Enjoying vacation memories through pie

BY Betty Williams

Twenty years. It had been 20 years since my husband and I had been on a vacation without our three children. With this year being a milestone wedding anniversary for us, we decided it was time.

On the recommendation of friends, we chose to visit Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands we hadn’t been to before. Sometimes called the “Garden Isle,” Kauai is known for its lush vegetation and slower pace of life. It sounded perfect for us.

We booked our tickets and I managed to survive several months of anticipation for our trip. It was the proverbial dangling carrot to get through whatever life threw my way. Car battery died? No problem. The dog has anal gland issues? No problem. Poppy traffic? Well, that was kind of a problem. But I could get through it all because I knew we were going to Kauai.

The day finally came and we were in Kauai. Without children. My husband and I had a wonderful week of sleeping in, walking the beach, hiking, flying in a helicopter, and yes, driving around the island at 35 mph. The slower pace of life is literal.

One of the things I really enjoyed while on vacation was visiting the local farmers market, which also happened to be a culinary market. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, several vendors offered food.

The vendor that bedazzled me? The pie lady. Her bakery, The Right Slice, sells the most delicious pies I have ever tasted. The crust was buttery perfection. The fillings were unique and yummy flavor combinations like Mango Lilikoi, Macadamia Nut, and my favorite, Blueberry Pina Colada.

Returning home after our wonderful trip, I decided I needed to try and re-create some of these pies. This week’s recipe comes from the website Genius Kitchen and is a pretty close match to the delicious slice we had in Kauai.

Blueberry Pina Colada Pie

Photo by Betty Williams.

Ingredients:

1 pastry for single-crust basic flaky pie pastry

Filling:

3 cups wild blueberries

1 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained

1⁄3 cup thawed frozen pina colada concentrate

1⁄4 cup sugar

1 1⁄2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon rum (light or dark)

1⁄2 teaspoon coconut extract or 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

salt (a pinch)

Coconut Crumb Topping:

3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

3⁄4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1⁄2 cup sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Directions

On a floured surface, roll out pie pastry to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Place pastry in pie pan, trim edges, and either flute or press with a fork. Put pastry-lined pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine blueberries, drained pineapple and pina colada concentrate and stir to combine. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl, then add to blueberry mixture and stir. Add rum, coconut or vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Remove the pie shell from the freezer and pour the filling into the prepared shell evenly. Level the top with the back of a spoon. Bake pie on the center rack for 30 minutes.

While the pie bakes, make the coconut crumb topping by pulsing flour, coconut, sugar and salt together in a food processor. Add the cut butter and pulse again until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs. Alternatively, you can place topping ingredients in a large bowl and cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Finally, rub crumbs between your fingers to further incorporate butter and form evenly sized crumbs. Refrigerate topping until ready to use.

Take pie out of the oven and decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Gently pour the crumb topping over the pie, spreading out evenly to cover the entire pie. Pat down gently. Return pie to the oven and bake for 30 minutes more or until juices start to bubble around the outside edge. You may need to place foil on the rack below to catch any juices that bubble over. If the top gets too brown, cover loosely with foil, especially during the last 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pie from oven and let cool for at least one hour on a wire rack before cutting and serving.