Today we’re continuing our all-chocolate Charlie and the Chocolate Factory menu with a tribute to Violet Beauregarde. As most of you will remember from the book/movie, Violet snatches up an experimental chewing gum from a research room in Wonka’s factory and discovers that it’s designed to taste like an entire meal: tomato soup, roast beef, and blueberry pie. Unfortunately, when the gum starts to taste like the dessert course, Violet starts turning into a giant blueberry! It’s one of the most memorable parts of the whole story, so I knew it had to be in my menu…and like any Wonka recipe, it had to feature chocolate! 😉
This luscious blueberry pie is a combo of two recipes: the filling from Pioneer Woman’s blueberry pie and a chocolate version of the pie crust from my cookbook. Since I knew blueberry pies can be especially liquidy, I added a little lemon juice to the filling to help it thicken better. I also added a bit of salt, just because it seemed odd to me that the recipe didn’t call for it (most fruit pies do). I loved the final flavors. The filling was sweet and juicy with just a hint of tartness, and the crust had a deep, dark chocolaty taste that grounded all the bright notes in the filling. I couldn’t help but decorate the crust (after last month’s decorative pie, I think I’ve found a new hobby), but you can keep it simple you like. Enjoy!
NOTE: This recipe needs to set for at least 4 hours.
A
Blueberry Pie with Chocolate Crust
“Blueberry pie and cream!” shouted Violet. “Here it comes! Oh my, it’s perfect! It’s beautiful! It’s…it’s exactly as though I’m swallowing it! It’s as though I’m chewing and swallowing great big spoonfuls of the most marvelous blueberry pie in the world!”
— Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
INGREDIENTS:
- For the Pie Dough
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup cold water
- For the Filling
- 2 pints blueberries (save a few for garnish if you want)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- For garnish if desired: fresh blueberries, mint leaves, and Cool Whip.
Makes 1 9-inch pie
INSTRUCTIONS:
- For the Pie Dough: In a food processor, pulse the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar until combined. Add the cubed butter a few tablespoons at a time, processing on low after each addition until well combined. Continuing to process on low, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mix holds together when pressed with fingers but isn’t soggy (you might not use all the water).
- Gather the dough together into a ball and flatten it slightly into a 4-inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 45-60 minutes until firm but not hard.
- Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface until is is about 14 inches across and lay it into a 9-inch pie tin. Trim the edges to fit. Gather the trimmings into a ball and roll it with your hands into a 4-inch long tube. Reflour your surface and roll the tube until it is about 13 inches long and 2 inches across. Trim into a rectangle with straight edges and set the trimming aside. Cut your rectangle into 6 long strips of equal length, about 1/4-inch across. Gently braid the strips into 2 3-plait braids. To reduce gaps, gently press the edges of the braid together as you go. Roll the trimmings into 4 balls of equal size (mine were about the size of a marble).
- Brush the edges of your pie crust with water. Wrap one braid around the top edge and the other around the bottom, gently pressing to adhere. Brush the ends of your braids with water and gently press the balls over them.
- By now, the edge of your pie crust should be separated into 4 roughly equal sections: braid, blank space, another braid, and another blank space. To decorate the blank space, press the end of a spoon into the dough in a repeating pattern all along the edge, creating a scalloped border.
- For the Filling: Preheat your oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, gently stir together all the filling ingredients except the lemon juice. Stir in the lemon juice when everything else is combined.
- Pour the mix into your pie tin and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is well set and the filling is dark and soft, with several of the berries looking wrinkly. For the last 15-20 minutes of baking, cover the edge of the crust with tin foil or a pie shield to prevent over-browning. Allow to set for at least 4 hours.
Before Baking
After Baking - If desired, top with Cool Whip, a few blueberries, and a bit of fresh mint.
- Serve as the dessert course for roast beef dinner…but be sure you don’t turn into a blueberry!
Leave a Reply