Been to the Farmers’ Markets this weekend? Did you buy a bunch of berries? Time for a Mixed Berry Pie! Mixed Berry Pie is my favorite fruit pie. The orange zest sets this pie above all other berry pies, and the cornstarch-flour thickening is perfect.

The pie is great served slightly warm after dinner, with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream or a bit of whipped cream on the side and absolutely divine room temperature, with a cup of hot coffee on the side, for breakfast. Yes, breakfast.

I haven’t mastered pie crust yet, so use your favorite recipe, or that Pillsbury unroll and bake stuff which will enable you to get this pie in the oven in 20 minutes or less—please, don’t use Safeway Select or Trader Joe’s pie crust. They. Are. Icky.

Ready, set, goooooo! You’re going to knock the socks off your dinner guests!

Mixed Berry Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 1 double crust pastry
• 1 c. sugar
• 3 T. cornstarch
• 2 T. flour
• grated zest of 1 medium orange
• pinch of salt
• 6 c. mixed fresh berries*
• 1 T. cream or milk
• pinch of sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare pastry. Roll out half the pastry and line the bottom of a 9″ pie plate. Refrigerate the lined pie plate and the leftover pastry while you mix up the berries.
2. In a large bowl mix sugar, cornstarch, flour, orange zest and salt. Add berries and toss gently to coat each berry.
3. Pile berry mixture into pastry-lined pie plate.
4. Roll out second half of pastry. Cut slits in pastry. Lay pastry over berries and tuck into bottom pastry. Decoratively crimp and trim the top and bottom crust to seal together.
5. Brush top pastry with a bit of cream or milk. Sprinkle with a pinch of white sugar and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 375°.
7. Place pie on a baking sheet, and place in oven. Bake 50-60 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling. Cool completely on rack before serving—juices need to cool to thicken.

*The recipe originally came with these proportions:

• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 cups blackberries
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup quartered fresh strawberries

I wouldn’t use any more strawberries than 1 cup—they don’t hold up well—but the rest of the proportions are mix-and-matchable. Do what I do, buy one or two baskets of everything at the farmer’s market and what makes it home gets put in the pie 🙂

If you are a bit short of the required six cups of berries, peel and chop an apple or pear to add into the mixture.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today!