Strawberry special American fruit pie

Press, 13 December 1989, Page 16

Strawberry special American fruit pie

At the beginning of 1989 when we felt in dire need of a break away from home, we arranged to fly to Christchurch one Friday night, meet friends who had driven up from Dunedin, and drive to Akaroa, where we would share a house for the week-end.

We arranged all this, very carefully, on the telephone, deciding that each family would be responsible for a day’s meals, so the couple not “on duty” could relax for the rest of the time.

Of course, we finished up eating more than we should have, since we could not resist the local specialties, but the dessert produced by our friend Dave overshadowed all the other offerings. Dave had just returned from several months of work in Colorado. He stayed with an American family where this pie was made often, using whatever fresh fruit was available. He made it for us using blueberries and blackberry jelly.

I have made it since, using peaches with an orange jelly, and strawberries with a strawberry jelly.

When you make this pie it is important to use cornflour made from maize (corn), hot wheat cornflour, and that you accurately measure, using metric tablespoons, the quantity of cornflour and jelly crystals listed in the ingredients. Don’t be tempted to add more jelly crystals to intensify the colour. If you alter the proportions the glaze will not set!

1 cooked 20 cm pie shell 1 cup sugar 3 Tbsp cornflour 1 cup water 3 Tbsp jelly crystals 3 cups fruit eg strawberries, blueberries or peaches

Prepare and cook the pie shell using Flaky pas-

try or the recipe for “Margaret’s Flaky Pastry.”

In a microwave bowl or measuring jug, or a saucepan, mix together the sugar and cornflour, stirring well to remove any lumps. Add the water and stir to combine the ingredients.

Microwave for 3 minutes, or cook over low heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir until smooth.

Remove from the heat, or microwave oven and quickly stir in the jelly crystals while the mixture is very hot. Ensure that they are well mixed and the crystals dissolved. To-prepare the pie as show in the photograph, dip each piece of fruit in

this glaze separately, and arrange in layers. (Remove the hulls from the strawberries if desired.) Variations: The glaze may be poured directly over the fruit already arranged in the pie shell OR the fruit can stirred into the glaze, and then spooned into the pie shell. Leave to set for at least an hour, at room temperature, before cutting into wedges, to serve. Margaret's Flaky Pastry % cup flour y 2 tsp baking powder 60 g cold butter l / t cup milk y 2 tsp wine vinegar

or tsp lemon juice Sift or .toss well together the flour and baking powder. Cut the butter into cubes, using either a food processor or the coarests blade on the grater. Do not chop too finely if using the processor. Sour the milk with the vinegar or lemon juice, then add most of it to the flour. Mix it in, using enough to make a dough which is a little moister than normal short pastry, but is firm enough to roll out. Roll out thinly, using just enough flour to stop sticking. ” Bake at 200 C until brown.