I’m not a huge fan of blueberries, so I find it extremely odd that last year, I almost chose a lemon cheesecake with blueberry topping for my first SMS pick, and this year, I did, in fact, choose a lemon pie with blueberry topping for my second SMS pick! And both recipes were delicious! Melissa Murphy states in the foreward to this recipe that, “Blueberries really need to be offset by something tart to taste their best.” I think that is the key to the success of the lemon-blueberry partnership: the brightness of the lemon balances the sweetness of the blueberry to create a truly satisfying flavor that isn’t too sour or too cloyingly sugary.
My whole family loved this pie. The consistency and flavor of the pie filling reminded us all of lemon bars. It was firm enough to hold its lovely wedge shape when cut, but creamy and tender at the same time. I chose to use a different blueberry topping than the one called for in the recipe, but didn’t stray too far: I used the recipe for blueberry topping from the cheesecake appearing later in the book. When I mentioned that I’m not a huge fan of blueberries, I should put a little asterisk by that and clarify. I’m not a huge fan of raw blueberries, but I do like them cooked. I just think it makes them taste better, plain and simple. The only thing I didn’t absolutely adore about this delicious pie was the crust. I went ahead and followed the recipe, which called for all-butter pie crust, even though it has twice failed me. And the third time was not the charm, unfortunately. Every time I make this crust, it shrinks significantly while baking, even with the use of pie weights, AND it slumps. Shrinkage and slumpage are a bad combo! The bottom comes up, the sides come down, and there’s only about an inch of crust left to hold all of that sweet, custardy filling. Luckily, the crust conundrum is an easy problem to solve; next time, I’ll simply use a regular butter/shortening recipe. Another mouth-watering and easy winner from Melissa Murphy!
Thanks for baking with me this week everybody! And check out the Sweet Melissa Sundays blogroll to see who else participated.
from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy
for the pie:
1 prebaked 10-inch piecrust made from All-Butter Pie Dough (click HERE for a recipe for Flaky Pie Dough instead)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, sifted
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
for the blueberries:
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 Tablespoon water
1 1/2 dry pints fresh blueberries
To make the blueberry sauce, whisk together preserves and water in a small, heavy saucepan, and cook over medium heat until melted. Strain through a sieve, add blueberries, and stir to coat. Or, if you prefer cooked blueberries like I do, you can use this recipe for blueberry topping instead.
Thanks for picking this recipe. Delicious it is. Your looks absolutely yummy. I should have done what you did and made the blueberry topping. Mine did not work.
I am waiting to upload the photos. Hopefully, it will be up, in the morning.
What a beautiful picture.
Your pie looks soooo good. I wish I had baked along…
Will definitely try this at some point!
p.s. the buttermilk is missing from your list of ingredients.
That looks really yummy! I must admit I like raw blueberries so stuck with those. Thanks for choosing this week’s recipe!
Thanks for choosing this recipe. We loved the flavor. Troubles with the crust but that’s par for the course for me! :).
Your topping looks beautiful.
Sorry to hear about the crust issues. Your pie looks pretty though, with the blueberry topping on top. It also set up nicely.
I haven’t visited in a while… I really like the new look of your blog. Great job!
Thanks for hosting this week! I’m making my pie as we speak with just a few modifications, including a graham cracker crust. I’ve had problems with the all butter crust shrinking on me too. Your pie looks wonderful!! I hope mine comes out as well and that it’s as big a hit as yours š
Your pie looks gorgeous! I love the blueberry juice dripping down the side of the pie. Yum! I like blueberries cooked and raw. Thanks for choosing this recipe! I absolutely loved it. I also had an issue with the crust…a little shrinkage (no slumpage). I think I’ll try the butter/shortening combo next time too. Glad to hear it was hit with your family. š
Your pie looks absolutely beautiful! I wish I could say my experience was as successful. Regardless you chose a great recipe. This was my first time baking with SMS so I will definitely have more opportunities to have better results!
This pie looks just lovely. I love blueberries and look forward to trying it out!
Thanks for hosting this week! While delicious, my pie didn’t turn out but I would love to try it again with a few tweaks.
Your photos are delectable! Glad your family liked the recipe too.
Thanks for hosting, and my apologies for not having a pie to present as well! After looking through your photos, I’m definitely wishing I had a slice!
Your pie looks wonderful! You beat my by one week selecting this recipe; I had totally planned to pick it. I thought it was a perfect end of summer dessert.
Loved this recipe and your pictures look beautiful!
such a great pic, i loved the flavor of this pie – and i love your alternate topping!
-nikki
http://www.makeandtakeblog.com
What an awesome pick! So sorry I wasn’t able to bake with you. This will go on my to be backed list for sure.
I know this was posted awhile back…just finding it via the wonders of Pinterest….I’m making the flaky pie crust and there’s nothing that says how long and at what temp to pre bake it. Any help? Thanks!
Sorry it took me a sec to reply; I’m not home and had to hunt an answer down. 350 for 20 minutes!
This pie looks amazing! I love making pies and am always looking for something different. That blueberry topping has my mouth watering š
Hi Laura! This pie is so good. It tastes like lemon bars, which is high praise in my book!