Cherry Bluberry Lattice Pie

The Fourth  of July screams all things American and what could be more appropriate than pie. It is to be a fruit pie, one that oozes the essences of summer. I have cherries and blueberries to fill a small pie. Just enough to satisfy that sweet tooth. 

I experiment with an old fashioned pie crust. After years of using a food processor, I follow a recipe that is explicit details about handmade pastry. My butter and flour encrusted fingers become adept as I follow the recipe. Cold water pulls the dough together and then the magic happens. I roll the dough into a large rectangle. A few well placed folds, divided in half, the dough sits in the fridge for a short while.

I pit cherries with a knife. Blueberries and cherries are doused in sugar and arrowroot. I only use one portion of the chilled dough. This is further divided in half. I roll one half on a heavily floured surface. If the weather is warm and humid you might have to dust the surface repeatedly with flour as the dough is rather buttery. The recipe is insistent on pie plates, calling for tempered glass ones....yes..that's Pyrex in my vocabulary! I use a 6 inch pie plate..perfect for the rolled circle. The second half is also rolled into a circle and then cut into 1/2 inch strips for a lattice crust. This step involves a lot of bluster as I haven't quite grasped the lattice portion well. But then I am not entering this pie in any contest anytime soon!

CHERRY AND BLUEBERRY LATTICE PIE 

Serves 4 people or makes 1 small 6 inch pie

Old Fashioned Flaky Pastry

Attributed to Stella Parks on Serious Eats

Makes one double crusted 9 inch pie

1 2/3 cup APB Flour plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or 1/2 teaspoon Table Salt

2 sticks or 16 tablespoons COLD unsalted Butter

1/2 cup cold Water

Cherry and Blueberry Filling

1 heaped cup pitted Cherries 

3/4 cup Blueberries 

2 tablespoons Sugar

A pinch of Kosher Salt 

2 tablespoons Arrowroot 

1 Egg

Make the dough by whisking flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.

Cut butter into small pieces and scatter over flour.

Use your fingertips to smoosh the butter into thin sheets. Work the sheets into the flour.

Add cold water and knead the dough into a shaggy ball.

Place dough on a generously floured surface and roll out to a 10x15 inch rectangle. Dust the underside of the dough as you roll as the dough might stick to the surface. Use a bench scraper to reposition dough.

Use a rubber spatula to make small indentations dividing the dough into fours. Fold each quarter inwards so the ends meet in the middle. Then fold one end over the other. You should have four layers. 

Gently fold in half so you have eight layers. 

Cut dough in half. 

Put each half in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

At this point you could freeze one half of the crust if you are making the above 6 inch pie. 

Mix cherries, blueberries, sugar, salt and arrowroot in bowl. 

Generously flour a surface and place one half of the dough on it. 

Cut the dough in half.

 Use one half for the bottom crust. Roll dough to a 7 inch circle. 

Place dough onto a 6 inch glass pie plate. Crimp the extra dough over the rim of the plate.

Roll other half into a 7 inch circle.

Cut into 1/2 inch strips.

Heat oven to 400F.

Scrape cherry blueberry filling into prepared pie plate.

Place one lattice strip on one end of filling.

Place the second strip at right angles to the strip.

Place next strip under the first strip.

The fourth strip has to be woven under and over the strips.

Subsequent strips should be woven under and over... It's complicated. Look in NOTES below for instructions.

When you are done trim lattice edges and tuck edges under the outer rim.

Use left over strips to neaten the outer edges. I pressed the left over strips over the outer edges as you can see below.

Break egg into a bowl and whisk well.

Brush pie with egg wash.

Place pie on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

The lattice crust should turn a rich brown color.

Remove pie from oven and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Slice and enjoy!

NOTES

If the weather is warm or humid refrigerate the dough if you see the butter becoming too soft. Keep the bottom crust in the fridge till you are ready to fill and top.

If you do plan to make a regular 9 inch round pie, the dough recipe is more than adequate. Double the filling recipe portion. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

I used the other half of the dough to make peach hand pies. The dough refrigerates well for a few days. The dough freezes for up to a week. 

I had trouble with the lattice crust, trusting my instincts, not reading the article in its entirety. Read this to make the perfect lattice crust. 

Lunch is on the patio, under bright blue skies, with a crisp chenin blanc and turkey lettuce wraps.....a perfect summer afternoon to also eat some humble pie.

Pin It