07/23/2007

Fruit pies sweeten taste of summer

By SUSAN LA TEMPA

and DONNA DEANE
Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times
Juicy nectarines and plump blackberries cavort merrily in a lattice-top pie. A pinch of black pepper adds an intriguing dark note to the crust.

As blueberries ripen in Maine, peaches blush in Georgia and olallieberries turn purple in Washington, a cook's thoughts fill with visions of summer fruit pies.

Thanks to the abundant fruit of orchard and bramble, pies we make at this time of year can be a glorious blend of flavors — honey-sweet apricots and winy cherries together under one flaky-crisp crust, a trio of berries thickened into a jam-like filling in another, the rich fruit flavors of nectarine and blackberries playing off each other in a third.

Some of our best-loved pies are single-ingredient classics, but there's great reason to mix and match: The more complex interplay of flavors in a two- or three-fruit filling is set off by the sweet flakiness of pie crust.

And you don't have to peel apricots. Or blanch nectarines before peeling. For baking, nectarines should be firm but not hard; they should give when pressed with your thumb.

Use less sugar and a smaller amount of thickening agent (such as tapioca) than called for in the past. With the wide availability of farmers market produce, it's best to use both sparingly and allow the true fruit flavors and textures to be enjoyed. Which is not to say these pretty pies are plain-Jane creations in any way. Well-chosen details give them originality and oomph.

A pinch of black pepper in the crust of a nectarine-blackberry pie adds a mysterious and intriguing dark note; vanilla bean enriches an apricot-cherry filling.

To bring the combination of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries to their full expression of flavor, add a little Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, the sweet peach-scented wine from the southern Rhone region of France. You could also use another sweet white wine such as Sauternes or Monbazillac.

A few notes on technique are helpful, even if you're an experienced pie maker. Use glass pans to make fruit pies; they won't react with the acid in the fruit. And chill the dough before rolling it out. If you've gotten distracted and left it in the fridge longer than an hour, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling it out.

Don't shy away from making lattice or cutout crusts — they're not hard to master and it's so rewarding to see the glowing colors of caramelized summer fruit revealed through the windows of golden brown crust.

Apricot-Cherry Pie

• 2&1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 c. plus 2 T. cold butter
• 1/2 t. white vinegar
• 1 egg yolk
• Scant 1/2 c. ice water
• 1&1/2 lbs. firm ripe apricots, pitted and quartered, about 4 cups
• 1&1/2 lb. cherries, pitted
• 1/2 large vanilla bean
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3 T. cornstarch
• 1&1/2 t. lemon juice
• 1 T. butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 T. Demerara sugar

Place the flour in a food processor with the salt and pulse to mix. Cut the 3/4 c. plus 2 T. butter into 1-inch chunks and add them to the flour. Pulse 4 to 6 times to break up the chunks of butter. Combine the vinegar and egg yolk in a measuring cup and add enough ice water to bring the volume up to 1/2 c. While pulsing, add the liquid in a steady stream until the flour looks crumbly and damp. You may not use all of the liquid (we used 1/4 c.). Between 25 and 30 pulses should be enough. Don't let the dough form a ball. The crumbs should adhere when you gather them in your hand. If not, add a few more drops of ice water. Divide the dough into two parts. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Alternatively, the dough can be made by hand. Combine the flour with the salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into 1-inch chunks and add them to the flour, using a fork, a pastry blender or your hands to break up the butter into the flour so the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine the vinegar and egg yolk in a measuring cup and add enough ice water to bring the volume to one-half cup. Drizzle the liquid, a few tablespoons at a time, over the mixture and stir with a fork until the flour looks crumbly and damp. Again, you may not use all of the liquid. Combine the dough with your hands to form a single ball. Divide the dough in half and cover each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, lightly toss together the apricots and cherries. Use the tip of a knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean onto the fruit and toss to coat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch and pour over the fruit. Toss to coat evenly. Stir in the lemon juice. Let stand while rolling out the dough.

Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin and carefully lift the dough onto a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Gently press the dough onto the bottom and sides of the pie plate, leaving the excess hanging over the edge.

Roll out the second round of dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Use a 1&3/4-inch round cutter to cut a circle out of the center of the dough. Using the same cutter, cut five other circles out of the dough around the large circle.

Fill the pie shell with the fruit and juices. Sprinkle over the remaining butter. Fold the second round of dough (with cut-outs) into quarters. Place the folded dough on top of the pie so that it is centered when you unfold it to cover the pie.

Pinch the edges of the dough together and fold the edges under to fit the pie plate. Pressing the rim of the dough between two fingers, flute the edges. Brush the crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with Demerara. Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. If the crust browns too quickly, loosely tent the top of the pie with foil. Let cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving: 509 calories; 7 g protein; 71 g carbohydrates; 4 g fiber; 23 g fat; 14 g saturated fat; 108 mg cholesterol; 160 mg sodium.

(Note: The recipe for the crust is from "Local Flavors” by Deborah Madison. You can substitute any large-crystal sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw, for Demerara.)

Nectarine-Berry Pie With Black Pepper Crust

• 2 c. flour
• 1 t. salt, divided
• 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 c. cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus 1 T. butter cut into 1/4-inch pieces, divided
• 4 T. ice water
• 10 nectarines (about 3 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 c. blackberries
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 T. cornstarch
• 1/4 c. corn syrup
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 T. Demerara sugar (see note)

Combine the flour, 3/4 t. salt and black pepper. Add the 2/3 c. of butter pieces and toss to coat. Use a pastry blender or your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the flour-butter mixture resembles coarse-ground meal with no large pieces of butter visible.

Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough holds together and forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, cut the dough in half and shape into 2 equal disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

In a large bowl, toss together the nectarines, blackberries and lemon juice. You should have about 4 c. of fruit. Let stand while rolling out the dough.

Heat the oven to 400° degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to stand 10 to 15 minutes. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Roll the dough around the rolling pin. Carefully lift the dough onto a 9-inch pie plate and gently press it into the bottom and up the sides, leaving excess dough hanging over the edge.

Roll out the second round of dough into a rectangle about 13 inches by 10 inches and 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into 8 strips about 1 inch wide.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch and remaining 1/4 t. salt. Pour the mixture over the fruit, stirring to coat. Then stir in the corn syrup. Fill the pie shell with the fruit and juices. Sprinkle over the remaining 1 T. of cut-up butter.

Lay half the strips of dough over the top of the pie. Lay the remaining strips of dough diagonally over the top of the first strips. Or weave the strips by laying 4 strips over the top of the pie. Fold the first and third strips back (about 3/4 of the way across the pie), then place a strip across the second and fourth strips. Unfold the first and third strips over the perpendicular strip. Fold the second and fourth strips back; add another strip across the first and third strips. Now unfold the second and fourth strips. Repeat with 2 more strips of dough, working your way across the pie.

Pinch the edges of the dough together and fold the edges under to fit the pie dish. Pressing the rim of the dough between two fingers, flute the edges.

Brush the crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for about 50 to 55 minutes until the pie is well-browned and bubbly. Let the pie cool to warm before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving: 444 calories; 7 g protein; 70 g carbohydrates; 6 g fiber; 17 g fat; 19 g saturated fat; 67 mg cholesterol; 315 mg sodium.

(Note: You can substitute any large-crystal sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw, for Demerara.)