Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie

Though pumpkin pie is likely a more popular serving choice during the autumn months, I couldn't resist the idea of a single crust pie loaded with goat cheese and fresh blueberries and topped with sliced almonds. As it so happened, neither my husband nor best friend Basil could resist a generous sampling, and surely that's a compliment to the baker as both consider themselves to be pie connoisseurs.

A surprising yet pleasing element of this pie is the gentle hint of fresh basil that really comes through even though I used just a small quantity. Not exactly a savory dessert, the sweetness is rather subdued and pleasantly tempered by the creamy and tangy goat cheese. The natural sweetness of the berries is also to be recommended.

Here, I have used one of my best tried and tested homemade pastries. A tip I learned years ago is to use a few splashes of vodka if your dough doesn't seem moist enough to roll out. If you use too much water, you end up with more gluten formation, resulting in a tougher crust. On the other hand, vodka contains ethanol and because gluten does not form in the ethanol, you are more likely to achieve that perfect tender, rich and flaky butter crust that makes for the ultimate pastry experience.

As usual, feel free to use your own favorite pastry recipe. If you bake, most certainly you have more than a few treasured favorites.

Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie

Recipe by Lisa Turner
Adapted from Food Network
Published on October 16, 2012

Colorful blueberry pie with tangy, creamy goat cheese and a hint of basil

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Crust:

1 cup all-purpose or pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 - 4 tablespoons ice water
vodka (optional and as needed)

Filling:

1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
5 cups fresh blueberries

Topping:

1 cup sliced almonds
1/3 to 1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

Instructions:

Begin by making your pastry. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry cutter until the butter is reduced to very small pieces. (Alternately, grate the butter into the mixture.) Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over the dough and combine with a fork. The dough is ready for rolling once it holds together when you squeeze it. If the dough is too dry, add a little more ice water or some vodka.
Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, prepare your filling. In a large bowl, mash the goat cheese with a fork. Add the cream, egg, brown sugar and lemon juice and beat together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour, salt and basil. Fold in the blueberries. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until the pastry is ready (the filling can be prepared and chilled up to a day ahead).
On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough out into a flat circle shape with a floured rolling pin. Fold the dough in half and gently transfer the dough to a 10-inch pie plate. Unfold to cover the plate. Trim the dough to the shape of the plate, leaving a bit of overhang and fold to make the crust edge. Crimp the edges.
Prepare the topping by mixing together the almonds, sugar and melted butter in a small bowl.
Transfer the filling to the rolled out pastry dough and sprinkle evenly with the almond topping. Bake in a preheated 375° oven on the middle rack, rotating part way through the baking time, for 35 to 45 minutes or until the filling has set and the pastry and almonds are nicely browned.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes and then cover and chill for a few hours before serving.

Makes one 10-inch pie