Blueberry-Nectarine Pie

By norsegal8

A picture-perfect double-crusted pie, its rim crimped and decorated with the back of a fork, its top golden brown, its startburst-patterned slits stained around the edges, and its bubbling filling sending out puffs of steam scented with the aroma of warm fruits. Here, as with the crostatas and cobblers, the filling is cooked briefly on top of the stove so that you can adjust the flavors before the pie goes into the oven - a good idea and a guarantee of success from pie to pie, no matter the sweetness or lack thereof, of a particular batch of fruit. As with all pies and tarts, you can play around with the filling. Don't make this a summer-only recipe; use the crust and filling proportions to create winter pie with fruit combinations and spices you have on hand. These pies can be filled, frozen and baked without thawing.

Ingredients

• The Filling
• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 cups sliced nectarines
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Large pinch of grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• The Crust
• 1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water, for egg wash
• Crystal or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
• Makes 6 - 8 servings

Preparation

Step 1

Put half of the fruit in a medium saucepan, add sugar, flour, and lemon zest. Stir to mix. Bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly, and simmer until liquid thickens. Remove from heat, transfer into a bowl and stir in the uncooked fruit. Taste liquid, and adjust flavoring by adding lemon juice. Let cool.

Cut dough in half and on a lightly floured work surface roll one half into an 11-inch circle. Fit crust into a 9-inch cake pan with 1-inch-high sides. Allow excess dough to hang over sides. Roll remaining piece of dough into a 10-inch circle. Spoon the cooled filling into the pie shell and dot with butter. Trim the overhanging dough to 1/2 inch. Lift the 10-inch circle of dough onto the pie, aligning edges of top crust with bottom crust. Fold both layers of overhanging dough under to create a thick edge around the rim of the pan. Crimp with fingers, creating scallops every 2 inches around the rim. Press the tines of a fork against the flat scallops to decorate. Paint with egg wash and sprinkle with crystal sugar. Cut 4 to 6 slits in the crust and chill for minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Place pie on a parchment lined pan and bake 50 minutes or until crust is golden. Let cool 30 minutes before cutting.