Blueberry Crumb Pie

I am a huge fan of desserts – especially pie!

Captain America unfortunately cannot eat many desserts as he is allergic to dairy (except cheese) and chocolate…..which rules out many desserts! He is, however, a HUGE fan of pie…..and blueberries! Needless to say, this Blueberry Crumb Pie got devoured!

It was a huge cheat dessert and SO SIMPLE to make, especially as I cheated and bought pie crust!

For the avid readers among you – you will know about my dislike for making pie crust  and my many not so successful attempts at making my own! Yes, I know it’s really easy and all you need is__________ (fill in the blank) Trust me I have tried many a ‘fail safe’ recipe and I still end up with a mediocre crust. This time I bought a frozen pie crust and it was delicious!

The blueberries were in season and exceptionally cheap so this was not only easy, but cheap!

The balsamic vinegar is a tip I read a while ago and I tried it with a few pie fillings and it was wonderful – but it MADE this recipe – it really brings out the flavor of the fruit, cuts the overly sugary-ness of a normal pie filling and added a zing to the berries! No-one could taste the difference and the few people I told were very surprised!

 

If you can find a small bottle of Balsamic Brandy Glaze (it is often sold in smaller foodie stores, olive oil shops etc) BUY IT! It is well worth the money, you can use it in so many more recipes than you would expect and it lasts for ages! You will not regret it!

Now onto the recipe for Blueberry Crumb Pie!

 

Ingredients:

1 ready-made pie crust

32 oz blueberries

3/4 C sugar

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp balsamic brandy glaze (optional)

For the crumb topping:

1 C flour

1 C brown sugar

1 C oats

1/2 C butter, melted

Directions:

In a small pan heat the blueberries, sugar, balsamic vinegar and balsamic glaze for a few minutes until the blueberries become coated and start to disintegrate.

 

 

Remove from the heat, allow to cool for about 10 minutes and add the cornstarch, stirring it to thicken the sauce.

Add the mixture to the pie crust (follow the instructions on the packet for how best to handle the pie crust) and set aside.

 

In a small bowl, mix the flour, oats and sugar, then add the melted butter and rub together using your fingers to form the crumbs.

Gently spoon the crumb topping onto the pie ensuring all the filling is covered evenly

Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, checking occasionally so it does not burn. Cook until the crumb topping is golden brown.