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Frozen
Fruit Pie Recipe
Makes
1, 9-inch double-crust pie, Serves to 8
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To avoid the possibility of fruit juices
penetrating and softening the lower crust before a frozen two-crust pie is
baked, simply freeze the filling and the crust separately and combine them
immediately before baking. I prefer to roll out rounds of dough and freeze
them flat between layers of foil. Pie-sized batches of seasonal fruits can
be prepared quickly and easily and stored in foil packets molded to the
shape of your pie plate. Fruits that freeze especially well are cooking
apples, fresh apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, rhubarb, and berries.
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Freezing Time: up to 6 months without loss of flavor
Special Equipment: one 12 X 24-inch square heavy-duty aluminum foil, for
each pie
(Note: Use this recipe as well for deep-dish pie and cobbler
fillings.)
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Traditional Flaky One & Two Crust
(1- or 2- crust 9-inch pie or 1, 10-inch tart)
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Traditional or
Deep Dish Pie Crust (1, 12-inch deep dish pie)
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| 4 to 6 cups fresh fruit-washed, peeled if necessary, hulled
or cored, and sliced if necessary |
| 1/2 to 1 cup granulated white or brown sugar (amount
depends on type and sweetness of fruit)
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| 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
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| 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
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| 1 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (amount depends on type
and flavor of fruit)
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| 3 to 3 1/2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca, or cornstarch
(amount depends on juiciness of fruit)
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- Toss the prepared fruit with all the remaining ingredients.
Let stand for a few minutes to moisten the tapioca well and slightly soften
it. Center a foil sheet over a 9-inch pie plate. Mound the fruit on the foil
and pat gently to compress the fruit. Fold up the long foil flaps and make a
wide double fold, pushing out the excess air. Fold over the side edges and
pinch to seal. Label and date the package. Leaving the filling in the pie
plate, set it on the fast-freeze shelf of your freezer (if you have one),
until the fruit is hard. Remove the pie plate and return the fruit package to
the freezer.
To bake, line a pie plate with a layer of thawed frozen
pastry, brush with freshly made egg glaze (1 egg or egg white beaten with 1
tablespoon water) or fruit preserves. Unwrap the frozen fruit packet (do not
thaw) and set it in the pastry. Cut steam vents in the rolled-out top crust.
Moisten the edges of the lower crust, then cover the pie with its top crust.
Fold the edges of the top crust over the lower one and pinch to seal. Mold the
edge into a raised rim and flute. If you wish, glaze the pie top with
brushed-on beaten egg and a light sprinkling of granulated sugar.
Bake in the lower third of a preheated 425 degree F oven
for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, raise the pie to the center
of the oven, and cover the pastry edges with a foil frame if they seem to be
browning too fast. Continue baking for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the
pastry is golden brown and the fruit tender. Serve warm for best texture and
flavor.
Note: Tapioca occasionally presents a problem when used in fruit pies
topped by lattice pastry and frozen before baking because the tapioca
sometimes does not soften sufficiently and can remain hard after baking. To
avoid the problem, use cornstarch thickener for frozen lattice pies.
From:
Susan Purdy
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