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The blueberry pie you’ve waited all summer for

August 11, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. EDT
Tiffany MacIsaac’s Deep-Dish Blueberry Icebox Pie. (Renee Comet for The Washington Post; styled by Bonnie S. Benwick)

S

hort and sweet:

Follow Tiffany MacIsaac’s formula and you’ll never produce another soupy blueberry pie. The Washington favorite pastry chef and owner of Buttercream Bakeshop in the Shaw neighborhood creates a filling of cooked and fresh fruit that’s brightened with lime. Her technique for a sturdy yet flaky crust is a bonus, and makes enough for another single-crust pie. You’ll be glad to have it on hand.

Deep-Dish Blueberry Icebox Pie

8 servings (makes one 9-inch pie, plus an extra single crust)

You’ll need a 9-inch deep-dish ple plate and ceramic pie weights, dried beans or rice for blind-baking the pie shell.

The baked pie shell is brushed with raw egg yolk; to reduce any risk associated with serving raw egg, we have called for a pasteurized egg.

Make Ahead: The pie dough needs to rest at room temperature for 1 to 6 hours. (This recipe makes enough for 2 single crusts; the other rested half can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1 month.) After fitting it into the pie plate, the pie crust shell needs to be refrigerated for 30 to 45 minutes.

Ingredients

For the crust

5 3/4 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

15 ounces cubed and chilled (almost a full pound) unsalted butter

1/3 cup ice water

2 1/2 tablespoons chilled vodka

1 large pasteurized egg yolk, beaten (see headnote)

For the filling

8 cups fresh blueberries, stemmed as needed

Finely grated zest of 2 limes, plus 1/4 cup juice, or more as needed

1/4 cup water

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the crust: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use your clean, cool hands or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture, until the butter is no longer visible; stop before a dough begins to form.

Add the chilled water and vodka; gently bring the mix together to form a dough. If it seems dry, add more water 1/4 teaspoon at a time (up to 1 extra teaspoon).

Divide the dough in half; loosely cover and let them rest at room temperature for 1 to 6 hours. Wrap one of the rested halves in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the room-temperature pie dough to a round that’s about 11 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate, then use a fork to dock (prick holes) all over the bottom. Crimp the edges as you like; refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay a piece of parchment paper on the docked bottom of the pie shell, then fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and weights; use a fork to re-dock the bottom, then return to the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and set-looking.

Remove from the oven; immediately brush the docked bottom with the beaten egg yolk; this will help keep the crust from getting soggy. Let cool while you make the filling.

For the filling: Combine 3 cups of the blueberries, the lime zest, juice and water in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the blueberries have popped and liquefied, stirring as needed. Remove from the heat.

Whisk together the cornstarch and granulated sugar (to taste), until well incorporated, then whisk that mixture into the blueberry mixture until smooth. Return to medium heat; whisking constantly; cook for a few minutes until thickened to a pudding-like consistency. Taste and add a touch more lime zest, juice or granulated sugar, as needed, making sure any extra sugar has a chance to fully dissolve.

Transfer the filling to a mixing bowl, then gently stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 5 cups of blueberries. Carefully pour into the baked pie shell, spreading it to the edges. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the blueberries to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 36 hours.

For the topping: Just before serving, combine the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon-whip attachment, or handheld electric mixer. Beat on medium-low speed until frothy, then on medium-high speed to form soft or firm peaks, as you like.

Top each portion with a dollop of the whipped cream.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS Per serving | 640 calories 7 g protein, 78 g carbohydrates, 34 g total fat, 21 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 72 g sugar

From Tiffany MacIsaac, chef-owner of Buttercream Bakeshop in the District’s Shaw neighborhood.

Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick; email questions to food@washpost.com

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