Recipe: Summer Berry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Based on a recipe from Cook's Illustrated and served with dinner on July 8, 2012.

Makes one delicious  9-inch pie.


Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust
9 graham crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Berry filling
2 cups fresh raspberries (about 9 ounces)
2 cups fresh blackberries (about 11 ounces)
2 cups fresh blueberries (about 10 ounces)
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple jelly

Instructions

1. Move an oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 325°.
2. Break the graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and process them to make uniform, fine crumbs, about 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar and pulse a few times to combine.
4. Melt the butter.
5. While pulsing the food processor, slowly add the warm melted butter to the graham crackers and sugar. When done, the mixture will resemble wet sand.
6. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Using a smooth drinking glass or ½ cup measuring cup, gently press the crust evenly into the pie plate.
7. Bake the crust until fragrant and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack.
9. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling: combine the berries and gently rinse them with running water.
10. Carefully spread the berries on paper towels and pat them with additional paper towels to dry.
11. Wash the bowl and blade of the food processor and add 2½ cups of the mixed berries
12. Process to make a smooth purée.
13. Pour the  purée through a fine mesh strainer into a small sauce pan, pressing on the seeds with a wooden spoon or spatula to extract all of the purée.
14. Use a whisk to combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl.
15. Whisk the sugar mixture into the purée then bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
16. When the mixture is the consistency of pudding, 1 or 2 minutes, remove it from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and let it cool.
17. Put the remaining berries into a large bowl.
18. In the microwave, gently melt the jelly.
19. Pour the melted jelly over the berries and gently toss them to coat.
20. Pour the slightly cooled purée into the graham cracker crust then add the glazed berries.
21. Cover and chill for 3 hours before serving with whipped cream.

Process graham crackers until fine and uniform.

Add sugar and melted butter to from the final crust.

Press the mixture into a 9″-inch pie plate and bake until golden brown.

Wash a mixture of fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.

Process 2½ cups of the berries to form a purée.

Push the purée through a sieve to remove the seeds and boil to thicken slightly to the consistency of pudding.

Cool the purée, add to the graham cracker shell, and top with the remaining fresh berries.