At the peak of summer when there is an abundance of perfectly ripe berries, a homemade pie is the best way to showcase them! This easy recipe includes a few simple tricks to produce a pie with two crisp golden crusts, enveloping a lightly sweetened filling that slices cleanly.
Makes one 9″ pie, 10-12 servings
Ingredients
2 prepared unbaked pie crusts*
6 cups mixed berries*
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tsp. water
Instructions
- Adjust a rack to sit on the lowest position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Arrange one pie crust into a 9” pie plate. Line it with a sheet of parchment paper large enough to hang over the edges of the plate, and fill the paper to the brim with pie weights. Transfer the pie plate to the lowest rack of the oven.
- Bake the crust for 15-17 minutes, until the edges of the crust appear lightly baked and set. Very carefully remove the parchment and pie weights from the crust, and continue baking 10 minutes longer, or until the edges are very lightly golden and the center is matte. Remove the crust from the oven.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425° F.
- Place the berries into a large mixing bowl. Use the coarse side of a box grater to grate the apple into the bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Toss with a rubber spatula until the fruit is evenly coated. Transfer the mixture into the blind-baked pie crust.
- Place the second unbaked pie crust on top of the pie. Crimp the edges of the top crust over the bottom crust, making sure the two adhere. Poke the center of the pie with a fork 2-3 times, creating holes for steam to escape.
- Gently beat together the egg and water. Lightly brush the egg wash in a thin layer over the surface of the pie. Cover the edges of the pie with a pie guard or strips of aluminum foil. Transfer the pie to the lowest rack of the preheated oven.
- Bake for the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350° F. Continue baking for 30-35 minutes longer, until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling at the edges.
- Remove the pie from the oven. Allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 6 hours before slicing and serving.
*The pie crust may be homemade or store-bought. Note that store-bought crust tends to bake faster than homemade, so watch it carefully during the blind-baking time.
*Any combination of berries is fine. My preferred ratio is 2 1/2 cups blueberries, 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries, 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blackberries.
