The Last Hurrah to Summer!

Imperfect, But Damn Good!

Summer is almost over so I had to bake at least one blueberry pie before it was too late to get fresh local blueberries. I used the same recipe that I always use, that is from the back of a tapioca pudding box. It always turns out perfect. The tapioca replaces the need to use flour. It absorbs all the liquid from the blueberries as they cook and creates a thick yummy filling. No runny mess, just the perfect texture I'm looking for.

Since I love pie but hate the fat and calories in the crust, I decided to try something new. I got this crust recipe from a canola oil website. Canola oil has very low saturated fat in it and it has a higher percentage of monounsaturated fat which is the good fat that our bodies need.

I never knew that you could make a crust using canola oil, but now I know you can. It is a little more difficult to work with than traditional pie dough, because it tends to dry out more quickly. but I actually liked the final result. If you are a traditonalist, however, you may not think it is as good as the full fat version. But try it anyway, your heart will thank you!

The website had two different versions of the same recipe and one of them was misprinted. So I sought of combined the two and changed it a little to put my own spin on it.

Blueberry Pie with Canola Oil Crust

4 cups blueberries, washed, dried and picked over for stems and leaves
3/4 to 1 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you like your pie, I use 3/4 cup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, my addition
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, my addition
1/4 cup tapioca pudding

Mix blueberries, tapioca, sugar lemon rind and lemon juice in bowl. Let stand 15 minutes; fill 9" pie crust with the fruit mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Cover with top crust; seal edges by pressing down along the pie rim with a fork.

My tips: Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg. Place pie on a foil lined baking sheet because it will more than likely leak out and spill into the oven.

Bake at 400 degree preheated oven for 45-60 minutes. Cool.

Canola Oil Crust
Yield: 2-9 inch shells (8 slices per shell)

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3-4 tbsp. ice water

Measure flour and salt in a bowl. Add canola oil. Mix together until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tbsp. at a time, mixing until flour is moistened and dough almost lifts from the side of the bowl. If dough seems dry, 1 or 2 tbsp. of canola oil can be added.

Divide dough into two rounds. Flatten round between two sheets of wax paper. Wipe counter with damp cloth to prevent paper from slipping. Roll pastry to two inches larger than inverted pie plate. Peel off top paper. Place pastry; paper side up in pan. Peel off paper. Ease pastry loosely into plate. Trim edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pan. Fold and roll pastry under, even with the pan; flute edge. Prick bottom and sides thoroughly with a fork.
For the top crust, roll dough in same way. Cut slits after peeling top paper, trim and complete in the usual manner.