Aunt Margies Blueberry Pie

Our fridge has been packed lately.  We have been making regular trips out to the Dekalb Farmers Market and barely have enough room in our ample fridge to house all the fruits and veges we come home with.  The other day Ernesto and I both picked up blueberries without knowing the other did too, so we had quite a few.   My Aunt, who is here with my parents visiting suggested a blueberry pie.

Yes, have some.

 Aunt Margie got me a "pie making kit" at my wedding shower [11 years ago], and I was embarrassed to not have ANY of it in my new kitchen.  No rolling pin, no pastry cutter, no glass pie dish, ugh! (it must be in storage)  Being the baking queen that she is, she made due with the "tools" I had and created this:

I would say the key to any pie is a good crust...and obviously a delicious filling.   I do buy graham cracker pie crusts for my yogurt pie (I'll share the recipe soon)  but for regular pie crust I'm not too sure why you would buy it ready made with the "from scratch" is so quick and easy to make.

Perfect Pie Crust

1 cup Crisco

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

Blend with metal pastry blender (or fork if yours is in storage)

Add 4tbsp. ice cold water and stir (it should be crumbly now)

Add 3 more tbsp water and work with hands until all dough pulls away from dish.  

Place dough ball onto floured surface and roll to about an 1/8 inch thick. 

Place in baking dish and fold over any excess on the sides.

To crinkle the edges, press your thumb like so into the dough:

Continue around dish.

For the lattice topping, roll another piece of dough out and cut into thin strips to criss-cross over the top of the filling. 

 

Aunt Margie's Blueberry Pie 

4 cups fresh blueberries 

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp tapioca (could substitute cornstarch)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Mix together and add to pie pan.  

Criss-cross lattice over filling.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and cook for 45 minutes.** 

** My Aunt let me in on an a trick she has been using for years.  As a matter of fact she learned this in her microwave manual when it first came out (whoa?) back in the late 70's early 80's??   She "pre-cooks" the pie in the microwave for 10 minutes before putting it in the oven.  I admit I was a bit disappointed when I found out she puts pie in the microwave (since I only use mine to warm up coffee or left overs) but, just like she said, the crust was very flaky and delicious! If you try it, pop pie in the oven for 15 minutes after microwaving for 10.