This here pie, it’s called Fruit of the Forest Pie. Sounds fancy, huh? But it ain’t nothin’ but a bunch of berries and stuff all mixed up and baked in a crust. My old grandma, bless her heart, she used to make this all the time. Now I make it, keep the old ways going, you know?
First off, you gotta get your crust ready. Now, you can buy them pre-made crusts at the store, but where’s the fun in that? I make mine from scratch. Just some flour, some lard, a pinch of salt, and some cold water. You mix it all up, roll it out, and plop it in your pie pan. I always use my big ol’ 9 inch pan. Pop that in the fridge, let it chill for a bit, about 15 minutes. That makes for a good fruit pie crust. Keeps it from gettin’ all soggy later.
Now for the good stuff, the fillin’. You get a big ol’ bowl, and you throw in all your fruit. What kinda fruit? Well, that’s the “forest” part, see? You can use whatever you got. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries. Whatever’s ripe and ready. Back in the day, we’d just go out and pick ’em wild. These days, I mostly get ’em from the store. Ain’t the same, but it’ll do. Throw in some sugar, too. Not too much, just enough to sweeten it up a bit. I say about a cup of sugar, more or less.
- Get your berries, all kinds.
- Get some sugar.
- Mix ’em up in a big bowl.
- That’s your pie filling, good and easy!
Now, some folks, they like to cook their fillin’ first. They say it makes the pie better. Me? I don’t bother. I just dump all that fruit and sugar right into the crust. Less work, and it tastes just fine. Besides, that’s how grandma did it, and her fruit of the forest pie recipe was the best.
Then you gotta put the top crust on. You can just do a regular top, or you can get fancy and make a lattice. That’s just strips of dough all crisscrossed over the top. Looks pretty, but it’s a pain in the neck. I usually just do a regular top, poke a few holes in it with a fork to let the steam out. Some people put a little egg on the top to make it shine, I do not see the point.
Then you bake it. Now, this is where it gets tricky. You gotta bake it at a high temperature first, like 425 degrees. That gets the crust all nice and browned. Then you turn it down, way down, and let it bake for a good long while. Like an hour, maybe two. How long? Well, that depends. You gotta keep an eye on it, that is how you know when a fruit pie is done. It is different every time, you just keep an eye on it until it is done.
You know it’s done when the juices are all bubbly and thick, and the crust is a nice golden brown. It’ll smell real good, too. Like a little piece of heaven right there in your kitchen. You gotta let it cool before you cut into it, though. If you cut it too soon, all the juices will run out, and you’ll have a big mess. I learned that the hard way, more than once!
This fruit of the forest pie, it ain’t just a dessert. It’s a memory. It’s a connection to the past. It’s a little bit of love, baked right into a crust. And it’s darn good eatin’, too. I like to serve it with a big scoop of ice cream on top, it is the best thing you ever ate, I tell you what.
Some folks like their fancy cakes and cookies. Give me a good fruit pie any day. Especially this one. It’s simple, it’s honest, and it’s full of flavor. Just like the old days. Just like grandma used to make. Now if you excuse me, I think I smell my pie about ready. Time to take it out of the oven and let it cool a spell. Maybe I’ll have a slice later, with a cup of coffee. That’s the life, right there.
- Bake it hot, then bake it low.
- Wait till it’s bubbly and brown.
- Let it cool before you eat it.
- Ice cream on top is good too.
This pie, it is not hard to make. Even if you never baked nothing in your life, you can do this. Just follow these steps, and you will have a pie just like my grandma used to make. And that is saying something. She was the best baker I ever knew, that woman. Now go on, give it a try. You will not regret it. This fruit of the forest pie recipe is a keeper.