Red Currant and Raspberry Pie
Makes One 10-inch Pie

Click here for a printable version of the recipe.

Fresh currants are one of summer’s overlooked treasures. They are just as adaptable to baking as other more common berries, such as blueberries and raspberries. In fact, naturally tart currants are often paired with those sweeter berries for a perfect balance of flavors. Here, red currants and raspberries are tossed together and baked in a double-crust pie liberally sprinkled with sanding sugar. It’s exactly the type of dessert you want to make – and eat – after a visit to a farmers’ market or roadside fruit stand in high summer.

All-purpose flour for dusting
Pâte Brisée (See crust recipe on next page)
10 ounces (2 cups) fresh red currants, stems removed
10 ounces (2 cups) fresh raspberries
1/4 cup instant tapioca
Finely grated zest and fresh juice of 1 lemon
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, for egg wash
1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to a 14-inch round, 1/8 inch thick. Fit dough into a 10-inch pie plate. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, gently toss together currants, raspberries, tapioca, lemon zest and juice, and granulated sugar to coat. Pour mixture into pie plate, piling fruit in center. Dot filling with butter.

3. Preheat oven to 425° F. Roll out remaining disk of dough, as in step 1. Whisk together egg and milk. Brush edge of dough with some egg wash; place other round of dough on top, and trim to 1-inch overhang. Crimp edges; refrigerate or freeze pie until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; cut a few steam vents in top of pie. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F. Continue baking until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes more. Let pie cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

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Pâte Brisée

The rich flavor, delicate texture, and versatility of pâte brisée have made it the standard at Martha Stewart Living and in this book, where it is used for pies and tarts both sweet and savory. From three main components – flour, fat, and water – plus a little sugar and salt, you get a crust that is incomparably flaky, yet sturdy enough to contain nearly any filling. An all-butter pâte brisée tastes best, but some cooks use shortening or lard for additional tenderness. The name pâte brisée means “broken pastry,” and refers to cutting the butter into the flour either by hand or with a food processor. The butter-flour mixture should resemble coarse meal, with some pieces of butter the size of small peas, before cold water is drizzled into it; these bits of unincorporated butter give pâte brisée its famously flaky texture by releasing steam as they melt.

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

1. Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor (or whisk together by hand in a bowl). Add butter, and pulse (or quickly cut in with a pastry blender or your fingertips) until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some larger pieces remaining. Drizzle 1/4 cup water over mixture. Pulse (or mix with a fork) until mixture just begins to hold together. If dough is too dry, add 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse (or mix with a fork).

2. Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap. Gather into two balls, wrap loosely in plastic, and press each into a disk using a rolling pin. Refrigerate until firm, well wrapped in plastic, 1 hour or up to 1 day. (Dough can be frozen up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator before using.)