I make two* no-bake pies in the summer, a Fresh Strawberry Chocolate Pie and this Fresh Blueberry Pie. Fresh pies are quick to pull together, don’t heat up the kitchen, and are crowd pleasers. Just remember to start early in the day to allow a few hours for the filing to set before serving.

The white chocolate graham cracker crust aspect is my own idea—I got it from my Strawberry Chocolate Pie—but the blueberry filling part came from Epicurious a few years ago. I haven’t mastered crumb crusts yet* (mine are always too hard), so while I am still working on getting the right recipe and the right technique, I use a pre-made crust.

*UPDATE! I now make three fresh fruit pies every summer! See my posted recipe for Fresh Peach Pie, YUM. I have mastered a crumb crust, too! See my Coconut-Mango Cheesecake post for that recipe 🙂

Fresh Blueberry Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• ½ cup water plus 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• grated zest, to taste (one lemon, or half of a lemon)
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 graham cracker or shortbread crust (I prefer shortbread)
• Approx. ½ bag white chocolate chips—Ghiradelli or Guittard—don’t use Nestlé or a store brand, they just don’t taste right 🙂
• 1-2 teaspoons Crisco—optional, helps with melting and spreading; sometimes I use it, sometimes I don’t
• whipped cream—make fresh if at all possible

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the crust first:
   • Melt the white chocolate with the optional shortening in the microwave on 50% power for about 2 minutes. Stir well after every 30 seconds. Do not overheat!
   • Carefully spread a THIN layer of white chocolate onto the sides and bottom of the pie crust. You need to cover all the crust, so the filing can’t seep through and make the crust soggy, but you need to keep the chocolate covering thin enough to not make the pie too sweet! So…, as THIN as you possibly can while covering the crumbs completely!
   • Put prepared crust in refrigerator to set—pssst! If you have any melted white chocolate left, drizzle it on some pretzels and then put them into refrigerator to harden, yummeeeeee 🙂  White chocolate covered pretzels will keep, covered, in the fridge for, well, probably longer than they will last!
2. Measure out 1 cup of the blueberries, choose the softest most imperfect ones.
3. Put these berries in a medium saucepan with ½ cup water. Cover the pan and bring mixture to a boil. After the mixture comes to a boil, remove the lid, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes.
4. In a small bowl mix the additional 2 tablespoons water with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
5. Add this cornstarch mixture to the blueberry mixture with the sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt–when the mixture is at a gently boil The liquid must boil for the cornstarch to work as a thickening agent. Simmer mixture for a minute or two, stirring constantly, or until it becomes translucent.
6. When the blueberry mixture becomes translucent, immediately remove from heat and stir in remaining 3 cups fresh blueberries, lemon zest and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter.
7. Spoon blueberry mixture into white chocolate covered crumb crust and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours before serving. When set, the blueberries will remain very juicy, but will not flow out of the pie and all over your plate.
8. Just before serving, pipe or spread whipped cream around the sides of the pie, leaving the center unadorned and brilliantly glistening.
9. According to the original recipe, the pie can be kept at room temperature, minus the whipped cream, for two days. I keep mine in the refrigerator, though 🙂

Thanks for stopping by my fruit-y kitchen today!