Those Berry Crumb Pies

May
8

Before the wool and herbals retreat, I made and froze a number of pies, unbaked, to bake and serve easily after the suppers. I like to keep a few pies in the freezer all the time–it makes for an easy dessert when unexpected company arrives. Like when your son in the Navy walks in the back door without calling first.

A couple of yet unused frozen pies and the remains of the pies from the retreat:
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I can’t remember how many pies I baked during the three days of the retreat, but the pies were popular, along with homemade vanilla ice cream.

Fruit pies are easy to freeze and will keep in the freezer for a few months. As if they’ll languish in your freezer longer than that! No worries there…. Attendees at the retreat asked for the recipe and I explained that I make them based on my Dutch Apple Pie recipe, with a few modifications. Which I tried to explain, but I figure it would just be easier for everyone if I wrote it down! So here it is.

You can make these crumb pies with any type of berries–raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, whatever you have available, and you can also use cherries. I like the crumb topping, but you could just top with another layer of pastry if you prefer.

Start with homemade pastry for the crust.

Blackberry crumb pie:
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How to make Berry Crumb Pie:
pastry for 1 single-crust pie
4 cups berries or cherries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

Prepare the pastry and the berries/cherries. Toss fruit with the lemon juice then stir in the sugar and flour. Add filling to pastry-lined pie pan.

Topping:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter

Place the flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork. Sprinkle mixture on top of the pie filling.

Strawberry crumb pie:
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Bake at 375-degrees for 50-60 minutes or until browned. Don’t forget: Bake pies on the bottom shelf! This eliminates two problems. One, you don’t have to protect the edges of the crust from over-browning, and two, it guarantees your crust is baked through on the bottom.

If you’re preparing ahead and planning to freeze pies–freeze them unbaked (after adding the filling and topping). To bake a frozen pie, it’s best to not thaw it out before it goes in the oven. Preheat the oven then stick the pie in right from the freezer. If you let the pie thaw out first, the crust can become soggy. If it’s baked right away, it thaws then bakes so quickly, the crust has no time to become a soggy dough mess. Keep an eye on the pie at the end–it will need a bit of additional baking time to make up for starting out frozen.

I wish I’d taken at least one photo of some of these pies before serving so I’d have a prettier picture, but I was in a hurry, serving up supper and dessert!

I suppose I will have to finish off these leftovers by myself since Morgan doesn’t like pie….. IT’S A BURDEN.
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Comments

  1. ibpallets (Sharon B.) says:

    Thanks for the recipe- these pies were delicious and that ice-cream …..the best I’ve ever eaten!
    When you put the two together! Delicious awesomeness!

  2. Louise says:

    Yummy, I just bought fresh strawberries. I see a pie in my future. Now I just need some Glory Bee ice cream to top it off. 🙂

  3. cindyinohio says:

    Gee Suzanne – Maybe your Ohio mystery man would help you finish off those pies…?

  4. joykenn says:

    Such a burden to finish up such luscious looking pies! Are you SURE you didn’t suggest when she was younger that cakes with loads of frosting weren’t more delicious than pies just so there was more left over? 😉
    I absolutely adore pie (maybe its the Texas gal in me)and those look and sound delicious. Now you’ve got me thinking and wishing for pie you evil woman! (Its called an “earworm” when a song gets stuck in your memory. Is there a name for when a food gets stuck in your head and you absolutely MUST have some?)

  5. UlrikeDG says:

    Where did you get the pie container/lid thingies?

  6. Joell says:

    :happyflower: :happyflower: :happyflower:
    I have commented on this several times before, but Suzannes pie crust recipe is the best I have ever used, I have been baking pies for 60 plus years, I baked a pie for my neighbors yesterday and received a call last night and both of them said it was the best apple pie they had ever had, they raved about the crust, any filling will be good as long as the crust is outstanding, and this recipe is. I always have several keep several crust in our freezer, just like for dinner tonight we will have chicken pot pie using left over chicken using one of the crusts. The best—ever!

  7. Tina TP says:

    Rhubarb is up and growing here in the Pacific NW – That crumb topping makes an excellent topping for a strawberry rhubarb pie. It’s one of The Shepherd’s favorites. T.

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