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Fresh fruit pies, a summer delight

U-pick or from the farm stand, fresh fruits abound. Peaches, berries, plums, I can’t get enough. And though I like to eat fruit in its original form, I find that baked in a pie is a delight of summer.

Encased in flaky crust, homemade or store-bought, the sweetened fruit filling thickens and bubbles over. Warm pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on top is heaven on a plate.

For a pie that’s a little bit different try fresh strawberry pie with pretzel crust, a deliciously cool combination of sweet and salty.

Ginger Crunch

Peach Pie

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1 T. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

4 cups peeled sliced fresh peaches

Ginger Topping:

1 cup crushed gingersnaps

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

Spiced Honey Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

2 T. honey

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions: In medium bowl combine sugar, flour, and nutmeg. Add peaches and toss to coat. Spoon evenly into unbaked pie shell. Cover edge with foil. Bake in preheated 375-degree F. oven 30 minutes.

While pie is baking, prepare ginger topping by combining all ingredients in medium bowl. Remove foil from pie and sprinkle topping over top of peaches. Continue to bake 15 minutes longer until topping is lightly browned and peaches are tender.

Prepare whipped cream. Beat cream in medium bowl of electric mixer till soft peaks form. Add honey and cinnamon and continue to beat till firm peaks form. Refrigerate till ready to serve. Makes 1 2/3 cups.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 T. cornstarch

2 pints fresh blueberries

1 T. butter

Sugar for topping

Directions: Line 9-inch pie plate with one of the crusts. Trim edge to 1/2-inch beyond rim of plate.

Combine 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in bowl. Add blueberries and toss to coat. Arrange blueberry mixture in pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter.

Cover filling with remaining crust and trim edge to 1-inch beyond rim of plate. Fold top crust under lower crust and form a ridge. Flute edge. With a sharp knife cut slits in top crust to vent. Sprinkle crust with sugar.

Bake in preheated 425-degree F. oven 40 minutes, or till crust is golden brown. Cool on rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Serves 6 to 8.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Pretzel Crust

Pretzel Crust:

2 1/2 cups pretzel sticks

2 T. dark brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 T. cornstarch

1 cup water

1/2 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin (3 T.)

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Whipped Cream, for garnish

Directions for crust: Process pretzels in food processor to 1 1/4 cups fine crumbs. Add sugar; pulse 3 times till blended. With processor running, pour butter through food chute. Process just till blended.

Press crumb mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven 10 to 12 minutes or till lightly browned. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely (about 30 minutes.)

For filling: In small saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil 1 minute or till thickened. Remove from heat and add gelatin, whisking till dissolved. Cool 15 minutes.

In large bowl, toss together strawberries and gelatin mixture. Spoon into the prepared crust. Cover loosely and chill 3 hours or till set. Serve with whipped cream. Serves 8.

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