Wild Blueberry Pie

My sister bought me a blueberry candle for my birthday.  I had it lit last night for quite a while and, no kidding, I woke up this morning with plans to bake a pie today.  Yup, blueberry pie to be exact (I bet you knew that was coming).

I love blueberries for many reasons – if you’ve picked up any kind of magazine lately the blueberry is sporting the fancy ‘superfruit’ title because it’s packed with antioxidants and vitamins.   This tiny fella tastes good on just about anything.  And, check out the august issue of Canadian Living for its gorgeous Blueberry Martini recipe.

I love them because they remind me of Cape Breton Island and my trips there during the summer.  My dad had a beautiful home right on the water and dozens of wild blueberry plants growing all over his property.   Nova Scotia is the second largest grower of blueberries in the world.

So… I guess it’s fate…the candle, my new magazine, Cape Breton on the brain… time to get to work!

First, use your best pastry recipe for a double crust 9″ pie.  Then fill with wild blueberries (recipe to follow).

The whole time I was making this pie I was thinking about all of the times I have visited Cape Breton.  I always seem to associate good memories with some kind of food…weird isn’t it?

Is it?  Do you think of someone or something when you bake a certain kind of pie or cake?  Post a comment, I sure would love to hear it.

Wild Blueberry Pie Filling

*from Canadian Living Magazine

• 6 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1.    Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside while you prepare the crust.

2.  Pour filling into the bottom half of a 9″ crust.  Place top crust and pinch crusts together.  Brush top with an egg wash (1 yolk mixed with 2 tbsp water) and sprinkle with coarse sugar.   Cut steam vents in the top.

3.  Bake at 425° for twenty minutes, then reduce temperature to 350° and bake for 55-60 minutes until crust is golden brown.