makes one 9½” pie
 
​Walkers Shortbread Cookie crust-
 
10.5 ounces Walkers Shortbread cookies, pulsed in food processor (2¾ cups crumbs)
1 tablespoon sugar
generous pinch salt
zest of 1 small lemon
zest of 1 small lime
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
 
In a large bowl, combine the shortbread cookie crumbs, sugar, salt and zests. Stir together then gradually add the melted/cooled butter. Stir to combine and press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a lightly buttered 9½” pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the curd, the filling and the syrup.
 
Citrus Curd- (from Flour Bakery)
 
(this makes about 2½ cups; you will only need 1½ cups for the pie filling; the extra curd will last for up to 5 days in the fridge)
 
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
 
In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the juices and butter. Heat to just under a boil. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs and yolks then gradually whisk in the sugar until combined. Add the warm juice/butter mixture into the egg/sugar mixture a little bit at a time, whisking constantly. Place over a double boiler and cook, whisking the mixture until it thickens. (It will read 160 degrees on a thermometer.) Whisk in the salt and the vanilla, then strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least an hour or set over a bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally to cool it down. (The curd must be cold before adding it to the mascarpone filling.)
 
Filling- (a hybrid from Cafette and Stella Notte)
1 lb. mascarpone cheese, room temperature
½ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
2 cups heavy cream
zest and juice of 1 small lime (2 tablespoons of juice)
zest of 1 small lemon
3-4 tablespoons good quality gin (the lesser amount lends a subtle flavor, the greater borders on boozy)
 
Place the mascarpone cheese in a large bowl, add ¼ cup of the heavy cream and gently give it a stir to soften it up a bit. Gradually add the gin, a teaspoon at a time so the mascarpone doesn't become runny and isn’t overbeaten. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, (or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer) whip the remaining heavy cream until the cream begins to thicken. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and whip just until the cream is fairly stiff, but not overly so. Add the zests. Gently fold together the mascarpone and whipped cream using a rubber scraper. (Do not overmix or the mascarpone will become grainy and the whipped cream will break.) Gently fold in 1½ cups of the chilled curd. (It doesn’t have to be completely incorporated; the filling can have a slightly marbleized look.)
 
Retrieve the chilled pie crust from the fridge and scrape the filling into the crust, mounding it slightly in the center. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight.
 
Gin and Tonic syrup-
 
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup tonic water
zest and juice of 1 small lime (2 tablespoons)
zest of 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons gin
 
In a nonreactive saucepan, place the sugar, tonic water and lime juice and warm over low heat, until the sugar dissolves. Add the gin and simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup thickens slightly. Add the lime and lemon zests. Cool completely.
 
2 cups fresh berries, lightly rinsed, picked over for stems and dried on paper towels
 
To serve-
 
Toss the berries with several tablespoons of the gin and tonic syrup. Let the berries macerate for half an hour. Serve slices of the chilled pie with the berries and a generous drizzle of the syrup. Cover any leftover pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Refrigerate the gin and tonic syrup in a small jar. It is delicious in cocktails.
 
 
 
 

makes one 9" double crust pie
 
Pie Pastry
 
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar
6 tablespoons ice cold water
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a bench scraper or your fingertips, cut in the butter pieces until the mixture is crumbly with pieces of butter about the size of a pea. Combine the vinegar with the water. Gradually add the liquid to the flour/butter mixture, tossing it until the dough is somewhat shaggy and just holds together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, gather it into two discs, flatten them slightly and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out. Roll out one disc of dough to a thickness of about ⅛" and place it in a 9" pie plate. Roll and crimp the edges. Refrigerate the bottom crust. Roll out the second disc of dough to a thickness of about ⅛" and trim it to a diameter of 12".  Refrigerate the top crust while you prepare the filling.  (If you wish to use a lattice for the top crust, cut the top crust into 1" strips.)
 
Raspberry Rhubarb filling
 
1 pound fresh or frozen rhubarb, rinsed, leaves removed, cut into ½" pieces (about 2½ cups)
2½ cups fresh raspberries
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
pinch salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cardamom
3 tablespoons instant tapioca, finely ground
 
egg wash made from 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, orange zest, salt, nutmeg, cardamom and tapioca. Place the rhubarb in a large bowl. Add the sugar mixture, tossing to coat. Gently fold in half of the raspberries; reserve the remaining raspberries. Turn the filling into the bottom crust, add the remaining raspberries, and drape the top crust over the filling.* Seal, trim, fold and crimp the edges. Cut steam vents in the top crust, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sanding sugar.
 
Place the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 20 minutes until the crust is set and begins to turn golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F. Move the pie on its baking sheet to the middle rack and bake for an additional 45 minutes, until the crust is toasty brown and juices bubble thickly around the edges and through the pie vents. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool for at least 3 hours before slicing. Wrap and refrigerate any leftovers.
 
(* a lattice crust can be made by slicing the refrigerated top crust into 1" strips and weaving them over the filling. Seal, trim, fold and crimp the edges as you would for a double-crusted pie.)

makes one 9” x 12½” pie, serves 15 generously
 
Almond-Sesame Pastry (adapted from Leslie Mackie)
 
1½ cups sliced almonds, toasted and cooled* 
½ cup sesame seeds, toasted and cooled*
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon lemon zest
10 ounces (2½ sticks) cold, unsalted butter cut into ½” pieces
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
 
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the flour, sugars, spices and zest. Pulse a few times to combine then add the toasted, cooled almonds and sesame seeds. Pulse a few times; don’t over process. Add the cubed butter and pulse just until the mixture is crumbly, not pasty. Remove the bowl from the food processor and transfer the mixture to a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
 
Add the eggs/vanilla to the dough, turning the mixer on and off just until the mixture is combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and knead it briefly, just until it comes together. Weigh out one 16 oz. portion of dough, shape it into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. That will be the top crust. Shape the remaining dough into a disc (it should weigh about 26 ounces) and wrap in plastic wrap. That will line the baking pan. Refrigerate the top and bottom crusts for at least 2 hours before rolling out. When ready to roll out the dough, lightly butter and flour your 9” wide x 12½” long x 1” deep baking pan, also known as a quarter sheet pan. Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper, roll out the larger portion of dough to a rectangle about 13” x 9” and  ¼” thick. Transfer the dough to the quarter sheet pan by either draping it over a lightly floured rolling pan and then unrolling the pin so the dough fills the pan, or carefully invert the parchment over the pan and peel back the parchment. The dough is softer than pie pastry; flour your fingers and work quickly so the dough doesn’t get too warm. Chill the bottom crust while you roll out the second portion of dough (top crust) on a lightly floured sheet of parchment. Transfer the parchment with the top crust to a baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
 
Plum-Blackberry filling
1½ lbs. of plums, rinsed, halved, pitted, cut into ½” slices (I used a combination of purple plums and prune plums) enough for 5 cups, sliced
1½ cups fresh blackberries, lightly rinsed, dried on a paper towel
½ cup granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar (depending on how sweet/tart you like your pie)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
 
egg wash made from 1 egg yolk beaten together with 2 tablespoons of cream or milk
coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
 
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugars, cornstarch, salt, zest and spices. Place the plum slices in a heavy bottomed pan, add the sugar mixture and turn to coat using a wooden spoon. Cook over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring so the bottom doesn’t stick, until the plums cook down and become thick. Add the butter, remove from the heat, transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool.
 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the top crust from the refrigerator and cut out strips of dough (if you want more of a lattice top) or shapes (if you want a more rustic look.) Place the top crust back in the refrigerator. When the pie filling is totally cool, retrieve the bottom crust from the refrigerator. Gently add the blackberries to the plum filling and pour the filling over the pastry-lined pan. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly. Place your lattice strips or your cut-outs over the filling. Gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate the pie for 15 minutes. Bake on the bottom rack of the preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling thickly around the edges. Set on a rack to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
 
 
 
*Almonds and sesame seeds can either be toasted separately on two baking pans in a preheated 350 degree oven or over low heat in a cast iron skillet on top of the stove. Keep an eye on them- it only takes about 8 minutes for the almonds, 5 for the sesame seeds.

Pie pastry from Thomas Keller
 
(this makes enough for two open-faced pies; wrap one half of the pastry in plastic and freeze for another time)
 
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter cut into ½” pieces
6 tablespoons cold buttermilk
 
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Using a bench scraper, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add the cold buttermilk and use your fingertips to combine the mixture just until the liquid is incorporated. Turn the pastry out onto a piece of parchment paper, divide in half and form each half into a round disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before rolling out. (If you are only making one pie, the extra pastry can be frozen for up to 3 months.)
 
Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the pastry on the parchment into a round about ⅛” thick and about 14” in diameter. Place the pastry (still on the parchment) on a baking sheet and refrigerate it while you prepare the filling.
 
Filling-
 
1¾ pounds white peaches, ripe, not overly soft (3-4 peaches should yield about 4 cups sliced ¼” thick)
1 cup strawberries, lightly rinsed, dried on paper towels, quartered
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons tapioca starch (if the peaches are very juicy, add an additional tablespoon)
pinch of cardamom
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
 
egg wash made from 1 egg whisked together with 2 tablespoons heavy cream
coarse sugar for sprinkling
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and slice the peaches. Place them in a large bowl with the strawberries and orange juice. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, zest, tapioca starch, cardamom and basil. Retrieve the pie pastry from the refrigerator. Add the sugar/spice mixture to the fruit and turn gently with a rubber spatula. Once the peaches combine with the sugar, they will release a good bit of juice. Using a slotted spoon, place the filling in the center of the pastry, leaving a 2” border. (It’s okay to leave a tablespoon or two of the liquid behind in the bowl. Once the pastry sets up in the oven, I carefully drizzle this back over the pie; about 15 minutes into the baking.) Dot the filling with the butter pieces and fold up the edges, creating a ruffle of pastry dough. Brush the edges of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Place the baking pan with the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes. Bake the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes until the crust begins to turn slightly golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes. The fruit should be tender, the crust deeply golden and juices should bubble thickly around the edges. Cool on a rack for at least an hour before serving. Sing Happy Birthday, Refrigerate any leftovers.