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very berry pie
Adapted from the Scandinavian Berry Pie recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts, this berry pie has been a staple at my Thanksgiving feasts since my sister-in-law made it for us a few years back. This is a very purty pie; the golden lattice crust contrasts strikingly with the reddish-purple berry filling that peeks through. The original recipe calls for cranberries and blueberries; unable to find blueberries here in the UK last November, I substituted with a frozen mixture that included a hodge-podge of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and a few token blueberries. The results were just as tasty as always. The unusual crust, which uses sour cream or yogurt, makes for a very tender, almost airy crust whose slight tang pairs perfectly with the berry filling. And speaking of perfect pairs, don't even think about serving this pie without good vanilla ice cream: the sweet cream flavor provides a delicious balance to the tart berries.

ingredients
filling
12 oz. bag of cranberries, fresh or frozen
4 cups of berries (blueberries only, or a mixture of whatever berries you like -- the key is to make sure you have some sweetness here to balance the tartness of the cranberries … all raspberries, for instance, would likely be too sour)
1 Tbsp. freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

crust
2-1/2 cups of flour, plus another ¼ cup for dusting
2 tsps. baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
1 cup sour cream or yogurt

topping
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Toss the filling ingredients in a big pot, and place over high heat on your stove. Cook, stirring very frequently, until the mixture comes to a gurgly bubble and is good and thick. This can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending upon whether you're working with fresh or frozen berries. Set the mixture aside to cool, and don't be alarmed if you hear some popping continue (this is the sound of the cranberries bursting, and it's fine).
2 Meanwhile, start prepping the crust. Place 2 ½ cups of flour and the baking powder in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Cut up the butter into ¼" cubes; put half back in the fridge. Cut or rub the other half into the flour using two knives, a pastry blender, or (my personal method) your fingers. Work quickly until the mixture just resembles coarse cornmeal. Now get the remaining butter out of the fridge and very rapidly work it into the flour, this time making sure to leave a few pea-sized chunks.

sidle along: the recipe continues!

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