“Naked” refers to the lack of a pie pan with these sweet little summertime dessert pies.  These individual pies are formed right on the baking sheet without any fussy fitting or crimping.  This recipe uses the “easy-as-pie” dough that is much more forgiving than a typical pie crust recipe.

Naked Berry Pies

Ingredients:

EASY-AS-PIE DOUGH (1/2 recipe listed below)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon cold milk

Place the flour, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix.  Add the butter and pulse until it is cut in and the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the egg yolks and milk and process just until the dough is smooth and evenly moistened.  Do not process until dough forms a ball, or it will be tough.

Remove the dough from the processor, divide into four balls, flatten into a disc, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

NAKED BERRY PIE FILLING

2 cups fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries – or a mixture

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Egg wash: 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

coarse sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Line two sturdy backing sheets with parchment paper or foil and grease the liners lightly.  Take the four dough pieces and roll each out to an 8-inch circle.  Arrange the dough circles on the baking sheets.

Just before you’re ready to bake, place the berries in a medium bowl.  Add the granulated sugar, flour, orange zest, vanilla and cardamom and toss gently until the berries are coated.  Immediately spoon a heaping 1/2 cup of berries onto the middle of each dough circle.  Fold the edges in toward the center, pleating the dough as necessary and leaving at least a 2-inch circle of fruit exposed.  Brush the crust with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar evenly over the tops.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling.  Let cool for at lest 15 minutes before serving to allow the juices to thicken.

Excerpted from Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe by Alisa Huntsman (Artisan Books). Copyright 2011. Photographs by Karen Mordechiai.