Fourth of July Summer Berry Pies

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Photo: Raymond Hom
Prep Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 35 mins
Yield:
6 5-inch pies

These mini pies are deliciously patriotic when topped with stars and stripes. You can also make one 9-inch pie.

Ingredients

  • 2 disks Pate Brisee for Summer Berry Pies

  • All-purpose flour, for surface

  • 7 ½ cups mixed raspberries and sliced strawberries, or blueberries and blackberries

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

  • ¼ cup cornstarch

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

  • Salt

  • 2 large egg yolks

  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

  • Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

  1. Roll out 1 disk pate brisee to about 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out six 6-inch circles. Press dough into bottoms and up sides of six 5-inch (1 1/4 inches deep) pie plates. Trim excess dough flush with edges of pie plates using a knife, or crimp edges.

  2. Stir together berries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Fill pie shells with berry filling.

  3. Whisk together yolks and cream. Roll out remaining disk of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut out stars and stripes using cookie cutters, a knife, or a pastry wheel. Decorate tops of pies with cutouts, brushing bottoms with egg wash to help them adhere. Freeze for 1 hour.

  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tops of pies with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.

  5. Bake until juices are bubbling and tops are golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. (Tent with foil if crusts are getting too dark.) Let cool.

Cook's Notes

Storage: Pies can be stored at room temperature overnight.

Variations

To make one 9-inch pie instead of three mini ones: Use 2 small disks of pate brisee. For the Raspberry-Strawberry Pie, use full filling recipe. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes (tent with foil after 1 hour). For the Blueberry-Blackberry Pie, combine 6 cups berries, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and a pinch of salt for the filling. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes (tent with foil after 1 hour).

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