22 October 2010

Blueberry Lavender Pie



Last summer, I heard about a cake-versus-pie baking contest, and I knew I had to enter. This pie is what I came up with for the competition. Unfortunately, I didn't get to participate in the contest, but I still got to make (and eat!) this lovely blueberry lavender pie. And that makes us all winners.

To get the lavender flavor, I ground lavender flowers into the sugar using a food processor. This way you can add the flavor without adding any extra liquid, and without whole pieces of lavender to get stuck in your teeth. If you don't have a food processor, I guess you could try making a lavender syrup (basically, make simple syrup with lavender, then strain the flowers out), and then use some extra corn starch to compensate for the additional liquid. I don't know how that would turn out, but let me know if you try it!

Ingredients:
One double-crust pie dough
6 cups of blueberries (if using frozen, thaw and drain the berries first)
1 cup of sugar
2-3 tablespoons of lavender flowers
3 tablespoons corn starch
zest and juice of one lemon or lime

Directions:
In a food processor, combine the sugar and lavender until there are no big pieces of flowers in it. Toss it in a bowl with the blueberries, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice. Toss everything together, making sure it is evenly combined.

Roll out the bottom crust of your pie dough and place it a well-greased pie dish. Fill it up with your yummy blueberry filling. Top it off with the rest of your dough, and it's ready to bake!

If you want to do a lattice crust, which is pretty and sure to impress your friends, I recommend looking at these instructions from Smitten Kitchen. It's a lot easier than you'd think!

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 45-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the blueberry filling is all bubbly. Let the pie cool for 45 minutes or so before cutting into it. Enjoy!

Note: I made this pie twice - once with lemon, and once with lime. About half the people who tried both versions preferred the lemon, and half preferred the lime. I couldn't tell the difference, so I think they must be equally good!

2 comments:

  1. Do you use the vodka recipe when you make a lattice top? It's so soft! I have trouble even putting a regular crust on top... I guess I could put it in the fridge for a little while after making the lattice, but that takes time, etc... Any tips?

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  2. I've used the vodka recipe when making a lattice - you do need to put it in the fridge/freezer, but really, it freezes fast, so you can just spread it into a shallow bowl, and stick it in the freezer, and roll it out in about fifteen minutes.

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