{Classic Blueberry Pie}

Prep: 30 MIN
Total: 2 HR 0 MIN
Servings: 8

If you want to make a homemade pie but would prefer to skip the peeling and pitting needed for other fruit pies, consider the ease and simplicity of making a homemade blueberry pie. For best results, use the freshest possible blueberries, and look for ones that are uniform in size, with a smooth exterior.

Ingredients

- Pastry

2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water

- Filling

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, if desired
6 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, if desired

Steps

Prevent your screen from going dark while you cook.

1
In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and the salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
2
Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
3
Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll one round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
4
In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/2 cup flour and the cinnamon. Stir in blueberries. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over blueberries. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.
5
Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours.
Be sure to ease the pastry into the pie plate, taking care not to stretch the pastry, which causes it to shrink when baked.
Place a sheet of foil on lower oven rack below pie pan in case of boil overs.

Expert tips

Have a foil collar or aluminum pastry shield at the ready to prevent over-browning around the top edges of the pastry. You don’t want to underbake the pie or you may have a gummy bottom crust.
No fresh blueberries around? Sub in 6 cups of frozen blueberries, partially thawed, for a breath of summertime breezes.
For a glazy top crust, brush with milk or cream and sprinkle on some sparkly sugar, before sliding it into the oven. Use small cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the top crust before placing it on the filling or use a small paring knife to cut slits to create vents to release steam.
For a nice, defined crimped crust, lay the top pastry over the filling and press it firmly against the overhang of the bottom crust. Fold the pastry together and over to build up an even ridge of dough. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to mark evenly spaced sections to twist with your fingers into a decorative edge.
Pick up Betty Crocker™ pie crust mix to take most of the elbow grease out of your prep work and cut down on time.

Source: www.bettycrocker.com