Mixed berry pie is such a wonderful, fresh dessert to eat during the Spring and Summer. The local farmer’s markets are up and running again so there is a lot of produce available. Right now, it’s berry season so I’m using berries in many of my dishes.
I’m not a big fan of cooked down berries. I don’t like the mushy texture. This pie is made using whole berries added right into the pie. No stove top cooking. The recipe needs 5 cups of berries and you may change around the ratio within the recipe. I like blueberries so I used 2 cups. Next time, I’ll make it more blackberry heavy.
If you don’t like one of the berries, remove it and add in more of the others to fill out the recipe. Make sure to cut up the strawberries as they will be too thick to cook properly.
PRE-BAKING
I prefer a buttery crust for a mixed berry pie. You don’t have to poke holes (docking) into the bottom crust of this pie. I had poked holes with a fork then decided not to blind-bake the crust first.
You may pre-bake this crust, if preferred, by docking or using pie weights. I did not have a problem with a “soggy bottom” during testing. Next time, however, I might make the bottom crust thicker and definitely pre-bake.
I used a long handle wooden spoon and a pizza cutter to cut lattice strips. You may use a ruler or a 5-wheel pastry cutter.
BUTTERY LATTICE CRUST
You can assemble the lattice buttery crust on the back of a baking pan, then slide it off on to the top of the pie, or create your design directly on the pie. Using cookie stampers is another way to get more creative. You may skip the lattice all together and add the rolled, circular dough on top. Make sure to cut slits for the steam to escape.
Trim the excess dough and pinch the edges to seal the pie. Egg wash the top, then sprinkle with sugar.
Perfection!!
USING FROZEN MIXED BERRIES
If using frozen berries, add an extra 1⁄4 teaspoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of berries to absorb the liquid produced while thawing. Also add an extra 10 – 15 minutes of baking time.
This pie is amazing with vanilla ice cream! The whole berries really make the taste and consistency special.
