Eleanora! We’re making blueberry pie!” I told her.

“But it won’t be ready for several hours.”

But then — A-HA!

Eleanora had an idea…

… and settled in to wait.

Patiently.

This blueberry pie had a lattice top…

… and came out juicy and rustic and messy, like any good blueberry pie should.

Eleanora was ready for her first taste of blueberry pie.

Mmmmm…

MMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

BLUEBERRY PIE FOREVARRRHHH!

She wanted more, but…

“All gone!”

(I think you’ll agree with Eleanora.)

FRESH BLUEBERRY PIE (pdf)
Adapted from the Joy of Cooking

• 1 box refrigerated roll-out pie crusts (there will be 2 in the box)
• 1 lb (a little over 5 cups) fresh blueberries
• 1 C sugar
• 5 T cornstarch
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• Melted butter (optional)
• Sanding sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425. Allow pie crusts to sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before handling. Roll out one crust, fit it into a 9″ glass pie plate, and crimp the edges. Refrigerate while you do the next steps.

Combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the second pie crust and slice into strips for a lattice top, or leave whole for a closed top.

Remove bottom crust from refrigerator and pour blueberry mixture into it. Dot with the unsalted butter pieces. Arrange top crust strips and weave together for a lattice top (I don’t have a tutorial here, but there’s one in the Joy of Cooking and probably a million online if you Google it) – OR – cover with the top crust, seal the edges, and cut steam vents. Optional for either type of top crust: brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake the pie for 30 minutes at 425. Put a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack underneath, reduce open temperature to 350, and bake until thick juices are bubbling through the vents and maybe even over the edges. (Joy of Cooking says this second part of baking should be about 25-35 minutes, but mine was more like another 45-60 minutes.)

Allow to cool completely on a rack. If you have more patience than we did, your pie slices will be a little nicer and neater, although I find that any fruit pie is going to be somewhat juicy and runny. Joy of Cooking also advises that the pie is best the day it is baked, but Eleanora’s here to tell you that it’s awfully good the next day too.

xoxo,

P.S. Happy Birthday, Casey! And Happy 8 Month Birthday to my little blueberry pie eater!