I Found My Thrill

"When I found you
The moon stood still
On Blueberry Hill
And lingered until
My dreams came true"

Fats Domino found his famous thrill on Blueberry Hill long before I ever became a twinkle in the sky. That's about how long I've wanted to try this recipe for "Easy Pie Dough". Well, not really THAT long, but how is it that a recipe for something so simple can sit in my file for nearly 2 years and I never find an opportunity to try it? You might also wonder why I'd feel the need to try something so simple but the truth of the matter is, well....(can you scoot a little closer because I don't want the whole world to hear this....) because I've never made a pie crust from scratch. Did anyone hear me say that out loud? Is it horrible to hang a sign over my door and consider myself a caterer when I've never made a pie crust? I guess that's why I don't advertise my blog to my paying customers - I'm embarrased to admit the things that I've never done before, ashamed to let them know that I've skated by all these years on the wheels of convenience.

As was the intention of this blog, I'm turning over a new leaf. Move over Pillsbury 'cause I can make a pie crust! I took this recipe and combined it with Penzey's Blueberries and Cream Pie. Penzey's is an excellent mail-order source for spices and this recipe was featured in their order catalog some time ago. I made it even easier by using the food processor and pulsing the dough ingredients a few times. I wound up baking my pie a tad longer than the specified 45 minutes as it was not yet set in the middle. The recipe for "Easy Pie Dough" was featured in the USA Weekend insert of the newspaper for the weekend of November 12-14, 2004.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Blueberries and Cream Pie

Serving Size : 8
Categories : Pie

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 recipe easy pie dough(below)
4 cups blueberries (2 pints)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
PIE DOUGH:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2" chunks
4 tablespoons frozen butter
2 tablespoons frozen vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice cold water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until a soft dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, pressing it into a thick disk. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour. Can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen for a month.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14" circle, turning frequently and dusting wiht flour to keep it from sticking. Fold dough in half, quickly lift into a 9" Pyrex (not deep dish) pie plate and unfold. Fit dough into plate so that it is not stretched in any way. Trim with scissors to 1/2" beyond pan lip. Roll overhanging dough under with fingertips so it is flush with pan lip, then flute. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Do not prick shell with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400. Rinse the berries and pick out any undesirable ones. After the berries have drained and are somewhat dry, pour them into the pastry shell. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the milk and 1/2 cup of the whipping cream, whisk until smooth. Pour over the berries and bake for 45 minutes. After about 30 minutes you may want to cover the edges of the crust with foil if the pastry looks like it's getting too dark. Cool on a wire rack and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Optional topping: Beat 1/2 cup of very cold whipping cream with 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract to top the pie before serving.



Now that I've cleared my conscience of this horrible convenience-pie-crust-secret that I've been carrying around, I feel much better. My spirit is lighter...flakier, even (a little food pun intended)