A time for pie

Happy 4th of July!

There's nothing more American than PIE, right?
Right.  Well at least that was my excuse for spending several blissful hours rolling out this tasty tribute whilst snaking on fresh berries and iced tea.

Oh yes.

Although I grew up here in the icy cold land of Calgary (no disrespect Canada), I'm half American and I heart the U S of A!  My Dad grew up in California, and somehow I have always felt so at home there.  I love you Cali, and I will call you home someday!

So this is an expression of my love.....in pie form.

Now, I'm not an expert pie-baker but this is how to experience the love pictured above:

Pastry:

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. vegetable shortening (COLD)

5-6 T. water (COLD)

Filling:

About 4-5 c. sliced strawberries, cherries and blueberries

1/2 c. sugar

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

2 T. flour

Whisk together the flour and salt.  Add the vegetable shortening and work it into the flour mixture with your fingers until it is crumbly.  Add the cold water and gently work it in (it will be a little wet/sticky).  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently knead it until it is formed into a ball.  Flatten the ball slightly, and wrap in wax paper.  Store in the refrigerator until you're ready to go with the filling!

Add the fruit, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice to a saucepan, and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat.  Stir the mixture constantly so it doesn't burn/stick to the bottom of the pan.  Add the flour and stir until it is completely mixed in.  Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temp. 

Next take the dough out of the fridge, and turn out onto a floured surface.  Divide the dough in two, saving roughly 1/4 of the dough for the lattice top.  Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the larger piece of dough into a circle.  Measure with your pie plate to make sure it is large enough.  Gently lift up the rolled dough, and place over the pie plate letting the extra dough hang off the edges.  Poke the bottom of the pie crust several times with a fork.   

Transfer the filling into the pie crust!

Next, take the remaining 1/4 of the dough and roll it out.  Use a knife to cut it into even strips.  Weave the strips on the top of the pie.  Pinch the extra dough together with your fingers to form a crust around the pie.  

Crack an egg in a small bowl, and add about 1 tsp. of water.  Beat together with a fork.  Use a pastry brush to brush the egg-wash over the lattice top to give the pie a lovely, shiny glow!

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 min, until the top is golden brown.

God bless America.