EZ Blueberry Pie (with fresh berry taste)

Sometimes, I want to make a 'quick and easy' pie-- using the frozen blueberries I have from picking at a U-Pick blueberry farm near Clintonville. 

Sometimes, with only one crust, too!  This one works for me...

Needed: 4 cups blueberries, total-- 

Two cups, fresh OR still frozen; two cups, cooked in the 'thickener'...

To start with, bake an 'empty' 9-inch pie crust...

to some, this is known as 'blind baking'.

To keep the empty pie crust from 'buckling up' while baking, I poked some holes in it and then I used a Reynold's Oven Bag with coins in it to 'weight it down' for the first 10 minutes of baking at 400-degrees.  After removing the 'coin bag weight', I let it bake for about five minutes more until lightly browned as shown.  Some bakers take a square of aluminum foil, spray the 'underside' of it with non-stick spray, place it on the crust and then weight it down with beans, rice, etc. for the first 10 minutes of baking.   Either way, you can keep these 'weights' handy for next time.   Like I did, you may have to 'explain' WHY you have a bag of coins in your cupboard.  : )    

Let crust cool thoroughly.

After crust is cooled, put 2 cups fresh blueberries (or, 2 cups 'still frozen' blueberries) into the baked crust and set aside while you prepare the cooked blueberries/sauce...

 Above: Because these blueberries are still frozen, 
they are showing some 'frosty' on them as they're warming up.

In a medium saucepan, combine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened.  Boil at least one minute.  Mixture will be thick:

• 1/2 cup sugar  (one recipe called for 3/4 cup sugar, but I say that's too much)
• 3 tablespoons PLUS 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 more cups of fresh OR frozen blueberries

...

Remove hot mixture from heat and stir in 

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice.  

Let this hot mixture cool for a while, OR pour the hot thickened berry mixture over the blueberries already in the crust right away, like I did.   See the steam... 

I am guessing that pouring the hot mixture over the blueberries in the crust right away worked very well for me because my first layer of 2 cups blueberries were still frozen, or at least still very cold!  The bottom of the crust did NOT get soggy.

Chill

Some 'squirts/drops' of whipped cream on top, or a scoop of ice cream on the side can't hurt!  : )