I was at a wedding recently and the couple had some amazing pies from Four and Twenty Blackbirds . With names like Salted Caramel Apple and Lavender Honey, I couldn’t wait to try one! So, last week when Belle Strachan was helping me with some projects, we decided to bake a pie! The pie was amazing and would be perfect for a wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, or bridal shower.
After looking through their cookbook , we decided on the Nectarine Blueberry. It was super easy to make, and so delicious that it was gone by the end of the day.
Ingredients
2 to 3 cups blueberries
Pinch finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Dash Angostura bitters
Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
Demerara sugar, for finishing
If blueberries are not available, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries are excellent paired with nectarines as well. Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top
Directions
1. Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top.
2. Combine the fruit, lemon zest and juice, allspice, cloves, salt, and bitters in a large bowl and stir well. Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, arrange the lattice or pastry round on top, and crimp as desired.
3. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry. Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425 ° F.
4. Brush the pastry with the egg wash to coat; if your pie has a lattice top, be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry (it will burn). Sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar.
5. Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375 ° F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling throughout, 30 to 35 minutes longer.
6. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.
Excerpted from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by Emily and Melissa Elsen (Hachette Book Group). Copyright (c) 2013. Photographs by Gentil & Hyers.
