Easy Anytime, Crowd-pleasing Berry Pie

This is a pie I make in Winter (always makes a cameo a Christmas), Summer… or really anytime!  It’s an easy, low maintenance, not overly sweet crowd-pleasing dessert.  What could be better?!  This recipe was inspired by a fundraiser cookbook that came to me from MY preschool, or rather playschool, as we used to call it.  That means it’s been around a long time… like me!  The recipe was written by an old family friend, so it always warms my heart to make it, even though I’ve tweaked it a tad.  It calls for vanilla sugar, but I’ve made it plenty of times substituting plain vanilla extract for the vanilla sugar when I haven’t had any on hand.  I promise you’ll love the crumble topping with a dollop of whipped cream on top.  It serves 8. 

Crust

1 C flour

¼ C sugar

1 T vanilla sugar (usually sold in packets that contain 2 T)

1 t baking powder

1 egg

4 T unsalted butter, cubed (I use salted)

Filling

2 16 oz pkgs frozen berries (I always use Trader Joe’s Very Cherry Berry blend)

2 T sugar

Crumble Topping

1 C flour

½ C sugar

1 T vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract)

4 T unsalted butter, cubed (I use salted)

Whipped Topping

1 ½ C heavy cream, chilled

1 ½ T sugar (I use 1/3 C)

½ t vanilla extract

Crust:  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour 9 inch spring form pan.  In a mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder.  Create a well in the middle of your flour mixture. 

Beat together the egg, vanilla sugar, and sugar and pour in the well. 

Put butter cubes around outer edge of the bowl and begin to stir mixture together to combine until smooth. 

Put into pan and gently press dough evenly to cover the bottom of the pan and up the sides to create an edge.  I will often use the bottom of a ½ C measuring cup to make sure the dough is evenly distributed.

Filling:  Super hard.  Tear open frozen berry bags and pour into unbaked crust and sprinkle with 2 T sugar.

Crumble Topping:  Combine flour, sugar, and vanilla sugar and cubed butter to form a lumpy crumble.  I usually use my hands. 

Take handfuls, give a little squeeze and sprinkle over top of berries.  I love getting some extra big crumbles on there.  Funny how everyone fights for those pieces!  Into the oven for 1 ½ hours.

Whipped Cream Topping:  Pour heavy cream and sugar into bowl of a mixer and beat at high speed until soft peaks form.  Stop, add vanilla, and continue to beat until somewhat stiff peaks are formed. 

Slice and serve either warm or room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream.  Okay, let’s be honest.  I usually have vanilla ice cream with it as well!  Oh, and I’ve been known to eat it for breakfast!

Happy baking and enjoy!

Xoxo,

Inger