I love anything pie…hand pies, meringue pies.  I am particularly fond of fruit pies.  Every year my sister Kathy makes her famous (yes, it’s famous) apple pie for Thanksgiving dessert.  I start thinking about her apple pie as soon as Fall approaches. You know, when everyone starts getting excited about pumpkin spice and lattes?  I won’t be having her amazing apple pie until Thanksgiving, but I had this delicious berry cherry pie tonight…a la mode! Yum!! You don’t need to wait for a special occasion or holiday for this pie, make it today and have it for dessert tonight!!

Ingredients:

Pastry Dough
2 ½ cups (320g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into small ¼ cubes
1 tsp. (6g) salt
2 tbsp (30g) sugar
6-8 tbsp ice cold water

Filling
4-5 cups (600-700g) frozen cherry berry blend (you can use any blend you like or any fresh fruit)
2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
¾ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
Zest of a lemon
2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Egg Wash
1 tsp. water
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. (10g) sugar to sprinkle on pie crust before baking

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl whisk flour with sugar and salt. Incorporate butter using a pastry blender (or a food processor), until pea sized crumbs are formed. Add 2 tablespoons of water at a time just until dough comes together.  Put dough on your work service and knead just until dough comes together (do not overwork the dough).

2. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, form into two flat discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3. Start preparing the filling by combining the sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and lemon zest in small mixing bowl (set aside).

4. Place the berries in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar mixture and lemon juice. Toss with a large spoon to combine.

5. Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare an 8- or 9-inch pie pan.

6. Roll the first half of dough until it’s about 12 inches in diameter and place in your pie pan. Cut the excess dough (leaving enough for crimping the edges.)

7. Arrange the berry mixture over the crust and top with butter.  Refrigerate until your lattice strips are ready.

8. Roll the other half of your pie dough. Cut into 10-12 strips (about 1-1/2 inches wide).

9. To create the lattice on top, begin by laying out 5 or 6 parallel strips of the pie dough on top of the filling, leaving about a ½” space between them. Fold back every other strip. Add a long strip perpendicular to the parallel strips. Unfold and repeat with the other parallel strips until the lattice is ready. Seal and crimp the edges.

10. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top.

11. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Cover the edges of the crust and reduce oven temperature to 350F.  Bake for another 40-45 minutes.  I like to cover my crust edges with aluminum foil, so they don’t burn.

12. Remove from the oven allow to cool for at least 5 hours before cutting. I like my pie a la mode! Check out my vanilla ice cream recipe…Yum!!