You can thank my friend, Trevor, for this post. He had a couple slices of my strawberry blueberry pie for Fourth of July and kept raving about it so much that my husband has been pushing me to write about it.
I will admit that I’m a pie girl. It’s true. I believe that pie should be served every holiday gathering. Or at least every holiday that I have the extra time to make one.
Thanksgiving? Yes, apple pie. Summer BBQ? Yes, blueberry pie. Father’s Day? Yes, peach pie. Fourth of July? Yes, strawberry pie. See what I mean? There are so many different fruits to use in a pie that there is always a reason for a pie!
Plus, it makes me think of my mom. Growing up she was the pie lady for Thanksgiving. Apple pie is her specialty, and I learned from the best.
Need an additional reason? It can be a fun family activity to gather the fruit for the pie! The Hopkins Household does apple picking every fall and strawberry picking every spring.
During the picking I get to take brilliant photos of the family in beautiful fields. And the farms usually have family-friendly activities that go along with picking like tractor rides, petting zoos and even playground fun. Apple and strawberry picking have become yearly traditions, and something everyone in the family looks forward to each season.
Now back to the pies. A pie somehow makes people think you are a sorcerer. Maybe because pies look so fancy that others are completely intimidated by the thought of baking one. I’m here to tell you that it isn’t that hard. You can do it!
You also don’t need anything special to make one. Yes, professional bakers have extra tools in their arsenal. But you don’t need them! No heavy machinery required.
First step, the crust. Using pre-baked pie crust is a no-no. It just doesn’t taste as good. All you need is three ingredients and you get homemade pie crust dough. Flour, salt and Crisco. Add a little ice water and you are golden (or your pie crust will be.)
Then for the delicious fruit middle. The recipe changes a bit depending on the fruit you choose. It will always include some type of fruit, lots of sugar (at least that is my secret weapon) and a thickening agent like cornstarch. Mix that goodness together and watch it transform into a cohesive filling before your eyes.
Then you split the dough into two pieces and roll them out. One will be the bottom of the pie and the other will make the fancy looking lattice top. The bottom goes straight in your pie dish, then add the filling and finally cut up the lattice top into strips before weaving them together to cover the whole top.
Brush a little egg wash over the top and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes and then change the oven to 350 degrees for the last thirty. Your pie will be ready when the crust is brown and the fruit filling starts bubbling.
The end. Seriously, it’s that easy. Is there a chance that it will take a couple tries to get the pie looking perfect? Yes. But will it still taste delicious even if it doesn’t have the exact look you were going for? Definitely.
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