Imaginary pie
While in a whiskey cocktail haze this weekend, a friend attempted to convince another that "strappleberries," a hybrid between an apple and a strawberry, actually exist. He reminisced about the strappleberry pies of his youth, waxing poetic about their tart-yet-sweet filling paired with a cinnamon crust — a nice touch, I thought.
On Sunday, his bleary ramblings came drifting back to me, and I decided to make his silly notion into a pastry reality. Behold, the "Strappleberry Pie." Max, this asymmetrical-lattice-topped pie is for you, pal.
Strawberry + Apple Pie w/ Cinnamon Crust
For the crust:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- 1 cup water, very cold
For the filling:
- 2 large Johnny Red apples, peeled and diced
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg, beaten
Start by making the dough for the crust. In a large bowl, mix flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt with a fork. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut the pieces of butter into the flour mixture until crumbly, with pieces the size of small peas. Add a 1/2 cup of the cold water and blend until the mixture starts to come together. If necessary, add more water a little at a time until the dough comes together into a ball. Divide in half, and shape each piece into a disc before wrapping in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, wash and slice the fruit and combine with the remaining ingredients. Set aside.
When it's time to roll out the crust, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cover your work surface and rolling pin (or wine bottle) with flour. Unwrap the first disc and pat out slightly (it should be cold, and not super flexible). Start rolling out your crust and form a large circle. Fold the circle in half, then in half again and transfer to your pie plate. Unfold. Roll out the second crust in the same fashion, and slice the circle into strips for your lattice top.
Pour the filling into the bottom crust, then form your lattice on top. Place pie plate on top of a rimmed baking sheet, to catch the juices. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar before placing on the middle oven rack.
Bake pie for 25 minutes until the top is golden, then reduce the temperature to 375 and bake for 30-40 minutes more, until juices are bubbling and apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
Allow the pie to cool completely and rest for four hours or overnight before serving.