This is my absolute favorite summer pie. In our area, blueberry season is short and sweet, and so I make sure to pick enough berries to make one of these pies every year. The flavor of the blueberries stays fresh in the pie, thanks to the lemon juice and lemon zest. The sweet ginger crust is refreshing and rich in flavor. I love to top the pie with a dusting of sugar and crystalized ginger to give the crust an extra little bit of sweetness and spice as well as a beautiful, golden shine.

Blueberry Pie with Sweet Ginger Crust 

Recipe makes 8 to 10 servings. Total time 4 hours. Active time 30 minutes.

TIP: All components of the pie (top and bottom crusts and filling) should be cold when put together, and the pie should go in the oven still cold to bake well. You can place the pie on a sheet pan lined with foil to catch any filling that might bubble over during baking.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 6-8 tablespoons ice water
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon frozen ginger root, zested with a fine zester

Filling:

• 8 cups fresh blueberries (about 2 pounds)
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• ½ cup instant tapioca, ground to a powder in food processor or coffee grinder
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (close to the zest of one lemon)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon zested frozen ginger root

Finishing:

• 1 large egg to brush the top layer of the pastry 
• 1 tablespoon crystalized ginger, finely ground
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. To make the crust: Use a food processor to pulse together the flour, sugar, ground ginger, and salt. Add the ginger root to the flour mixture. Add the butter pieces, tossing them to coat in the dry mixture. Pulse until crumbly and you begin to see pea-size pieces of butter. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the mixture holds together when you pinch it between your fingers.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and split in half. Use your hands to form 2 disks, tightly wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. To make the filling: Place the blueberries in a large bowl. Add the sugar, tapioca, lemon zest, lemon juice, and ginger. Use your hands to carefully mix the ingredients together without crushing the blueberries. Let sit for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place a round of dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 14-inch circle and line a pie dish with the dough. Trim so that edges are overhanging the pie dish by about 1/2 inch. Refrigerate. Roll the second round of dough out into a 14-inch circle and refrigerate.
6. Pour the blueberry filling into the pie crust and distribute the butter cubes evenly over the filling.
7. Place the top crust over the pie and trim the edges to leave 1 inch of dough overhanging the pie dish. Tuck the top edge of the crust under the bottom edge of the crust, then pinch together to seal in the filling. Cut several slits in the top of the pie with a sharp knife.
8. For finishing: Beat the egg in small bowl. Brush egg over the top of the pastry, making sure to cover every bit of the pie. Decorate the top of pie with shapes cut from extra dough if desired, making sure to brush these with egg wash as well. Sprinkle with crystalized ginger and then with sugar.
9. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F and put the pie in the oven. It will take between 1 hour and 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake, but begin to check after 30 minutes to make sure the crust isn’t browning too quickly. Cover the crust with foil if it is already browning at 30 minutes.
10. The pie is ready when the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let it cool and serve at room temperature.

Recipe first featured on Ranch To Table Season 3 Episode 5: "Picnic on the Ranch" on the Magnolia Network.

Enjoy!

Elizabeth