‘Taste of Summer’ Fresh Blueberry Pie – Cheri Allan

LUCK OF THE DRAW (Betting on Romance, Book #1) is my debut contemporary romance set in rural New Hampshire, and this pie tastes like summertime and love: fresh blueberries, whipped cream, and a hint of sweet happiness. The recipe makes two pies, because (trust me!) one of these is NEVER enough. Makes an excellent breakfast when eaten barefoot on a dock by a lake. Don’t ask me how I know. ;)

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Cheri’s ‘Taste of Summer’ Fresh Blueberry Pie

Crust (makes two pies):

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

6 T. sugar

2/3 c. vegetable oil

3 T. milk

Combine dry ingredients and blend. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Divide in half. Press into two 9” pie plates. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

Filling:

3 qts fresh blueberries (wild or cultivated)

Glaze:

2 c. fresh or frozen *wild* blueberries (find frozen wild blueberries at your supermarket)

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. water

1 t. potato or corn starch

1/4 t. cinnamon

1 T. butter

1 T. lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

In medium saucepan combine glaze ingredients except for butter and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes or until thickened and clear. Add butter and lemon juice. In large bowl, gently toss 3 quarts fresh blueberries with glaze mixture until well coated then divide filling between the 2 pie crusts. Let cool slightly.

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 qt. Heavy cream

1 pkt unflavored gelatin

Sugar and vanilla extract to taste

In glass measuring cup, combine packet of gelatin in 4 T. cold water. Let stand 5 minutes. Place glass measuring cup in small pot of simmering water, heat and stir mixture until dissolved. Set aside. In medium/large bowl, whip cream, sugar and 2-3 tsp. vanilla extract until mixture begins to thicken/soft peaks begin to form. Add melted gelatin all at once and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Spread half of whipped topping over each pie (there may be a little extra, but the gelatin means it will not need re-whipping later.) Keep pies chilled until ready to serve. Enjoy!

If only life had a refresh button...

Kate Mitchell never planned to be a 31 year-old widowed single mom, but when her soon-to-be-EX husband up and dies, her dreams of finishing college and starting over are thrown in the air like a game of 52 pick-up. When she’s given a leave of absence from work and told to “quit or recommit,” Kate retreats to idyllic Sugar Falls, New Hampshire, to figure out whether she can discover her passion and pay the bills. Cue the fresh air, summer sunshine and one sexy local contractor.

Tall, dark, and handy…

Volunteer fireman and all-around hunky guy in a toolbelt, Jim Pearson has sworn off complicated women with messy baggage. They cling to his nice-guy stability and skills with a power saw just long enough to straighten out their lives and move on… but then he meets the cute single mom staying at Grams’ lake house for the summer.

While a sizzling attraction draws them together, Jim's distrust of complicated women and Kate's incredibly complicated life threaten to pull them apart.  But forces beyond their control¾match-making grandmothers, the lazy backdrop of summer, and their own reckoning with the past¾conspire to make them risk it all... and bet on love.

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Website: www.cheriallan.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cheriallanauthor