Hello, young Padawan
I warned you, that you don’t have to tell me twice there weren’t enough desserts on this blog, lol. So, you want more desserts? Here you go. Especially after the few leaks here and there, rumors that your faithful servant has a pastry degree, but I didn’t say anything, lol. For once we will spend a little bit more time in the kitchen But you will not be disappointed.
I declare the season of the blueberries open, and it seemed impossible for me to not pay tribute with the classic, the gorgeous, what do I say, the mythical french blueberry pie, from the alps of Savoy.
Blueberry
Since I have talked about it in detail in this article here, today we are going to do a little history and summary of its properties …
The blueberry, called “bleuet” by our Canadian buddies from Montreal -not to be confused with the cranberry – is an old fruit known by our ancestors of the Middle Ages, especially in cases of diarrhea or to stop the epidemics of dysentery. It is also known for its antibacterial properties and treats the inconvenience of renal function (urinary infections, …). Blueberry was useful for venous traffic disorders and for young moms to stop lactation or fight against scurvy. And last but not least, until the beginning of the twentieth century, the blueberry was useful to treat cataracts or glaucoma.
Small shrub of the Ericaceae family (just like the cranberry, ed), the blueberry is a powerful antioxidant and is considered a superfood. Thus, no need to go for eastern Patagonia magic berries harvested on a full moon, when at the foot of our mountains there is such a jewel.
Who says antioxidant says: anti-aging and anti-cancer. The vitamin E and the carotenoids it contains make it an ally for the sight. It also improves digestion and helps restore a good equilibrium in the intestinal flora. Finally, the leaves used in infusion are a beautiful help for people with diabetes because they lower the blood sugar level.
The blueberry pie of The French Savoy
For 5-6 servings.
You will need either a pastry ring, a Silpat (silicone mat of the size of your plate), and a hob and it will be super simple – a classic pie mold and some baking paper, and you will still manage, I do not doubt a single second. For info, the pastry ring I used for the photo is 9-inch in diameter. Provide a place for the pie in the freezer, just for 15 minutes.
2 eggs (vegan option: 3/4 cup of oat milk)
1/4 + 2/3 cup of flour (or 4,5 oz) + a little bit to spread the dough
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup of butter (vegan option: margarine) = 1/3 cup of cold butter just out of the fridge and 1/4 cup of soft butter, to get out of the fridge an hour before.
1/2 cup of sugar
3 Tsp + 1/2 cup almond powder
A small blueberry liquor cap, or rum (not both, lol !)
A vanilla clove of Madagascar
A pinch of salt
18 oz fresh or frozen blueberries
4 to 5 Tbsp apricot jam (or apricot tablecloth)
RECIPE
For the shortbread dough
In a bowl, break the two eggs and mix them into an omelet (or pour the oat milk into the bowl).
In a large bowl (or your food processor’s one, with the “leaf” utensil), pour the flour, the cold butter cut into pieces, half of the sugar, the salt, and the 3 Tsp of almond powder. Start the robot at medium speed to work the dough, or simply do it with a spatula. This operation lasts a maximum of two minutes, do not overwork the dough; just stir it to obtain a “sand” like dough. Add just a 1/3 of the eggs (or a 1/3 of the oat milk), knead briefly, and stop when it’s possible to form a ball. I repeat this dough should not be worked too much, at the risk that it will not hold during cooking.
Film the dough ball and put it in the refrigerator for about an hour.
For the almond cream
Pour the other half of the sugar and the soft butter into the bowl of your food processor with the same “leaf” utensil at medium speed, or in the same previous bowl with your spatula, lol.
Work the two together for about two minutes, add the inside of the vanilla bean and the ground almonds, mix again for about a minute to form a smooth mixture, then gradually add the rest of the eggs (or the rest of Oat milk). To incorporate the mixture effectively and that it does not make lumps, it is important that all the liquid you add is well incorporated before adding more. To make nice almond cream, I add the eggs slowly and make sure that all the liquid is perfectly incorporated with preparation before continuing.
Finally, add the small capful of blueberry or rum liqueur, and incorporate it again into the preparation. Put in the refrigerator.
Cooking
When the dough has rested enough, preheat the oven to 320 ° F – Cooking grid in the center of the oven.
Butter and flour the pie plate (or butter the pastry ring – and butter and flour the baking sheet if you don’t have a silicone mat) without forgetting to tap the excess flour over the sink.
Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out into a disc the size of your mold (or pastry ring) using a rolling pin or an empty bottle of wine, that also works. Lightly flour the work surface and the roller beforehand.
Once the disc is obtained, wrap it around the rolling pin (or the bottle) and unroll it above the pie mold (or the pastry ring). Put the dough in the mold and make it adhere delicately to the edges of the mold or the ring, with a “descending” gesture, in order to expel air bubbles and obtain a pretty pie. Once the dough is well installed in its mold or its ring, remove the excess dough with a knife, then prick the bottom and the edges of it.
Take the almond cream out of the refrigerator, add a quarter of the blueberries and stir gently.
Add the mixture thus obtained into the mold, distribute well, taking care not to totally reach the brim, because the almond cream will swell very slightly during cooking. Bake for 15-20 minutes, watch from 15 minutes by pricking the center with a knife.
Let the pie rest at room temperature while it cools.
After cooking
Do it like MacGyver, lol. We need a solution, to hold the layer of blueberries that we are going to place on top of the pie (see photos of the pie), the time it solidifies in the freezer. A sort of large tube for your pie. There are three options for this.
1 / You have, for example, a pastry ring that is two centimeters smaller than that of the pie, in this case, great. You can decorate the empty space between the blueberries and the edge of the pie with fresh blueberries, or why not raspberries, cut strawberries …
2 / Like me, you use the same pastry ring, which have to be hold above the pie by something, like 3 or 4 large flat Ikea tongs placed all around, or 3 forks, or a thick rolled kitchen towel held in place with rubber bands and placed all around, or whatever you find at home to make the pastry ring stand on top of the pie for 15 minutes, lol.
3 / Pie mold option: Cut a strip of baking paper about 3 cm longer than the height of your pie, double it if it is too thin to maintain the blueberries, held with tape, and place it either around the unmolded pie, or between the pie and the mold if possible.
4 / Otherwise you can also simply place the blueberries carefully, trying not to touch the sidewalk (because blueberries stain).
In a saucepan, pour the apricot jam (without too much skin, take the most liquid part). If your blueberries are fresh, add two tablespoons of water to the apricot jam. Bring to a boil over medium heat, remove the pan from heat immediately.
Add the fresh or frozen blueberries off the heat, stir for thirty seconds without breaking them and pour everything over the pie, with love, glory, and … dexterity. Flatten everything with a spatula or a chef’s knife and thus obtain a nice flat area of blueberries. Place the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.
PRESENTATION
Take the pie out of the freezer after 15 minutes and remove the ring (or the baking paper) without breaking the beautiful blueberry disc. No worries, normally it comes on its own, but the advantage of this simple dessert is that if a blueberry comes off, you just need to reposition it, it will stick.
You can end up sprinkling icing sugar, I prefer to leave it like that, but you do well as you want, lol. This tart goes wonderfully with a nice red wine containing pinot noir in it, for example, because the fruit side sublimates the blueberry.
The base of baked almond cream allows this pretty pie to hold even if the blueberries leave juice, and the marriage of baked almonds and blueberries with the raw blueberries is just wonderful. The almond cream balances the acidity of the raw blueberry; the shortbread remains soft thanks to the blueberry juice; this dessert is definitely worth spending a little more time in the kitchen than usual. The layer of blueberries on top of the tart finally brings a professional touch to this dessert, a beautiful aesthetic without too many frills. Many of us eat with our eyes first, so please don’t drool too much on the photos, your computer might not recover, lol.
I don’t take more of your time; you have some groceries to buy… see you at your stove, dear Padawan.
XO 🫐
