Although I love pie (now who doesn’t love pie?), I have been trying for 30 years to make a great pie crust without it falling apart on me.  On this last attempt, it did kinda fall apart but I believe I finally figured out why.  I didn’t add enough cold water.  I originally only added 2 1/2 Tpsn of ice cold water.  I believe 3 or 3 1/4 will do the trick.  We shall see the next time I try to make my own pie crust.  If the darn crust falls apart, I just piece it in the pie dish and form it myself.  You’ll see in the pictures, that’s exactly what I did! It doesn’t matter though, it tastes great and hey, I wasn’t entering the State Fair Pie Contest! Ha ha ha! Hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

Flaky Pie Dough:

1 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour

4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 Tbsp. vegetable shortening, chilled

¼ Tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. cold water

DIRECTIONS – Pie Dough:

(NOTE 1:  I put both butter and shortening in a bowl and put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times until mixture resembles coarse meal.  With motor running, add 3 Tbsp. ice-cold water (NOTE 2:  I put cold tap water in a measuring cup with 2 or 3 ice cubes to get super cold) and process just until dough forms a ball.  If necessary, add more water, 1 tsp. at a time, if dough is too dry.  Press into a disk, wrap in parchment paper and either place in freezer for 20 minutes or refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before using.

After dough has been refrigerated,  place the dough in the parchment paper on a large cutting board.  Unwrap the parchment paper and spray top of dough lightly with PAM and then add a piece of plastic wrap.  Roll out pie dough into an 10-inch circle.  Fit into a 9-inch pie pan, letting dough overhang by 1 inch.  Fold dough under to create a double-thick edge; crimp decoratively.  Please in freezer for 15 minutes.  Bake in a 350° oven 35 minutes or longer or until nicely browned.  Cool.  Tip:  I used a spatula to slid under dough to make sure it isn’t sticking.  I removed the plastic wrap and then put my pie dish upside on top of the dough and flipped over the dough on the parchment paper into the pie dish.  It worked!  I must say I am getting better at this!

Pie filling Ingredients:

3 pints blueberries, divided (4 cups & 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups water

5 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch

1 1/2 cups sugar

DIRECTIONS – Pie Filling:

In a large sauce pot, add sugar, water, cornstarch and 4 cups blueberries and stir constantly for 10-12 minutes or until a deep purple color and most blueberries have melted/dissolved.  If the mixture seems very thick, add 1/4 cup of water at a time until desire consistency.  Don’t add too much or mixture will be runny.  You want it to be a thick consistency.  You just have to judge it.  Cool slightly (about 5 minutes off stove).  Mix in remaining 2 cups blueberries.   Pour into baked pie shell.  Chill.

NOTE 3:  This filling is great on homemade pound cake, on waffles or pancakes, cheesecake and over ice cream too!

CRUMB TOPPING:

NOTE 4:  This crumb topping makes enough for 2 pies.  You can cut the recipe in half or freeze half for another time.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter cut into chucks, placed in a bowl and chilled in freezer 1/2 hour

DIRECTIONS – Crumb topping:

Mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in bowl.  Add in the chilled chunked butter and work into the flour mixture forming large and small clumps.  This takes awhile. Be patient!

To Bake:

Line a large baking pan 10 X 15 baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pour the crumb top over the entire pan.  Bake this topping  in a 350° oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven. Let cool. Crumble it up some more and put on top of your pie.