Margaret Hathaway included this recipe in her 2011 “Food Lovers’ Guide to Maine.”

If you haven’t got pulp-free orange juice, you can strain the pulp kind. Serve the pie with whipped cream, or serve a la mode with vanilla ice cream.

Makes one (9-inch) pie

CRUST:
21/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3 generous tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons pulp-free orange juice

FILLING:
3 cups fresh Maine blueberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
3 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

To make the crust, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or a knife and fork, work in the butter and shortening until clumps are about pea-sized. Sprinkle orange juice over the mixture and toss with a fork until the dough is moistened and can be gathered into a ball. Take care not to overwork the dough.

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Form dough into 2 balls, wrap each with plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. While dough is chilling, assemble the filling.

To make the filling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine the blueberries, sugar, tapioca, brandy, lemon juice and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss until fruit is evenly coated. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a circle, approximately 10 inches in diameter. Press one circle into a 9-inch pie tin, leaving about 1/2 inch of dough around the edge. Pour in the blueberry filling, dot with the butter and carefully place the top crust over the fruit. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal, crimping decoratively. Using a paring knife, slash a few vents in the top crust so steam can escape.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue baking until the crust is lightly browned, 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool at least 2 hours before serving.


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