It has been over four years since my daughter went off to college. At the time, I didn’t think I would ever recover from Empty Nest Syndrome. Slowly but surely I pulled myself together and marched on. I wouldn’t say I got over it, I more or less adjusted to my new role as a mother of a college-age daughter. In truth, once I finished licking my wounds and rejoined the living, I began to recognize some actual benefits of our altered relationship. My deepest fear as she went off into her independent life as a college student, was that the closeness we had shared would dwindle and that visits home would be few and far in between. SILLY ME! Neither of those things happened. She travels home frequently and I visit her at school from time to time. After a brief, but necessary, period when she asserted her Freshman independence, we quickly settled back into a mutually comfortable place in our mother/daughter relationship, closer than ever. But wait! Fast forward four years. Enter boyfriend stage left.
Earlier this school year Jael met someone special. It wasn’t long before it became obvious that there was something of significance brewing between them. During our mother/daughter chats,she began to share with me tidbits of their burgeoning relationship. As her feelings for him developed, my excitement to meet “Mr. Wonderful” grew. Earlier this week, my Girl returned home from school, boyfriend in tow. Wanting to make sure he felt welcomed in our home, the natural thing for me to do was to have something home baked for him when he arrived. Jael had shared with me that his favorite dessert was Blueberry Pie, so Blueberry Pie it was. Right off the bat I knew I was going to like this guy. We share an affinity for blueberries. Things are off to a good start.
Jael returning home with a boyfriend has sparked some unexpected feelings for me. Our little nuclear threesome now includes a fourth. I’m observing, processing, and contemplating this new dynamic. Seeing such happiness on my daughter’s face warms my heart, and at the same time, sharing her heart with another person feels slightly threatening. I’m trying not to judge this unexpected reaction, rather I’m thinking of it as just another step in the process of her leaving the nest. All the hand-wringing as to what would happen to our relationship when she went off to college was for naught, and I’m certain that this uneasiness going on in my heart now, will also prove to have been needless worry. Life holds unexpected ways of surprising us.
In the meantime, a fourth person in my home means someone new to bake for. Few things bring me more pleasure than filling the bellies of those I care for with fresh baked goods from my oven. Among all the things I bake, pie is probably my favorite. Pie crust is the first thing I remember baking as a child, and it has mesmerized me ever since. This recipe for Blueberry Pie is sweet and simple. So many people steer clear of making pie because they are intimidated with the crust. Don’t be. Practice makes perfect! Even an imperfect crust leads to a wonderful pie. And, dare I suggest that even if you never attempt a crust from scratch, there are some very decent store bought versions available in markets these days. Using one will allow you to pull this bubbling blueberry-filled pie from your oven just the same.
Note: I have kept my instructions for making and rolling a pie crust quite simple. If you are a novice pie maker, more detailed instructions can be found at joythebaker.com.
Don’t wait for a special occasion to make pie. Any day is the perfect day to serve a slice to the pie lovers in your life.
Pie Crust
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, well chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
7 tablespoons vegetable shortening, well chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6-8 tablespoons ice water
In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea size pieces of butter and shortening remaining.
With the processor running, slowly drizzle in ice water until the dough just begins to come together. Stop short of it forming a ball in the processor. You might not need to use all the water. Remove the dough from the processor, divide it into two pieces, one piece slightly larger than the other. Shape each piece into a 6-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Have ready a 9-inch glass pie dish.
Just prior to rolling out the pie crust, prepare the blueberry filling.
Blueberry Filling
6 cups washed and dried blueberries, five cups left whole, one cup crushed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Juice from half a lemon
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Place the blueberries in a large bowl and add the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Stir to combine; set aside.
Remove the larger disk of dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle approximately 12-inches in diameter. Fold the dough in half and move it to the pie dish. Unfold the dough and gently fit into the dish. (There are many methods by which to transfer the crust from the counter to the dish. This is my preferred method but you can also roll the dough around the rolling pin and then unroll it over the pie dish.) Spoon the blueberry filling into the pie shell. Dot the top of the filling with the pieces of butter. Set aside.
Roll out the top pie shell to a round measuring 11-inches in diameter following the instructions same as for the bottom crust. Place the dough overtop of the filling. Trim the overhanging crust to 1/2-in beyond the edge of the pie dish, turn under and crimp using a fork or your fingers. Cut decorative slits into the top crust using a sharp knife.
Bake the pie in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375˚F. Continue to bake the pie for an additional 45 minutes to an hour, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Place a foil lined baking sheet on the rack below the pie to catch any juices that may spill over. If the edges of the crust begin to brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
Remove pie to a rack to cool completely before cutting.
Yield: One 9-inch Double Crust Pie
Source: Sifting Focus
