It is the middle of October and I’m craving peach pie. Last month, I had the tastiest slice in Portland from Lauretta Jean’s. I was perusing the farmers’ market and couldn’t resist. “I’m just going to look” I said. There were 6 pies to choose from but the cashier said “streusel” and I was sold. The topping was really chunky and completely covered the sweet fruit. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

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Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 egg beaten, for egg wash
2 teaspoons Everything Bagel seasoning

4-5 heirloom tomatoes in a variety of colors
3 oz cream cheese, room temp
3 oz whole milk ricotta, strained
3 tablespoons chopped scallions or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus leaves for garnish
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for garnish
Olive oil
Flake salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle about 11 x 9.5″ and 1/4” thick. Place on the lined sheet pan. With a sharp small knife, create a border by scoring 1” in from the edge of the dough, careful not to pierce all the way through. With a fork, dock inside of the border. Brush the entire surface with egg wash. Sprinkle Everything Bagel seasoning along the border. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top. About halfway through, check to see if the puff has risen. Gently press down with a spatula to let the steam out, so it continues to bake flat. The middle may crack a bit but that’s okay. The filling isn’t runny so it won’t leak through. Return to the oven to finish baking. Then remove from the oven and let sit in the pan 2-3 minutes before transferring the puff to cool on a rack.

Slice the tomatoes 1/4” thick and place on a paper towel to drain the excess liquid.

In a food processor or stand mixer, whip the cream cheese and ricotta together until creamy. To flavor, add scallions or basil or omit if you’d prefer plain. Add the kosher salt and pepper and mix until combined.

Spread the cheese filling evenly inside the border. Arrange the slices of tomato all over the filling. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Garnish with flake salt, pepper and basil leaves. Cut into slices. Serve immediately.

If you make this tart, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @pastrywithjenn.

There’s something about making this simple recipe that gives me great joy. It’s part nostalgia part ooey gooey messy marshmallow fun.

What’s great about individual pies, besides being portable, is when you’re having a craving, you can just de-frost as many as you’d like and pop them in the oven! No need to bake an entire pie. It’s as easy as having cookie dough ready in the freezer.

Olallieberry Pie
9″ pie, serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 batch of crust for bottom
1.5 batch of crust for lattice top

2/3-3/4 cup granulated sugar, depending on sweetness of berries
1/4 cup tapioca starch or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
7 cups olaillieberries or blackberries
3 tablespoons, cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 egg beaten, for egg wash
Turbinado sugar for top of the crust
Vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream for serving

Directions:

For the crust:
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. Place the smaller dough disk on your work surface and roll out approximately  1/4″ inch thick. Transfer to the pie dish and gently press the dough into the dish. Trim the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold under the excess dough and, using your thumb, decoratively flute the edges.

For the lattice top, roll out the remaining larger dough disk approximately 1/3″ thick. I like my top crust to be a bit sturdier. With a pastry wheel, cut 2″ wide strips. If the dough gets too soft, place the strips on a sheet pan and chill in the fridge for a few minutes. Set aside while preparing the filling.

For the filling:
Combine the sugar, tapioca starch, salt, lemon zest and juice. Place the berries in a large bowl. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the berries and toss together just until distributed. Immediately pour the berries into the pie dish. Press down to even out the berries. Scatter the cubes of butter on top of the berries.

For finishing:
Use your pie strips to create a lattice over the berries. I left a slight gap in between each strip for venting and to allow the berries to bubble up and over. Brush the crust gently with egg wash. Sprinkle with Turbinado sugar.

Place the pie in the freezer for 20 minutes until the top crust is firm. This will help it retain it’s shape when baking.

While the pie is chilling, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the pie dish on a half sheet pan lined with a silpat or parchment and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Transfer the pie dish to a cooling rack and let cool until filling is set, about 4 hours. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

If you make this berry pie, I’d love to see on Instagram @pastrywithjenn.