Rustic Mixed Berry Tart

It’s almost “Pi Day!” 3.14 happens on Saturday this year, and there’s no better day for making or eating pie than a weekend!

I’ve got a freezer full of berries from last year’s farm bounty. Blueberries, Marion Berries, Raspberries, and Gooseberries… Sometimes the purest in me likes a straight-up blackberry pie, or nostalgia reminds me of how my Grandpa Mac loved his gooseberry pie and I’ll feel the need to put one together, but for “Pi Day” this year, I’ll toss together a couple-three bags of whatever I grab from the freezer and make this rustic mixed berry tart.

I love the term “rustic” because it means I don’t even have to pretend I can make a pretty pie crust. I can’t, and moreover, I don’t want to! I leave that up to my talented baker friends who have time and passion I can’t muster for something that’s just going to be devoured by my tribe in minutes.

This is pretty in it’s own way however, and the sprinkling of raw sugar gives it a certain appeal that lattice work doesn’t hold… So grab some berries from your freezer (or the nearest frozen grocery aisle) and get to baking. Happy Pi Day!

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp. granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp. table salt

• 5-1/2 oz. (11 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cold, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 1 large egg yolk

• 3 Tbs. whole milk

For the filling:

• 4 - 5 cups mixed berries, your choice!

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

• 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 Tbs. raw sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

Make the dough:

• Place a large piece of parchment paper onto a somewhat heavy, rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, then add the butter and mix on low until mixture resembles coarse crumbs - about 2 minutes. (If mixing by hand, use a pastry cutter or two forks).

• In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and milk thoroughly, then add to flour mixture and beat, on low, until the dough begins to come together.

• Turn the dough out onto pastry mat, and knead gently until it has a slightly elastic consistency.

• Create a ball of dough, place onto a sheet of plastic wrap, press it into thick flat disc, wrap it, and place in refrigerator to rest for 20 minutes.

• Remove from the refrigerator and allow to warm slightly if too cool to handle. Place some flour onto the pastry mat, and roll into a 13-15 inch round.

• Transfer rolled dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Fill the tart:

• Pre-Heat oven to 350°.

• Toss the berry mixture with the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt n a large bowl. Add a little more sugar if using very tart berries.

• Dump the berry mix in the center of the rolled dough, and leave about a 2-3 inch border. Fold the border over the top of the fruit in a somewhat rustic manner, to prevent berries from spilling out during baking.

• Brush the dough evenly with the beaten egg and sprinkle sugar over the top of dough and fruit.

• Bake until golden brown - about 55 minutes - expect some juices to leak onto the baking sheet.

• Allow to cool on baking sheet or transfer to cooling rack. Slide onto a serving platter before slicing and serving. Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream is a delicious addition!

Happy Pi Day!

Ok, not exactly A pie, but then again, pie isn’t exactly pi, so let’s dispense with technicalities, and say it’s a wedge, from a circle, which is from whither pi derives. (You’ve caught on by now that no mathematician am I!)

What I offer you here, my pi and pie loving friends, are hand pies. No more mess, or (in my house) arguments over whether someone is dipping inside the un-cut portion of the pie to pull out more filling than they deserve.

These are flakey, buttery, fruit-filled, wedge shaped, hand-held treats of deliciousness!

Ingredients:

BLACKBERRY FILLING:

• 2 cups of cleaned blackberries, fresh or frozen

• 1/2 cup of sugar

• 2 Tablespoons of corn starch

• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

PASTRY CRUST:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 Tablespoon sugar

• 1/2 tablespoon Salt

• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 1 egg lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons of water

LEMON GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 3-4 Tablespoons of cream (half and half or milk will do)

• 3-4 Tablespoons of lemon juice

• Zest of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. In a medium sized saucepan, combine blackberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until well combined and blackberries are hot and releasing juices.

2. Crush blackberries in the saucepan with a potato masher.

3. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil by increasing heat to medium-high. Boil and stir for approximately 3 minutes, then remove from heat.

4. Add vanilla extract, and continue to stir until saucepan has cooled enough that mixture will not burn.

5. Set aside.

PASTRY CRUST:

1. Pulse flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor, or mix well in a large bowl.

2. Add chopped, cold butter and continue to pulse until coarse crumbs form - or use pastry knife.

3. Turn dough out onto clean, floured surface and dust with a little more flour.

4. Kneed, adding a little flour if needed, or scant cold water, until smooth and no longer sticky.

5. Flatten the dough, then fold, flatten, fold, several times - this creates the desired “flakiness.”

6. Divide the dough in half, roll into balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

7. Turn cooled dough onto a clean, floured surface, and use a rolling pin to roll each ball into an 8” circle.

8. Place one circle on top the other, then use a pizza cutter to cut into 8 double layer pie wedges.

9. Working with a top and bottom pastry layer at a time, separate, brush the edges of each with egg/water mixture, place 1-2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of the bottom layer, then cover with the matching top layer of pastry.

10. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal and place on parchment covered backing sheet.

11. Repeat for all 8 wedges.

12. Brush tops with remaining egg/water mixture

13. Back at 400 degrees for approx 20 minutes, until edges begin to turn golden brown.

14. Cool completely

LEMON GLAZE

1. In medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

2. Drizzle over cooled hand pies.

3. Let the glaze set (15-30 minutes) before serving.

Notes:

Make filling and dough a day ahead and refrigerate. This breaks the process up, and helps things to move along more quickly the day of assembly and baking (especially if you have little helpers, like I usually do!)