The Pies Have It

When asked what my daughter would like for her birthday in August, she responded enthusiastically with one word: "Pie!" And, with such an abundance of summer berries, how could I refuse her small request?

I never thought of myself as a pie person, per se. I remembered my sister, Sue, making the most delicious peach pie when I was a child. And, she would always save me those little scraps of dough, sprinkled lightly with cinnamon and sugar and baked until golden... bless her. But, other than that, I always much preferred a cookie or slice of cake for dessert. Well, after tasting that berry pie, complete with homemade crust adapted from The August/September 2009 issue of Taste of the South, I had a change of heart.

As scrumptious as it was, I may have to give a nod to the apple pie I made a few days ago, using a recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking. The crust was so light and flaky, with its lovely balance of butter and shortening... truly near perfection. While some prefer an all-butter recipe, I don't know that a shortbread-like crust belongs. I can't wait to make another pie, this time with crisp, tart apples and perhaps a crumble topping.

Mixed Berry Pie

1/2 recipe Jim's Majic Pie Dough (aged overnight)
5 cups mixed berries (such as blueberries and blackberries)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 overflowing cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the dough into two equal-sized crusts and line a deep dish pie pan with one.

In a large bowl, combine the fruit with the butter, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and cover with the remaining crust. Seal edges and cut decorative vents in the top crust.

Bake pie on the upper rack for 20 minutes. Then, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and move pie to bottom rack. Continue baking until filling is bubbling through the vents, about 45 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Jim's Majic Pie Dough

3 cups flour
1 1/4 cups shortening
1 egg
6 to 8 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine the flour and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Combine egg, water, vinegar and salt, beating lightly.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the liquid ingredients. Work the dough just until a ball forms. Divide dough into 4 balls and cover loosely with a cloth or plastic wrap. Refrigerate until needed, aging dough overnight for fruit pies or only a few hours for pecan or cream pies. Makes 4 single or 2 double-crusts.

Apple Pie

1 double crust
5 cups sliced apples
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 teaspoons
2 to 3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus 1/8 teaspoon
pinch salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with 1/2 of the dough. Mix the apples, 3/4 cup sugar, flour, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, mixing occasionally so apples can soften slightly.

Pour filling into the bottom crust. Dot with butter before covering with top crust. Cut decorative vents into crust. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Bake pie for 30 minutes. Then, reduce oven temperature to 350 and slip a baking sheet under the pie. Bake until the juices have begun to bubble through the vents, 30 to 40 minutes more. If the crust gets too brown during baking, cover edges with aluminum foil or a silicon shield. Allow pie to cool completely before serving. The crust is best the day it's baked, but the pie will keep for several days at room temperature.

Pie Crust Cockaigne

2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar (or slightly more to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup shortening, chilled
6 tablespoons ice water, plus up to 1 tablespoon

Sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the shortening and butter into the flour mixture until it has the consistency of cornmeal. Blend in the water until until a dough just begins to form. Be careful not to overwork the dough, leaving dots of butter and shortening throughout. Divide the dough; shape into disks and cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. When rolling out on a floured surface, work quickly and handle dough minimally to ensure a flaky crust.