Three Blueberry Pies to Make for Pi Day

If you enjoy math humor and blueberry pies, then these recipes are for you!

Pi Day is fast approaching. It’s March 14^th, or 3.14, the standard numerical value that is used for “π,” which is pronounced like ‘pie.’ Pi is well-known in math to represent the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, but it is used in much more complex mathematical equations as well. The day is meant to be a fun way to focus on math, and if there are blueberry pies involved, what can be bad, right? Try one of these blueberry pie recipes—or make 3.14 blueberry pies—and do your Pi Day the right way.

Three Blueberry Pies for Pi Day

Blueberry Pie

This traditional blueberry pie is sure to please the masses…no matter whether you measure them in grams or pounds.

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 4 cups blueberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel

Instructions

1. Roll out one sheet pie crust to flatten. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish.
2. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until mixture is thickened and clear. Stir in butter; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 cups blueberries and lemon peel.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Turn cooled filling into pie shell. Lay the remaining pie crust on a sheet of wax paper. Roll out to flatten. With a knife or pastry wheel cut pastry into 3/8-inch wide strips. Arrange in a criss-cross pattern on top of blueberries, pressing ends into the edges of the bottom crust and crimping to seal.
4. Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake in the bottom third of oven until crust is golden and filling bubbles gently, about 30 minutes. Cool on rack.

Blueberry-Apricot Pot Pies

Try something a bit outside the box, square, rectangle, and rhombus when you make these blueberry-apricot pot pies.

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• ½ cup sugar, divided
• 9 tablespoons flour, divided
• ¼ cup cooking oats
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
• 5 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss blueberries with ¼ cup of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the flour
3. Spread evenly in pie plate
4. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 8 tablespoons (½ cup) flour, the oats, walnuts, pumpkin pie spice and remaining ¼ cup sugar
5. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until moist crumbs form
6. With your fingers, press together crumbs to make large chunks
7. Place on top of blueberries
8. Bake in top third of oven until topping is browned, about 20 minutes
9. Cool on a rack

Double Blueberry Cookie Pie

This double blueberry cookie pie—or is it blueberry pie squared?—is pie and cookies combined, an equation made in dessert heaven.

Ingredients

• 1 package (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature
• 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Dash of salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream, whipped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
2. Spray a 9-inch pie pan and small cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray
3. In a small bowl combine sugar cookie dough and flour until mixed
4. Remove about a quarter of the cookie dough
5. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for later use
6. With floured hands, press unrefrigerated dough into bottom and sides of prepared pan
7. Place in freezer to firm up, about 15 minutes
8. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out refrigerated cookie dough ¼-inch thick
9. With a floured cookie cutter, cut out stars or other shapes
10. Place on prepared cookie sheet
11. Bake cookie dough pie crust until golden, about 11 minutes and stars for about 6 minutes
12. Cool on wire racks
13. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the blueberries, the sugar, cornstarch and salt
14. Stir in ²⁄₃ cup water and the lemon juice
15. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil
16. Boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, crushing blueberries
17. Stir in remaining 2 cups blueberries
18. Chill
19. Spoon blueberry mixture into cooled cookie shell
20. Decorate with the star-shaped cookies and whipped cream

Recipes and photos courtesy of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

Share your blueberry pie for Pi Day with us on our Blueberries from Florida Facebook page. Then, find more great blueberry recipes on the BlueberriesFromFlorida.com recipes pages or the Blueberries from Florida Pinterest recipe boards

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