Miss American Pie (aka Mixed Berry Pie)

Most years, the 4th of July comes and goes. It’s a fun day, but I don’t look forward to it like I do some other holidays (Thanksgiving, I’m looking at you). Sure there’s some barbecuing and a ton of red, white, and blue outfits, but I’ve never been July 4th’s biggest fan.

Until now. And it’s literally because of this mixed berry pie. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever made something more patriotic. Just LOOK at that beauty! So simple and yet so festive. It’s essentially like a fresh strawberry pie and a blueberry pie had a baby. What’s not to love?

You can bet that if you brought this to your 4th of July it would be the star of the table. I’m so excited about it that I’m going to make it again for actual July 4th. And then maybe one more time after that, because why not. Plus, store-bought pie crusts make things so easy. Of course, if you wanted to make your own you could. But holidays should be about stress-free entertaining, so a little store-bought crust is welcomed in my book.

Tips on making mixed berry pie

Blind bake the crust — Blind baking involves baking the crust initially on its own. This is important when making this blueberry and strawberry pie because is allows for the final product to have a crispier bottom crust, not gooey and still uncooked.

Sub flour for cornstarch, if needed — The cornstarch in the strawberry and blueberry fillings helps thicken things up as the berries release their juices in the oven. If you don’t have cornstarch on hand or are allergic, feel free to use all-purpose flour instead.

Use store-bought crusts — Guys, it’s the 4th of July. It’s hot out, and your family is in town. Just get a couple pie crusts from the store and enjoy the time you would have spent slaving over the perfect pie crust with your family instead. It’s okay to take shortcuts sometimes!

How to store mixed berry pie

This blueberry and fresh strawberry pie will keep on your counter for 3 to 4 days. Keep it loosely covered in foil, and enjoy straight from the pan! This mixed berry pie tastes phenomenal warmed up with a scoop of ice cream, I’m just saying…

On a more somber note, I hope that we can all take some time this weekend to think about our nation. Not to judge it for good or bad, rather to reflect what kind of society we live in, and to recognize the society we hope to have in the future. Happy birthday, America!

Miss American Pie

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

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Author: Sarah Fennel

Author: Sarah Fennel

Units:

Scale:

Author: Sarah Fennel

Ingredients

For the crust

2 store-bought pie crusts
whole milk, for brushing

For the strawberry filling

2 quarts strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the blueberry filling

1 pint blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Begin by blind-baking the pie crust. Blind baking is important in making any pie because it involves baking the crust initially on its own, allowing for the final product to have a crispier bottom crust, not gooey and still uncooked). To blind bake, grease a glass pie plate and set down the bottom pie crust. Starting from the middle and working your way out, pat down the crust so it lies flat on the plate. Using your fingertips, ruffle the edges to make it look pretty.
Use a fork to make 15-20 indentations in the bottom of the crust (this allows air to escape from the crust and prevents bubbles from forming). Now grease the inside of the crust and line it with a piece of aluminum foil.
Next, pour in dried rice or beans to line the aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove aluminum and rice and allow the crust to cool slightly while you prepare your filling.
In a large bowl, combine the strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and salt.
In a smaller bowl bowl, combine the blueberries with sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt.
Fold a piece of aluminum foil at a 90° angle to act as a barrier between your blueberries and strawberries. Pour the blueberries into the smaller wedge and the strawberries into the larger wedge. Carefully remove the aluminum and adjust the berries as needed.
Roll out your second pie crust. Using a pizza cutter and a ruler, cut three full length 1″ stripes and two half length 1″ stripes into your dough. Use the remaining dough to cut your stars (I used a sharp knife). Place the stars and stripes as seen in the picture, being sure to press the ends of the stripes into the blind-baked crust.
Brush the entire crust with whole milk, then bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before eating!