Easy Eats: Pie for the 4th of July
Tis the weekend of the almighty cookout! What’s more American that pie? (Actually I know nothing of the origins of pie but today, I declare it American.)
I made two of these pies today (they’re that easy) for a total amount of 30 minutes spent actually in my kitchen. Make one, make three, take ’em along to 4th of July festivities and be the most popular person there.
Three-is-better-then-two Pie
(because boring names like ‘triple berry pie’ just won’t do round here)
2 pints blackberries
2 pints raspberries
1 pack of strawberries (you’re going for a total of 1 1/2 cups cut up)
2 Pilsburry Pie Crusts (cus you have a job/house/children/life and don’t make your own)
1/2 sugar plus a bit extra
3 TBSP Cornstarch plus a bit extra
Wash the berries, slice up the strawberries so the pieces are just a bit bigger than the other berries. Mix em all together. All together you’ll want about 4 cups of berries – more or less depending on how deep your pie dish is and how full you want your pie. It’s all about choices, right? This is America – you’re free to use as many damn berries as you’d like.
Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 3 TBSP of cornstarch. Then add just a pinch more cornstarch. The just a pinch more sugar. Again, because of freedom.
Pour the mixture over the berries and stir (I prefer to use my hands) (to express my freedom) the berries up good so everything is well mixed and coated and beginning to get juicy. Don’t like, smash up the berries though, that’s never good. It’s ok if they get a little smashed, I’m just saying don’t go all I Love Lucy on these berries.
Line your pie plate with one of the pie crusts and pour the berry mixture and any juice its created into the crust.
Lay your other pie crust out flat, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut it into even strips. Lay 5 strips across one way, 5 the other way and ta-da – you’re the kind of person who makes lattice work pie crust. Pinch the edges together, trimming where needed.
Cover the edges in foil and back for 25 minutes at 375. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes. Give it another 5 minutes if needed – you just want the juice to be bubbling up nice and good.
Let it cool for at least 3 hours. Serve. Rejoice. Thank God you are American.
PS – Feel free to swap for different types of berries depending on what you like and what’s on sale. It’s part of the whole Freedom thing.
This is all the blogging you get for the weekend, after work Friday I’m packing up my bags (and my camera gear, and Gladys, and my pies) and headin off to Streator, because its the only place suitable for celebrating the 4th of July!
Now get out there, make a pie, drink a cold one, salute the flag, thank our military service people and have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!