I’ve been remaking some of my recipes, tweaking ingredients, and fixing some things on the dessert catering end of The Dreamery. I had enough blueberries from the farmers’ market, with the exception of a few strawberries I added, some leftover sugar cookie dough, and inspired by The Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie book, plenty of lemon mint in the garden. I’ve used herbs in desserts like ice cream and galettes before, and just love the subtle fresh summer flavor it gives fruit, especially berries. It’s so faint that you don’t even notice it, along with the addition of a finely grated apple.
I don’t know why I never thought about including an apple in my berry pies, but thank you Four & Twenty Blackbirds for your genius inspiration. With its natural pectin, it’s the perfect thickener. And its acidity helps to prevent an overly sweet pie, which often happens when you underestimate how ripe and sweet your blueberries really are. The simple addition of an apple, brought the sweet and tangy blueberry flavor out like not other ingredient I’ve used before. I also kept the other ingredients simple, no spices just sugars, lemon juice and salt.
I’m still calling this pie, even though I used sugar cookie dough. Technically speaking it’d be called a tart, since tart dough resembles a sugar cookie. But I don’t think you’ll get on my case because I didn’t feel like making traditional pie dough, or waiting for it to be chilled. I just wanted to make pie. No hassle, just pie. Of course you can use your favorite pie dough, but I actually liked the sugar cookie, especially the thin crisp square cutouts atop the bubbling blueberry filling. If the apple wasn’t in the filling, then along with the sugar cookie crust it would have been way too sweet. But all the flavors perfectly balanced each other out.
How gorgeous is that! It’s more than good enough to eat, which we did, twice, even though we were already full from our seafood barbecue. I knew I had a winner, especially the next day when J had the sudden desire for a piece of my blueberry pie. Yes, a small victory for me!
As raspberries begin to fill the markets, this pie would work deliciously with just raspberries, or blackberries or strawberries, or any fruit filling you desire. Oh, and don’t forget the ice cream, it’s summer after all! 
Blueberry + Lemon Mint Pie
Ingredients {Makes one 9″ pie}
Sugar Cookie or Pie Dough {use your favorite or see recipe here}
5 1/2 cups {about 2 pounds} – Fresh Blueberries
2 tablespoons {about 1} – Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 cup – Organic Cane Sugar
1/4 cup {packed} – Brown Sugar
3 tablespoons – Cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon – Salt
Small Handful – Lemon Mint, chopped
1 – Egg {whisked with 1 teaspoon milk}
Raw or Turbinado Sugar, for dusting
Recipe {Adapted from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book}
Pre-heat oven to 425F degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the sugar cookie dough to 2 to 3 inches larger than your pie pan. Fit the dough into the pan, removing excess dough from the edges, and chill. Roll the other piece of dough to 1/4″ thickness, and cut out squares or desired shape. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and chill.
For the filling, peel and shred the apple finely, then into a bowl with the blueberries, lemon juice, sugars, cornstarch, lemon mint and salt. Stir until well combined, and crushing some blueberries. Pour the filling, including the juices, into the chilled pie shell, and arrange top as desired with the dough cut outs. Chill pie for a few minutes, just to set filling.
Brush top with egg wash, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake until dough starts to get color {about 20 to 25 minutes}. Reduce oven to 375F degrees, and continue to bake pie until deep golden brown and juices bubble {additional 30 to 35 minutes}.
Allow to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
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