OUR FAMILY FAVORITE BLUEBERRY PIE

The fruit trees are in bloom and our freezer is still bulging with fruit I put up last summer. I think this squirrel got a little carried away. The Westside of Michigan is the “Fruit Belt” where all kinds of fruit are grown from peaches, grapes, blueberries, cherries and more. It is all so beautiful and so luscious when I see it at the Farmer’s Market, I just can’t imagine winter without it. In my need to start cleaning out the freezer, I present this fabulous blueberry pie. The brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg compliment the blueberries and seem to intensify their favor. Hope you enjoy as much as we do.

The slit in the pie is a copy of the one my Grandma always put in her pies and a tribute to her.

OUR FAMILY FAVORITE BLUEBERRY PIE
Michigan, blueberries and summertime, every year, I'd bring my children to the old family cottage on the dune overlooking Lake Michigan. We'd go to the Coast Guard festival, play on the beach, walk the old wooded boardwalks on the forest covered dunes and feast on fresh corn and blueberries. We couldn't get blueberries in Missouri so we'd take 40 to 50 pounds back with us in our over-loaded station wagon. Before we hit the Indiana border, the kids would have a five-pound bag emptied.

4 c fresh or frozen blueberries, I use a tablespoon or two more flour when using     frozen fruit.  I also slightly thaw the frozen berries before using.
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
Pastry for a 2 crust 9-inch pie
Butter, if desired

Place blueberries in a large bowl. Combine sugars, flour, salt and spices; mix well. Pour sugar mixture over blueberries; toss gently until berries are coated. Spoon into pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter, if desired. Cover with top crust; flute edges. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.  Gently sprinkle white sugar on the top crust.  Bake in a preheated 425 oven for 35 to 45 minutes.

I use to be "known" for my great pie crusts; however, the refrigerated ones are so good most people think I made the crust as well as the pie.

Mix well together the sugar, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Gently mix the sugar mixture with the blueberries.

Dot with butter, if desired.

                           

Put on the top crust and crimp the edges.  Cut a slit in the crust to vent pie and sprinkle with white sugar which makes it look like a homemade crust.

Put a crust shield on the pie after 20 minutes of baking, if desired.

Hey! Where is the vanilla ice cream?  Can't have blueberry pie without ice cream.