When former BA food editor Rick Martinez first posted a slice of his homemade blueberry pie on social media, the recipe proved to be something of a love potion. “Men I knew well, men I had dated, significant exes, total strangers, everyone messaged me they ‘needed that pie right now’ and would do whatever it takes to get it,” he writes. The dessert scored him a few “9-inch pie and chill” situations. It’s that good.
Rick’s trick? It’s all about showcasing perfect summer berries (though even ho-hum out-of-season blueberries can shine here) and achieving the right crust-to-filling ratio. You’ll need a deep-dish pie pan, which allows you to cram 8 cups of blueberries into the pie filling. If you take your fruit pies with little spice, you can add up to ½ tsp. cardamom or coriander to enhance the berries’ fruitiness, or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon or ginger for a touch of warmth.
As for Rick’s pie crust recipe: It makes for a dough that’s so flaky, some mistook it for puff pastry, a texture achieved through fraisage (a.k.a. smashing the butter into thin sheets with your hands, see a demonstration in Rick’s apple pie video). To decorate the pie, you can’t beat an intertwined lattice top—but, if you prefer a solid top crust, be sure to cut a few vents in the dough.
The bubbling filling needs time to settle before you slice in, so let your blueberry pie rest for at least four hours before serving it—perchance to a date.