Blueberry Delight Slab Pie
Blueberries are my favorite berry, especially tiny wild Maine blueberries. Here the delectable little orbs are featured in a triple-layer slab pie that can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Alternatively, you can make the individual components separately and assemble everything a few hours before serving. Need to feed a crowd? The recipe can easily be doubled (see my notes below).
When brought to a gathering a few days ago, this was a hit. Several people told me they’d happily eat the entire batch. Requests for the recipe quickly followed. It’s a winner.
Start by making a simple crust from flour, melted butter, and finely chopped pecans. Bake and cool completely.
Next, spread the creamy vanilla filling on the crust.
Lastly, add the luscious homemade blueberry topping. That’s it - super simple.
To cut neatly, it’s best to press a sharp knife straight down, without dragging, then lift the knife straight up, wipe clean, and repeat. If you drag a knife through, the crumbly crust and creamy filling make a huge mess. Of course, it’ll still taste amazing, but it just won’t be very pretty.
Enjoy!
Items used to make this recipe:
(affiliate links)
quarter sheet pan with cover https://amzn.to/2TVKWXS
half sheet pan with cover (double recipe) https://amzn.to/3LtEEXE
microplane zester https://amzn.to/38DludK
lemon squeezer https://amzn.to/2TWLJb5
Blueberry Delight Slab Pie
makes 24 servings (2x2-inch squares) *recipe may be doubled - see notes below
Ingredients
Crust:
1 cup all purpose flour
8 tablespoons salted butter, melted
3/4 cups finely chopped pecans
Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup heavy cream
Topping:
3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar (or more if needed)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
zest of 1 lemon
2-3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
To Make the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and melted butter together until no traces of dry flour remain.
Press the flour mixture into the bottom of a quarter sheet pan (9x13x1); sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly on top and press them into the soft flour/butter layer.
Bake crust in preheated oven for 30 minutes; remove from oven and cool completely.
To Make the Filling:
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, salt, and vanilla until very soft (several minutes); set aside.
In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the cream until stiff peaks form; add about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and mix well.
Using a rubber or silicone spatula, carefully fold the remaining whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined.
Spread mixture evenly over cooled crust; chill until ready to top.
To Make the Topping:
In a large saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest over medium-high heat, stirring very frequently, until mixture reaches a full boil; stir constantly for 3 minutes before removing from heat.
Stir in lemon juice and taste to see if the mixture is sweet enough (I used Wyman’s frozen wild blueberry - if the berries you’re using are more tart that the ones I used, you’ll need to add more sugar); allow mixture to cool completely.
Spread blueberry filling evenly on top and chill. Serve cold.
Notes
If you’re tempted to double the creamy filling (and you may very well be), use a 9x13-inch cake pan or casserole dish instead of a 1-inch tall quarter sheet pan.
To double the recipe, use a 13x18x1 half sheet pan or a 2-inch deep half sheet pan if you make the creamy filling extra thick.
Ideally, chill for several hours before serving.
Can be assembled up to 3 days ahead.
Cover before refrigerating to prevent flavor transfer.