[title subtitle=”RECIPE Catherine Frederick
IMAGE Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock”][/title]
This pie is almost too beautiful to eat. Perfect for the upcoming holiday, and the best pie crust recipe around. Friends and family will love this addition to your 4th of July celebration!
Catherine’s Favorite Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold & cubed
¾ cup vegetable shortening, cold
½ cup ice water (water with ice, not just cold water)
METHOD
Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Add butter and shortening. Use a pastry cutter to combine the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it forms into pea-sized bits of dough. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, just use two forks.
Add 1 Tablespoon of ice water at a time to the dough mixture, stirring after each Tablespoon you add. Don’t add more water than you need, stop adding when large clumps start to form, anywhere from ½ cup to ¾ cup, but be sure you are adding it in 1 Tablespoon increments.
Move the dough to a floured surface. The dough should not be too sticky! Work the dough with your hands until all the fats are combined, and you can form it into a ball. Divide it in half. Flatten each half into 1″ disc. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dough can be made up to 5 days in advance but be sure it’s covered well with plastic wrap. When it’s time to roll out the crust, be sure you are working on a floured surface and use only a small amount of force with your rolling pin. Start rolling from the center out in all directions, turning the dough as you go to ensure it’s even.
Fruit Filling
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 egg
water
sugar
METHOD
Preheat oven to 425°. Place berries in separate bowls, set aside. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and sugar and stir to combine. Add 2/3 of the sugar mixture along with 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice to each of the berry bowls, then toss to coat. Add remaining sugar mixture, almond extract (if using), and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice to the blueberries, toss to coat and set aside.
On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle. Transfer disk to a 9-inch pie pan. Fold a piece of foil several times to create a 2-inch-wide V-shaped strip to divide the berries into ¼ and ¾ sections. Using a slotted spoon to strain out extra juices, add the blueberry mixture to the ¼ section. Then, spoon the strawberry mixture into the ¾ section of the crust. Remove foil carefully!
On a floured surface, roll out another portion of dough to ¼-inch thick. Use a knife to make wavy strips, then place over the strawberries. Next, cut out 5–7-star shapes using a star-shaped cutter and place them over the blueberries. Prepare your egg wash and brush it over all the crust, then sprinkle with sugar.
Place prepared pie on a baking sheet and cover the edges with a pie shield or create your own using foil to prevent over browning. Bake for 15 minutes then remove pie shield/foil and reduce cooking temperature to 375°. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the crust is lightly browned and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.
