Mini Blueberry Pies

Hello, Yankee Belle Cafe! The Fresh Pioneer is back and we've been very busy eating fresh berries here in the Northwest. I'm lucky to live within 10 miles of a U-pick blueberry farm, and they just started selling raspberries and peaches, too. $1.50 a pound can't be beat!!

Of course, you have to brave the spiders and bugs and thunderstorms, but that's okay! These are worth it.

Here are some small people that are 'helping' me wash and sort the bluerries. Huh. Why is his hand near his mouth??

Probably just eating one of these little gals.

Protein.

Bonus....

The only problem is that after you've made jam,

graham cracker and fruit and vanilla yoghurt parfait (with Rekas, which taste like huckleberries).

and bowl after bowl of giant, sweet Toros (the type we've had recently),

you start to wonder....

What can we do to CORRUPT these healthy, little beauties??

  Usually I try to avoid the whole sugar/fruit/lard crust concotion because it's like cocaine. At least to me. But I was reading Alan Bradley's 'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie' and had a sudden desire for... PIE. (Which is odd because the pie is a murder weapon in the story but hey, I blame his plucky heroine Flavia De Luce for her bad influence. Here's a little picture of her on her bicycle, Gladys.)

 

Anyway, how can we have our pie and not eat TOO MUCH OF IT, too??

That is the question.

And here is the answer. Ramekins.

In case any of you are applauding my cleverness, just remember that some people in my family won't eat their pie. That means I get leftovers.

 MORE PIE FOR ME!

*ahem*

   (This also applies to my husband, who doesn't eat sweets. Isn't that terrible? When we were dating, I thought he was so gallant, offering me his slice of whatever dessert was. No. He just doesn't eat that much sugar. We've learned to forgive each other this small difference of opinion.)

Blueberries. Washed. Picked over. Lady bugs released outside.

Uh, oh. I spy a stem. This isn't the end of the world, but I try to get them out. If not, more fiber, right?

For 8 cups of berries, I used 1/4 cup of lime juice. I like lime better than lemon. And add the sugar. I will not say how much I put in. :) Maybe a cup. Or two.

Some people like blueberry-peach, blueberry-apricot, blueberry-raspberry. I like cinnamon in mine. I think it really brings out a deep flavor in the berries. So, for a 4 cup pie, I'd put in 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. For this batch of 8 cups I put in 1/2 tsp. Mmmmm....  Smelling delicious already.

Adding the thickener is up to you, since it will be confined to a ramekin. I added corn starch because I actually like the flavor.

Pie crust. From a box, or from the freezer section. Or using CRISCO SHORTENING in the old style recipe!! (I'm scared just reading that, but it will be worth it.) Cut into half inch strips.

Pretty. Flavia would be so pleased. The perfect murder weapon.

Or an old-fashioned version if you don't have the time or coordination to make tiny lattice work pies the size of your palm.

Waitaminute. Don't I have six million kids (like Mary Curry so aptly put it)? Ah. Here's one of theirs.

I wasn't very sure how much time these would take so I set it for 15 minutes and checked them every so often. Oh, and put them on a cookie sheet. Your oven will thank you. 

Super hot. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EAT.

You will regret it and your tastebuds will never forgive you. Hot pie will kill you. Just ask Flavia.

Oh, MERCY. Is it cool yet?????

This is my big hot mess of pie, with a few spoonfulls of homemade apricot ice cream on top.

 Yes, it was good.

No, there was none left.

Stinkin' kids. :)