Celebrate Fourth of July in Style With This Gorgeous Dessert

This patriotic pie showcases ripe summer blueberries. Steve Klise/TNS

We used a combination of raw and cooked blueberries in the filling of this pie to showcase the deliciousness of this ripe summer fruit. Raw blueberries added juicy pops of tartness, while the cooked puree provided a jammy sweetness.

Once you have all the components made, it’s as easy as piling the filling into a graham cracker crust and swirling on a topping of whipped sweetened cream cheese. The cream cheese was more substantial than whipped cream alone, providing a cheesecake-like richness that complemented the fruit nicely.

Blueberry Cream Pie

Serves 8 to 10

For the Crust

• 12 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces (6 1/2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch table salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling

• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2 pounds (about 4 3/4 cups) blueberries, divided
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Topping

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled

For the Crust

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 F.

Process cracker pieces in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt and pulse to combine, about 3 pulses. Add melted butter and pulse until combined, about 8 pulses.

Transfer crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate. Using the bottom of a dry measuring cup, press crumbs into the bottom and up sides of the plate. Bake until crust is fragrant and beginning to brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer plate to wire rack.

For the Filling

Meanwhile, whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan until no lumps of cornstarch remain. Process 2 cups blueberries in clean, dry work bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer into sugar mixture in saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Whisk puree into sugar mixture until combined.

Bring puree mixture to simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until whisk leaves a trail that slowly fills in, about 1 minute longer.

Off heat, whisk in lemon juice. Reserve 2 tablespoons puree for piping. Stir remaining blueberries into remaining puree in saucepan. Spread filling evenly over bottom of pie crust (crust needn’t be completely cool).

For the Topping

Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer running, slowly pour in cream and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.

Fit a large pastry bag with a large closed star tip. Using a small spatula, apply three vertical stripes of reserved puree up the sides of the pastry bag. Fill the pastry bag with topping. Pipe rosettes (spiraling from inside out) in concentric circles over the surface of the pie, covering filling. Pipe stars in any gaps between rosettes. Refrigerate pie for at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours. Serve.