5 Fruit Pie Recipes (+ Tips for Better Pie Crust)

One of our favorite things about summer: the riot of fresh fruit to be found at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, pick-your-own orchards, or just the local grocery store. Make the most of the season with one of these irresistible pies!

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Peach-Raspberry Slab Pie 

Ingredients:
2 ¼ pounds (about 9) peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin wedges
1 cup (about 6 ounces) raspberries
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 recipes Slab Pie Pate Brisee 
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

How-To:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. with rack in lower third. Toss peaches, raspberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

2. Transfer half the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick. Coat a 15 ¼-by-10 ½-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line sheet with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on long sides. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet. Trim edges of dough to hang over sides of baking sheet by ½ inch.

3. Roll out the remaining dough into another 12-by-16-inch rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick. Pour fruit mixture into the dough-lined baking sheet. Cover with remaining layer of dough. Trim edges of dough to hang over sides by ½ inch. Fold edges of top layer over edges of bottom layer, and pinch to seal.

4. Cut about 60 holes out of the top crust using a ½-inch round pastry tip (such as Ateco #807), spacing evenly. Whisk together egg yolk and heavy cream in a small bowl. Brush crust with egg wash. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

5. Bake until crust turns golden and filling is bubbling, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. (If crust is browning too quickly, tent pie with foil, and continue baking.) Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours. Pull up on parchment to remove.

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Peach-Custard Pie 
With a sunny arrangement of peak peaches, this dessert is summer in a pie plate. Make a ring of foil to protect the crust from browning too quickly: Cut a piece twice the size of the pie, fold it in half, and cut a circle out of the center large enough to expose the top but cover the edges.

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Blueberry-Ricotta Tart Recipe
This recipe is sure to become one of your new favorites, a healthy dessert that’s perfectly sweet with deliciously plump blueberries and very little sugar. It’s a wonderful way to satisfy that sweet tooth!

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Strawberry-Lemonade Icebox Pie
The meringue topping is just right for the tangy, cool lemon filling (and provides a way to use the whites from the separated eggs). You can easily skip it in favor of whipped cream.

Ingredients:
FOR THE CRUST
Vegetable oil cooking spray
9 to 10 graham crackers, broken into pieces
¼ cup sugar
Coarse salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons)
2 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue), plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Coarse salt

FOR THE TOPPING
12 ounces strawberries, sliced (2 cups)
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 large egg whites, room temperature (2 reserved from filling)

How-To:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the crust: Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Pulse crackers in a food processor until finely ground; measure 1 1/3 cups, and discard excess. Pulse cracker crumbs, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in food processor to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is moist and holds together when pressed between 2 fingers.

2. Press crust evenly into bottom and up sides of pie plate using the bottom of a dry measuring cup. (Make sure the sides and rim of the crust are firmly pressed so they don’t crumble when pie gets cut.) Freeze for 30 minutes.

3. Bake crust until firm and turning darker around edges, 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

4. Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk together condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks and egg, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

5. Pour filling into warm piecrust. Bake until center is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

6. Make the topping: Sprinkle berries with 2 tablespoons sugar and the lemon juice. Let stand for 30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, heat egg whites and remaining ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to mixer, and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, 8 to 9 minutes.

8. Spoon berries over pie. Spoon meringue over top. Place pie under broiler, with rack in lowest position, until meringue is just browned. Alternatively, use a kitchen torch to brown the top.

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Strawberry Icebox Pie Recipe (top image)
Sarah Carey makes a Strawberry Icebox pie in this Everyday Food video, it’s so simple to make, the only thing you need to bake is the crust, enjoy!

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Pie Basics:

Crust Essentials
Have these supplies on hand for homemade pie crusts: parchment paper, which makes it easy to rotate the dough on your work surface as you roll; a nontapered rolling pin, which applies pressure evenly and can tackle a large round of dough; and a pastry brush for removing excess flour and applying an egg wash to the crust.

Pie Plates: Glass vs. Metal
Use glass plates for most pies: They disperse heat well for even browning. Because they are clear, you can check the bottom of the crust to ensure it’s thoroughly baked before you take it out of the oven. If you have aluminum pie plates, use them for icebox pies with press-in crusts that are briefly baked.

Shortcut
A pretty, flaky pie crust is uncomplicated to make from scratch. But for a last-minute solution, keep a store-bought frozen crust at the ready and you’ll be able to whip up a pie in a pinch. A deep-dish 9-inch pie shell will work for most recipes. Try it for sweet pies  or savory quiches when you’re crunched for time.

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DIY Paper Pie-Slice Boxes

Materials:
Template
Martha Stewart Crafts ® Mini Scoring Board
Martha Stewart Crafts ® Edge Punch, Scallop 3-dot
Double-sided tape
Martha Stewart Crafts ® Layering Punch, Scalloped Circle
Craft paper

How-To:
1. Follow template instructions for cutting, and align edges of pie box to the left side of the Mini Scoring Board. Score. Align tabs and score as well.
2. Punch along the top and sides of the box with the Edge Punch.
3. Form box and adhere sides together with double-sided tape.
4. To make the tag, punch the full shape from off-white paper. Then punch an outer ring from craft paper. Glue the two pieces together.

More from Martha Stewart:
20 Classic Comfort Food Recipes from Martha Stewart
36 Dinners You Can Make in Just 15 Minutes!
42 Slow-Cooker Recipes Worth the Wait
DIY Dried Fruit Granola Bites
Very Green Cucumber and Pear Juice