The Tonight Show Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie

I always bake my pie in a Pyrex glass pie pan. I like glass better than a metal pan. I use part butter in my pie crust for the flavor of butter. I always use a pastry cloth and a rolling pin cover to roll out my pie crust. It is easier to roll out. In 1990 this blueberry pie won me a trip to the Crisco pie contest in New Orleans in spring 1991.

Ingredients:
Crust
  • Pie crust for a double 9-inch pie
  • Milk or Cream
  • Sugar
Filling
  • 3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups fresh blueberries, divided
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cheese Layer
  • 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ cup dairy sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
Decorations
  • Baked flower cutouts
  • 7 blueberries

Heat oven to 425 F.

Press two thirds of pie crust dough between hands to form a 5 to 6-inch "pancake." Form remaining dough into smaller "pancake." Roll and press larger "pancake" into 9-inch pie plate. Bake and cool completely.

Roll remaining dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out seven 2-inch flowers using a cookie cutter. Cut 1/4 inch hole in center of each. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 F for 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

For filling, combine 3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Add lemon juice and 1 ½ cups blueberries. Cook and stir on medium heat, until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer, stirring often until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter. Cool to room temperature. Fold in remaining 1 ½ cups blueberries.

For cheese layer, combine cream cheese, 2 tablespoons sugar, sour cream and lemon peel in small bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until smooth. Spread on bottom of baked pie crust. Spoon filling over cheese layer.

For decorations, place one flower cutout in center of pie and remaining 6 cutouts around edge of filling. Place 1 blueberry in center of each flower. Refrigerate. Makes one 9-inch pie.