Summer Berry Star-Spangled Pie (Blackberry, Strawberry, Blueberry)

Recipe by Karri Perry, Cincinnati, Ohio
First place, Baked Pie (Berry Pie), 2017

Baking temperature: 375 degrees
Baking time: 60 minutes
Yield: 1 pie, 8-12 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 8 T cold unsalted butter
• 2 T cold lard
• 2 T cold Crisco
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 1 t salt
• ¼ c water and vodka mixed and chilled

Filling:

• 2 c fresh blackberries
• 1 c fresh blueberries
• 2 c fresh cleaned and sliced strawberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ t lemon zest
• 1/8 t cinnamon
• ¼ c plus 2 t instant clear gel

Instructions

For Crust:

• In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt
• Add cold butter, Crisco and lard. Pulse until mixture is like sand
• Slowly drizzle the cold water/vodka mixture into flour mixture
• Once dough comes together, chill dough well covered for 1 hour- up to 24 hours
• After chilling dough, roll to ¼ inch thickness and fill pie plate. Use extra dough to cut out creative star shapes to cover pie or roll out a top crust. Chill dough in prepared pie plate while working on the pie

For Filling:

• Place fresh cleaned berries (blackberries, strawberries and blueberries) in a medium bowl and set aside
• In a small bowl combine sugar, cinnamon, zest and clear gel. Mix well.
• Pour sugar mixture over the prepared fruit
• Fill pie shell with the fruit mixture
• Lay pie crust cut-outs on top of pie or add a full top crust. Crimp edges.
• If desired, brush with egg wash (1 beaten egg and 1 t cold water) and sprinkle with sanding sugar
• Bake on the lowest rack of a preheated 375 degree oven for 60 minutes