Frozen Sweet dark cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries melt together in a perfect fruit fill for your buttery pie crust. This simple pie recipe with be your new go-to summer pie.
Nothing says summer quite like a slice of pie. Okay, well lots of things scream summer including scorching heat, long days, and hanging out by the pool. I don’t have a pool and with the pandemic outside, I’d rather enjoy a slice of pie and feel some of that summer energy through fruit filling, buttery crust, and a big scoop of ice cream.
After a busy week of showing homes in Albuquerque’s hot real estate market, I was ready to have an easy dessert to pair with our at-home Fourth of July BBQ fest. My toddler wanted to bake a pie and since she is my amazing sous chef I followed her suggestion. My little one wanted a classic apple pie just like her Nonnie makes for her, but since I didn’t want to go to a busy story during a holiday weekend I opted for something different.
Now, cherry pies seem to be the staple of summer pies. I was going to make a pure and simple cherry pie, but because we hold our frozen cherries sacred and eat them up like candy, I decided to mix cherries with a bag of mixed berries. My sous chef quickly agreed and helped me out with eating the fruit fill and bits of butter while we prepped. This pie was super easy to make and if you want to make it easier, *INSERT INA GARTEN VOICE*, store bought pie crust is fine. Ready to make your new favorite pie? Here’s the recipe.
ingredients
buttery pie crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 sticks of butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup of ice cold water
Cherry berry fruit fill
- 1 bag frozen dark sweet cherries
- 1 bag frozen mixed berry medley
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
- 3 tsp xanthan gum (corn starch works too, but you may need to add more to thicken)
recipe
Start on your dough and measure and mix your dry ingredients together in a bowl. Grate your butter with a cheese grater or cube it into small, one inch pieces. I like grating it because I don’t have to use a pastry cutter to blend it and it still turns out flaky, After your butter is incorporated, add the ice-cold water and vanilla and mix until dough forms. Split into two even balls and place in the fridge to chill until ready to roll.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Start on your easy peasy cherry berry fruit fill by heating berries, sugar, and lime or lemon juice over medium heat in a saucepan. Once the berries and cherries start to release their juice, take out at least 1/2 cup of juice and set aside in a small bowl. Add 3 tsp of xanthan gum and mix quickly so it does not clump. Once it starts to gel up add the thickened juice to the fruit fill and fully incorporate. Once fruit fill is thickened over heat, set aside to cool.
While cherry berry filling is cooling, start rolling out your dough. One ball should be rolled out for the base. The second rolled out for the top. My sous chef wanted to see unicorns, hearts, and rainbows, but decorate to your hearts content. You can go classic and cover with the rolled out dough and cut three slits or you can practice some lattice work.
Trim off excess dough and place in the oven to pre-bake before the fill goes inside. Bake for about 12-15 minutes. While your crust is pre-baking, cut out your topping and wait. My sous chef and I opted for a dance session to the soundtrack to the Broadway hit, Waitress. I mean we were baking pies after all.
Take your pre-baked crust out and fill with your gooey fruit filling. Top with crust, lattice, or cutouts. Mix up a quick egg wash with one egg and a little milk or water and brush over topping and crust. This will help your pie reach golden perfection. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. If your crust starts to get too dark you can cover with aluminum foil.
Once baked, cool on a cooling rack and try not to dig in immediately. Cool for at least an hour before slicing and gobbling up. We ate ours with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream, but can easily be devoured without (or with lots of whipped cream)! Store in fridge until entirely consumed (or for no more than a few days for the sake of freshness and food safety).
Tried this out? Tell me about it in the comments. Interested in more tasty delights or just want to be friends? Follow me on Instagram.
Elizabeth Benedict is an Associate Broker and REALTOR® at ERA Sellers and Buyers Real Estate in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She holds a Masters in Literature from the University of New Mexico. When she is not helping her community buy and sell houses she is usually writing.
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