Pineapple Cherry Pie
Submitted by goodies
Double-crust blackberry pie with a flaky shortening pastry and a simple sugar-and-flour-thickened filling. The kind of late-summer fruit pie that lets the berries do the talking.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minDespite the title, this recipe is squarely a blackberry pie: four cups of fresh berries tossed with sugar and a little flour, sealed inside a flaky double crust and baked until the juices bubble through the slashes. Shortening pastry is what gives the crust its tender, pull-apart layers; the cold water gets sprinkled in only until the dough holds together, so the gluten stays minimal.
The flour-and-sugar mixture in the filling is doing the work that cornstarch does in fancier pies. As the berries break down in the oven, their juice picks up the flour and thickens into a glossy, sliceable filling instead of pooling at the bottom. Less water in the dough and a chilled rest are what separate a flaky crust from a tough one. Slash the top in several places before baking; without venting, steam tears the top crust open in unpredictable ways.
Chef Tips
- Keep the shortening cold and add ice water in small splashes. Wet dough turns tough; just-barely-bound dough turns flaky.
- Chill the formed dough balls a full hour before rolling. The rest relaxes gluten and lets the fat re-firm for clean layers.
- Place the pie on a foil-lined sheet pan in the oven. Berry pies bubble over, and the foil saves the oven floor from a sticky mess.
- Cool the pie at least an hour before slicing. Hot filling looks runny; rested filling sets and slices clean.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and the zest of half a lemon to the berries to balance their natural sweetness.
- Swap a cup of raspberries or blueberries for some of the blackberries for a mixed-berry pie.
- Brush the top crust with milk and dust with coarse sugar before baking for a glossy, sparkling finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Sift together flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles large coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle water over flour mixture, using a fork to stir it in gently to make it gather into a ball (the less water the better - just enough to hold it together).
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and shape with your hands into two balls, one slightly larger than the other.
Chill dough for 1 hour, then roll out large ball to fit the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch pie dish.
Now, mix sugar and all-purpose flour in a separate bowl, then add a dash of salt and stir in berries.
Pour mixture into the empty pie shell, then roll out remaining ball of dough to make top crust.
Crimp and trim edges, then slash the top crust in several places.
Bake in a preheated 375℉ (190℃) oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 1 to 10 inch pie.
Comments
