When’s the last time I wrote about pie?  July 8, apparently.  In other words, far, far too long ago.  I had a craving for fruit pie last Saturday, so I knew what I would be baking before I made my final grocery list for the week (a rare circumstance for me).  Blueberries are still in season, and I had made an impulse purchase of a bag of limes the week before (my impulses are a little weird), so for once, the decision process was fairly straightforward.

My usual recipe for blueberry pie contains a splash of lemon juice, but I really wanted the lime flavor to come through in this pie, so I increased the volume to ⅓ cup and added the grated zest of 2 limes.  I also added the zest of 1 lime to the crust for an added hint of lime.  The flavor of the filling is really assertive, so the crust flavoring isn’t hugely noticeable, but I’d still recommend trying it if you decide to make your own crust.  If you aren’t as keen as I am on the lime flavoring, you can reduce the juice and zest by half for less of a kick in the mouth of citrus.

I know part of my decision was based on the fact that blueberries are in season, but I ended up using frozen blueberries because it was easier to get a lot of them at my usual grocery store.  The recipe will work the same with fresh or frozen, so you can use whatever you prefer.  I should also note that the measurements for this pie are based on using a deep dish pie plate (here’s my favorite), so if you want to use a regular 9″ pie plate, you’ll probably want to reduce the filling, or just make the whole batch and use the rest like jam.  I’m happy to work up a reduced filling recipe if anyone is interested.

As a final note, I have no idea why I decided to put an egg in the ingredients picture.  In my defense, I was baking two different desserts simultaneously, so it could have jumped from one ingredient picture to the next.  More likely, though, I was just carrying it around while relocating ingredients from the kitchen to my photo station, and eventually I put it down with the rest of the ingredients.  The world may never know.

You will need the following ingredients:

For the pie:

• 1 recipe sweet pie crust or 1 boxed pie crust
• 36 oz. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• ⅓ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice (2-3 medium limes)
• grated zest of 2 limes
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 5 Tbsp. cornstarch
• heavy cream (for brushing the top crust)
• coarse sugar, for decorating (optional)

For baking ambiance:

• I’ve been on a Pretenders kick lately, so I just continued it in the kitchen this week.  I do live in Ohio, so My City Was Gone had to be on the playlist (obviously), but there’s plenty else to power your bakeventure if you’re not into “autobiographical laments.”

Let’s get baking!

If you are making your own pie crust, prepare it at least an hour in advance, according to these instructions, and leave it to chill while you prepare the filling.

In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cornstarch until the mixture is uniform and there are no lumps.  Set aside.

Place the blueberries, lime juice, and lime zest in a large saucepan.  Heat them over medium-low heat until they release just about enough juice to cover themselves.  How long this takes depends on whether your berries are frozen or not, how high your heat is, etc., so I’d suggest checking them occasionally while doing other things in the kitchen.

Remove the blueberries from the heat and stir in the sugar mixture until it is fully-incorporated.  Return the blueberry filling to medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the mixture is thickened to your liking, continuing to stir regularly (5-10 minutes).  The juice should really cling to the spoon and the sides of the pan when the filling is done.

Leave the filling to cool completely.  I did this at room temperature, but you can also transfer it to a container and refrigerate it until cooled.  You really don’t want to pour hot filling into your crust because it will melt the butter, making things gross.  No one likes gross pie.

When the filling is cool, preheat your oven to 375°F.  Roll out half of your pie crust and line the bottom of a 9″ deep dish pie plate.  If you are pie crust challenged like me, enlist the help of someone who has those magical rolling pin skills (my go-to helper is my husband).

Pour the filling into the crust.

Roll out the remaining crust and top the pie in the style you prefer.  I felt like using a solid crust with three circular vent holes in the middle this time, but lattices always look nice, and I’ve been seeing a lot of overlapped cutouts lately that look lovely.

Using a pastry brush, brush a layer of heavy cream all over the top of the crust.  This helps give it a nice, golden-brown color when it bakes.  If you’d like (and I do), sprinkle the top with some coarse decorating sugar for added sparkle.

Bake the pie with a cookie sheet or pizza pan underneath for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is evenly browned and the filling is starting to bubble out of the vent holes.  Check it after 40 minutes to make sure the edges of the crust aren’t browning too quickly.  If they are, cover them with foil for the remainder of the baking time.

I know it’s hard, but you really need to let the pie cool completely before serving, ideally overnight.  If you don’t, the filling will leak out everywhere and make a runny mess.  For better serving, cold pie is the way to you.  If you prefer your pie warm, you can always reheat it for a few minutes after slicing.

Enjoy!

You can download the printable PDF recipe here: Blueberry Lime Pie