Verry Berry Pie!

When I saw this rolling pin in Anthropologie the other day, it had to be mine!  Right away I thought of baking pie.  I don’t know about you, but I am SO ready for summer, and the pie that comes to mind when I think of summer, is berry pie.  Not only do I love eating berries fresh but I love to bake with them.  I decided to use a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, but you don’t need to mix your berries, you can use any combination you prefer.

It’s the perfect summer pie!  I recommend serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream,  so good!

INGREDIENTS:

Pie Crust

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 6-8 Tbsp. Iced cold water

Filling

• 5 cups berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries ( or whatever you like)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 to 2 tsp orange zest
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg white for egg wash

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the butter in the freezer for 20 minutes.
2. In a food processor add the flour, salt and sugar and pulse a couple times.
3. Add the butter to the food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles peas.  Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time and continue pulsing.  The dough should start to hold together. Don’t over mix.  At this point remove dough from the food processor.
4. Place dough on a floured work surface.  Form the dough into 2 discs, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 2 days before using.
5. Preheat oven to 425 F degrees.  Coat a deep-dish pie plate with nonstick baking spray.
6. Place berries in a large bowl.  In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cornstarch, orange zest and extract; mix well.  Add berries; toss to coat.
7. Take the pastry discs from the refridgerator.  Roll one disc so it’s 12 inches in diameter and place it in the prepared pie dish.  Trim the excess dough.  Brush the pie crust with egg white so that it doesn’t get soggy.
8. Pour the berry mixture into the pie crust.
9. Roll out the other disc so that it is 12 inches in diameter and place on top of the pie. Or, if you prefer, cut the dough into strips and do a lattice design.  Again trim the excess dough.  At this point you can decorate the sides any way you like.  I did the fold and pinch method.  When finished with the border, cut a few small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.  Brush with remaining egg whites.  If you like, sprinkle with a little granulated sugar before placing it in the oven.
10. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Let it cool before serving.

NOTE:

For directions on how to do the crust Roses, visit the blog: Minchanka. The blog is in Russian, but on the left you can select the language you prefer.  So many cute things on there, so be sure to check it out!