Blueberry Pie, Deep Dish

Like many lovers of pie, my favorite part of a pie, is its crust, followed closely by a gratuitous amount of filling. With that in mind, this Deep Dish Blueberry Pie easily becomes the ideal ratio for enjoyment. Its flaky lard and butter crust is pressed across a springform pan for easy handling and filled to its brim with a freshly made blueberry filling. A very small part of me thought bringing this recipe to a barbecue with only a few people would leave a few slices to be eaten (by me) later ... but I underestimated how much people love their pie. Enjoy!!

Servings: 12 slices

Prep Time: ~35min

Crust 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, lard, sugar, almond extract and salt with a paddle attachment until thoroughly mixed. Evenly press 2/3 of dough into an 8” springform pan until consistently thick around the base and sides. Place wax or parchment paper on top of the crust, weighted with dry beans. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a light golden. Remove the beans.

Crust 2: Press the remaining 1/3 of the dough into the shape of a circle 8" in diameter and refrigerate on wax paper until ready to use.

Filling: In a large saucepan, reduce 1/2 of the total blueberries on medium-high heat until a thickened jam forms (See Blueberry Jam recipe). Toss remaining blueberries in the reduced mixture until evenly coated and reduce the heat until just softened. Pour the filling into the lightly cooked pie crust. Lay the top over the blueberry filling and press the sides down to set the layer. Press the layer lightly around the inside perimeter to secure the filling inside. Cut holes into the top of the dough (i.e., holes, decorative lines) to release steam as it bakes. Brush the top layer with the egg wash and sprinkle raw sugar over the crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until top is a golden brown.

Serving: When the pie reaches a golden brown, remove it from heat and set aside to cool. Allow the pie to cool for approximately ten minutes. Lightly run a knife around the sides to loosen the crust and release the springform pan. Set aside to cool completely to room temperature. Release the bottom crust and transfer to a serving plate.