berry patriotic pies
Apple pie is the most American pie, no doubt about it.
But these berry mini pies are the most patriotic pies.
If you were looking for a sign to bake this weekend, here it is! The berries are so juicy & sweet this time of year. Block parties are bound to pop up. And an American themed dessert is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Have you heard of America’s Test Kitchen? My boss at Meriwether and I were talking about it the other day as we were whipping up a batch of cookies. Basically, the Test Kitchen does cooking experiments to find the best way to make something. It’s really cool to understand the food chemistry behind what makes a food taste so good! Anyway, their pie crust recipe calls for vodka. Yup, good old vodka. Vodka is 60% water and 40% ethanol. Only water can activate the gluten, but both water and ethanol can moisten the dough. I promise it will be the flakiest and softest crust you’ll ever eat! Here is the recipe I used.
If you don’t have the time or energy to make your own dough, that is perfectly fine. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t ever use store-bought dough. So use what you’re most comfortable with or try something new, you’ll still end up with six delicious mini pies!!
The pie filling is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Berries, a little sugar, a splash of lemon juice, and corn starch is all there is to it! I wanted to preserve the berries’ naturally sweet flavor without taking away from the tartness. This pie certainly doesn’t need a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but it can take this dessert from a 10 to an 11. The tartness and vanilla creaminess compliment each other so well!
I love that these pies are mini too. It makes serving this summery dessert a whole lot easier – no mess and already portioned out!
Download the recipe card for my berry patriotic pies here!
A few notes on this recipe…
This recipe definitely is both sweet and tart. So if you prefer a sweeter pie, add more sugar to the berry filling mixture.
The large pie needs bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Also, the crust may brown or burn before the pie filling has cooked. To prevent this, tear some pieces of foil and fold them in half. This creates a “tent” for the pie that prevents over-browning of the crust.
Lastly, the cooling process is so important! The filling will bubble in the last half in the oven. The cooling of the pie allows the filling to then gel, perfecting the texture. Have patience (it’s hard for me too) before you dig in, it will be worth it!!
Happy Fourth of July! I hope next Wednesday finds you surrounded by loved ones, watching exciting fireworks, and celebrating the country we all love. Oh, and with this dessert of course! Have a wonderful weekend!!
