I have been watching a really good TV series called Pushing Daisies. It is about a man who can bring dead back to life by touching them, however if he touches them for the second time, they become dead again but forever this time. The story follows him as he develops a romantic relationship with his childhood sweetheart... that he resurrected after she was killed during mysterious circumstances which means they cannot touch each other or she will die for the second time. Although the plot might seem a bit morbid, the show is actually lighthearted, bright and full of brilliant humor. Also, the main character owns a pie restaurant.
I don't think I've ever seen so many pies on TV. Apple pies, honey pies, apricot pies, berry pies... There was too much of the pie goodness that it kept bugging me. It seemed so easy to make a pie, just roll the crust, fill with fruit and bake it. As the story moved forward and Ned and Charlotte's unusual romance developed, the rich pie imagery stayed. I knew I had to make my own pie. I knew I had to make my own pie sooner better than later. And when I went to Netherlands this last weekend for a trip and was allowed to bake something AND there were fresh strawberries and frozen raspberries in my host's fridge, baking a berry pie was a clear choice. As if the universe arranged everything for me :)
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| The first spoonful of berries |
So I only had to get blueberries from the shop nearby and I was ready to go. Just keep in mind that the dough needs to stay in the fridge for at least 2 hours so whole baking could take some time. Plan ahead.
Berry Pie
for both crusts you will need:
- 250 all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 200g cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
- a pinch of salt
- a teaspoon of sugar
- 5 tablespoons of ice water
- 1 egg, beaten
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| The traditional cut |
- 300g strawberries, quartered
- 300g raspberries
- 300g blueberries
- 175g sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- Combine flour, salt and sugar, then add cubes of butter and mix well. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until it's sticky and gooey. Put it on a floured surface and knead it into a disk shape, add a bit of flour so the dough doesn't stick to your fingers. When it's done (soft and with no chunks), divide into two equal parts, wrap them in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (but it could be overnight too).
- While you're waiting for the dough to set, prepare the berries. Wash them, cut the strawberries and put them all in a large bowl.
- Once the dough is all cold, roll it into a circle shape and line the pie plate with one part of it. You want the dough to hang over the edges of the plate.
- Add sugar and cornstarch to the berries. If you feel that the berries are bit on the sour side, add more sugar - you want the filling to be nicely sweet. Gently toss the berries in the bowl until they are evenly coated by the sugar and starch mixture. Let them sit for 5 minutes.
- Adjust the oven rack to lower position and preheat the oven to 220°C.
- Transfer the berries onto the lined pie plate. Use a spoon and distribute the berries evenly. Take the other crust and cover the pie. Press together the edges of the crust so that the berries are trapped inside and won't splurt out. Cut slits into the top and place the pie to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Crack the egg and whisk it with a pinch of salt. Once the pie is ready, brush the top with the egg and you can even sprinkle brown sugar on the top of it.
- I recommend placing the pie in the oven on a baking plate in case the berry juice escapes during baking. Bake for about 20 minutes at 220° turning after 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 180°C and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is nicely golden. Remove from the oven, let cool on a wire rack and serve cool and with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or plain.
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| Make sure to trap the berries inside or the juice will escape |
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