Pie and cobbler FIllings

You don't think it's just fruit and sugar, do you? Of course not!  And there are a few ingredients I use that you might not expect! I start with about 6-7 cups of fruit: not an even mix of strawberries and rhubarb, but about 2/3 washed and cut strawberries and 1/3 sliced stalks of rhubarb. Add 2/3 cup of white sugar,  1 teaspoon of lemon juice (reconstituted), 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of Valencia Orange Peel (spice, McCormick), 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. You can play with the amounts of cinnamon, orange peel and extract, depending on your taste, but these are the starting guidelines. This makes a sweet and tart pie. If you like it really sweet, the amount of sugar can increase to 1 cup or 1 1/4 cups, but 2/3 cup is what I use. Stir and let it sit about 30 minutes. It will be pretty runny, especially if the fruit is fresh. I use tapioca for thickening. Others use cornstarch or flour. I start with 2 teaspoons of tapioca, stir and let it set a few minutes. You can add up to one tablespoon of tapioca. Spoon the fruit mixture into the pie crust. Dot with tiny bits of butter here and there across the surface. Sprinkle on a bit more cinnamon. If it still looks too runny, sprinkle some tapioca across the top. It should not be dry, It should have an edge of liquid around the sides. Now add the top crust. Bake 425 degrees for 45 minutes.

.July is Blueberry season in New Jersey and blueberries are one of our best crops! Though I must admit that Michigan blueberries are even better. I like a crumb topper to my blueberry pie. First step is to get to work on the filling, mixed in a large bowl: 6 cups washed fresh blueberries mixed with 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2-3 Tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon orange juice (such as Tropicana).  Stir well and let it sit. Make a single piecrust shell. Fill the shell with the blueberry filling. Now make a crumb topping: 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup oats, 5 Tablespoons of butter, melted, 2/3 cup of brown sugar, and 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix into crumbles and spread out across the top of the pie. Bake the pie at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. 

Do you know that sour cherry pie filling should be cooked before putting it into the crust? Sour cherries get very runny and soften the crust bottom if you don't cook ahead! Here is the recipe: wash and pit 6 cups of sour cherries, place in a saucepan with 1 cup of white granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Stir over medium heat until starting to bubble, then turn heat down to medium low and add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Keep stirring and the mixture will start to thicken well. Turn off heat source and add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract. Stir and allow to cool. After the filling cools, spoon the cherry filling into a prepared unbaked crust. Dot with butter. Add a top crust, brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sugar. Bake 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

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