Blueberry pie with limoncello lemon curd

Blueberry and lemon are two of my very favorite flavors, and together? It's a winning combination. Blueberries are delicious, but I think their subtle sweetness is even better when juxtaposed with tart lemon. With the deep blue color of the berries plus a little creativity with the crust, you can make a patriotic pie to show off at your Memorial Day BBQ.

These beautiful berries are just begging for booze, aren't they?

Since I was planning to add lemon curd, I wanted to make sure the blueberries wouldn't be overpowered. I've gotten accustomed to adding a little booze to my pie crust, to make it extra crispy. In this case, I substituted 2 Tbsp of water with blueberry vodka - just to add extra emphasis on the blueberry flavor.


For the crust:  (this will make one 2-crust pie)

I like Martha Stewart's "Our Favorite Pie Crust" recipe. It's a little more substantial than patee brisee, but still has plenty of butter for a light & flaky texture. 
In a food processor, pulse:
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 sticks very cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
Once your mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, slowly add 2 tablespoons vodka and 2-to-3 tablespoons ice water. Keep pulsing; the mixture will become more cohesive. Don't over-process - you don't want glutenous strands to form and make your pie crust chewy. We're going for crispy & flaky.

I recommend preparing and pre-baking your bottom crust for about 10-12 minutes to make sure it's done to extra-crispy perfection. Place aluminum foil around the edges to prevent over-browning.

For the filling:

Ingredients:

• Lemon curd -- I made my own, using this wonderful recipe from Emeril and it turned out great! Bonus: his recipe uses limoncello in addition to fresh lemons. It's very tart and flavorful, with just the right level of sweetness. 
• 4 cups blueberries
• 2 tablespoons limoncello
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces. 

Instructions:
Spread a generous layer of lemon curd over the (pre-baked) bottom crust. Mix together the limoncello and corn starch to make a thickening base, and gently toss with the blueberries. Pour into the pie crust, on top of the lemon curd.
Scatter the 2 tablespoons of butter over the top of the blueberries. 
Prepare your top crust however you like. I went with a flag theme for Memorial Day. Brush with a little melted butter or half and half and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 for about 30-35 minutes; until the crust is golden brown and the berries are bubbling. I like to place a cookie sheet on the lower rack underneath my pies in case they boil over. 

Before baking: see the little pieces of butter peeking out?

All baked & ready to serve up at your Memorial Day BBQ

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**posted by Jacqueline**