Blueberry Peach Pie

February is often a tough month in the Midwest. This year it has been particularly challenging. We are in what Mr. B (and many other locals) are calling the worst winter in recent memory, with record snowfall totals and almost 90 consecutive days of temperatures below 32 degrees. It is snowing as I write this- big fat fluffy flakes – beautiful, but not the signs of Spring I so desperately want to see. Even the wild animals seem to be tired of winter, with deer, wild turkeys, and squirrels coming out of the forest in search for food at the neighborhood bird feeders.

Buffalo

I haven’t seen the buffalo at the bird feeders yet but they are hungry too!
I find myself daydreaming of green grass, warm breezes, and fresh asparagus. Yet Spring is a short season in the Dakotas and we still have about two months before daffodils will appear through the snow. Beyond Spring, Summer seems like an elusive fantasy. A warm gold-tinged memory far from my current reality.

Making the Blueberry Peach Pie

In my freezer I have a stash of Summer treasure saved up just for this very moment. When the winter seems impossibly long, I can pull out plump blueberries frozen in June and ripe Colorado peaches frozen last August, and defy the season by making a pie. The power of pie to lift one out of the winter doldrums should never be underestimated. Sweet peaches, dark blueberries, and a tender flaky crust, will bring a taste of summer to chapped lips and a smile to your face. If you are so moved, you may even hug your freezer.

Blueberry Peach Pie

Blueberry Peach Pie (Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 double pie crust (recipe below, step-by-step photos here)
2 cups Blueberries, thawed and drained
4 cups sliced Peaches, thawed and mostly drained
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
pinch Nutmeg
pinch Table salt
1 Tablespoon Arrowroot starch
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 415 degrees with a rack in the bottom two-thirds of the oven and a drip pan below the rack.
In a medium bowl, gently mix together blueberries, peaches, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and arrowroot.
Roll out one of the crusts on a lightly floured surface, until it is 12 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the crust to the bottom of a 9 inch pie dish. Trim the dough so it only overhangs the dish by 1/2 inch. Pour the fruit filling into the pie. Roll out the second crust in the same manner, and lay it over the top of the pie. Trim the overhanging crust so it is also about 1/2″ beyond the edge of the pie plate. Pinch the edges together to seal the crust. Cut a few slits into the top of the pie. Place the pie onto the rack, and bake.
Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 415 degrees. Reduce the heat to 325 and continue to bake for 45-50 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is lightly browned. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for several hours before serving.
Double Pie Crust
Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup leaf lard or shortening, slightly chilled
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt until blended. Add the cubes of cold butter and lard to the mix, and rub them between your thumb and fingers until they break into small pea-size pieces and are incorporated with the flour. Add 5 tablespoons of ice water to the bowl, and mix it in with a fork. Keep adding water by the teaspoonful until the dough sticks together when you press a small piece between your fingertips. The mix will still look quite crumbly at this time.
Dump the mix out onto a flat surface, and using the heel of your hand, press down and out four to six times, smearing the dough onto the counter. This will create layers of fat, providing a flaky crust. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough off of the counter and form it into a ball. Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap the disks with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to two days. Let dough warm up at room temperature for 5 minutes before rolling it out.
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