Time for Blueberry Thyme Pie. I’ve had a few sleepless nights in the last few days. Lots of worries on my the brain and emotions are running high. This does not bode well for my already light sleep, so I tossed and turned until 1 AM, stared mindlessness through the extra innings of a West Coast Red Sox game and then managed a few hours of actual sleep from 2-4. Then I decided to make pie. Baking always makes me feel better and the bonus of insomnibaking is that one gets to eat pie for breakfast. The herbiness of the thyme balances nicely in this. If you have lemon thyme, that would be even better.
Ingredients
for the pastry
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
6 tablespoons (or more) ice water
for the filling
4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1 egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
For this recipe, I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet. You can also use a regular (small-ish) pie plate instead.
Directions
Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball, divide, then flatten into two disks. Wrap in plastic; chill 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375F. Spray an 8 inch cast iron skillet with baking spray.
Place blueberries in a medium work bowl. Sprinkle in corn starch, brown sugar, gelatin, salt and thyme and toss to combine. Set aside.
Roll out one of the dough disks to a 11 inch circle. Place in pie plate and crimp edges. Dock the pastry with a fork a few times, all the way to the edges. Spoon berry mixture onto the pie plate. Roll out the other dough disk to a long sheet and cut narrow bands. Create a lattice top over the pie and anchor to the crust. Lightly brush pastry with the beaten egg wash. Place on a baking sheet (in case it boils over) and place on the center rack in the oven.
Bake until filling is bubbling and pastry is golden, 55 minutes to an hour. If the top gets too brown before the hour, cover with aluminum foil. Cool slightly on baking sheet on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
