Patriotic Pastry

July 4th is Thursday, which means we need some pie to celebrate! In this post, I've rounded up my favorites, listed from most challenging to least challenging. ;)

Colonial American Flag Pie

I found this recipe from King Arthur Flour last year and modified it to fill a 9x13 pan. To keep the blueberry "field" isolated from the strawberry-rhubarb mixture, you can use some folded aluminum foil as a barrier. Simply remove the foil after the pie is baked. In regards to the design, I decided to take it easy on myself and only free-hand cut 13 miniscule pastry stars. And when you think about it, the 13 colonies are actually a bit more relevant to the history of Independence Day in 1776. It took a good deal longer to acquire the rest of the fifty states. :) The stars and stripes were baked separately on a baking sheet. Then, I let them cool before dusting liberally with powdered sugar. Lastly, position the decorations on the pie. A tweezers may be helpful to get those tiny stars in place!

(American as) Apple Pie

Any list of patriotic pastries would be sorely lacking without a traditional apple pie. Here's one with an overachieving tartan lattice. I don't know when to stop sometimes. :) The crust is my great grandma's recipe made with lard, which makes it exceptionally tender. To achieve a shiny golden crust like this, use an egg wash on the pastry before popping it in the oven. (Whisk an egg and apply using a pastry brush.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

I made this one recently for Memorial Day. Galettes are a so fun.. a free-form open-faced pie of sorts that always looks beautifully rustic. Here's the recipe from Oh Sweet Basil. I added a teeny bit of wheat flour to achieve a more hearty flavor.

Blueberry Rhubarb ("Bluebarb") Cardamom Crumble

If you don't feel like futzing with pastry but still want a holiday-worthy berry dessert, this crumble is a good option. Clearly, I can leave no recipe unaltered, so I decided to swap out the cinnamon for cardamom. I think this offered a unique flavor to an otherwise unassuming crumble.

Pastry Pointers

Check out some of my helpful hints on pastry in this post, from when I made palmiers.

And another tip - be sure to place a baking sheet on the oven rack below your pie, galette, or crumble, to catch any juices that bubble over!

Have a splendid Independence Day, all!

'Til next time,

Eva