Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

Lulu and I spent the evening pulling weeds from our freshly laid sod. Despite the protestations of my father, I refuse to use weed-killer to rid our yard from the near constant presence of invasive vines and stubborn weeds. Instead, I take my daughter outside to play in the grass as I dirty my hands and pull the weeds out, one by one. I can spend a solid hour outside and make little noticeable progress…but my soul feels about a hundred times clearer (even though my yard is not).

Tonight, as I rooted through our blanket of sod to tear out the tiny vines that are choking the grass, I happened upon a lady bug village. They were crawling and pausing and eating. I watched them for a few minutes, and I relished how the simple act of pulling these stubborn weeds made me feel so alive. Here I was, with my daughter beside me, working our small patch of land. I’m no gardener (yet) but I can see why people find it to be the most therapeutic of hobbies. Just like baking, it reconnects me to the still, quiet part of my heart.

This blueberry sour cream pie was also therapy. After returning from Oregon and feeling a little homesick for a place I don’t call home, I needed to get into the kitchen. A fresh pint of organic blueberries along with a pound of hazelnuts had come home with me from the grocery store. A few hours later…this pie was made. Now my sweet husband eats a lot of pie. Because pie is my specialty. My dessert of choice. So when he declares that this blueberry sour cream pie is his absolute favorite, pay attention. He’s sampled quite a few contenders in his short thirty years.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

4 tablespoons (about) ice water

 FILLING

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 egg, beaten to blend

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

 TOPPING

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

2 tablespoons sugar

 FOR CRUST:
Blend flour, butter, sugar and salt in processor until coarse meal forms. With machine running, add water by tablespoonfuls until clumps form. Gather into ball. Flatten to disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim edge to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold edge under and crimp. Freeze 10 minutes. Line crust with foil; fill with beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans.

FOR FILLING:
Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Mix in blueberries. Spoon into crust. Bake until filling is just set, about 25 minutes.

FOR TOPPING:
Using fingertips, mix flour and butter in medium bowl until small clumps form. Mix in pecans and sugar. Spoon topping over pie. Bake until topping browns lightly, about 12 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature.