Ya know the saying, “As American as apple pie”, well I think we should broaden that statement to all include pies. I love a good apple pie, but I also love peach pies and pumpkin pies and this beautiful berry cherry pie…
This pie combines all of the naturally sweet and tart flavors of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries into one truly delicious pie that is my idea of a perfect summertime dessert.
This week, we are celebrating Independence Day in the US, so I am swapping out the classic lattice top for a bunch of cheerful pie crust stars making this pie a patriotic statement piece for any 4th of July party spread.
Let’s get started…
You have 2 choices to make on the filling of this pie… the berries and the amount. Let me explain…
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- The berries – I like using all the berries: some strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, but if you aren’t a fan of some of them or can’t seem to find them, you can absolutely pick and choose which berries you use in your filling.
- The amount – I love a super full pie and don’t mind one bit if I get a little overflow of the juices around the outer crust, but if you prefer a cleaner looking crust I recommend using 1 and 1/2 pounds of fruit instead of 2. Everything will taste just as good, you’ll just have a little less filling.
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Now let’s talk crust. If you like making your own pie dough, make it ahead and be sure that it is chilling before you begin working on your filling.
If you are planning on decorating the top of your pie with something special like a whole bunch of beautiful stars then I recommend cutting them out and transferring them onto a sheet of parchment paper to chill along with the other dough. Sometimes it can take a while to cut out your lattice strips (or stars in this case) and the dough can become soft and too pliable during this time. If you cut out your shapes ahead of time, they will be easier to work with once you are ready to add them over your filling and they will hold their shape better as they bake too.
So, we’ve discussed the pie dough and the filling. Let’s do this…
Begin by adding your berries along with a cup of granulated sugar and a tablespoon of orange juice into a saucepan over medium heat. I added the zest from the orange too, but this is optional. I love citrus, so if I am using fresh oranges, I am adding the zest too!
If cooking the berries before adding them to the pie seems like an unnecessary step, let me explain why I choose to do it…
Berries contain a lot of water. In fact, blueberries contain up to 84%, raspberries up to 86%, blackberries up to 88% and strawberries can contain up to 91% water and while that makes them a wonderfully hydrating snack, that water can create a mess in your pie crust if you don’t treat it correctly.
All of this liquid was released after just a few minutes over medium heat. While we do not want it added to the pie in this state, this liquid is full of flavor and with just a little cornstarch it can be transformed into a beautiful sauce that will hold its shape later on when the pie is sliced.
It should take 7-8 minutes for the berries to release most of their liquids. Transfer about 1/2 cup of that liquid into a small bowl and whisk 1/3 cup of cornstarch into the liquid until it is smooth. Pour it back into the berries and simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until the mixture thickens into a saucy consistency.
Now that the berries are ready to go, we need to add the cherries…
Add the pitted cherries whole and after you cook the berries. This will give the pie filling great texture. I also added some leftover pomegranate arils I had and I loved the pop of texture that they added!
Now that your filling is ready to go, roll out a portion of chilled pie dough 2-3 inches wider than your pie dish. Grease your pie dish or a cast iron skillet (they work great!) and carefully transfer the dough into it.
Add your filling and spread it evenly.
This berry cherry pie can be baked with or without a top crust, so if you decide to add one… have fun with it!
This week is Independence Day, so I am adding pie crust stars, but a classic lattice crust would look great too. Once the pie is assembled, transfer it into your freezer (the refrigerator works too) to chill while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Once your oven is preheated, quickly brush the top crust with a whisked egg and sprinkle with coarse grain sugar, if desired. Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
Note: If any portion of the top crust is starting to brown too much, you can lightly cover it with a piece of foil to prevent burning.
Remember when I talked about the amount of filling earlier? If you look at the outer crust of this pie, you will see that some of the filling has bubbled up and over it. To me, this is no big deal! Once everything is cooled, the crust will still hold its shape perfectly when sliced and I would rather have maximum pie filling than a visible outer crust. If that is not you then reduce the filling to 1 1/2 cups to keep things better contained.
The only negative about this pie is that in order for it to hold its shape when sliced, it has to cool fully. This is true with most pies and the easiest way to make this happen is to make your pie either the morning of or the night before you want to enjoy it.
Once it has cooled, slice up your berry cherry pie and add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This pie is sweet, tart and absolutely delicious. It is perfect for summer, but works any time of year. It is best served at room temperature and doesn’t need to be refrigerated, so it is the perfect make ahead dessert that easily fits into your schedule. What could be better than that?
Berry Cherry Pie
Ingredients
- pie dough (2 sheets)
- 2 pounds of fresh berries and cherries
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons of orange juice
- 1/4 cup of cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 tablespoons of course sugar (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the filling...
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Add the berries, a cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoons of orange juice into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer
- Simmer until the berries have softened and released their juices (7-8 minutes)
- Ladle some of the berry juices into a small dish and whisk in 1/4 cup of cornstarch until smooth
- Stir the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and simmer for another 4-5 minutes
- Transfer the berries off of the heat and let cool
Prepare the pie crust...
- Roll your pie dough out until uniformly thin and about 2 inches larger than your pie dish
- Transfer the pie dough into a generously greased pie dish
- If adding a top layer of dough, prepare the dough by rolling out and cutting into your desired shape
Assemble the pie...
- Spread the cooled filling over the pie dough base and top as desired
- Brush the dough with a whisked egg
- Sprinkle the egg wash with course sugar, if desired
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes (cover lightly with foil if the dough begins to brown too much)
- Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing (4 hours or more)
