Pie Perfection

Ginger n’ Spice Bubbling Blueberry Pie | Serves 8

Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed (¼-inch-thick cubes)

½ cup chilled all-vegetable shortening

3 ½ tablespoons ice water

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 egg white, whisked to foamy (divided use)

Filling

4 ½ cups fresh blueberries (room temperature)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup instant or quick-cooking tapioca, ground

2 tablespoons finely minced crystallized ginger

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹⁄₈ scant teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

½ tablespoon raw turbinado cane sugar

For crust, combine lemon juice and ice water and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and salt. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender until coarse meal forms. Sprinkle half the water/lemon mix over flour mixture; toss with a fork. Add remaining half, tossing until dough begins to form a ball. Divide dough in half, flatten it into ½-inch-thick discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes.

For filling, toss blueberries with lemon juice in a large bowl. In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir sugar, tapioca, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice together until combined. Gently fold into blueberries until well coated. Melt butter, stir in marmalade, then fold into blueberry mixture. Let set.

For pie assembly: Heat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll one chilled dough disc into a 13-inch circle. Fit dough in a 9-inch pie plate. Trim overhang to ¾-inch of edge. Brush egg white over bottom and sides of dough. Reserve remaining egg white. Set the lined plate in the freezer. Roll second chilled disc on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch circle, then cut into 1-inch-wide strips with a pastry wheel. Retrieve pie plate and pour in filling, mounding slightly toward center. Weave strips of dough over filling to form a lattice top. Seal, trim and crimp edge. Brush reserved egg white over dough. Sprinkle evenly with sugar. Set pie on lined sheet. Bake 18 minutes at 425 F. Reduce heat to 375 F. Bake 50 minutes or until pie is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Courtesy Barbara Estabrook