Wednesday 24 August 2011

I'm So Blue.... berried, that is.

It's blueberry season in the Okanagan !





Blueberry Cream Pie

Crust
1 1/2 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup  Sugar
1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Lard (you can use Butter if you like)
1 Egg (mix it up)

Heat oven to 400 deg F.
Put first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse, add egg, pulse till it starts to come together, dump it out onto counter and knead a few times, wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for 1/2 hour or till chilled and the moisture has absorbed into the flour.  Roll the dough out on a floured surface and put into a 9" pie pan.
Crimp the edges, poke the pastry with a fork several times so that big air bubbles don't grow, and bake for 12 - 13 min.
The dough is a bit cookie-like and will look like a golden sugar cookie when ready.
Let the crust cool before pouring in the filling - room temperature or cooler.

 If its warm, the filling will melt into a puddle and you will not be happy!


Filling
2 cups Whipping Cream
1/2 cup  Sugar
1 packet (or 1 tbsp) Gelatin
2 tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1 tbsp Orange Zest
3 cups Blueberries

Glaze
1/2 cup Red Currant Jelly
1 tbsp Water


Whip the cream with sugar until it starts to thicken. Place cold water in a small pan, sprinkle gelatin over and let sit  until gelatin begins to soften, about a minute. Stir over very low heat until it's dissolved. Let this cool.

 Again, melted and runny whipped cream is what you will get if the gelatin is too hot and lumps of jelly bits is what you'll have if it's too cold, remind you of Goldilocks?  it must be "just right".
When it is "just right" whip the cream on low speed and pour in the "just right" gelatin.
When the gelatin is blended in beat the cream on high speed until soft peaks form.
Fold in almond extract and orange zest.
Pour this mixture into the cooled pie shell.
Top with blueberries.
Melt jelly and water over low heat until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly and drizzle over berries.

This pie must be stored in the fridge and is best eaten the day it's made.




So glad to have the Blues!