Author: Susan Murray, www.awomancooksinasheville.com
Ingredients
2pastry crustssee note
For the Filling
5-6cmixed berries
¼csugar
¼clight brown sugar
3tbsptapioca pearls
½tspcinnamon
¼tspnutmeg
¼tspsalt
Zest of one lemon
1tspvanilla extract
1tbsplemon juice
1tbspwater
For the Crumble
½ccold butter
1cbrown sugar
¾cflour
¾coatmeal
½tspcinnamon
¼tspsalt
½ccoarsely chopped freeze-dried strawberries.
To Finish
1eggwell beaten
1-2tbspDemerara sugar
Instructions
Make the pastry according to the instructions (found here) Let rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the filling.
Place the fruits in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the sugars, tapioca, spices and lemon zest. Add this to the fruits and toss lightly until the fruit is mixed and covered with the dry ingredients. Add the lemon juice, water and vanilla and toss lightly again. Set aside until the juices have started to appear and the tapioca is softened (about 15 minutes).
Prepare the crumble mixture.
Cut the cold butter into small chunks. In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the mixture until it looks like sand. Alternatively, you can pulse it once or twice in a food processor. Stir in the coarsely chopped freeze-dried strawberries.
Assemble the pie.
Roll out the pastry into two large, ragged circles. It should be large enough so that it hangs over the edges of the pie tin. Place one crust in each of two pie tins. (See Note).
Divide the filling between each of the pie tins, scrapping out any juices lingering in the bowl.
Top with a generous layer of crumble mixture.
Carefully fold the edges of the pastry up over the filling. Brush the pastry with egg and then sprinkle well with Demerara Sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees then lower the oven temperature to 350 and bake for a further 30-35 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbling up through the crumble.
Recipe Notes
Notes:
This makes two small pies or one large deep dish pie.
Other fruits may be used in season. You will need 5-6 cups of fruit.
Freeze-dried strawberries work best in this recipe