Mile-High Summer Berry Pie

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 3 hr (plus 1 hr chilling)
  • Active: 50 min
  • Yield: 8 to 10 servings
What makes this pie unique is that the filling is made up of uncooked berries, rather than berries that have been cooked until hot and bubbly. This pie uses a blend of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, but feel free to use only one berry or even add sliced strawberries inside yours!

Ingredients

For the Crust:

For the Filling:

For the Topping:

Directions

  1. Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor. Add about one-third of the butter; process until incorporated. Pulse in the remaining butter until coarse crumbs form, 5 or 6 pulses. Add the vodka or vinegar, then pour in the ice water, pulsing quickly as you pour. Pinch the dough; it should just hold together. If it’s too crumbly, quickly pulse in up to 2 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough, then flatten into a disk. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold in the edges and crimp. Refrigerate the crust at least 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges of the crust are just golden and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is a deep golden brown all over, about 20 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  4. Make the filling: Mash 1 cup of the berries in a small bowl with a large fork. Place the remaining berries in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the water until smooth, then stir in the mashed berries. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, the cornstarch becomes opaque and the sauce turns a deep berry color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl of whole berries; fold the liquid and the berries together with a rubber spatula to evenly coat. Spoon the berry filling into the cooled pie crust in an even layer. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour.
  5. Make the topping: Beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the sour cream and beat until stiff again, about 2 more minutes. Mound the whipped cream on top of the pie; use the back of a spoon to make swoops and peaks. Slice and serve, or refrigerate for up to 1 day.