Blueberry Pie

I had company this weekend and so I got to go off my diet.  YAY for company!  It is a self-imposed diet, partly determined by my upcoming high school reunion and partly by the fact that my pants are getting tight.  I don't know most of those people well, but they have likely been living in the LA/Orange County area and there is a strong chance of embarrassing my not-so-slim/wrinkly self.  So the diet.  But blueberries are so good for you that I have convinced myself that this is a health food and I should be able to eat health food on ANY diet, RIGHT?

   

Blueberry Pie

6 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed and drained
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter, cut up

2 uncooked pie crusts.  Treat yourself and buy them!

   

If you are going to make this using frozen blueberries, give yourself enough time to thaw them.  They will end up sort of soft and squishy and you will have to drain off a little blueberry juice.  IT WILL STAIN, so be careful!

AFTER they are defrosted and drained, get out the pie crusts,  I like the Kroger and the Pillsbury version, and let them warm up a bit.  Assemble all the other ingredients.

   

Preheat the oven to 425.  Spray a pie plate with Pam.  Unroll one of the crusts and place in the pie plate.  Press it gently in place.

Place the blueberries in a large bowl and add the lemon zest and juice.

   

You can carefully zest a lemon and measure it and then juice the rest of the lemon and measure that.  But I didn't.  I just zested the whole lemon and then squeezed the lemon and used the whole shebang.  I love lemon after all.

Sprinkle the flour, sugar and cinnamon on the blueberries and gently mix.  Spoon into the prepared pie crust.  Cut up the butter and dot the top of the berry mixture.

   

Unroll the last pie crust and center on top of the berries.  You can make cute cutouts with a small cookie cutter first, but I didn't have any so I just stuck the top crust on and crimped the edges together.  That's faster anyway!  Don't forget to cut a few slits in the top to let the steam escape.

   

If you wish, you can add an egg and milk wash on top

   

To do this whip up an egg and a Tablespoon of milk and brush the top of the pie.  I sprinkled a Tablespoon of sugar on top of the egg wash.  None of this is necessary, but it gives the top a shiny surface and the sugar adds a little bit of sweet to the crust.

   

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust is turning a golden brown.  Mine got a little too brown at 35 minutes, so check at 30 minutes.   Let the pie cool until just warm or the blueberry filling will ooze all over the place and will not stay in a pie shape.  And you might burn your tongue. So curb your cravings and let it sit, at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.  The ice cream will melt from the warm pie and ooze all over the plate.  When you are done with the pie you will be tempted to lick the blueberry cream puddled on your plate.  Use a spoon, unless you are by yourself and no one will see your blue nose and chin.  Why not?   You have totally blown your diet and the next week will be boring, so indulge for now.