Cuzzie's Blueberry Pie

Here’s a recipe for blueberry pie that comes from the Boston cuzzie who is now the Atlanta cuzzie. My husband’s cousin Allyn—who is a Jersey girl at heart because she was born and raised here—is actually the originator of the “cuzzie” reference in our family. We all only refer to each other as “cuzzie,” so you can imagine when we're out in public and the group of us is calling each other "cuzzie." We get looks...weird looks. Over the years the word caught on throughout our extended families and now any cousin of anyone in the family is called “cuzzie.” When we get together it’s one big CuzFest! So here’s an original from the original: Cuzzie’s Blueberry Pie! —Diana

Allyn (aka the original "cuzzie") shows off her blueberry pie. But look closely...it's a personalized pie!

You’ll need:
2 frozen pie shells. (Mrs. Smith's and a few other brands come in  two-pack)
2 pints fresh blueberries
¾ cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
5 tbsp. flour
1 ½ tbsp. butter
1-2 egg whites, beaten


Defrost one pie shell. This is the one you will use for the top of the pie.

In a bowl, mix the blueberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into the undefrosted pie shell. You can mash blueberries down a bit if they are sticking up. Dot the blueberries with the butter.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the defrosted shell on parchment paper sprinkled with flour so it doesn’t stick. Once flattened, lift carefully and put on top of the pie. Pinch around the sides to make a tight seal.  With a knife, make four slits on the top crust to vent, sort of like four wheel spokes. Rub the egg white with your hands on the top of the pie and the sides. This will allow it to turn golden brown when you bake it the first 15-20 minutes on 400 degrees. (Put the pie on a baking sheet in the oven.) After you get that golden color, bake another 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serving a la mode is optional. But really, is it?

When the cousins are together, there is always something going on in the kitchen, whether it's cooking or dancing. On this day, Evan and Allyn decide that it's time to cha-cha in the kitchen!