Peach-Infused Blueberry Pie
A recent trip to Portland, ME, inspired this recipe. I had no idea blueberries were the state fruit. As proof, you'll find blueberry cake on many dessert menus in Maine. Wild Maine blueberries are a unique variety only available at a particular time of the year, said to be smaller, juicier, and tastier than the more common type you'll find in the grocery store. Although I didn't get the chance to taste an authentic Maine blueberry dessert, here's a familiar favourite - blueberry pie!
I typically like to make open face, free form pies and am no stranger to cooking fruit, be it with a pastry or down into a jam-like consistency to make a coulis. If you are interested, check out these recipes:
If you love the taste of blueberries and want to enjoy their benefits in a unique form, this dessert is for you! The addition of lemon and cinnamon enhances the blueberry's natural flavour, and the peach nectar used to macerate them overnight another compliment. If you didn't know, yes, blueberries and peaches work well together, the perfect duo for the summer but maybe a lesser-known couple than, say, strawberries and rhubarb.
A note about the thickener - some people prefer their pies to have the juices running from the cooked down and burst berries. Others like myself want a sturdy filling that can hold up. So adding a thickener is optional but will help prevent your pie from becoming a watery mess. Again, do some research or use previous experience. Some people don't like cornstarch because too much can result in a slimy texture, for instance. Some people don't fancy using flour, but I find it works fine with blueberries and apples - you just have to double the amount compared to cornstarch. Those are the two most common thickening agents, but there are alternatives such as potato starch and arrowroot, to name a few.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh blueberries
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar (adjust depending on how sweet you like your pie)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup peach nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons butter
2 pie crusts, room temperature
1 egg + 1 tablespoon (coconut) cream to make egg wash
1/2 cup flour or 1/4 cup corn starch or potato starch or arrowroot
Small cubes of butter
Turbinado sugar
Mascarpone cream or ice cream
Instructions
In a large bowl, add the washed and drained blueberries.
Mix in the peach nectar, lemon juice and zest, sugars, cinnamon and cinnamon sticks, mint leaves and salt. Leave in the fridge overnight (or for at least 4 hours) covered with plastic wrap.
The next day, stir the mixture and strain; keep the juice. Remove the cinnamon sticks and mint leaves.
Transfer the berries to a bowl, add the flour/thickener, mix and toss until the berries are completely covered.
Roll out one of the pie crusts and pour the macerated blueberries into the dish—place in the fridge.
Take the second pie crust and create your lattice. You can get creative! Use stencils or utensils, fabrics etc., shapes to imprint into the crust. Try to work quickly while the dough is somewhat cool before it gets too soft from your fingers' heat.
Place the shaped dough/lattice over the pie. Cut off any additional pieces hanging over the pan with kitchen shears. Seal the pie crusts with a teaspoon, then crimp the edges using two knuckles. Top the exposed parts of the pie with the butter cubes to prevent spillage and overflow from the berries' juices. Brush the pastry with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Place the pie in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, then at 350F for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and the filling begins to bubble; cover the crust's edges with foil for the second half of baking to prevent them from burning.
In a small saucepan while the pie bakes, bring the remaining peach nectar with a bit of butter to a simmer, frequently stir until it thickens. Set aside.
Remove from the pie from heat and drizzle the peach nectar sauce in the gaps over the blueberries. Allow the pie to set for 10 minutes. Serve warm with mascarpone cream (whip with honey and lemon juice) or ice cream.
BlackBerry Blueberry Lemon Bars
I've made it clear the berry lemon pairing works wonderfully. If you're interested in some other ways to combine them, you can try this blueberry and lemon curd French toast, blueberry and lemon curd mascarpone tarts, or this mixed berry Dutch baby with a splash of lemon juice and zest. They work together so well despite both being inherently tart. Extra sugar and a creamy factor add to the subtle sweetness of the berries usually do the trick to bring everything together.
This recipe has a lot going on in terms of texture, and you can enjoy it as breakfast, brunch, or dessert with a scoop of ice cream.
This recipe also uses several flour alternatives; I used almond and oat flour for the crust to try to take advantage of the benefits. Due to the way these flours absorb liquid, the crust will be on the softer side, so you might need to add a little bit of extra or flour to thicken it enough for you to be able to press into the bottom of the baking pan - but don't overdo it. I also used millet flour for the crumble and advise the same, but you won’t have to worry as much compared to the crust. You can also just use all-purpose flour in both cases!
Ingredients
Crust:
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 sticks (plant-based) butter
2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup oat flour (+ a little extra if necessary)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling:
1 egg
1 cup blueberries
2 cups blackberries
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
16-ounces Greek yoghurt cheese cream, softened/room temperature
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Crumbling:
1 cup millet flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of one lemon
1 stick (plant-based) butter, melted
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
Instructions
Turn your oven to 350F.
Prepare the crust. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the almond flour, oat flour, and salt, then beat until combined - add a little extra oat flour if necessary sure it is the right consistency. Press the crumbly mixture into an oil-sprayed 9 by 13 baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes - frequently check after 20 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn; you want it firm enough to gold the filling.
While that is baking, make the filling. In another large bowl, whisk the cream cheese and sugar. Beat in the egg. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and then gently fold in the washed and drained blueberries.
Prepare the crumble. Whisk those ingredients until they resemble a soft dough.
Once the crust is cooled, evenly pour and spread the filling, distributing the crumble on top. Bake the bars for 50-60 minutes, making sure the centre is set. You can jiggle the tray and lightly press with your fingers to make sure.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes, then chill for at least 2 hours to set in the fridge fully. Once chilled, cut into squares, dust with icing sugar and serve.
Note: the butter should be softened but not near melting.
Very Berry Dutch Baby
It's not that Dutch baby pancakes can't be eaten all year round, but springtime calls for a version that involves fresh berries and lemon!
This recipe celebrates blueberries and strawberries, not different from the strawberry version you can find on the website. If you prefer apples as your fruit of choice, try this one, with salted caramel instead.
As I've stated before, this one of my favourite ways to enjoy pancakes. Like galettes, the free form cakes offer a lot of flexibility to customize and effortlessly appear sophisticated. It's hard not to impress upon serving!
This one is gluten-free; I used oat flour and coconut milk--which adds a delicious flavour tweak to the mix. I also add a bit of coconut sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest when reducing the fruits to err on the healthy side and enhance the berries natural sweetness and tartness.
Ingredients
3/4 cup oat flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoons melted + 2 tablespoons plant-based butter
3/4 cup warm coconut milk + 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Icing sugar (optional)
Fruit reduction:
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Mint leaves
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 cup mixed berries + extra to garnish
1/4 cup water
Instructions
Add the pancake batter ingredients (using the melted butter) to a blender, beat until smooth.
Add the 2 tablespoons of butter to a cast-iron pan over and melt before pouring in the batter.
Bake at 400F oven for 30 minutes.
Prepare the berry reduction. In a saucepan, add the ingredients and heat on low until the mixture begins to thicken and the berries break down, occasionally stirring to prevent the contents from burning. Remove from heat.
Take the Dutch baby out of the oven, allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
Spoon the reduction on top, garnish with fresh fruit, then dust with icing sugar.
Serve with syrup, ice cream, maple syrup, or almond whipped cream.
Blueberry and Lemon Curd Mascarpone Tarts
The lemons bring out the blueberry flavours and I think this is one of those cases were 'two tangs make a right'!
In this recipe, I made lemon curd, a rich custard-like mixture courtesy of the English. It can get pretty expensive when store-bought but it’s quite easy to make on your own! You can use it for a range of desserts and pastries, or serve it traditionally with scones.
I took an extra step to make this tart delicious by adding mascarpone. Think of it like thick whipping cream.
For the pastry, you could use regular pie dough, however, the puff pastry will give you that flakey texture which is perfect for small tarts like this. These are great for breakfast pastries, tea time, or dessert, and they scream summertime.
