Wee Little Blueberry Maple Pies

It's hard to beat a fruit and sugar pie, so darned good. And for all the ways in which blueberries taste amazing, I think they are at their best when filling a pie to the brim.

These are three, wee little blueberry pies! In addition to a hefty dose of cuteness, these smaller pies are nice for gifting to others. They can also be frozen after assembling, but before baking. That way you could have only one pie out at a time, a benefit for a smaller household where a larger pie would be too much to eat. (Hard to imagine, but I hear there is the occasional occurrence.)

The combination of blueberry and maple has always been a favorite in our house. Think blueberry pancakes with a thick covering of real maple syrup. That union is even richer in these pies. The maple syrup (again, so important to use the real stuff) gives the blueberry filling a velvety depth.  

It really is blue velvet.

And it's also a dulcet dose of sweetness.

I had to laugh at how perfect the pies looked before they hit the oven... 

because I knew they'd lose that perfect smoothness once they met the heat. No matter: this crust is my favorite, for its buttery flakiness and taste. For that I will take this rustic pie-look any day!

Blueberry pie is a favorite of:

Wee Little Blueberry Maple Pies

Ingredients:

• Buttery Pastry Dough (click for recipe)
• 6 cups blueberries
• 1/2 cup Vermont maple syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (also known as "cornflour" in the UK)
• 1 egg
• 1 TB water

Special equipment: three 5-inch mini pie tins

Directions:

1. Unwrap one refrigerated dough disk of Pastry Dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 1/4" thickness.
2. Cut out three circles that are 7-1/2" in diameter. Roll out the dough circle a few times to make it slightly larger, then fit one dough circle into the bottom of a mini pie tin (5" diameter) leaving an overhang. Repeat with the remaining 2 pie tins. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough and put the dishes into the fridge.
3. Preheat the oven to 375° F. If using glass pie dishes move the rack to the lower half of the oven; for metal pans have a rack ready in the center.
4. Place the blueberries into a large bowl. Add in the Vermont maple syrup, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Stir to combine.
5. Remove the pie shells from the fridge. Divide the blueberry filling between the three pie shells.
6. Roll out the second refrigerated Pastry Dough disk to 1/4" thickness. Cut three more 7-1/2" dough circles. Roll these out on a lightly floured surface a few times each. If making decorative cutouts from the dough circles, do these now.
7. Carefully lay one circle over the top of one of the filled shells. Roll both the lower and upper crust edges under, all around the pie to make a thick edge.  Crimp the edge all around. If you did not make decorative cutouts, cut a few slits in the top crust for venting. Repeat with the remaining two pie shells and dough circles.
8. Beat together the egg and 1/4 c. water. Brush it over the top crust of each pie using a pastry brush. Generously sprinkle the granulated sugar over the tops.
9. Bake the pies for 40 minutes, until the dough has evenly browned and the filling is bubbling.

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