Blueberry Lemon Pies (making easy pastry) with James

It's blueberry season and what a perfect way to stock up on desserts! James and Wendy bought the fresh blueberries from a local farmer and now James, Wendy and I are filling our pie shells with the blueberries and a simple sugar/flour mixture to help thicken the juices while baking.
For a recipe to the easiest pastry ever...just look below and carry on down the page to see how to make the easiest and tastiest Blueberry Pies ever.

Best pastry recipe in the world made all by hand...no machines needed. To view my original video on YouTube on how to make pastry please click here.

Ingredients :  full recipe  (can be cut in half if it is too much pastry at one time)

1 Lb. vegetable shortening - cold

5 Cups all- purpose Flour

1 Tsp. Baking powder

2 Tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Brown sugar

3 Tbsp. Vinegar  (white or malt or apple cider - whichever you have in the cupboard at the time will do)

1 Egg 

Cold water (approx. 1 cup)

You will need a total of 1 1/4 cups of fluid so here is how we make up the fluid. Add one egg to a 2 cup measure. Beat with a fork. Add vinegar and whisk again. Then add the ice cold water  and bring the combined fluid up to 1 1/4 cups.  You may not need all this liquid, but sometimes you do depending on the moisture content of the flour and shortening.

Prep: 

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together to remove the lumps.

Add shortening to the flour mixture and cut up shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter (see photo to the right).

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ I now realize after making pastry for so many years that the flakiness of your pastry is directly correlated with how well your shortening is cut into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter helps with this process. The shortening should disappear into small chunks while keeping the flour powdery.

Prepare liquid and add 90% of the liquid to the flour mixture. With your hands incorporate the liquid until it is incorporated and the pastry starts to come together into a ball. Do not over mix at this stage or your pastry will be tough. Continue to mix and if it is too dry add the rest of the liquid.

Roll dough up into a disc and wrap in parchment paper and then in a clean plastic bag and store in cooler until needed.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ Making this pastry ahead is a great time saver. It keeps well for over a week in the fridge as long as it is wrapped well. After making pies. Freeze the remaining pastry for use later.


Blueberry Filling:

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour, minit tapioca or Clear Jel (from bakery supply distributors)
1 tsp. lemon zest
Mix the sugar, flour & zest together in a bowl.

2 tbsp. lemon juice
5-6 cups frozen blueberries

Roll out the pastry as shown below and line one pie plate. Cut off the excess pastry off the edges to tidy up the pie.
Pour half the blueberries into the pie shell. Add sugar mixture, lemon juice and the remaining blueberries.
Top with a pastry lid. or with a lattice design.
Finger Flute the edge and Egg wash** the pastry. Top with a sprinkle of white sugar.
Bake for approx. 75 minutes at 350 degrees. Always preheat your oven before baking your pie.

**egg wash - 1 egg with a drop of milk...mix well with a fork first