Cherry and Strawberry Pie

Before Hurricane Isaac hit, I did a lot of baking.  We’re talking pies, cookies, and brownies like the Betty Crocker of south Louisiana (or, should I say, “Betty Crockoux”).  Something about the onset of fall always gets me baking, and I jump at any opportunity to share a pie with friends.

This variation of a classic Cherry Pie indulges my passion for strawberries by including 2 cups of south Louisiana strawberries in the filling.  The flavor produced by mixing late summer cherries with strawberries creates a new take on a classic cherry pie but with a complimenting sweetness made from seasonal produce.  Served in a simple all-butter crust, this cherry and strawberry filling gets all the support it needs with a peep-through lattice top.  The pie is simple and the crust is buttery, just right for any baking itch.

When making this pie, I took a cue from how Elise Bauer prepares her Cherry Pie (here) but only with the addition of sugar and corn starch.  I love the idea of macerating a fruit before it goes into the crust and I think this small, albeit important, step makes all the difference.

Serve pie warm with rich vanilla ice cream as a decadent dessert or room temperature with a great cup of Community Coffee.  A Cherry Pie with Strawberries may be one of the small pleasures of living in South Louisiana and a great dessert that can carry you through any tropical storm (thank goodness for leftovers!).

Cherry and Strawberry Pie

This recipe is (somewhat) adapted from Elise Bauer’s Cherry Pie recipe (here).  Although I followed the suggestions for sugaring the insides, I’ve cut down the cherries and added two cups of strawberries for a regional / seasonal flare.  The result is a sweet and flavorful pie more complex than what you would get with the addition of just one fruit.

Ingredients:

*1 serving all-butter pie crust

*3 cups red cherries, pitted

*2 cups strawberries, stemmed and halved

*1/2 cup sugar

*2 tablespoons lemon juice

*3 tablespoons corn starch

*1 egg, beaten

1.) Preheat oven to 425F.  Toss cherries and strawberries in sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch until well combined.  Cover and reserve for pie filling.

2.) On a well-floured surface, roll out half of the all-butter pie crust recipe and line the bottom of the pie pan.  Fill with fruit mixture and repeat with second layer of pie dough.

3.) Roll out second layer of pie crust and using a pastry wheel, cut 3/4-1-inch thick slices of dough for making the lattice top.*

*Chef’s Note: see this post for Peach Pie for more in-depth images and discussions of the pastry wheel.

4.) Create lattice-top crust: place 4 strips running left to right over the top of the filling and four strips running up and down on top.  If feeling fancy, weave every other strip under and over the following strips in the pattern pictured below.  For help with this technique, watch video here.  Finally, take extra dough and fill in any gaps with the pie crust by pressing excess dough into empty spots and meshing with existing crust (if you’re lucky, you’ll use all of your pie dough).

5.) Brush top of pie with 1 beaten egg and bake for 15 minutes at 425F.  Lower temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Remove pie from oven and cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.