Home Alone Me, Myself and Pie
Who doesn’t like a good berry pie? Probably the same people who didn’t laugh when they first saw this week’s movie.
For the Pie Dough:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" cubes
4 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup sour cream
For the Boys:
6-8 cups frozen-defrosted mixed blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4-5 tablespoons instant tapioca
1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon and allspice
1 tablespoon butter cut into very small pieces
-
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, butter, shortening, salt and sugar with
a pastry blender or 2 knives until most of the lumps are no larger than
small peas and the mixture has the consistency of course corn meal. -
Add the sour cream to the mixture and using a rubber spatula, fold
together until the sour cream is evenly distributed and the dough holds
together. -
Divide the dough in two and flatten each piece into a 1" x 6" disk. Dust
each disk with a little flour and wrap well with plastic wrap before
refrigerating at least 20 minutes. -
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out one of the disks 1/8 inch thick on a
lightly floured surface, fit it into a eight to nine-inch pie dish, and trim
the edges, leaving an even 1/2-inch overhang. Refrigerate until filling. -
In a large bowl, toss together the mixed berries, orange marmalade,
sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, tapioca, cinnamon and allspice. Spoon the
fruit mixture into the prepared crust and dot with butter. -
Roll out the remaining dough to fit over the fruit with a 1-inch overhang
and tuck the top crust under the bottom. Crimp or flute the edges and brush
the top crust lightly with a little milk if desired. (If baking for a pie
eating contest, you may prefer to cut the top crust into 2" strips and
arrange in a latticework.) -
Using a paring knife, cut slits decoratively around the top crust (this
allows steam to escape) and sprinkle lightly with sugar. -
Bake in the lower half of the oven for 15 minutes; reduce temperature to
350°F. And bake for another 40 minutes or until the filling bubbles and the
crust is pleasantly golden. Cool on a rack at least an hour before cutting. -
Allow the pie to cool before burying your face in it. Serves 8 adults or
one contestant