Instructions: * Note: Choose firm blueberries with a powdery grayish-blue color. To prevent molding, do not wash berries until ready to use.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. Combine blueberries, sugar, flour, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Gently toss to coat blueberries. Set aside.

For the Pate Brisee: In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, salt, and sugar. All ingredients should be cold. Add the pieces of butter, and process for approximately 10 seconds, or just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. (To mix by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or two table knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.) With the machine running, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup ice water, drop by drop, through the feed tube, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water.

Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Grasping the ends of the plastic wrap with your hands, press the dough into a flat circle. (This makes rolling easier than if the pastry is chilled as a ball.) Wrap the dough in the plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.

On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out half the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick square. Using a sharp knife, cut the square into quarters, and carefully drape each quarter over a 5-inch pie tin.

Place 1 1/2 cups blueberry mixture in each pie tin, mounding berries in the center. Dot each pie with 1 1/2 teaspoons butter.

Again, on a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out remaining dough into a 1/8-inch-thick square. Using a sharp knife, cut square into quarters. With a 1-inch round biscuit cutter, cut a hole from the center of each quarter. Carefully drape each quarter over blueberries so steam hole is centered. Press edges together to seal. Trim edges around pie plates to form a 1-inch lip.

Dampen the 1-inch lip of dough with water. Using scissors, snip inward from outside edge of pie at 3/4-inch intervals, making each cut about 3/4-inch deep. As you cut the dough, carefully fold alternating tabs to create the bear-tooth crimping design. Return to refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Place pies on prepared baking pan. Brush each pie with water, and sprinkle with sugar. Transfer to oven, and bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, and continue baking until blueberry juice begins to bubble up, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer pies to a wire rack to cool.

This recipe yields four 5-inch pies.

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