Fresh Blueberry Pie with a Vodka Crust

[layers_of_eli]

My sweet boyfriend bought me America's Test Kitchen (the latest season and cookbook) for Valentine's Day! After watching their "best blueberry pie" episode, I had to give it a go

Comments

[absolution]

I feel so validated, Julie! I tried their vodka pie crust for thanksgiving and it was fine, but I decided to go back to my old one too. It wasn't the magic bullet I was hoping for. Your pie looks scrumptious though of course.

A cookbook from a loved one is the best thing ever, by the way. (:

[layers_of_eli]

Now I feel validated too! Did you find it super hard to work with? I don't know what I could've done wrong . . . followed every step exactly, but for some reason working with it was awwwwful. SO many people on the CI forums said it was lovely to work with. Maybe I was just being too timid with the chilling/flour. I don't know!

Thanks :) And I agree, re: the cookbook! Especially since Mike did cute research to figure out a good one to buy. Sweet sweet.

[genericvox]

I love that it has a face... the mouth is gonna eat the other slice.
Lovely!

[layers_of_eli]

HA I did not see this until you mentioned it! Love it!! :D

Thanks :)

[copper_season]

I wasn't happy with the crust the first time I made it, but I decided to try again and loved it. It's a tad sticky but the crust was way too good for me to just give it up. LOL.

Now I want blueberry pie.

[layers_of_eli]

That's how I feel ("It's a tad sticky but the crust was way too good for me to just give it up. LOL.")

I must be a masochist, but I might try it again too!! It was tasty.

[a_boleyn]

When I first tried making pie crusts they were always tough as the amount of water I was supposed to sprinkle on was never enough to get it to hold together. By the time I finished kneading, adding more water, kneading some more, it was a mess. A friend gave me a recipe using sour cream, egg and shortening which has never failed me.

[layers_of_eli]

Innnteresting! I love my lard/butter crust with about 6 tablespoons of water. It's just so much less fragile than this dough!

I'd love your recipe if you share it.

[a_boleyn]

Happy to share.

Pie Crust (enough for top and bottom or 2 bottoms)

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
water as needed

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender.

In a 2 cup measuring cup beat together the egg and sour cream and add enough cold water to make a total of 3/4 cup liquid. Stir the liquid into the dough using a fork. If a hand full of dough holds together when squeezed, the dough is wet enough, otherwise, fork in an additional tablespoon and try again. Repeat if needed.

Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate until needed or roll to 1/4" thickness.

For an empty shell, bake 12-15 min in a 400 F oven. For a filled shell, bake 15 min at 400 F, then reduce temperature to 350 F and bake an additional 25-30 min.

[layers_of_eli]

Thanks! I'm intrigued...

[kint]

This recipe is all sorts of awesome! Made it twice now (though once was 'mixed berry'). I've since switched to an Alton Brown crust recipe - similar principal, but about half the fat and IMHO just as good. This recipe is definitely sticky, but I think one perk of the extra vodka moisture was that you can use more flour for rolling than you'd want to with a more 'conventional' crust recipe.

[layers_of_eli]

I used a ton more flour, and it just kept sticking . . . until it started breaking, that is! Ugh! I was seriously disgusted at a few points. ha.

Is the AB recipe as sticky?

[kint]

Did you chill the shortening enough? And then the final dough? I didn't give the shortening enough time to get nice and cold once, and I do believe I had the same problem.

You can run into the same problem with Alton Brown's recipe, though I think it's less likely since it's a little less moist and a lot less fat.

[layers_of_eli]

Yep -- shortening chilled for days and rechilled after quick slicing. Dough chilled overnight and for a good bit after each time I worked with it. Same process I typically use with my lard/butter crust, which is usually a lot less . . . gooey. Ha.