April 5, 2021
Spring has finally sprung. The chirping of the birds and sprouting of plant buds can only mean warmer weather is on the horizon. The end of March also marks the end of March Madness. Despite the valiant efforts of our alma mater, the end of March marked the end of Michigan’s basketball season. We’ll have to wait until next year to see what else is in store for our team. The start of spring is a good time to get back into my baking groove. I’ve been putting new spins on old classics and testing out completely new baked goods using a variety of ingredients. My latest creation is smaller lattice heart pies filled with homemade mixed berry jam loosely inspired by the Linzer torte. Pies are one of my favorite desserts for three main reasons. They are beyond easy to pull together. Most of the time, they are packed with tons of fruits. The finished product always looks beautiful. These are all true for my lattice heart pies filled with homemade mixed berry jam. I started testing out these pies a few weeks ago when attempting to put yet a new spin on an existing classic. Lattice pies were usually reserved for Thanksgiving and in my most recent fall attempt, I made a version featuring a sweet apple filling and a savory cheddar crust. My lattice heart pies take a similar approach with the lattice topping, but is much easier and quicker to pull together. Instead of the sweet apple filling, these pies are filled with a homemade sweet and tart mixed berry jam. The savory cheddar dough is replaced with a spiced cinnamon and nutmeg dough. I would describe these heart pies as closer to a hand pie than a standalone pie. I formed these pies into hearts since the large heart shaped cookie cutter was the first cookie cutter I grabbed from my baking drawer. The pie dough does require preparation and chilling prior to assembling. Whenever I plan on making a pie, I like to prepare the pie dough in advance. Usually, I prepare and chill the pie dough the night before, but more often than not, I prepare the pie dough the morning of and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before working with it. I typically like to use a food processor as the ultimate shortcut for preparing the pie dough, but this time around, I decided to take the more traditional approach of cutting the ingredients together using a pastry cutter until a dough is formed. This approach makes it a lot less likely for me to overwork the pie dough. Once the pie dough is prepared, wrapped, and transferred to the refrigerator to chill, I shift my focus to making a very simple mixed berry jam. I often make jams as a way to use up bits and pieces of fresh and frozen fruits from all of the smoothies I make in the morning. For my homemade mixed berry fruit jam, I used a blend of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. A squeeze of a zested lemon and some sugar is all I need to get the jam started. The natural pectin found in the fruit (especially the blueberries) will help my jam come together. The mixed berry jam takes almost no time to prepare. I let the berries, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar work its magic on the stovetop. I then remove the pot to let the jam cool and set. The pies themselves are easy to assemble and make for a stunning dessert to serve at the end of a meal. The transition to spring weather always motivates me to eat fresher and lighter. Gone are the comforting foods (with the exception of these pies). Heartier casseroles are replaced with salads and stir fries. Hot sweet drinks such as my dragon fruit raspberry hot chocolate are replaced with refreshing teas packed with – you guessed it – even more fruits and some mint just to up the refreshing factor. The only step left is to enjoy the fruits of my labor and maybe go for an evening stroll to enjoy the spring time weather we are experiencing in early April here is Ohio.
For the lattice heart pies filled with homemade mixed berry jam:
For the pie dough:
· 1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour plus additional for rolling out dough
· ½ cup almond flour
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cubed
· 1 large egg
For the mixed berry jam:
· 4 ounces frozen mixed berries
· 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
· 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions:
1) Prepare the pie dough the night before or at least an hour before assembling the pie. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour, kosher salt, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Add in the cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter to cut together the butter and the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs begin to form, about five minutes. Crack in the egg and continue using the pastry cutter to cut the ingredients together until a dough is formed, about another five minutes. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the pie dough up with the plastic wrap. Use your hands to shape together and flatten the pie dough as needed. Chill the pie dough in the refrigerator overnight or for at least an hour.
2) As the pie dough is resting, prepare the mixed berry jam by heating a pot on medium high heat. Add in the frozen mixed berries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Gently stir the ingredients together to combine. Let the mixed berries cook until the berries begin to burst, about 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once the berries begin to burst, lower the heat to low heat. Keep stirring to allow the jam to cook, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the pot from the stovetop and allow the jam to cool. The jam will still look runny at this point. Once the jam cools, it should thicken up and set.
3) After at least an hour has passed, remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Dust a working surface with a light sprinkle of flour. Remove the pie dough from the plastic wrap. Let the pie dough soften up just a bit before rolling out, about 5-10 minutes.
4) Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
5) Roll out the pie dough into a flat circle, about ¼ inch thick. Use a large heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out two hearts. Transfer the hearts to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the pie dough, reshape, and reroll the pie dough into a rectangular shape. Cut the rerolled pie dough into about ½ inch strips. Use 3-5 of the strips to form an edge around the two hearts. Crimp the edges of the two hearts. Scoop some of the cooled jam into the center of both hearts. Use the remaining strips to form a lattice top by weaving the strips together.
6) Once the oven has reached 425°F, transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake the lattice heart pies for 20-25 minutes until the crust on the pies are cooked through, golden brown, and crumbly. Let cool for 10 minutes before digging in.
Takeaways: I’ve tested out these smaller lattice pies using store-bought jam as a quick substitute when I’m short on time. Store-bought black raspberry jam and a smear of chocolate also work wonders in these lattice pies. A larger pie can be made in place of the smaller pies following the same instructions above.