There is nothing quite like a homemade blueberry pie.
Berries are in season, and that means taking advantage of delicious berries, and using them in many tasty recipes. Among our favorite ways to eat berries, especially at a big family gathering, is a pie. Having picked up 3 pints of blueberries, and one pint of blackberries, I was determined to bake a delicious pie for the July 4th barbecue we were hosting for extended family.
And then a slight snag occurred.
More Guests Coming Than Planned
Blueberries, blackberries, sugar and quick cooking tapioca get happy.
Finding out on short notice that you’ll have several more guests at your BBQ, like we did the day before July 4th, is no reason to panic. But it did make me ask myself what cooking shortcuts I could take on some things, so that there was little stress and a pleasant time had by all (including the cook and her helper). 
I had planned on baking a pie from scratch, but with several extra people to feed, I decided to buy the already made Pillsbury Pie Dough, and fill it with my own blueberry blackberry filling. After letting the dough sit out the requisite 15 minutes to come to room temperature, I carefully placed one dough round on the pie plate, and then filled it with the blueberry blackberry pie filling I had mixed up.
My secret ingredient? Four thin pieces of butter, about 1 tablespoon total, which I set on top of the pie filling. At this point, my daughter came over and excitedly asked me if the pie was done! She was disappointed to learn she’d have to wait a couple hours for the pie to be baked, then cooled, and then wait for everyone to finish their BBQ dinner!
Taking a page from Martha Stewart Living’s recent issue, with beautiful photos of pie on the front cover, I cut a star out of the dough I’d placed on the pie filling, and then made two small hearts as well, placing the dough hearts at a point of the star. Half-inch slits about an inch away from each of the points of the star gave it a more celebratory, July 4th look.
Deviled eggs with fresh dill and tarragon were prepared while the pie was baking.
Into the oven it went. Meanwhile, I finished up the preparations for the BBQ. Shred the cabbage and carrots for the coleslaw. Check. Boil eggs for the deviled eggs, cool them quickly in ice water, and take their shells off. Check. The aroma of the blueberry blackberry pie tantalized everyone in the house as it baked.
As I pulled the pie out of the oven, I was thankful for the oven liner at the bottom of my oven, which caught all the drips of the blueberry and blackberry juice that had escaped from the baking pie! (Much easier to clean a removeable oven mat than clean the entire oven!
Later on, everyone had a piece of the pie, a la mode, after dinner (except for one person, who for some reason, does not like fruit pies). Little talking was heard, as people ate their blueberry blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream, and sipped their coffee. Then there were a few sighs of contentment, and exclamations about how good the pie was…thankfully, no one questioned whether the crust was from scratch.
What is your favorite dessert after a summer BBQ?
Blueberry Blackberry Pie
Print This Recipe
Combine in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes to get happy:
- 5 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Either make your own pie dough, or use pre-made pie dough to make a delicious pie with this filling. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 30 minutes, then turn oven down temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for 25-35 minutes more. This oven mat saved me from having to clean blueberry juice that spilled out of the pie while baking. What a lifesaver!
Photo by Kelly Estes
