With the recent evacuations and event changes, I wanted to show that you can still celebrate the beauty of the Northwoods by creating an edible masterpiece in the kitchen of a safe environment. I came up with a slab pie that serves as a fun activity, especially for kids. If you’ve never heard of a slab pie, it is simply a pie baked on a sheet pan, much like a bar recipe.
It took me a few tries to get the pie to look and taste just how I wanted. Ultimately, I decided the best approach was to bake the crust separately, cook the pie filling, then assemble the components at the end. I took a paring knife and made little islands out of pie crust, then used cookie cutters in moose, wolf, bear, and tree shapes to make the picture come to life.
You could change up the animals with deer, loon, or fish cookie cutters, or just do a simple free-form tree and cabin scene with a paring knife. I colored the glazes with matcha and blueberry juice, but you could make your glazes with Watkins natural food coloring if preferred. The pie is your canvas, so get your creative juices flowing and make your own work of art.
Blueberry Northern Lights Slab Pie
Ingredients
Blueberry Pie Filling:
8 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries
1 1/2 cups cold water, divided
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
Crust:
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup unsalted butter, finely diced and chilled
1 1/2 cups ice water, as needed
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 pounds dried beans or rice for pie weights
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar, divided
Glazes and Garnish:
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon matcha powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons water
2 1/2 teaspoons reserved blueberry juice
1/2 teaspoon pearl sugar or star sprinkles
Instructions:
Blueberry Pie Filling:
In a large pot, combine the blueberries, 1 cup of water, zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Spoon 2 1/2 teaspoons of the juice into a small bowl. Cover and set aside for the purple glaze. Stir the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt into the pot. Turn the heat down to medium and bring back to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1/2 cup cold water. Add to the pot. Stirring constantly, cook until the mixture is thick and pudding-like. Remove from heat and cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Crust:
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the chilled shortening and mix it in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until you have pea-sized crumbs. Add the diced butter and mix until combined. Stir together the water and vinegar. Pour in the water a little at a time, mixing until a dough forms. Turn the dough onto the countertop and form into a square. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Once chilled, position one oven rack in the bottom slot and one in the top slot. Line the bottom rack with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Dust a countertop with flour. Roll out the dough to a large rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with additional flour as necessary. Place a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan upside down over the dough, and trim the crust to 2 1/2 inches from the edges all the way around the pan. Cover the scraps with plastic wrap and place back in the refrigerator. Flip the pie pan over and set alongside the dough. Carefully transfer the dough to the pan. Roll the edges outwards, tucking them under, keeping the crust lip on top of the pan rim. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges. Line the crust with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with dried beans or rice. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and bake for 30 more minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the beans or rice (save for future pies). Reserve the parchment paper for the cutouts. Brush the pie crust all over with some of the beaten egg and water, then dock the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Sprinkle the edges of the crust with half of the cinnamon sugar. Bake on the top rack at 350 for 15 minutes or until the center is golden brown. Cool completely. Meanwhile, roll out the remaining pie crust and cut out desired shapes. Place the parchment paper on another sheet pan and place the cutouts on top. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake on the top rack at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon the pie filling into the cooled crust and top with the cutouts.
Glazes and Garnish:
In a small bowl, mix together the matcha, vanilla, and water until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup powdered sugar until smooth, then spoon into a piping bag. In another bowl, stir together the remaining half cup of powdered sugar with the blueberry juice. Place the mixture into another piping bag. Drizzle both glazes over the pie as desired, then garnish with pearl sugar or star sprinkles.
Yield: 24 servings.
