Though flag cake gets a lot of the love, we’ve been known to insist that pies are better than cake. So, whenever you’re feeling patriotic, bake up a pie in the design of the stars and stripes.
Think about it: Everything about the flag pie is incredible. It’s unique, it gives picky eaters two choices in one pastry, and it uses fresh summertime fruits. It’s also a slightly lighter dessert than cake, which can easily weigh your guests down with buttercream, chocolate, and cream.
So, this summer, bake up a flag pie. For this recipe, I’m using my all-time favorite basic pie crust recipe (my mom’s) and three of my favorite summer fruits. So turn on the patriotic music and your oven and get ready to bake!
Think about it: Everything about the flag pie is incredible. It’s unique, it gives picky eaters two choices in one pastry, and it uses fresh summertime fruits. It’s also a slightly lighter dessert than cake, which can easily weigh your guests down with buttercream, chocolate, and cream.
So, this summer, bake up a flag pie. For this recipe, I’m using my all-time favorite basic pie crust recipe (my mom’s) and three of my favorite summer fruits. So turn on the patriotic music and your oven and get ready to bake!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 2/3 Cups vegetable shortening, ideally Crisco
- 6 –10 tablespoons ice-cold water
- Flour, for rolling the pie dough
For the filling and baking the pie:
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 1/3 Cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Cup blueberries
- 2 1/2 Cups strawberries, chopped
- 2 Cups cherries, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 Teaspoon almond extract, divided
- 2 Teaspoons lemon juice, divided
- Aluminum foil
Directions
For the crust:
- Stir together the flour and salt.
- Cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat until all is moistened.
- Bring dough together into two balls (one slightly larger than the other), handling as little as possible with your hands.
- On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands.
- For the bottom crust, roll the larger dough ball from center to edge, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
- Ease pastry into a 9-inch pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry.
- Trim pastry and shape edges.
- For the stars and stripes, roll the smaller dough ball from center to edge, to the same thickness as the pastry bottom.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut six 1-inch strips for the stripes.
- Using a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut 10 stars.
For the filling and baking the pie:
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In one bowl, add the sugar and cornstarch and stir together.
- In a separate bowl, add the blueberries.
- In a third bowl, combine the strawberries and cherries together.
- Stir 1/4 cup of cornstarch mixture into blueberries.
- Stir the rest of the cornstarch mixture into strawberries and cherries.
- Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract to each fruit mixture.
- Fold aluminum foil into a 2-inch wide strip, then bend in the center at a right angle. Place it in to the bottom crust, dividing pie into two sections — one equal to one-quarter and the other three-quarters.
- Add the strawberry and cherry filling into the larger section of the pie, discarding extra liquid. Fill the smaller divide with the blueberry filling, similarly discarding any extra liquid.
- Remove the foil.
- To design the flag, place the stripes over the strawberry section and the stars over the blueberries. Trim as necessary.
- Place the pie in the oven. Bake 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Bake an additional 30–40 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling.
- Allow pie to cool completely before serving.
See more at: The Daily Meal
