The element of surprise makes this pie a total delight. First, there's a hint of orange that enlivens the berries. Then the berries themselves are fresh, not baked, so they burst with flavor. They're nestled in a pre-baked pastry, top and bottom, and coddled in a shiny glaze. Took "Best of Show" at a state fair pie contest in 1999.

Best of Show - Starry Night Blueberry Pie ©

  • Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours plus 2 hours for chilling
  • Baking Time: About 24 minutes, split
  • Serves: 7
Best of Show - Starry Night Blueberry Pie ©

Ingredients

  • Double crust for 9” pie

Glaze

  • mix ½ of a beaten egg with ¼ c. half and half

Filling

  • 4 c. fresh blueberries, clean & dry, divided
  • 2/3 c. water, divided
  • 1/3 c. Cointreau or Triple Sec (or orange juice)
  • ½ c. + 2 T. sugar
  • 4 t. cornstarch
  • dash of salt

Optional:

  • whipped cream
  • Parchment paper

Directions

  1. Line 9” pie pan with first crust (prick with fork, use pie weights to keep it from puffing up too much), crimp the edges, prebake at 400° til golden, cool, and set aside.
  2. For the top crust: Using remaining dough, roll it out to 1/8” thickness, glaze it lightly, and use star-shaped cookie cutters to cut out “stars” of dough. Draw a circle on parchment paper, the diameter of which just slightly smaller than the inside edges of the baked pie shell. Put the parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Then place the stars within the circle, slightly overlapping, to form a spiral shape. Use light pressure where the stars overlap to just barely push the parts together (enough to hold them together). Sprinkle lightly with sugar and bake at 400° til just golden. Set aside.
  3. For the filling: In a medium saucepan, put 1 c. of blueberries, 1/3 c. water, and Cointreau. Over medium heat, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer til berries are soft. Put mixture through a ricer or blend it in a blender, then strain out the skins. Return sauce to pan.
  4. Dissolve the cornstarch in remaining 1/3 c. cold water. Add with the sugar to blueberry mix in pan. Bring to boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes or til thick. Cool slightly and add dash of salt.
  5. When pie shell is cool, fill it with the remaining fresh berries. Carefully spoon the filling evenly over the blueberries. Chill for at least 2 hours.
  6. Before serving, use your largest spatula to carefully lift the starry crown (the top crust) from the parchment paper and onto the pie.
  7. Serve with whipped cream if desired and go right on to heaven.

Copyright Pie Pals, LLC, 2012 All rights reserved

Baker’s Notes and Tips and Tricks

Cook’s note: This is one of those recipes that takes longer and uses more bowls and pans than you think it will. And it’s worth it! If I have 5 cups of berries, I'll start with that amount and adjust accordingly to have an even more extravagent pie.

Best of Show - Starry Night Blueberry Pie ©

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