Made another pie along the lines of the Starberry. This time, though, I used a three berry blend: raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries — including a few berries from the garden!

I also revisited the crust recipe. After scouring the internet and reading a few dozen recipes, I decided to go with this cream-cheese crust recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen. Instead of heavy cream, I used half & half. It’s still a very rich recipe, and easy to make (the dough was a little too wet when making the crusts, so next time I’ll use less half & half). The wetness led to some crimping failure, but nothing too severe.

I was pleased with the way the pie came out. It was easier than my previous attempt, and had excellent flavor.

This is a recipe that I’ve cobbled together from various sources. Over time, I’ve adjusted it until I’m very happy with the flavor, although I have a long way to go to be proficient at good crusts or making it look acceptably attractive. But I think it’s a mighty tasty pie.

Ingredients (one 9-10 inch pie):

The Crust
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup shortening (e.g., Crisco)
1/2 teaspoon salt
~5 tablespoons ice water

Preparation:
Mix the dry ingredients, and cut in the shortening. Mix until it’s all a crumbly mixture.
One tablespoon at a time, mix in the cold water. Manipulate as little as possible, until you can ball up the dough. Shape into a flat disk, and refrigerate at least an hour.
Roll out the dough, and slump into your pie dish. Pinch around the edges. Optionally save a scrap, roll it out, and cut decorations for the top of the pie.
Refrigerate another 15 minutes, load with pie weights, bake 15 minutes at 400°F then another 15 minutes at 375°F.
Remove and let cool.

The Filling
1/2 cup white baker’s sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
24-38 oz mixed berries (you can get a bag of frozen “O Organics Mixed Berries” at many supermarkets, which contains strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, or you can make your own fresh blend.)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoonccorn starch (especially if using frozen berries)

Preparation:
Mix the dry ingredients, and blend with the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly. If using frozen fruit, let it thaw enough that moisture comes off the berries and the mixture is wet.
Pour into crust, add decorations (if any).
Bake in pre-heated oven at 425ºF for 45 minutes, then 350ºF for another half hour or thereabouts.
Place on cooling rack. Eat at room temperature.