Blueberry Pie

My Aunt Denise recommended this recipe while we were visiting my grandmother. I originally made this pie for my neighbor Charlie with half Splenda and half sugar. This pie was so good it was almost gone in 5 minutes. Luckily I saved the very last piece for Charlie. I highly recommend making the pie crust that goes with it but you can always save time by using a ready-made crust.

Country Blueberry Pie



Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
Flour, for dusting
Sugar, for sprinkling on top

Filling: Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and water. Add to a saucepan and heat rapidly until thickened. Set aside to cool as you prepare the pastry. Once cooled add the berries and lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening. Whisk together egg, water and vinegar. Add to flour mixture tossing lightly with a fork. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and using your hands combine dough. Separate into 2 single crusts. Line the bottom of a pie plate with 1 of the crusts.

Pour filling into dough lined pie pan, and sprinkle the lemon juice over the filling. Adjust top crust, cut vents and flute rim. Sprinkle top lightly with sugar. Place pie onto a baking sheet and into the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool, cut and enjoy!

Blueberry Coffeecake with Lemon Streusel

Most weeknights require grab-and-go breakfasts. I made this last Sunday so I would have breakfast all week.

This was a very easy recipe from King Arthur Flour. It is always best to use their brand of flour in their recipes for the best result. I tweaked the recipe just a bit by using whole wheat flour, adding a bit more moisture and a bit more lemon flavor. If you do not have candied lemon peel, you can use regular lemon zest or make your own (recipe at the bottom.)

I took half, cut it into squares and then wrapped each square in plastic wrap. I put the squares in a freezer bag for individual servings whenever.



Blueberry Coffeecake with Lemon Streusel
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Lemon Studded Streusel:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup King Arthur whole wheat or unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup candied lemon peel or 1 tablespoon lemon zest
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3-4 drops lemon oil or 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract

Cake:
8 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups King Arthur whole wheat flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, well drained
* If you use whole wheat flour, you need to add moisture to the cake. Add an additional 2 – 4 tablespoons of sour cream.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" baking pan or two 8" x 2" round pans.

For the lemon streusel: In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Gently toss the candied peel until it is well coated. If you prefer smaller pieces of peel, you can pulse the mixture 10-12 times with a food processor at this point. For a bigger lemon "bite" leave as is.

Work the softened butter into the flour/peel mixture until it resembles granola, some larger chunks, some smaller. Sprinkle on the lemon oil and toss again to combine. Set mixture aside.

For the cake: Cream the butter and sugar until light colored and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the bowl well each time. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the batter, mixing until combined. Avoid overbeating or the cake will become tough.

Gently fold in the blueberries until well distributed throughout the batter. Pour into the prepared pan(s) and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the lemon streusel until the batter is completely covered.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Candied Lemon Peel

3 lemons
2 cups water
2 cups white sugar, or as needed

Cut the lemons into slices and remove the fruit pulp. Scrape as much of the pith (white inner layer) as you can, this part is bitter. A spoon or butter knife will work well.

Bring water to a boil in a small pan and add the lemon peels. Boil for about 5 minutes, until tender.

Remove the peels from water and stir in the sugar. Return to a boil and then add peels. Boil until all the sugar has dissoved and the liquid is transparent. Drain and allow to dry before storing.

Liquid may be reserved and used as lemon simple syrup.