Gooseberry Pie
Martha grows gooseberries, which inspired this pie, in her garden in Bedford, New York. Although their season is short (early summer), gooseberries are worth seeking out for their unique flavor. They can be very tart, so increase the sugar if you prefer your pie on the sweet side.
Recipe information
Yield
makes one double-crust 9-inch deep-dish pie
Ingredients
Tender Pie Dough
Preparation
Step 1
On a piece of parchment generously dusted with flour, roll out one disk of dough to a 12-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Trim dough to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Roll out remaining disk of dough in the same manner; transfer (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 2
In a large bowl, toss together the gooseberries, granulated sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt. Spoon into pie shell, mounding slightly in the center. Dot with butter. Lightly brush rim of pie shell with water. Center the remaining rolled dough on top of the fruit; gently press over the berries. Gently press the top and bottom pieces of dough together to seal. Using kitchen scissors, trim top piece of dough to a 1-inch overhang all around. Tuck dough under, and crimp edge as desired.
Step 3
Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter, make cuts in the top crust to allow steam to escape (do not remove rounds of dough). In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream; brush egg wash over entire surface of pie, being careful not to let it pool. Sprinkle pie generously with sanding sugar. Freeze or refrigerate pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F, with the rack in the lower third.
Step 4
Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through, until crust is deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely. The pie is best eaten the same day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
Tender Pie Dough
Step 5
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the butter and shortening, and process just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl; use a pastry blender to cut in the butter and shortening.)
Step 6
With the machine running, pour ice water through the feed tube in a steady stream until the dough just holds together without being too wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add a bit more water.
Step 7
Turn out the dough onto a work surface. Divide in half. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap; flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Dough can be frozen, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 weeks; thaw in refrigerator.
