Fruit pies, plain and simple, are an American institution. They capture the true taste of the fruit. And during summer, ripe berries, apricots, nectarines and peaches-full of flavor and brimming with sweet juices-inspire pie-baking like nothing else.
There is no substitute for ripe, flavorful fruit. Before baking, look for the ripest fruit you can find. Economics and modern shipping demand that many growers pick their fruit prior to ripening.
Apricots, golden and perfect, may look like the perfect subject for a Manet painting, but may taste more like a piece of cardboard. Peaches, nectarines and apricots should have a pronounced fragrance. Avoid fruit with greenish tinges.
Go ahead: Sniff the fruit and buy those pieces with a rich whiff of true, fresh fruit.
When buying berries, look at the bottom of the container; if it is badly stained, the berries below may be squashed and moldy. If in doubt, ask the produce person to pour them out so you can have a look. If you are not going to use the berries within a few hours, spread them out on a baking sheet lined with paper towels, cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
A simple like-Grandma-did-it recipe produces the best pies. Combine good fresh fruit with sugar and cornstarch, then bake in a single or double crust; it`s a hard formula to beat.
Amounts of sugar and cornstarch vary with the sweetness and juiciness of the fruit.
Want more culinary challenge? Here are several summer fruit pie recipes that are more complex-but the delectable results are definitely worth every moment. Give one a try when you have extra time in the kitchen.
FRESH PEACH PIE WITH PEACH NECTAR CRUST
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: one 9-inch pie
This recipe appeared in Bon Appetit Magazine in August 1982.
Crust:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, cut into 5 pieces
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (yellow part only)
1/4 cup peach nectar, well-chilled
11/4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Glaze:
11/4 cups peach nectar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons peach jam
Optional: 2 tablespoons dark rum
Filling:
1/2-3/4 cup sugar, depending on sweetness of peaches
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3-3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
8 medium peaches, about 21/4 pounds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each: finely grated nutmeg, salt
1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water for an egg wash
1. Place oven rack in lower third of oven and heat to 425 degrees.
2. For crust, process flour and salt for 30 seconds in a food processor with the metal blade. Add butter and shortening and process until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. Combine lemon rind, peach nectar and lemon juice; add mixture through the feed tube with processor running. Process until mixture just comes together: Do not have ball of dough bounce around machine or dough will be tough.
3. Flatten dough into a disk. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
4. For glaze, combine 11/4 cups peach nectar and peach jam in a small saucepan; stir to blend. Cook over medium heat until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Add dark rum (if desired), strain and cool slightly.
5. For filling, combine sugars and cornstarch in small bowl and mix well. Transfer some of sugar mixture to large bowl. If peaches are very ripe, peel them by submerging in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and dip in ice water; slip off skins. If peaches are not ripe, peel with a small sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Arrange layer of slices on top of sugar mixture in large bowl. Repeat layers with remaining sugar mixture and peach slices. Toss gently to blend. Sprinkle with lemon juice, spices and salt; toss gently, blending thoroughly.
6. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface, about 1/4-inch thick. Line a 9-inch pie pan and press gently into place without stretching dough. Trim edge leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, reserving trimmings. Brush bottom and sides with glaze. Add peach filling.
7. Collect dough trimmings and roll out 1/4-inch thick. Cut 1/2-inch-wide strips of dough. Arrange in lattice design on top of pie, pressing ends down. Fold pastry overhang up over lattice ends and crimp decoratively. Brush lattice and crimped edges with the egg wash. Cut strips of aluminum foil 2 to 3 inches wide and about 30 inches long; cover edges of crust with foil.
8. Bake in a 425-degree oven 20 minutes; remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.
ITALIAN PLUM AND BLACKBERRY PIE
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Chilling time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 70 minutes
Yield: One 9-inch pie
This pie is topped with leaves cut from the dough, rather than a conventional top crust. The leaves are glazed and then sprinkled with sugar to catch the light. It comes from ”Fresh Fruit Desserts” by Sheryl and Mel London (Prentice Hall Press, $24.95).
Crust:
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces chilled cream cheese, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons whipping cream
Filling:
2 1/2 pounds Italian prune plums, pitted, quartered
1 cup blackberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons finely ground quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (yellow part only)
2 tablespoons gin, optional
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons each: fine, dry bread crumbs, finely ground almonds
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon whipping cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1. Prepare the pastry 1 hour in advance to permit proper chilling. Fifteen minutes prior to baking, adjust oven rack to lower third position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. For pastry, process flour, salt and sugar for 20 seconds in a food processor with the metal blade. Add cream cheese and butter; process until the texture of coarse crumbs. Trickle cream over all and process just until dough begins to form. Gather dough together and slam down on floured work surface to release any air bubbles. Wrap pastry in plastic or foil and chill for 1 hour. 3. For filling, toss plums, blackberries, sugar, tapioca, lemon rind, optional gin and butter in a large bowl and combine well. In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs and almonds; set aside.
4. Roll out a bit more than half the pastry and fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Press the edges with the tines of a fork and place in freezer until needed. Roll out the remaining pastry, about 1/8-inch thick and cut into leaf shapes with a small knife; cut vein patterns in leaves. Place leaves on baking sheet and refrigerate. Sprinkle mixture of bread crumbs and almonds into the frozen pastry. Spoon in fruit filling, mounding slightly toward center.
5. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and cream together to make a glaze. Using a pastry brush, glaze the rim of the pastry and attach leaves all around. Brush glaze over leaves and attach another row, working toward center. Overlap some of the leaves, leaving some spaces for steam to escape while baking. Brush the surface with the sugar.
6. Bake 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional hour or until pastry is golden and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Serve at room temperature.
SPICED RASPBERRY PIE
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Chilling time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 45 to 55 minutes
Yield: One 9-inch pie
Indulge yourself with the true taste of summer and try this raspberry pie, adapted from ”The New Basics Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman Publishing, $29.95). The crust is accented with cinnamon and orange rind and filled with fresh raspberries combined with framboise liqueur. Crust:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, salt
1 teaspoon grated orange rind (orange part only)
5 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3 tablespoons cold solid vegetable shortening, cut into 3 pieces
1/4 cup ice water
Filling:
1 quart raspberries, lightly rinsed, patted dry with paper towels
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup framboise, see note
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Egg wash:
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon milk
1. Arrange one oven rack to upper third position and a second rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. For crust, place flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, cinnamon, salt and orange rind in a food processor with the metal blade; process 20 seconds. Add butter and shortening; process until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. Add ice water through the feed tube with the motor running; process until dough starts to form. To prevent toughness, do not overprocess. Gather mixture together and pat into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. For filling, combine raspberries and sugar in a medium bowl. Combine framboise and cornstarch until smooth in a small bowl; mix in lemon juice and salt. Gently toss framboise mixture with the berries.
4. Roll out chilled dough on lightly floured board to form an 11-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; press gently into place without stretching dough. Trim edge leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, reserving trimmings. Add filling.
5. Collect dough trimmings and roll out 1/4-inch thick. Cut 1/2-inch-wide strips of dough. Arrange in lattice design on top of pie, pressing ends down. Fold pastry overhang up over lattice ends and crimp decoratively. Brush lattice and crimped edges with egg wash.
6. Place pie plate on baking sheet and bake in upper third of hot oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and transfer pie to lower rack;
cook until the crust is golden and berries are bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes longer. Cool on cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream, if desired.
Note: Framboise is a French brandy distilled from raspberries. You can substitute Chambord or cassis (black currant liqueur or syrup), if desired.
