Double-Crusted Blueberry Pie
I have just returned from Hong Kong and what better way to embrace being home than by making a blueberry pie? I think it is even more all-American than apple pie. It is my all-time favorite pie and the version in Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours is classic and perfect.
The local berries haven’t quite hit yet in the Northwest, so I turned to the freezer selection and went with one bag of wild blueberries and one bag of standard farmed blueberries. The wild berries are tiny little gems that gave my pie a fantastic texture. The filling was beautifully set and though flour was used as a thickener, I think the smaller berries played a big part in the structural integrity of the pie.
Though Dorie’s pie stays true to the berrie by only adding a bit of lemon, sugar and a pinch of salt, the enlightening aspect of the recipe is in the use of breadcrumbs. No soggy bottom crust here! Plain breadcrumbs sprinkled over the crust before adding the filling - brilliant!
Though Dorie didn’t venture into the spice cabinet for this pie, I couldn’t help myself. I added a quarter-size piece of crystallized ginger, snipped into very fine threads, to the berries and sprinkled the crust with crystallized ginger sugar. If you haven’t been collecting the ginger sugar at the bottom of the container of crystallized ginger you are missing out! It is wonderful to use when you want to sprinkle on a touch of flavor.
Thanks to Amy of South in Your Mouth who made the recipe selection for this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie baking group; I have been in pie heaven! I have only shared two slices of this pie. I am going to go have more pie now.
Tags: Blueberries, Crystallized ginger, Pie, Tuesdays with Dorie
July 8th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
That is some wonderfully flaky crust, and a beautiful slice of pie. Great job, and snazzy idea about the ginger sugar!
July 8th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
That really looks delicious, and a very American welcome after a trip to Hong Kong! Ginger sounds intriguing. Bet it was delicious!
July 8th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Wow. That pie is picture perfect. Did you just scan in the photos from the book??
July 8th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
good lord that slice looks so perfect! how’d you get it to stay SO STILL? mine flooped out everywhere!
July 8th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Your pie looks too pretty. I would hate to put my fork through it and ruin that straight edge!
July 8th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
That is one perfect looking slice of pie, crust and filling alike! Welcome back to the states.
July 9th, 2008 at 1:49 am
Love the suggestion for the ginger sugar! your photos of the pie slice showcasing your perfect crust is gorgeous!!!!!
July 9th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Those are some beautiful pictures. I loved this recipe and look forward to making it again.
July 9th, 2008 at 4:38 am
I love the idea of the crystallized ginger with the blueberries, sounds delicious! And that slice looks absolutely perfect!
July 9th, 2008 at 10:34 am
What a perfectly sliced pie! It looks wonderful!
July 9th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
That slice looks absolutely perfect! I like your idea of using crystallized ginger in the filling. Sounds delicious.
Shari@Whisk: a food blog
July 9th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Check out how truly fantastic your filling and crust look! Perfect!
July 10th, 2008 at 6:31 am
That slice of pie IS perfect! I love it that you can see every layer of the flaky crust! Well done!
July 10th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
That looks like the absolute perfect piece of pie! Wow!
July 11th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Your pie looks great! I want some. When I was at Jean-Georges, one of the components of a dessert was a blueberry compote flavored with ginger and elderflower. It smelled and tasted so wonderful, I loved making it!
July 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
That pie is gorgeous! And I pretty much love ginger in anything!