Berries and I have a checkered past. When first making pie, I battled them.
A harsh lesson loosened my grip and delivered a realization, control is an illusion. But then I’d make a berry pie. Out with the phrase and in walked the control freak. I wouldn’t bat an eye at the monumental, but the berries drove me. Why? Was it because life was out of whack, so I took it out on the berry?
Whatever the case, I jumped hoops so blue and black juices wouldn’t ooze over fluted crusts. I once met a cookbook author and my question, “how do I contain berry juices?” At the time, I couldn’t understand her free spirit answer, “you don’t. The juices are great.” I so wanted her energy to rub my rigid ways.
That was then, this is now.
Berries and I have come a long way. But then again, so has life. I better understand the berry. I embrace their beauty. Their juices are good. I let them go where they’re supposed to. Okay, I’m not that free of a spirit, but let them go to a point.
Let’s just say, within a pie, berry and I have a symbiotic relationship.
And to me, there’s nothing like a spiced cherry berry pie! With fresh orange juice, almond, and spices, this pie is true love. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spice.
Spiced Cherry Berry Pie
Ingredients:
9-inch crust
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cane or granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold cut into 1/4 - 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar placed in water in freezer for 15 minutes
- 1/4 cup ice water placed in freezer for 15 minutes
For Filling
- 16 ounces sweet cherries fresh or frozen (if frozen, thawed and drained)
- 8 ounces blackberries fresh or frozen (if frozen, thawed and drained)
- 8 ounces blueberries fresh or frozen (if frozen, thawed and drained)
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup cane or granulated sugar, plus 2 Tablespoons depending on sweetness of fruit
- 1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Streusel
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cane or granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Instructions
Crust
Food Processor
- Have a cut piece of plastic wrap or container close to processor for your finished dough disk.
- Add flour, sugar, and salt to the food processor. Pulse until mixed. Open the lid and scatter the butter over the dry ingredients. Pulse about 7-8 times. Open and drizzle 3/4 of the water/vinegar over the mixture and cover. Pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 5-6 times. Avoid the dough balling around the blades. Squeeze the dough between your fingers. If the dough seems dry, slowly add more water and pulse 1-2 more times. Depending on season and outside temperature, you may or may not use all of the water.
- Carefully pour mixture onto your work surface or cut plastic wrap. Ball the dough, then flatten into a 3/4-inch disk and wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
By Hand
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and coat with the dry mixture. With a pastry blender, cut the butter in. Drizzle the water in three stages, if needed. Distribute the water until dough forms.
Pie
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Let the pastry fall into the pan. Trim the edges to 1/2-inch beyond the pie pan. Tuck the overhang under itself and flute the crust.
- Crack and separate an egg white. Brush the bottom and midway up the side to seal the crust and prevent a soggy bottom. Place in the refrigerator until ready to fill.
- In a large bowl, combine cherries, blackberries, blueberries, sugar, orange juice, zest, and almond extract. Mix gently until combined and set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat oven: 425°F (at high altitude) 400°F (at sea level)
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix briefly. Add the cornstarch mixture to the fruit and mix until no more white is seen.
- Take the shell from the refrigerator and pour the fruit mixture into the pie. Make sure to spatula the sides of the bowl, as this is where the precious juices and thickening agents hide.
- Place pie plate in the refrigerator or freezer until the fluted piecrust is hard to the touch.
- Place pie on the center rack and bake for 30 minutes.
- * High altitude: reduce oven temperature from 425° to 400° after 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the streusel topping. Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in a large bowl, then add the butter. Coat the butter with the flour mixture. Using two knives or pastry cutter, push the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a small/medium crumb. Sprinkle and mix in the oats. Refrigerate until ready for use.
- After 30 minutes total, remove pie from oven and add streusel to the top. Turn the oven down to 375°, place a pie shield around edges to prevent over browning, slide a pan one rack below, and rotate the pie 180°. Continue baking for another 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the juices are slow to bubble.
- Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for at least three hours. How do you prefer your pie - warm, room temperature, with a scoop of ice cream, or another way? Do tell.
Notes
- if dough is in the refrigerator for over an hour, let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling.
- why place the pie in the refrigerator prior to baking? I find by firming an all butter crust, the edge keeps form better throughout the baking process.
- the dough can be frozen for up to one month.
- after 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature from 425° to 400°
