Star Spangled Berry Pie Recipe

How to make it

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• In a food processor, pulse together Crisco, flour, and salt.
• Add icewater and pulse just until dough gathers from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.
• You may need to add a bit more water; don't overprocess.
• Gather dough into two balls.
• Wrap them individually in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. (You may freeze them up to six weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)
• Heat oven to 350°.
• Dust a work surface with flour.
• Roll one dough ball out to an even round about 13 inches in diameter (for a 9-inch pie pan), one-eighth inch thick.
• Fold dough in half and lay it on top of a rolling pin.
• Lift gently and position it over pie pan.
• Unfold and ease dough into the pan without stretching it; cover the rim evenly.
• Press dough gently against the sides and bottom.
• Trim the overhang to 1 inch.
• Tuck the dough overhang under itself and flute the edges.
• Lay parchment or foil into the pan, and place a layer of pie weights or dry beans on top.
• Bake 20 minutes; then take it out and let piecrust cool.
• Remove weights/beans.
• Into a double boiler over simmering water, break chocolate into 2-inch pieces.
• Stir just until chocolate melts; don't let it boil.
• Spoon about 3 tablespoons melted chocolate onto bottom of piecrust, to keep it from getting soggy
• . Reserve the rest of the chocolate.
• Sort 1 pint raspberries, picking out the finest, firmest, largest ones.
• Place a 3-inch biscuit cutter into the center of the pie crust.
• Arrange raspberries, tips up, around the outer circle.
• Place remaining raspberries into small saucepan over medium heat.
• Add 5 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon tap water.
• Add more sugar to taste if you like.
• Mash berries; stir and mash occasionally until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Strain to remove seeds.
• Whisk 1 teaspoon tap water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and whisk into raspberry sauce.
• Let cool slightly, then pour over arranged raspberries in piecrust.
• Sort blueberries.
• Fill center ring with the best and biggest.
• Refrigerate the pie.
• Place 1 pint remaining blueberries over medium heat.
• Add 5 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon tap water until berries are bubbling and thickening.
• Whisk 1 teaspoon tap water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and whisk into blueberry sauce.
• Let cool.
• When raspberries in piecrust have cooled, pour blueberry sauce over fresh blueberries in center of pie.
• When sauce has set a bit (about 15 minutes), remove the ring.
• Chill to set, about 40 minutes.
• Decorate pie with White Chocolate Stars.
• Moisten backs of stars lightly to adhere.
• White Chocolate Stars
• Helene uses a marble rolling pin to roll out the chocolate; it sets up fast and you'll want to work quickly.
• Have ready two or three different sizes of star-shaped cookie cutters, wax paper, two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat, a chilled rolling pin, and a sharp knife.
• Reheat double boiler to melt reserved chocolate, but don't let it boil.
• Tape parchment or Silpat to a cookie sheet.
• Place another sheet of parchment or Silpat on top of the melted chocolate.
• Freeze five minutes, then remove.
• Using a cold rolling pin, roll chocolate into a thin layer, one-eighth inch thick.
• Peel away the top layer of parchment or Silpat and cut out one star at a time with a sharp knife. (Be sure edges are cut through.) If the chocolate hardens too much to cut, reheat it in a 200-degree oven for a minute or so.
• Place stars on a second lined baking sheet.
• Make a half dozen or so (or whatever suits your idea of a patriotic pattern).