Individual Blueberry Pies w/ vanilla shortbread crust

A blend of cooked blueberries and fresh nestled in a crisp vanilla shortbread crust that you can make ahead. Very little prep but oh so much reward. You can bet that anytime I’m on dessert duty this summer this is what you’ll get (unless you ask for chocolate).

Guess what I had for breakfast? I did it for you dear reader. I did it for you.

I had a lot of conditions and goals for these pies.

I knew I had to make them well ahead (for me, mind you- not an actual organized person) of Fourth of July in order to share them on the internets but I really didn’t want to have to bake again on the actual Fourth of July- so they needed to keep. I made minis so I could ahem ‘taste test’ over a few days time without being the gal that brings half a pie and half a six pack to the party. I’m happy to report that the shortbread crust is just as crisp and satisfying today as it was yesterday.

Also, as I’ve mentioned repeatedly over the last few posts, it is stinking hot here so long baking times are not an option (I’m beginning to understand why flat breads are often from warmer countries.- tortilla and pan fried flat bread have been all I could bear to bake these past few weeks, plus bonus, you can make them on the grill). By cooking the berries on the stove top and making mini pies the shells took fifteen minutes to bake. The dough did take far too many trips back to the freezer to keep it from melting.

Most important? These berries are so delicious on their own that I didn’t want to cook them to the point that they might as well be frozen berries. This combination of fresh berries and classic pie filling is the ideal compromise, it holds together and tastes fresh.

The filling is based on this blueberry pie recipe from Taste of Home

I lowered the sugar and made my own vanilla shortbread crust based on Patricia Wells’ Pâte Sablée from her cookbook Bistro Cooking.

Individual Blueberry Pies with vanilla shortbread crust

Makes about 10 individual tarts/pies with a bit of filling left over. If you are a better roller of dough or if your kitchen isn’t 85 degrees you might get more. Or you could just make one 9-10 inch tart.

Full size muffin tins

Papers for muffin tins

Ingredients 

for the filling

• 2 pints of fresh blueberries, washed and sorted (reserve ten blueberries for garnish)
• 3 Tablespoons raspberry liqueur (or water)
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon butter (I used salted, though I suspect either would work)

for the crust

• 1 cup AP flour
• ½ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 8 Tablespoons (one stick) well chilled unsalted butter cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

To make the filling combine the raspberry liqueur, cornstarch, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Add half the blueberries and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. (this took me about eight minutes all together). Remove from heat and add the butter, lemon juice, and remaining pint of blueberries. Stir until butter is completely melted and set aside to cool.

To make the crust combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment. Pulse to combine. Add the butter pieces and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (about ten seconds). Add the egg and pulse until the mixture just begins to hold together but not yet a ball (about twenty pulses).

Transfer the dough to waxed paper or plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. If the dough gets soft and sticky at any time return it to the refrigerator until it is workable again. At this point you can either roll or press the dough into a tart pan or roll it out on a lightly floured and cool surface. You can also roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap. Cut into 3.5 inch rounds and press into the muffin tin. Any leftover little scraps can be made into cookies to place on top of the pies (or to eat as snacks). Freeze the pastry shells until ready to bake.

Pre-heat the oven to 375.

Line the frozen shells with heavy-duty foil or even easier muffin/cupcake papers, pressing well into edges so pastry will not shrink while baking. Fill with baking weights or dried beans to prevent shrinkage. Bake on middle rack of oven until pastry begins to brown around edges and seems firm enough to stand up by itself, about 8-10 minutes. Remove weights and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until lightly browned all over, monitoring carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. If making cookie toppings bake on a cookie sheet for about 7-8 minutes until firm and just browned. Shells will keep for several days, well wrapped and refrigerated.

Allow shells to thoroughly cool before filling with the blueberry mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Individual Blueberry Pies with vanilla shortbread crust

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Ingredients

  

• for the filling
• 2 pints of fresh blueberries washed and sorted (reserve ten blueberries for garnish)
• 3 Tablespoons raspberry liqueur or water
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon butter I used salted, though I suspect either would work
• for the crust
• 1 cup AP flour
• ½ cup confectioner powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 8 Tablespoons one stick well chilled unsalted butter cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

 

• To make the filling combine the raspberry liqueur, cornstarch, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Add half the blueberries and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. (this took me about eight minutes all together). Remove from heat and add the butter, lemon juice, and remaining pint of blueberries. Stir until butter is completely melted and set aside to cool.
• To make the crust combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment. Pulse to combine. Add the butter pieces and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (about ten seconds). Add the egg and pulse until the mixture just begins to hold together but not yet a ball (about twenty pulses).
• Transfer the dough to waxed paper or plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. If the dough gets soft and sticky at any time return it to the refrigerator until it is workable again. At this point you can either roll or press the dough into a tart pan or roll it out on a lightly floured and cool surface. You can also roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap. Cut into 3.5 inch rounds and press into the muffin tin. Any leftover little scraps can be made into cookies to place on top of the pies (or to eat as snacks). Freeze the pastry shells until ready to bake.
• Pre-heat the oven to 375.
• Line the frozen shells with heavy-duty foil or even easier muffin/cupcake papers, pressing well into edges so pastry will not shrink while baking. Fill with baking weights or dried beans to prevent shrinkage. Bake on middle rack of oven until pastry begins to brown around edges and seems firm enough to stand up by itself, about 8-10 minutes. Remove weights and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until lightly browned all over, monitoring carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. If making cookie toppings bake on a cookie sheet for about 7-8 minutes until firm and just browned. Shells will keep for several days, well wrapped and refrigerated.
• Allow shells to thoroughly cool before filling with the blueberry mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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