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Friday, May 25, 2012

Blueberry pie with limoncello lemon curd

Blueberry and lemon are two of my very favorite flavors, and together? It's a winning combination. Blueberries are delicious, but I think their subtle sweetness is even better when juxtaposed with tart lemon. With the deep blue color of the berries plus a little creativity with the crust, you can make a patriotic pie to show off at your Memorial Day BBQ.

These beautiful berries are just begging for booze, aren't they?

Since I was planning to add lemon curd, I wanted to make sure the blueberries wouldn't be overpowered. I've gotten accustomed to adding a little booze to my pie crust, to make it extra crispy. In this case, I substituted 2 Tbsp of water with blueberry vodka - just to add extra emphasis on the blueberry flavor.


For the crust:  (this will make one 2-crust pie)

I like Martha Stewart's "Our Favorite Pie Crust" recipe. It's a little more substantial than patee brisee, but still has plenty of butter for a light & flaky texture. 
In a food processor, pulse:
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 sticks very cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
Once your mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, slowly add 2 tablespoons vodka and 2-to-3 tablespoons ice water. Keep pulsing; the mixture will become more cohesive. Don't over-process - you don't want glutenous strands to form and make your pie crust chewy. We're going for crispy & flaky.

I recommend preparing and pre-baking your bottom crust for about 10-12 minutes to make sure it's done to extra-crispy perfection. Place aluminum foil around the edges to prevent over-browning.

For the filling:

Ingredients:
  • Lemon curd -- I made my own, using this wonderful recipe from Emeril and it turned out great! Bonus: his recipe uses limoncello in addition to fresh lemons. It's very tart and flavorful, with just the right level of sweetness. 
  • 4 cups blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons limoncello
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces. 
Instructions:
Spread a generous layer of lemon curd over the (pre-baked) bottom crust. Mix together the limoncello and corn starch to make a thickening base, and gently toss with the blueberries. Pour into the pie crust, on top of the lemon curd.
Scatter the 2 tablespoons of butter over the top of the blueberries. 
Prepare your top crust however you like. I went with a flag theme for Memorial Day. Brush with a little melted butter or half and half and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 for about 30-35 minutes; until the crust is golden brown and the berries are bubbling. I like to place a cookie sheet on the lower rack underneath my pies in case they boil over. 

Before baking: see the little pieces of butter peeking out?


All baked & ready to serve up at your Memorial Day BBQ


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**posted by Jacqueline** 
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10 comments:

  1. How beautiful and so clever with the stars and adding the blueberry vodka to the crust! Our blueberries are in yet, but cherries are and I'm planning a cherry pie for Memorial Day.

    Happy Holiday dear friend, XOXO

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  2. That's gorgeous! I need to try adding vodka to my crust, especially a flavored one!

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  3. Thanks you, Susan and Dorothy! :)
    Dorothy, I think you especially would like a boozey crust, since it turns out extra crispy!

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  4. I LOVE the stars and stripes pattern! This pie looks and sounds amazing! Happy Memorial Day!! :)

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  5. thanks Ellen :) Happy Memorial Day to you too! I'm experimenting today with the leftover limoncello lemon curd (Emeril's recipe made a lot!).

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  6. Wonderful! It's beautiful and delicious! Thank you for sharing on Thursday's Treasures Week 36. Hope to see you again next week. <3 and hugs! http://www.recipesformyboys.com/2012/05/thursdays-treasures-week-36.html

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  7. Thanks for letting us join the fun, Debi! :)

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  8. This pie is too pretty to eat but I won't have to worry about that. Mine won't be as pretty but it's going to be just as good since I'll be using your recipe!!! I've just started canning lemon curd so this is perfect!!!!! Yes, thanks for sharing. Pinned.

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  9. Thanks Joan! I think I might make this as a galette next time (see Ellen's post with a lovely Amaretto and Almond Galette) but the pie option was fun since I got to play with the stars & stripes theme :)

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  10. How did I miss this?! This pie is beyond gorgeous. I LOVE the stars and stripes pattern and must make this for the fourth. And I agree, blueberry and lemon is one flavor combo that can't be beat.

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