If I could have any kitchen appliance added to my collection, it would be a food processor. I talk a big game about wanting the Breville ice cream maker, but in terms of versatility, it’s no match for a Cuisinart food processor. I could make pie dough. And lots of other stuff that I can’t think of right now that always tells me I need a food processor.

Of course, realistically, I don’t actually have room for one right now. Maybe I could put it in one of the cabinets under the counter. But a girl can dream, right?

Anyways, today was one of those days where I wasn’t really feeling the whole productivity thing. I spent the morning hemming and hawing over various cookbooks until my kitchen table looked like this: Nothing looked good. I wasn’t in the mood to pick something. I knew I’d have to walk to the store and I was in an I-don’t-ever-want-to-put-on-a-real-outfit funk. To top it all off, I have a paper due Thursday that I had previously promised myself I would start today but I really just didn’t want to work on.

So I finally pulled out Boozy Baker (always ready with a winner) and found something that would be time consuming enough to justify my anti-productivity attitude: pie.

And this is where the food processor comes in. The author always tells you to use one. I don’t have one. Replicating the function of a food processor with a hand pastry blender is less than ideal. But it does get the job done.

I don’t even like pie. However, one positive thing about finals period is that people have to eat at some point, and it may as well be pie. So I’m confident it won’t go to waste.

First step is to whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.Then, add the butter and use a pastry blender (or food processor if you’re luckier than me) to cut it until the mixture seems like wet sand. Add the rum, then cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix with a fork after each addition until large clumps form. I went with about 3 1/2 tablespoons of water, but this step varies a lot based on where you’re baking.Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.Roll the dough out onto a floured surface into a 12 inch circle. My mat is nice enough to have those measurements right on it!Transfer the dough to a 9 inch pie plate and press into sides and bottom. Fold over edges and crimp with a fork. Prick the bottom with the fork a couple of times. Freeze for 30 minutes.Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is golden. I was on a Google Hangout call with some friends from college and forgot about the crust, so I left it in for more like 30 minutes. But I did put it into the oven directly from the freezer, so I think it balanced out that way.Allow the crust to cool completely. While that happens, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, rum, and water in a medium saucepan with a wooden spoon. Add 1 1/2 cups of blueberries and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Once it begins to boil, allow it to do so for 1 to 2 minutes, or until very thick and no longer cloudy. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted.Then add the remaining blueberries and stir to coat and combine. Pour the blueberry mixture into the cooled pie crust and chill for at least two hours before serving.It really does look good. I wish I liked pie more than I did – though rum pie at breakfast seems a bit wrong.Anyways, if you are a pie (or rum) person, this one’s for you. My guess is it stays good in the fridge for awhile – definitely long enough to have a week of breakfast, lunch, and dinner dessert.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Rum Pie

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 2-4 tablespoons ice water

Blueberry Filling

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 cups blueberries, divided
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions: 

Crust

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined.
2. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender until mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Add the rum, then ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture begins to form large clumps.
4. Gather together into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
5. Roll dough out on a floured surface into a 12 inch circle. Transfer to 9 inch pie plate and press into sides and bottom, crimping crust. Stab with fork a couple of times.
6. Freeze dough for 30 minutes.
7. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden. Allow to cool completely.

Pic

1. Stir together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, dark rum, and water in a medium saucepan to combine.
2. Over medium heat, add 1 1/2 cups of blueberries and stir until boiling. Allow to boil for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and no longer cloudy.
3. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.
4. Add remaining blueberries and stir in to coat. Pour mixture into pie crust.
5. Refrigerate pie for 2 hours before serving to ensure mixture sets.