i made a pie on an overcast afternoon. it was my day off from making and rolling pounds of pie dough.
you see, for the last few months i've been baking and pastry-ing at a wonderful restaurant, true to food, bold and boisterous. MB Post is a gem, and i feel lucky everyday to be a part of it.
i spend my days cutting butter into flour, twisting perfectly imperfect pretzels, and of course, folding cheddar and bacon into biscuits.
so naturally, i would spend my day off out and about. maybe in a funky coffee shop, reading a book, perhaps doing handstands..?
it is of course my day off, i can do Anything i please really.
hah. let's be real. i got out the flour and butter. i rolled more dough. and then, i made pie.
is there a more summery dessert than pie?
other than popsicles, i know popsicles are the pinnacle of summer dessert..
but come on, summer fruit, summer pie. this all just makes sense.
and so i went, into my mindless baking brainworld. beach house playing on my computer, flour all over my pants and shirt and everywhere.
i took my time, i was baking a random pie, just for me. things could be slow and lovely, and any imperfections would be completely acceptable. it would all taste just as sweet in the end anyway.
i pitted sunny rainier cherries. i added blueberries, tossing them with sugar, lemon, a touch of cinnamon and ginger. enough to bring out awesome flavors in the fruit, but not enough to taste like fall.
right now, it's all about the summertime.
and the lattice top? i'm a sucker for a lattice topped pie. i love being able to see the major prettiness of the fruit inside.
making pie is love. eating a slice of pie that you made is extremely satisfying.
it's also one of those -sit-down,-oh-my-god, yes- moments.
if at any point this summer you'd want to come over and eat pie with me, i'd be all for it. please?
oh, and just in case you aren't completely sold on pie..(weirdo)
...pie goes with ice cream.
see all those finger marks on the scoop of ice cream? i was 'preventing it from melting too quickly'.
it's earl grey ice cream. it's irresistible. and i can hardly wait to tell you about it.
but! have patience. today, we focus on pie.
Rainier Cherry and Blueberry Pie
pie crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
5 tbsp + 2 tsp ice cold water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
for the filling:
2 1/2 - 3 cups pitted rainier cherries
1 1/2 cups blueberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water for egg wash
2 tbsp sugar + 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for topping crust
to make the crust: in a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt. add the cold cubed butter and using your fingers work the butter into the flour mixture. quickly bread the butter down into the flour mixture, some pieces will be larger than others. this is good. stir together the ice cold water and vinegar. create a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture and pour in the water and vinegar. use a fork to bring the dough all together. try to incorporate all the floury bits. on a floured work surface, dump out the dough. it will be shaggy. divide into two and knead into two disks. wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
to make the filling: wash the cherries and blueberries and combine. in a bowl, whisk together the sugar, spices, flour, and cornstarch. pour this dry mixture over the fruit, and gently toss together with a spoon. stir in the lemon juice and zest and set in the refrigerator to rest while you roll the crust.
preheat the oven to 400. place a rack in the center of the oven. remove one of the pie disks from the fridge. on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into about a 13 inch round circle. make sure the dough isn't sticking to the surface. if it tears, pinch it back together. gently lift the 13 inch circle from the surface and center in the 9 inch baking dish. place in the fridge while you roll out the top.
roll out top crust to about the same thickness as the bottom. for very detailed instructions on how to make a lattice top pie crust, go here!
to make the filling: wash the cherries and blueberries and combine. in a bowl, whisk together the sugar, spices, flour, and cornstarch. pour this dry mixture over the fruit, and gently toss together with a spoon. stir in the lemon juice and zest and set in the refrigerator to rest while you roll the crust.
preheat the oven to 400. place a rack in the center of the oven. remove one of the pie disks from the fridge. on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into about a 13 inch round circle. make sure the dough isn't sticking to the surface. if it tears, pinch it back together. gently lift the 13 inch circle from the surface and center in the 9 inch baking dish. place in the fridge while you roll out the top.
roll out top crust to about the same thickness as the bottom. for very detailed instructions on how to make a lattice top pie crust, go here!
take the fruit mixture out of the fridge and pour into bottom crust, evenly distributing fruit. cut butter into small pieces and dot over fruit. cover with top crust or lattice top. trim edges of the pie and press the bottom and top crusts together. crimp the edges. brush the top lightly with the egg wash and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
place pie in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. then reduce the oven temperature to 375 and bake for about 45-50 minutes. remove from the oven when the crust is browned and golden, and the fruit is bubbling. allow to cool and set up for a couple hours before serving. bon appetit!
place pie in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. then reduce the oven temperature to 375 and bake for about 45-50 minutes. remove from the oven when the crust is browned and golden, and the fruit is bubbling. allow to cool and set up for a couple hours before serving. bon appetit!