Mixed Berry Pie with Whole Wheat Crust

Today I am going to continue with the Mother’s Day theme… I’ve got another great recipe that your mom is sure to love, along with a giveaway that I think she’ll enjoy, as well!

I was given the opportunity to test out this lovely Baker’s Set from Le Creuset… It includes a nice big 10-inch pie plate, a pie bird, a French trivet, and an oven mitt.  And, they all came in a lovely shade of cherry – my favorite! So, it seemed only natural that I should bake a pie!

This was the first time I tried baking with a pie bird, so I was excited to try it out. Have you ever tried one? It helps to direct the moisture away from the bottom of the pie, so that you have a nice flakey crust.  And, it helps to keep the filling from bubbling out over the pie. Plus, the little red bird in the center of the pie just looks cute!

It’s still a bit early in the season for fresh fruit, so I used some frozen fruit for my pie.  That’s the beauty of stocking your freezer… You can bake with your favorite fruits all year long! And, if your freezer isn’t already stocked, you’ll be able to find good quality (even organic!) frozen fruit at your local grocery store.

For this pie, I opted to use a mixture of frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  To go with the mixed berries, I also decided to make a whole wheat pie crust using whole wheat pastry flour. I thought the whole wheat flour would pair nicely with the berries, and I was happy with how it turned out!  I served the pie with some vanilla ice cream, so I didn’t add a lot of sugar to the filling.  You can certainly increase the amount of sugar in the filling if you prefer a sweeter pie (and, I added a note about that in the recipe!). 

Le Creuset Giveaway (CLOSED)

It would be just cruel to show you my freshly baked pie and the adorable little pie bird without sharing…  So, I’m happy to announce that the great people from Le Creuset have provided a Baker’s Set (in cherry) for me to give away to one lucky reader!

This giveaway has ended.  Congratulations to Heidi F from Handmade by Heidi who was randomly selected as the winner of the Baker’s Set!

Even if you aren’t the winner of the giveaway, I still have a great offer for you! Le Creuset is offering free shipping on the Baker’s Set for one week after the giveaway winner is announced (5/14 at 9:00am until 5/20 at 11:59pm Eastern). Simply use the promo code PIE6.

Want to know more about Le Creuset? You can find them on Twitter and Facebook!

Mixed Berry Pie with Whole Wheat Crust
Makes one 10-inch pie

• 8 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• 4 ounces all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 7 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1/3 cup quick cooking tapioca
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  (You can add up to an additional 1/2 cup of sugar for a sweeter pie)
• 1 tablespoon of cream (or half and half)
• 1 – 2 tablespoons raw sugar

Begin by preparing the crust. Whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into small chunks and add it to the flour mixture.  Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixer, leaving pea sized chunks of butter.

Gradually add the cold water and gently toss with a fork until the dough starts to come together in a ball.  Divide the dough into two discs, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Stir together the frozen berries, tapioca, and sugar. Set aside.

Roll out one of the discs of pie dough large enough to line the bottom of a 10-inch pie plate.  Transfer the dough to the pie plate, and place a pie bird in the middle of the pie (if you are using one).  Add the prepared filling to the pie crust, arranging it around the pie bird.

Roll out the remaining disc of dough, and cut an “X” in the middle of the dough.  Cut out any additional patterns using a small cookie cutter, if desired. Transfer the dough to the top of the pie, placing the X down over the pie bird, and pinching to secure the crust around the bird.  Trim any excess dough from the edges of the pie, and crimp the edges as desired.

Brush the pie with the cream and sprinkle the top with the raw sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet and cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil.  Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the pie filling is bubby.  Cool on a wire rack.

My Kitchen Addiction Disclosure– The giveaway item (Baker’s Set from Le Creuset) has been provided at no cost to me and will be shipped from Le Creuset.  I also received a sample of the Baker’s Set for the purpose of reviewing the product. I have not been otherwise compensated for this post or for reviewing the product. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.