Apple-Berry Pie

Few things are more quintessentially American than “mom and apple pie.” Very few people will pass on dessert when apple pie is offered, and even fewer will demur when it is further sweetened and prettied up by adding berries to the filling.

Californians love apple pie. After all, there are over 25,000 acres of apple trees in the state. California is the fifth-largest producer of apples in the United States as well as the second-largest exporter. California growers specialize in Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji and Cripps Pink Ladies, and their industry generates over half a billion dollars in revenue annually.

Not to be outdone, California's berry farmers produce most of the strawberries sold in the United States, and with four growing seasons, also provide large amounts of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, Goji berries and, especially, boysenberries, which were developed by California farmers.

Bringing these two California classics together makes for a dessert perfect for the fall and can help you and your holiday guests "Keep the State on your Plate" this Thanksgiving!

(Recipe serves four)

As with any pie, the first step is to prepare the crust. Every family, and every baker, has their own preferred recipe for pie crust. For those who would like to experiment, however, adding apple cider vinegar can make the crust complement the apple-berry pie filling in a special and unique manner.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of shortening (butter, vegetable shortening, or a mix)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup of ice water

Filling

• 1 ½ pounds of apples (Granny Smith are traditional, but other types or combinations of other types of California apples will do nicely)
• 12 ounces of berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or boysenberries, or a combination)
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch (for thickening)
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• a pinch or so of nutmeg (to taste)

Materials

• large mixing bowl
• wooden spoon or large, sturdy spatula
• 9” pie pan
• rolling pin
• wax paper

Directions:

Crust

1. Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl
2. Cut in the shortening (with butter knives, pastry cutter and/or your hands)
3. Pour the apple cider vinegar into the ice water, mix and add a few tablespoons of liquid into the dough
4. Mix thoroughly with a spatula or wooden spoon
5. Repeat and continue to pour in the liquid in small amounts until you can knead the dough into a ball.
6. Divide the dough in half
7. Take one half, place it on a sheet of wax paper – then place another sheet on top of it
8. Use the rolling pin to flatten it out into a rough circle; do the same for the other half
9. Set aside one half and refrigerate
10. Place the other half into a greased pie pan
11. Preheat the oven to 425

Filling

1. Wash, peel and slice the apples (moderately thin slices work best)
2. Wash the berries
3. Combine the apples, berries and other ingredients into a large mixing bowl

Combining the Filling and the Crust

1. Spoon the mixture into the pan which contains the pie crust
2. Take the second half of the crust from the refrigerator and place it over the pan
3. Crimp and trim the edges
4. Make four or five slits in the top crust
5. Brush the top of the pie with milk and sprinkle with sugar

Baking the Pie

1. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes
2. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 30-40 minutes as needed (if the filling starts to bubble out of the pie before that, it is done!)
3. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool .