Tuesdays with Dorie - Should be...Actually is...

This weeks recipe is Rosy Poached Pear and Pistachio Tart. It was chosen by Lauren of I'll Eat You. If you want to see a truly gorgeous photo of what it should look like, and get the recipe so you can try it,  head over to Lauren's blog. Her photo of the finished tart is just beautiful and makes me regret not making it with her. Sorry Lauren. But, reading over the ingredient list alerted me to the fact that I would have to buy a lot of items to make this, and I just don't have the extra money right now. :(  You should check how the other TWD bakers made out with this weeks recipe.

Rather than not do any Tuesdays with Dorie this week, I looked through the book and picked something that had already been done, and that I had all the ingredients on hand for.Thus, the Blueberry pie that is sitting on my counter as I type this. The recipe for Dorie's Double Crusted Blueberry Pie is on pages 361-363 of "Baking - From my home to yours". It was the picture that drew me to this recipe. The pie pictured looks delicious. I love blueberry pie, but don't have it very often. You just don't see it much. Apple. Yes. Cherry. Yes. But, Blueberry. Not usually. And, as much as I love blueberries I never think to make a pie with them.

This was super easy to put together. The pie crust is made in the food processor. I believe I severly overtaxed my processor by making the double crust recipe, rather than making two single crusts. My food processor was whining (read screaming!) when I turned it off to take out the dough. Because I used frozen butter and shortening, I was able to roll out my crusts right away, without having to chill them in the fridge for 20 minutes before rolling.

The filling is pretty simple...blueberries, lemon zest and a splash of lemon juice, salt, sugar and flour. I was a bit puzzled when I read "Taste the filling..." (this is after mixing the berries with the other ingredients and letting it stand for 5 minutes). I didn't have any filling to taste. The berries were basically sitting on top of the sugar and flour mixture. No juice like you would have with an apple pie filling. So, I shrugged and went on with the recipe.

Baked it for the first 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Then turned my oven down to 375 degrees and baked it for the second 30 minutes.

I think my oven may be off. After the second 30 minutes, the pie didn't seem to be bubbling or even look like the filling was hot. I looked at my thermometer in the oven and it was reading 350. Darn! So I cranked up the oven another 10 degrees to 385 and added another 15 minutes to the baking time. Thought it looked pretty good at the end of the additional 15 minutes so I took it out and set it on the back deck to cool.

Just tried a piece. I have mixed feelings on this one. The crust is fabulous...light, flaky, buttery, crisp on the bottom. I guess the bread crumbs really help to keep that crispness even with all the juice. Yeah, lots of juice. None before I put it in the oven, but after I took out a slice, the spot where the piece of pie had been filled up with juice. And, I don't think it's from not letting it set long enough. I left it cooling for several hours before cutting into it. I could see the sugar/flour mixture mixed through the berries too. Not sure you should be able to see whitish stuff on your blueberry pie. :P And, the flavor...I cut back a little on the sugar after reading some old comments on this recipe in the forum. Now I am thinking I should have left the extra sugar in. The pie seems flat. Not sure if that's a good description, but it's what came to mind. There is no real WOW factor. It looks pretty. All those blueberries and that lovely crust. But, what my eyes see and what my tongue tastes are two different things.

I might try this one again. Maybe mash up some of the blueberries to help mix the flour and sugar together. Maybe add a touch more sugar or something.  I really like blueberry pie. Just wish this one had been better.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I love blueberries...blueberry pie, blueberry yogurt, blueberry muffins, anything with blueberries in it is yummy. Add lemon and you have a sure winner. I once baked for a small coffee shop and one of the most requested items I baked were blueberry lemon scones. I almost couldn't bake them fast enough.

I had some blueberries in my freezer and they were burning a hole in my pocket so to speak. So, I went searching through my endless supply of recipes and came across a recipe for a blueberry cream cheese pound cake. Now, I bake a sour cream pound cake that is a real favorite of mine. In fact, I won a ribbon at the county fair with it several years ago. So,when I found this recipe I knew I had to try it.

It was simple to put together. All the ingredients were on hand. The aroma of it baking in the oven was mouth-watering. My husband came into the house while it was baking, and though he is not ususally a pound cake fan, even he commented on how delicious it smelled. When I took it out of the oven, the top was crusty and golden brown. I flipped it onto a cooling rack and stalked it until it was cool enough to cut into. I decided before cutting it that it needed a little something on top, so I stirred up some confectioners sugar, lemon juice and milk and drizzled it over the cake.

It was the perfect compliment to the subtle lemon flavor in the cake itself. It also added just the right touch to an otherwise plain looking cake. Well, plain looking from the outside. Inside the texture was wonderful, firm but moist, and the dotting of blueberries inside was perfect. I have made three of these in the last week. One for myself, one I sold to customer who had already ordered a baby shower cake from me and the last one I took with me when I visited Susan  yesterday. You can't visit someone for the first time and not bring some kind of gift or goodie. I think this may be my new "go to" cake when I need a quick but delicious dessert.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

3 sticks of butter at room temperature

3 cups white sugar

6 large eggs at room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups frozen blueberries

In a large mixing bowl cream together the cream cheese, butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each cup. Stir in the lemon and vanilla extract. Gently fold in the blueberries. Spoon into a greased bundt pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and bake for another hour, or until it tests done. Enjoy!