Cranberry Pie with Rosemary Buttermilk Crust

December 5, 2013

Cranberry Pie with Rosemary Crust | une gamine dans la cuisine


I tend to be fussy over seemingly benign things - particularly pie crusts, headbands (84% of them fly off when I talk) and what pantofles I'll slide into at the end of a day. I absolutely positively cannot stand thick-bottomed slippers. Walking around with two bouncy mattresses strapped to my feet is fun at first, especially when it feels as though I can converse with the moon, but I have a cat who is prone to chasing phantom mice - stability is a necessity. Last year I finally found perfect foot-hugging, ballet-ish slippers. They're warm, flat, and help me avoid the discomfort of walking on the errant cat litter that loves to taunt me as soon as I put the vacuum cleaner away. Sadly, I am now short one cherry red slipper.

While this scrumptious pie was baking, some of its berry juice decided to abandon ship. By the time I heard the hissing smoking splashes landing on the bottom of my oven, it was too late to think...rationally. I only had one oven mitt sitting on the counter and instead of reaching for a dish towel, which is what any sane person would have done, I pulled off one of my slippers and stuck it onto my other hand. Like a Boss, my beloved slipper took one for the team. It's covered in burnt juice and pride. Luckily the pie made it through!


Cranberry Pie with Rosemary Crust | une gamine dans la cuisine


Lesson learned. Always be prepared for oven shenanigans. (Good thing I wasn't traipsing around in thick, bounce house slippers.)

This pie, just like every other homemade pie, makes Everything cosy and better. It's actually more than just a cranberry pie - blueberries and raspberries (frozen) are also included in the blithe filling! I debated on a name. Cranberry rings through the ears better than 'cranberry blueberry raspberry' pie and 'berry' pie is too vague. Anyway, it's cosmic. I used the same all-butter crust recipe from last summer's blueberry-strawberry pie, I just swapped buttermilk for half & half. For some reason I love the words buttermilk and pie - like milk & honey, they should be companions as often as possible. Berries, rosemary, buttermilk...and pie - a dreamy decadent bath for holiday cookie-weary taste buds.


Cranberry Pie with Rosemary Crust | une gamine dans la cuisine



cranberry pie with rosemary crust
makes one 9-inch pie

for the crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes {Note: I cut the butter into cubes and let it freeze overnight in a covered bowl.}
6 - 8 Tablespoons cold buttermilk

for the filling
12 ounces fresh cranberries, chopped
8 ounces blueberries (thawed, if using frozen)
8 ounces raspberries (thawed, if using frozen)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

finishing touches
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar


method
Prepare the crust: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, granulated sugar, and chopped rosemary. Add the cold butter cubes and mix until evenly coated.

Place everything into the bowl of a large food processor. Using several short bursts, pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal (it will look very dry). Transfer the mixture back to the large mixing bowl and place the bowl into freezer. Freeze for about 30 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the freezer and sprinkle about 3 Tablespoons of the buttermilk on top of the mixture. Use a wooded spoon, a rubber spatula (or your hands) to gently work the milk into the dough. Keep adding milk, one Tablespoonful at a time, and mixing, until the dough starts to form a ball (you might not need all 8 Tablespoons). Don't add too much - the dough should be cohesive and slightly wet, but not sticky. Gather the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Flatten each piece of dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. {Note: Well wrapped, the dough can be refrigerated for three days.}

In a large bowl, gently toss together the cranberries, blueberries, raspberries and sugar. Cover and allow the berries to sit for about 60 minutes - until sugar releases the juices.

Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the liquid from the berry mixture into a blender. Set the berries aside. To the berry juice, add orange juice, cornstarch, flour, and about 1/4 cup of the berries. Purée until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened (about 3 minutes). Pour the thickened mixture into the bowl of remaining berries - stir to combine. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Remove one disk of dough from the fridge. On a very well-floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the disk into a 12-13 inch circle that's about 1/4-inch thick. Gently place the circle of dough into a 9-inch pie plate - make sure it's centered, if you try to stretch the dough at this point it will shrink back in the oven. Trim the overhang to one inch.

Pour the cool filling into crust and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. 

If you're NOT making a lattice crust, roll out the second disk of dough. Continue after the following paragraph...

*If you want to make a lattice crust, Elise from Simply Recipes has wonderful, clear, instructions Here. Since a lattice crust is a bit time consuming, place the unfilled pie plate in the fridge until all the strips have been rolled out. Add the filling at the last minute - so the bottom crust won't get soggy.

...if you're making a normal upper crust, place the second disk on a very well floured surface and roll out another 12-13-inch circle. Drape the circle of dough over the chilled & filled pie and trim the overhang slightly longer than the bottom crust. Fold the bottom and top crusts together and use your fingers (or fork tines) to make a decorative edge.  Use a sharp pairing knife to cut about four 2-inch long slits in the upper crust - these "air vents" will help the give the crust a wonderful, flaky texture.

Brush the top crust (or lattices) with the beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. If the edges are browning too quickly, cover them with a loose foil tent or pie protector. {Note: Some of the berry juice oozed out of the pie and onto my oven - if your pie looks like it will do the same, place the pie onto a thin cookie sheet and continue baking.}

Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

filling adapted from bon appétit 

22 comments:

  1. Well on the bright side, it's probably the best time of the year for slipper selection. Lovely pie, you make it look so easy!

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  2. What a beauty, you truly make the prettiest pies. I'm smitten with the rosemary buttermilk crust!

    (So sorry about your slipper loss - do you know if they are still available? They sound like just what I've been hunting for!)

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  3. That is a beautiful pie:-)
    I just bought new slippers that are very cute with leggings..but too spongy..
    Love my not pretty Ugg lookalikes..warm..stable..

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  4. This one beautiful pie! Love the lattice work and the unique flavors. Truly a masterpiece!

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  5. Lovely pie, buttermilk sounds so good doesn't it? Sorry to hear about your red slippers, hope you find replacement ones.

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  6. stunning pie Valerie! Truly exquisite, I love everything about it. and oh my god I totally get the slipper thing! I love ballet flat kinds too! Sorry about the loss of your red one, I hope you find a wonderful new pair soon!

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  7. Gorgeous pie! I wouldn't mind if it appeared on our holiday table!

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  8. Gorgeous, Valerie. Sounds like it was worth the passing of your slipper.

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  9. Oh I hate when that happens, especially to shoes.
    Since I stand a lot I have the most comfy Merrell shoes ever, and I hoarded them by buying 3 more pairs JUST in case they stop making them!!!

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  10. Funny, I just made a tart a couple of weeks ago with rosemary crust too and was thinking that it would be fantastic with berries! This is absolutely sensational, perfection for Christmas table :)

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  11. HAHAha, love this story! I would totally be the kind of person to try to use a slipper as an oven mitt. They're always in short supply when you need them, I feel. But I'm also too impatient for slippers at all -- I try to wear them (they seem comfy and storybook-ish) and then they end up abandoned under the couch within the hour. Better for them when there's an oven accident, I guess. I absolutely love this pie -- the lattice is so gorgeous, and I'm obsessed with the idea of rosemary in the crust. Beautiful. That slipper can rest easy knowing it contributed to this. Thanks for posting!

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  12. I love that you grabbed your slipper, even if it was a tragic loss. Also, who MAKES headbands? I don't THINK I have an especially odd-shaped head that none can stay on.
    I'm glad we talked.
    And I love this pie. You remain the pie queen in my books.

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  13. very quick thinking to use your slippers to grab the pie out of the oven. methinks you should replace them with new fancy footwear..tis the season after all!

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  14. Lovely pie! Always a very intriguing combination...herbs in desserts. :) ela

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  15. yummmy
    xx
    daniella
    simplybeautifulelegant.blogspot.com

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  16. Lol!!! The poor slipper! :-D I have ruined two really nice Persian rugs because I tried to hold a baking sheet with a thin kitchen towel after the sheet had been in the hot oven for over 20 minutes. I was trying to "act quickly"... :-)

    The pie is gorgeous, as always! I think you need to start writing that Pie Cookbook!!

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  17. I made 4 pies for Thanksgiving...All brand new recipes and all different versions of butter crust. I was nervous about this one and almost left the rosemary out but decided to follow the recipe. So glad I did...This pie won out over the chocolate, apple and pecan! It is fabulously tart, fruity, juicy but not runny, and the individual flavors all the different berries shine through...and that crust! I even did the lattice! It baked up beautifully - glad I put it on a rimmed baking sheet because it did drip a bit. Thanks for a great recipe...Many more of these pies are in my future!

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  18. Hi Valerie! I am crazy about this pie! I am making about 12 pies for the holidays and was hoping that it would be ok to make this filling and refrigerate for 24hrs before baking. So making the filling on Tuesday morning/afternoon and filling and baking the pie on Wednesday night. Thoughts?

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    Replies
    1. Refrigerating the filling should be fine (it might even be less runny). :)
      Good luck with baking duties and Happy Thanksgiving!

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    2. Thank you! I was wondering what you thought about leaving it out or putting it in the fridge? I have baked the pie today for tomorrow to eat. What should I do with it between now and tomorrow? THANK YOU!

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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