So, just how hard is it to bake a pie with a three year old? Harder than I anticipated, but not impossible . . . even with more help than I could ever hope for!
Perfect Pie Crust
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 TBLS Butter
- 2/3 Cup Shortening
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1/3 Cup Buttermilk
- 1 Egg beaten
Blueberry Filling
- 3 Cups blueberries
- 1 Cup sugar
- 2 tsps vanilla
- 2tsps cinnamon
- 1/2 Cup flour
Mix the shortening and butter. Add salt to flour and mix well.
Pour flour and salt mixture into the shortening, cut in with a pastry cutter (you can use two knives if you do not have a pastry cutter) until you get a coarse crumbly result. Add Buttermilk to this mixture. I stir with a fork until a ball starts to form then switch over to my hands to pull the last of the mix together.
HINT: I never have need for a whole container of buttermilk and it kills me to waste. Here is a trick my mother in law showed me years ago. Simply add 1 tsp of vinegar to each 1/2 cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Instant "buttermilk" without waste! The 5 minute sitting time is important to allow the milk to thicken and for the tangy taste of buttermilk to develop.
Generously flour your surface, form a patty, place on floured surface. Sprinkle flour lightly over the dough. Roll out from the center of dough to form a circle about 3" larger than your pie plate.
This tool at the top of the shot is actually a frosting spatula from the cake department but I love it for releasing the dough from the counter.
Poke holes with a fork on the bottom and sides of lower crust. I pop this crust in the frig while I mix the filling.
Mix all ingredients for the blueberry filling in a bowl. Set aside. Pop the lower crust into the 475* oven for 10 minutes. After removing crust lower temperature to 375*.
While lower crust is pre-baking roll out top crust about 2" larger than pie plate. Take lower crust from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Put berries into lower crust and top with the rolled out upper crust. Pinch upper crust to lower crust, trimming any excess. Cut a few slots into the crust then smear beaten egg on crust and lightly sprinkle with sugar to give a glazed finish.
Bake pie at 375* for 1 hour until golden brown.
The things I forgot!
1. The spatula thing for lifting the crust away from the counter
2. The tin crust protector. These are about 3 for $4 at most grocery stores. They are disposable, but I use mine over several time. I have a solid metal one but I find that it often dose not fit my older pie plates.
3. Flour!! I was so busy trying to keep up with my helper that I forgot to put the flour into the berries. This resulted in a very soupy pie. By day two the issue resolved itself, but it would have been better to have the flour.
My very insistent assistant!
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