Fourth of July Pie

Fourth of July Pie:

Ingredients:

• 2 Pie Crust Doughs
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (35g) cornstarch
• 1 cup (100g) blueberries (Half of a pint container)
• 1 cup (100g) blackberries (Small blackberry container)
• 4 cups (300g) chopped strawberries (Almost the entire large 2lbs strawberry container)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, divided
• egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
• optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir the granulated sugar and cornstarch together. In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries and blackberries together. In a large bowl, place chopped strawberries and stir 1/4 cup of cornstarch mixture into blueberries/blackberries. Stir remaining cornstarch mixture into strawberries. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract to each fruit mixture. Place in the refrigerator for a few moments as you roll out the crust.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
3. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Fold the aluminum foil several times to form a 2-inch wide strip. Place into crust, dividing it into 1/3 and 2/3 sections as pictured above.
4. Spoon strawberry filling into large section, leaving any excess liquid in the bowl (you don’t want that in the filling– discard it). Spoon blueberry filling into smaller section. Again, discarding the excess liquid. Place the pie in the refrigerator until top design is ready.
1. Design the flag: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 4 strips that are 2 inches wide and 6 inches long. Using your star cookie cutter, cut 12-14 stars. Re-roll any dough scraps if needed. Remove the pie from the refrigerator, remove aluminum foil strip, and add top decor to pie. Stars over the blueberries; strips over the strawberries to form an American flag design. Use a small knife to trim off excess dough on the sides. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges.
2. Lightly brush the pie crust (stars, stripes and edges) with the egg wash mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
3. Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
4. Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.