Fruit & Berry Pies

When you’re looking for a special dessert, here’s one that brings together the best of the season:  apples, caramel and nuts. Sweet & nutty, just like the holidays!

If you are lucky enough to have boysenberries, you are one lucky baker!  And here's a recipe to make you feel even luckier.

Blueberry pies can be unpredictable -- either runny or too much thickener.  Not this one, though!  It takes advantage of the thickening power of pectin and creates beautiful slices every time.  This recipe uses less sugar than most recipes, which is also great.

Pears  provide a lovely, subtle and elegant flavor for pies and tarts.  Add a little ginger, however, and you've got a new fall and winter favorite!

When fresh blackberries are in season, grab them!  Make yourself happy!  The ginger in this pie gives it a subtle spark that is delightful.  Best when served a tiny bit warm with vanilla ice cream.

Oh!  It's so different and celebrates a deserving fresh, juicy fruit.  I especially love this because it's not as sweet as many pies, nor as rich (unless you add the always-tempting swirl of whipped cream). 

Oh, my!  The aroma knocked my socks off.  These are the fresh berries many of us have access to during the summer, so enjoy the bounty.  Use any combination of fresh berries you like that adds up to 5 cups.  If you want to use frozen berries, see notes below.

Dates -- rich, soft, sweet -- shine in this easy pie, teased by crunchy walnuts and cloaked in delicate puff pastry.  A touch of orange enlivens the mix.  The ingredients can come from your pantry and freezer, so this a pie to make anytime.  It's also a great pie for picnics, as a slice holds together in your hand. 

Nuts to apple pie!  Yes, adding nuts is just the thing sometimes.  Nuts and butter and brown sugar make this topping a little crunchy, the perfect foil to the soft apples and crisp crust.  A blue ribbon winner.

If you love figs, you'll love this!  A slightly nutty crust, vanilla custard, the sweet burst of fresh figs, and a hint of sweet/tart chocolate bring people back for more.

It's so pretty!  It's enticing and light, perfect for summer.

Intense flavor and bright crimson color highlight this pie.  It's irresistible, really.

We're lucky in America:  we can get good apples almost year 'round.  October is prime time for apples, so get some and make an American dessert!  Stuffed with apples simmered in cider, oh my, this is one good pie.  Won a blue ribbon in a traditional apple pie contest in 2010.

Bewitching.  That's this pie!  Fresh, sweet red raspberries and dark chocolate buttercream are a winsome pair. The judges deemed it "Best of Show" at the NM State Fair Pie Contest 2014.