Mini blueberry pies

The perfect pie (or cake!) filling is one that never runs and lets the fruit be the star of the show. These mini blueberry pies are sweet and tart, they tickle your taste buds and keep you coming back for more!

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The secret ingredient to this recipe is frozen fruit (cue the audience’s gasp!), and I think that’s why I love it. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, we do our best to stock the freezer with a bounty of locally-picked berries every summer. My dad used to take us berry picking when we were young, and we always managed to fill an entire block freezer with strawberries, raspberries, and the tiny, sweet, wild blueberries from Lac St-Jean (a personal favourite). We used these fruits to make healthy breakfast smoothies, so these pie fillings represent my way of keeping our family’s tradition alive. A wonderful aspect of the eastern townships is that it’s a fertile valley filled with small-scale, sustainable farms. We’re hardly a twenty-minute drive from u-pick heaven when local fruits are in season. (If you are in the area, you should check out this great guide.) Our girls love to accompany us and fill their bellies with blueberries while we fill enough baskets to ensure we will have enough to get us until next year’s crop.

When the freezer’s stocked with fruit, that means I’m only a thawed bag away from a tasty pie (or more nutritious fares for the health-conscious). This recipe will work with anything from stone fruit to apples, but the focus of this post is yummy mini blueberry pies.

Instructions

Make pie crust recipe, classic pâte brisée:

450g cold butter

750g pastry flour

30g sugar

15g salt

265g cold water

1. Place ice cubes in a medium-size pitcher and add cold water.

2. Cube butter and add to flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

3. Mix on low until the butter is the size of peas or smaller.

4. In a medium bowl weigh out salt and sugar.

5. Add 265g of ice water to the sugar/salt mix when the butter and flour mixture is ready.

6. Change from paddle to dough hook attachment.

7. Pour the cold water solution onto the flour and mix on low until all the flour is incorporated.

8. Form the dough into a log and wrap it in cling film.

9. Let the dough rest in the fridge for 1-2hours.

Make mini blueberry pie filling:

425g frozen blueberries

150ml juice from thawed blueberries

90g sugar

20g cornstarch

Zest of 1 lemon

1. Thaw blueberries in a strainer fitted over a bowl to catch the juices.

2. Check the quantity of juice- either press the fruit against the strainer to release more juices, or add water to make 150ml of liquid.

3. Put 115ml of juice and the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

4. In a small bowl mix the remaining juice with the cornstarch and whisk.

5. Add a bit of boiled juice to the cornstarch mixture, whisk and then pour it all back into the saucepan.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking energetically with the heat still on high.

7. Turn the saucepan back and forth and make sure to whisk into the corners to ensure it doesn't scorch.

8. As the cornstarch starts to gel from the heat, the mix will turn into a very satisfying glossy filling.

9. Take it off the burner and pour it over the thawed fruit.

10. Stir in the lemon zest
    

*This filling is perfect in pies but also as a filling for a layered vanilla cake iced with whipped cream.

Assemble the blueberry mini pies:

1. Once the blueberry pie filling has cooled, cut the log into four discs so that it is more manageable to roll out (FYI each disk is enough for one full-size pie crust).

2. Roll out the pie dough to 2-3mm thick, dusting your work surface and the top of the pie dough to prevent sticking.

3. Using a large round cookie cutter (I like using this set) punch out disks that are wider than your mini pie molds (or muffin tins).

4. Place the pie dough into the mini pie molds, pressing along the bottom and top corners.

5. Scoop the blueberry filling into the prepared pie molds using a medium ice-cream scooper (like this one).

6. Brush a thin layer of egg wash (recipe below) along the outer rim.

7. Roll out the pie dough to 2-3mm thick, dusting your work surface and the top of the pie dough to prevent sticking.

8. Using a large round cookie cutter (slightly larger than than the top of your mold) punch out top crust disks.

9. (Wrap the remaining dough in cling film, identify and place in the freezer for your next pies!)

10. Place disks on top of the blueberry pie filling.

11. Press along the top edge and cut off excess crust.

12. Cut a whole in the top using a pairing knife.

13. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle generously with raw sugar.

14. Place mini blueberry pie on a baking tray and bake at 375°F for 35 minutes.

15. Best enjoyed with vanilla ice cream!
    

Egg wash recipe

1 egg

1 egg yolk

30g cream

5g sugar (1 tsp)

2g salt (1/2 tsp)