How To Make Summer Berry Pies

If there’s one thing we know for sure, nothing says “summer is here” like a good ol’ fashioned fruit pie. The longer and warmer days always have us yearning for the moment the seasonal harvest hits the shelves at our local market, and we can put our baking and pastry arts skills to work. But what do we do in the time in between, you ask? We dream of ways we can mix and match our favorite summer produce into awe-inspiring, “I’ll take seconds” confections. Case in point: these beautiful berry pies. A combination of blueberries and blackberries mean the ultimate flavor marriage while a lattice-work crust makes this dish almost too beautiful to eat. While this fusion of fruits is among our favorites, some other options include, but are certainly not limited to: blackberry peach, raspberry apple and ginger apricot. Whatever you do, do your tastebuds a favor and whip up this heavenly berry pie this summer.

Pie Dough Ingredients

8 oz all-purpose flour
4 oz cake flour
½ oz sugar
½ tsp salt
6 oz butter
1 ½ tsp lemon zest
4-5 oz cold water

Pie Dough Directions

1. Combine the dry ingredients and lemon zest and cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse corn meal.
2. Add the first four ounces of water. If the dough is too dry, add the remaining ounce. Spices, herbs or other citrus zest can be added in place of the lemon zest.
3. Let dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before rolling out.

Pie Filling Ingredients

14 oz frozen blueberries
14 oz blackberries
4 oz sugar
5 oz juices from blueberries (water can be added to make up for any juice)
1 ½ oz cornstarch
3 oz water
8 oz sugar
Vanilla, cinnamon or lemon juice to taste

Pie Filling Directions

1. Thaw and strain the blueberries. Warm the first amount of sugar with the blueberry juice. Mix the cornstarch and water and add to the juice mixture and bring to a boil. The mixture will thicken.
2. Add the second amount of sugar and the flavoring chosen. Let the mixture cool and fold into the berries. Using a 9 inch pie tin, roll out the pie dough and place in tin. Leaving an overlap on the edge, add the filling and cover, weaving 6 – 1 ½ inch strips.
3. Egg wash and bake at 375-400 degrees until the pie is an even golden brown color on top.

You can make mini-versions of the pie too.

You can play around with different crust designs for the top.

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