Years ago, when I pictured myself as a mother, I envisioned all of the wonderful baking adventures I would have with my children. I would teach them to bake bread, and frost cupcakes. I would allow them to lick the brownie batter off of the mixing spoon before it was cleaned. I would celebrate their adorable baking creations by placing them on one of my many beautiful cake stands. I would step back and let them lead in the kitchen. Egg shells in the cookie dough wouldn’t bother me, not when warm and fuzzy memories are being created.
I am ashamed to admit the truth. The reality is very far from my dream. I am a task master at best. My heart rate goes up at every little mess that is made. I say “no” a lot. And “wait”. And “let me do it”.
Today Cameron and I baked a vegan blueberry pie for my husband’s birthday. Aron is allergic to eggs and dairy, so he rarely gets to sample any of the wonderful baked goods I have been making for this website. I wanted to bake with love today, but instead the main ingredient was stress. Cameron, the ever hard worker, stayed calm and patient with me. I love him for that. Finally, I had to tell myself to throw my need for baking perfection out the window and let him take over. I cut lattice strips out and Cam recklessly placed them on the blueberry filling. I had to look away, so I made myself a cup of coffee. He finished his design and we popped the pie in the oven. When it came out it looked like this:
Vegan Blueberry Pie
I love it. Clearly, I need to let go more often.
- 2 1/2 cups (312 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3 TBS Sugar
- 16 TBS (191 g) cold, butter flavored Crisco, cut up into 1/4 inch pieces
- 6 to 8 TBS Ice Water
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar.
- Add the Crisco pieces. Pulse until the flour/Crisco mixture resembles bread crumbs.
- Pour in the ice water, and pulse 15 times. Once the mixture pulls away from the center it's ready.
- Dump the dough on a clean surface and knead a few times, and then form into a ball.
- Separate the pastry dough into two equal pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and refrigerate for as little as 30 minutes up to two days.
- After the pastry has been chilled, roll out one dough disc on a lightly floured surface, and gently place in a pie plate. Refrigerate.
- Take out the other pastry disc from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a rectangle shape. With a fluted pastry cutter, cut out 16 strips. Carefully place the strips on a cookie sheet and refrigerate.
- Makes one 9-inch top and bottom crust.
- If the pastry breaks at any time when rolling out, just dab it with cold water to create a glue, and then stick the pieces together again.
- Food processor
- Dough scraper
- Rolling pin
- Pie plate
- Fluted pastry cutter, or pizza cutter
- 1/2 cup Vegan Margarine, melted
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 4 cups Blueberries
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp. Lemon Zest (about half of a lemon)
- 1 TBS Lemon Juice (about half of a lemon)
- 3 TBS Cornstarch
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, and salt. Pour in the melted margarine and mix until the margarine is absorbed and the mixture forms clumps. Set aside.
- Mix the sugar, lemon juice, zest and cornstarch together in a large mixing bowl. Add the berries and toss gently to coat with the mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Take out the bottom pie shell from the refrigerator, and spoon the blueberry mixture into it.
- Sprinkle the crumble on top of the blueberry mixture.
- Take the lattice strips out of the refrigerator and make your lattice design anyway you darn well please. If working with a child. Look away while they work on it. Maybe pour a glass of wine for yourself.
- Brush the top of the lattice pie with water and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the blueberry juices are bubbling.
