One of my Mom’s favorite foods from her childhood was her aunt Lela’s blueberry pie. But sadly, nobody had the recipe. Before my Grandmother passed away she gave me her recipe collection. A hodgepodge of index cards and a notebook of recipes my Mom had typed up for her many, many years ago. Imagine my excitement when I found a scribbled recipe for Lela’s pie! It seems that splash of vinegar is what I needed to get mine to taste more like Lela’s. It just takes it to another level. I’ve tried it with lemon juice as well, but I think the vinegar makes the blueberries taste more… well, blueberry!
I want to share the recipe with you for Thanksgiving. Make it, you won’t be sorry!
Some pie tips: My favorite pie pan is the USA pan. It gets the bottom crust the most crispy and perfect! Amazon sells them, or Bed Bath and Beyond.
I LOVE this silicone pie pan shield. Works so much better than foil. Sold at the same places.
If you want pictures of piecrust in the making, look at this post here. If you have a food processor, I show how to make a crust in it here. This is my favorite way to make them because it’s so fast and easy. The most important thing to remember when making pie crust is to keep everything cold. You want some chunks of butter so the crust gets flaky and if you are warming the dough with your hands that won’t happen.
Oh, and you’ll have some pie dough scraps. Just brush them with a bit of butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake. Your littles will thank you! 🙂
AUNT LELA’S BLUEBERRY PIE
For piecrust:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes
8-10 T ice water
Pie filling:
3 cups blueberries (don’t thaw if using frozen)
1 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
pinch salt
1 T white vinegar
Egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 T heavy cream
1 T vanilla sanding sugar
Make the piecrust:
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl with a fork.
Add butter and use a pastry blender to cut into the size of peas.
Add water and mix until just starts to come together.
Divide into 2 and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill while you make filling.
Make filling:
Stir all pie filling ingredients together in a bowl.
Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Make sure it is bigger than your pie pan.
Fold into quarters and place in pie pan, unfold. Pour filling in.
Roll out remaining dough and cut circle our of center if desired. Top pie.
Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut off extra dough. Crimp edges with fingers.
Cut slits in top.
Mix the egg yolk and cream together and brush on top of pie.
Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then lower to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes longer. If your crust is getting too dark, cover the edges with foil or silicone shield.
Swat away hot pie thieves.
Ingredients
For piecrust:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes
- 8-10 T ice water
Pie filling:
- 3 cups blueberries (don't thaw if using frozen)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 T cornstarch
- pinch salt
- 1 T white vinegar
Egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 T heavy cream
- 1 T vanilla sanding sugar
Instructions
- Make the piecrust:
- Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl with a fork.
- Add butter and use a pastry blender to cut into the size of peas.
- Add water and mix until just starts to come together.
- Divide into 2 and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill while you make filling.
- Make filling:
- Stir all pie filling ingredients together in a bowl.
- Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Make sure it is bigger than your pie pan.
- Fold into quarters and place in pie pan, unfold. Pour filling in.
- Roll out remaining dough and cut circle our of center if desired. Top pie.
- Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut off extra dough. Crimp edges with fingers.
- Cut slits in top.
- Mix the egg yolk and cream together and brush on top of pie.
- Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then lower to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes longer. If your crust is getting too dark, cover the edges with foil or silicone shield.
- Swat away hot pie thieves.
