Here it is, the pie I made earlier this week with apples picked at Heidi and Jason’s Wondrous, Magical Wedding in Santa Cruz.  I ended up taking this pie to my office after I photographed it, and you can see what happened to it by scrolling all the way to the bottom of this post.

Make the Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 cup bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4.5 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Chill the butter cubes and dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) in the freezer for 20 minutes before you begin.

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Pulse a few times until mixed. Add the cold cream cheese cubes and process until the mixture resembles meal.  Add the frozen butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas.  Add the water and vinegar, pulse again until incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a large freezer bag and press it together with your hands until it forms a dough.  Leave the dough in the bag and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.

Prepare the Apple Filling:

2 1/2 pounds crisp, flavorful apples (Jonathon, Fuji, or Granny Smith are good ones)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon corn starch

Peel and core the apples, then slice them 1/8 inch thick. Toss them in a large bowl with the lemon juice, sugars, nutmeg and salt.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to three hours.  Strain the macerated apples using a collandar suspended over a bowl; you should collect at least 1/2 cup of juices.  Transfer the drained apples back to the large bowl and toss with the corn starch until all traces of the starch have disappeared.  Set the apples aside.

Transfer the juices to a small saucepan and cook on the stovetop over medium heat with the butter.  Bring to a boil and reduce by half.  The juices will be concentrated and syrupy.  Pour the concentrated juices over the apples.  If the syrup hardens on contact with the apples, do not worry.  It will soften again during baking.

Assemble the pie:

Prepared pie dough
Prepared apples
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup apricot preserves, melted and strained

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Remove the chilled pie dough from the refrigerator.  Roll two thirds of it into a 12-inch disc on a lightly floured nonstick surface.  Trim the edges so it’s a (near) perfect circle, reserving any scraps.  Carefully transfer the disc to a 9-inch pie plate, tuck the edges under, and crimp the edge gently with your fingertips.  The edge should exceed the rim of pie plate by about 1/2 inch.  Refrigerate while you make the decorative leaves.

Roll the remaining dough (scraps and remaining 1/3 of the original recipe) into another, smaller disc.  Use a cookie cutter to cut leaves that will decorate the rim of the pie.  (Alternatively, you can cut them out by hand.) Use a paring knife to gently press “veins” into the leaves. Place them on a platter lined with parchment or waxed paper and transfer them to the refrigerator.

Remove the chilled bottom crust from the refrigerator and line with parchment paper, then fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice.  (Pie weights help to ensure that an empty crust does not shrink or slide down the sides of the pie plate during baking.)  Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the pie weights and parchment.  Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork three or four times, then continue to bake 3-5 minutes more, until the crust is a light golden brown.  Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool.  Brush with 1/2 egg white, lightly beaten.

Arrange the apple slices in the bottom crust in overlapping, concentric circles, working from the outside in until all slices have been used.  Pour any remaining juices over the apples.  Dot the apples with the unsalted butter.  Arrange the chilled “leaves” around the perimeter of the pie, adhering them to the bottom crust with drops of water.  Place the assembled pie in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to allow the pastry to rest.  (This will maintain flakiness.) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F.

Remove the pie from the refrigerator and use a pastry brush to brush the pastry leaves and any exposed crust with the lightly beaten egg.  Bake the pie for 15 minutes uncovered, then cover it loosely with tinfoil.  Cut 2-3 vents in the tin foil to allow steam to escape.  Bake for another 45-50 minutes, or until the apples are tender but not too soft and the crust is golden brown.  Cool slightly, then brush the apples with the melted preserves.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  (With vanilla ice cream of course!)  Put it on the kitchen table at your office, and this is what it should look like in about 15 minutes flat:

Figs and raspberries are still on the shelves here in Northern California (not at their cheapest) but I realize they’re already gone in most of the rest of the country.  So bookmark this recipe for next fall.  You’ll love it.

Make the Poppy Seed Crust

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unblanched almonds, lightly toasted and cooled
1/4 cup poppy seeds, lightly toasted and cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar (divided)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of finely grated lemon zest
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Whisk the eggs together with the vanilla in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Put the almonds, poppy seeds, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Pulse until the almonds are very finely chopped, but not oily.  Transfer the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the remaining sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and lemon zest.  Mix on low for 10 seconds, just to combine.

Keeping the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the eggs and vanilla mixture, mixing just until incorporated.

Turn the dough onto a smooth work surface dusted with flour and knead gently two or three times until it holds together.  Separate into two slightly uneven halves, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow the dough to rest.

Make the Fig-Raspberry Filling

3/4 cup fresh figs, quartered
3/4 lb fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
fresh lemon juice to taste

Place half of the figs and half of the raspberries in a medium saucepan and stir in the sugars, flour, zest, and butter.  Bring the mixture to a soft boil over medium heat, stirring often to prevent the fruit from burning.  Once the mixture is thickened (about 8 minutes), transfer the cooked fruit to a large bowl and stir in the uncooked fruit.  Add more lemon juice to taste, if needed.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Remove the dough rounds from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.  Roll the smaller half into an 11-inch round and press into the bottom of a 9-inch fluted tart pan.  Don’t fret if the dough breaks; you can patch it with scraps and no one will ever know the difference.  Pinch the excess dough up around the edge of the tart pan, as you’ll have a bit of shrinkage during baking.

Pour the cooled fruit filling into the dough-lined tart pan.  Refrigerate while you roll out the larger dough round.

Roll out the remaining dough into a 10-inch circle.  Using a fluted pastry wheel, slice the round into strips.  Remove the chilled tart from the refrigerator and arrange the strips over the top of the fruit in a lattice pattern.  For a “quick” lattice: Place one strip vertically along the edge of the tart, then another across the top, farthest away from you.  Brush the strips with egg wash (1 yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water) and repeat, laying strips vertically and horizontally in an alternating pattern and brushing them with egg wash after each strip until the tart is covered.  Refrigerate the entire tart for at least 30 minutes, covered loosely in plastic wrap.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Remove tart from the refrigerator and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  Place on the middle rack, setting a greased cookie sheet underneath to catch fruit drippings.  Bake for 45 minutes until the fruit is thick and bubbling and the crust is golden brown.  Cool until slightly warmer than room temperature.

Serve with good-quality ginger or vanilla ice cream.

But what I really love is blueberry pie.  Blueberries don’t grow here; they’re an East Coast treat.  And as far as I can tell, East Coasters take them for granted the same way we take for granted our blackberries, always trying to hack them back and keep them out of their yards.  What a shame!

Luckily, you can buy blueberries at the grocery store, and this time of year they’re so sweet and fresh, they almost taste like you picked them yourself.  They’re lovely on their own, of course, but I think homemade pie is where they really belong.  There’s just something about a flaky, buttery crust, a bit of sugar and a  squeeze of fresh lemon juice that puts them at their best.

RECIPE:

My recipe for blueberry pie is the same recipe I use for most fruit pies: 4 cups berries or sliced fresh fruit, 1/2 cup of sugar (more or less depending upon the ripeness and natural sugar content of the fruit), 3 tablespoons of corn starch, and the juice and zest of one lemon.  This recipe works well with blackberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, and nectarines, or any combination of those.  If you’re using stone fruit, don’t forget to remove the skin before slicing.

Start with one recipe for pie crust. Then make the filling: Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch, stir gently into the berries or sliced fruit, and add the zest and juice to the fruit/sugar mixture.  Stir until all of the sugar mixture is moistened by the lemon juice.  Press the bottom crust into a pie plate, pour the fruit mixture into the crust, and cover with a lattice or plain top crust.  Brush with egg wash (one egg beaten gently with 1 tablespoon of water) and bake for about 45 minutes at 375 F, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

I made blueberry pie last weekend and photographed it for you, of course.

Oh — and then the exciting news!  I made another pie a few days later and filmed the whole thing (well, I didn’t film it, my friend Olivier did)  including a demonstration of how to make the lattice pattern with the top crust.  The video–the first in a series for my blog–will be posted soon.   Stay tuned for that.

The aroma was so intoxicating on Friday morning–it’s August now and the berries are so ripe they’re nearly fermenting on the vine–that I had to take the afternoon off from work and make a pie.

I think I covered the topic of how to prepare the dough for pie crust pretty thoroughly in Friday’s post. Today, I’ll show you how to roll out the dough and assemble the finished pie.

Equipment:

• 9 inch pie plate
• rolling pin
• large counter area for rolling the dough
• nonstick silicone baking mat, if you have one
• flour for dusting

Remove one of the chilled dough discs from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for about ten minutes. Prepare your work surface by dusting it with flour. Have a good rolling pin handy, and dust it with flour, too. As you’ll see in the photos, I use a silicone baking mat (the best ones are made by Silpat, but I’m using a knockoff) which is pre-marked with circle measurments. This makes rolling and trimming the dough pretty fool-proof, and cleanup is a snap.

Roll the dough disc into a twelve inch circle. As you roll, pick the dough up and rotate it on your floured work surface to keep it from sticking. Dust the surface with additional flour as you work if necessary, but don’t over do it: too much flour will make the dough tough.

Trim the edges of the circle with a paring knife so the circle is symmetric and evenly-edged.

Here comes the trick no professional pastry chef will ever share with you: To transfer the dough circle into your pie plate, fold it into quarters, as pictured. It’s easier to pick up this way, and you’ll avoid tearing it. Place it in the pie plate, then unfold. Gently press the dough into the plate, eliminating any air gaps between the crust and the plate. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Prepare the blackberry filling:

• 4 cups blackberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
• finely grated zest of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Wash, dry, and pick over the blackberries. Be careful to remove all stems, leaves and withered blossoms. And bugs!

Combine the sugar and corn starch in a bowl, whisk to combine. Add the lemon zest, juice, and berries, tossing gently until the berries are coated with the sugary syrup and the dry ingredients are completely absorbed. Pour into the refrigerated pie shell.

Roll out the top crust:

Follow the same steps as with the first piece of dough, only your top crust need only be about 10 inches in diameter. Trim away any excess and save for future use. Use the “fold in quarters” trick to transfer your dough from your work surface to your pie, then unfold carefully over the filling.

Press the edges of the top and bottom crusts together, then crimp with a fork. Cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape as the fruit cooks. Cover the finished pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour to chill the dough: this will help the crust retain its shape and flakiness during baking. Alternatively, you can freeze the finished pie at this point, for up to a month. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. Remove the pie from the fridge and brush the top with egg wash (1 egg beaten lightly with 1 tablespoon water), then sprinkle with a spoonful of turbinado sugar. The egg wash gives the crust a golden, shiny finish and the turbinado sugar adds a sweet crunch.

Bake in the pre-heated 450 F oven for 30-40 minutes, until the juices are bubbling thickly through the slits. (Note: If you’re baking a frozen pie, do not defrost before baking. Just add about 10 minutes baking time.) Allow to cool at least two hours before serving.

Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

I make this recipe a couple of times each summer, so I always have pie crust ready to use in the freezer. I have a habit of buying too much fruit at the farmers markets, but with pie crust on hand it never goes to waste. I can throw a fruit pie together in no time.

This recipe is the one to use for blackberry pie and blueberry pie.

Pie Crust
(Makes crust for one 9-inch double-crusted pie.)

• 3 sticks of butter, cold (1.5 cups)
• 3.75 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

Cut the butter into pea-sized cubes, using the following method: Slice each stick of butter into fourths length-wise, then rotate the butter 1/4 turn and cut into fourths length-wise again, then slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices cross-wise starting from one end. Transfer cubes onto a plate and freeze for 10 minutes to chill. (Here are my butter cubes, right, chillin’ on a plate in my freezer drawer.)

In a very large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and sugar thoroughly with a whisk. Remove the butter cubes from the freezer and mix them into the flour by hand, letting the flour coat each cube and being careful not to mash the cubes or cream them into the flour. The cubes should remain as individual pieces in the flour, retaining their shape.

Whisk the eggs gently in a medium bowl. Pour about half of the ice water into the eggs and stir with a fork. With your hand or a spoon, make a hole in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the egg mixture into the hole. With both hands, work the egg mixture into the flour mixture, still being careful not to over-work the dough or mash the butter pieces. Add more water as needed until the dough is crumbly but holds together when pinched.

Pour the crumbly dough onto a work surface, working in batches if necessary. A silicone baking mat (such as Silpat) works well for this — it’s nonstick and makes cleanup easy. Press the dough together with your hands, forming the dough into two equally sized mounds.

Press each piece of dough into a flattened disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for later use, or freeze for up to two months. (Thaw overnight in the refrigerator when ready to use.)

Let each disc sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before attempting to roll it.

A note about working with butter: It may seem counter-intuitive not to blend the butter thoroughly into the dough. Indeed, plenty of novice bakers make the mistake of kneading their pie dough like bread dough, only to end up with a finished crust that is tough and flat. Why do we want whole chunks of butter in our pie dough? Here’s a bit of food chemistry for you: The whole pieces of butter get encased in the dough, surrounded by gooey flour. In the oven, the butter melts and releases a bit of water. The water turns to steam which tries to escape, creating hundreds of tiny air pockets in the dough. These steam-created air pockets are exactly what give good pie crust its flaky, layered texture.

If you look closely, you’ll see in the picture above that the finished dough is still marbled with unbroken chunks of butter. I wasn’t being lazy–this is the desired effect.

A note about measuring flour: In baking, measuring by weight is the most accurate method. I use a simple kitchen scale, which measures to 1/10 of an ounce and cost about $14 at a home housewares store. If you don’t have a scale, measure dry ingredients by the scant cup, spooning gently into the measuring cup and leveling off with a knife. Consider this: A tightly packed cup of flour can weigh up to 7 ounces, while a properly filled cup should weigh no more than 4.5. That adds up to a pretty big margin of error in any pastry recipe.