Summer is a busy season in our house with all of my kids’ birthdays falling between May and September. My girls, however, are only 25 months apart in age and Sugarplum’s birthday is only a few weeks after Honeybun’s. Which, unfortunately, means by the time Sugarplum’s birthday rolls around we’re over cake.
It doesn’t mean she never gets a cake. She’s had plenty included a banana cake with whipped cream frosting when she was four and an elephant cake last year. But it also means she’s had some more unique cakes through her years, as well, like an angel food cake for her second birthday (which made her cry) and a marshmallow cake for her third birthday.
But this year, it wasn’t even in an issue. She decided she wanted to extend our New England trip to spend her birthday with family in Massachusetts and knew she wanted a blueberry birthday pie instead of a cake.
It was blueberry season so we started our trip with a visit to Red Apple Farm where we’ve been apple picking in the fall before. The blueberries were beautifully ripe and we spent hours picking just the right berries, taking home 21 pounds worth!
After our short trip to Portland, Maine, we returned to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to begin the birthday festivities including baking her blueberry birthday pie.
I’ll admit, I’m a cake and cookie person. Pies have never been my thing, I don’t think I’ve ever baked a successful pie before. But my girl wanted a fresh blueberry birthday pie and my mother in law had a recipe she loves (that was easy to make dairy free for Doodle) so I went for it!
We spent most of the day before Sugarplum’s birthday preparing the pie (it doesn’t actually take all that long, we just like to do things in pieces throughout the day!) All of the kids helped with various parts of the pie making from the measuring and mixing to the rolling and assembling.
On Sugarplum’s actual birthday, we went out for birthday breakfast and then took the kids to visit Old Sturbridge Village for the first time. We spent the day immersed in mid-1800s life and had a wonderful time, culminated by the tin maker presenting Sugarplum with a handmade heart cookie cutter for her birthday!
We returned home for a quick dinner and the blueberry birthday pie we’d all be eagerly waiting for. I used almond paste to hold the candles (though my homemade fondant would have probably been a better choice!)
When I cut into the pie to serve it, the first piece came out perfectly! I have never in my life cut a better pie, homemade or store bought. This recipe is definitely a keeper for the family cookbook!
Sugarplum’s Blueberry Birthday Pie Recipe
Blueberry Birthday Pie Ingredients:
For the Crust:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 4 tablespoons cold water
For the Filling:
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated orange peel
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
For the Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
- 1 cup quick oats
How to make Sugarplum’s Blueberry Birthday Pie:
- To make crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or large fork until coarse crumbs form.
- Sprinkle cold water over the top and stir just until crust holds together.
- Shape into ball, wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3o minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling by gently combining all ingredients.
- Let filling stand for 15-20 minutes.
- Prepare topping by mixing ingredients together, using a pastry blender or large fork until large crumbles form. Do not over mix or squish the topping too much!
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove crust from refrigerator and roll on a lightly floured surface until crust is big enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie pan.
- Gently place the crust in the pie pan and push dough up sides and just over the rim of the pie plate.
- Spoon the filling into the crust.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the filling.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until topping is golden brown.
- Cool to room temperature and chill at least 4 hours before serving.
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