flaky blueberry pie

with a twist

flaky Blueberry Pie

with a twist

Blueberry Pie. A classic. An all-American dessert.

This one has a bit of a twist.

A touch of cardamom adds a certain depth, lemon peel brightens, and the unexpected addition of parsley intensifies the flavor of this fruit pie. And of course, only fresh blueberries are used here.

With all that said, the best filling is only appreciated fully when it’s wrapped in a great crust.

We want it to be flakey and full of flavor, and that usually means butter. But, if you keep kosher and want to serve this as the finish to a meat meal, or if you follow a dairy-free or vegan diet, butter is out of the question. And the solid vegetable shortening that is generally used for pareve pastry has no flavor and leaves a greasy mouth feel.

To the rescue comes organic palm oil. Naturally solid at room temperature, it’s not hydrogenated and leaves no greasy residue on the roof of your mouth. A bit of kosher, natural, vegan butter flavoring elevates this pastry to magnificence.

For the Crust

Ingredients:

  • 2 ⅓ cups flour

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup organic palm oil

  • ½ teaspoon natural butter flavor

  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar

  • 3 tablespoons ice cold water.

Method:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour with the sugar and salt, and give it a quick whoosh to blend.

Add the palm oil, in bits. Pulse until the dough has the consistency of sand.

Add the butter extract, the vinegar, and the ice water, and pulse just until the dough comes together.

On a sheet of parchment roll out a little more than half the dough and use it to line a 9 inch deep dish pie plate. Let the excess hang over the sides.

Add the filling, then roll out the rest of the dough and top the pie with the crust.

Fold the edges over the overhanging crust from the bottom, trim as necessary, and decoratively crimp the edge.

Cut a small slash in the top crust for the steam to escape.

For the Filling

Ingredients:

  • 4 ½ cups fresh blueberries

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice

  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch

  • ¾ cup sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • dash cardamom

  • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley

  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 tablespoon Country Crock vegan butter (bar only, not the spreadable in a tub)

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • pearl sugar, or natural sugar, for sprinkling over the top

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 425°.

  • In a large bowl, mix sugar, salt, cornstarch, cardamom, parsley, and lemon zest. Set aside.

  • In a second large bowl, mix the vanilla, lemon juice and blueberries. Add sugar mixture to blueberry mixture. Stir to combine.

  • Spoon the filling into the prepared pie crust. Dot the top of the blueberries with pats of the vegan ëbutter. Add the second pie crust to the top of the pie.

  • Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash on the pie crust. Sprinkle the pie crust with sugar.

  • Bake for 25 minutes. Drop the heat to 350° and then bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until blueberries are bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

  • Let the pie cool before cutting and serving.