despite basically being a cake pusher, i would much rather eat a pie. every birthday of my childhood i requested strawberry pie and when it comes down to it, i will ALWAYS pick a fruity pie over a slice of cake.

BUT i will admit, i’ve spent so much of my cooking career making cake, that i am not a great pie baker. so i am trying to step up my game. enter this gem of a summer dessert.

now, i understand the pureness of only using one fruit for a pie. but i’m a more the merrier kind of gal. so this pie offers up some of my favorite summer flavors.

peach + berry pie

serves: 8-10

prep time: 30 minutes

bake time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 2 pie crusts (i used the store bought one from trader joes. while i do think homemade is way better and worth the time if you have it, this pie crust works in a pinch. when you are super pregnant, it’s perfect). 2 cups chopped peaches. 2 cups blueberries. 2 cups chopped strawberries. zest of 1 lemon + 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 tsp chopped fresh sage. .5 cup turbinado sugar. 1 tbs corn starch. 1 tsp kosher salt. 2 tbs butter. .5 cup flour for dusting. rolling pin. pie dish. vanilla ice cream or whipped cream optional for serving.

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. in a large bowl, combine all your fruit, the sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest and sage. stir well to combine and set it aside.

lightly dust your working surface and your rolling pin with flour. roll out the bottom crust layer about an eighth of an inch thick.

lay the crust in your pie dish and push any excess dough back onto the top edge of your crust, using your fingers to form a smooth crust edge. prick the bottom of your pie crust all over with a fork.

use a slotted spoon to scoop all the fruit filling mixture into the pie dish. discard any excess juices. place the butter in small dollops around the fruit in your pie.

now, you can either use the second pie crust dough to cover the entire pie, OR you can roll it out and slice it into 1 inch thick strips to make a lattice design. if you choose to completely cover the pie, make sure to cut some slits in the top center of the pie so the steam can escape.

bake your pie on a baking sheet in the lower part of the oven (a baking sheet will catch any bubbled up juices) at 425 for 15 minutes. reduce the heat to 350 and continue cooking for another 30-45 minutes, until the crust is golden. remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. serve topped with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy.

xo, a

peach + berry pie

serves: 8-10

prep time: 30 minutes

bake time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 2 pie crusts (i used the store bought one from trader joes. while i do think homemade is way better and worth the time if you have it, this pie crust works in a pinch. when you are super pregnant, it’s perfect). 2 cups chopped peaches. 2 cups blueberries. 2 cups chopped strawberries. zest of 1 lemon + 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 tsp chopped fresh sage. .5 cup turbinado sugar. 1 tbs corn starch. 1 tsp kosher salt. 2 tbs butter. .5 cup flour for dusting. rolling pin. pie dish. vanilla ice cream or whipped cream optional for serving.

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. in a large bowl, combine all your fruit, the sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest and sage. stir well to combine and set it aside. lightly dust your working surface and your rolling pin with flour. roll out the bottom crust layer about an eighth of an inch thick. lay the crust in your pie dish and push any excess dough back onto the top edge of your crust, using your fingers to form a smooth crust edge. prick the bottom of your pie crust all over with a fork. use a slotted spoon to scoop all the fruit filling mixture into the pie dish. discard any excess juices. place the butter in small dollops around the fruit in your pie. now, you can either use the second pie crust dough to cover the entire pie, OR you can roll it out and slice it into 1 inch thick strips to make a lattice design. if you choose to completely cover the pie, make sure to cut some slits in the top center of the pie so the steam can escape. bake your pie on a baking sheet in the lower part of the oven (a baking sheet will catch any bubbled up juices) at 425 for 15 minutes. reduce the heat to 350 and continue cooking for another 30-45 minutes, until the crust is golden. remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. serve topped with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy.

in my world, the boom of celebrations has hit. may at our house is a crazy time. along with mother’s day, this month is packed with my birthday, both of my brother’s lady’s birthdays, my parents anniversary and my mother’s birthday. and this year we are throwing in some baby minichiello celebrations as well.

and special occasions call for special desserts.

lemon tarts are one of my mother’s absolute favorite treats. and because they are a little more labor intensive, i only bust them out for special occasions. and when i made her this gorgeous, brilliantly delicious dessert i remembered why this tart is worth every second. silky citrus curd and a delicious shortbread crust will have you signing up to make it again and again.

blood orange + lemon tart

serves: 10 inch tart round tart or 6 mini 4 inch tarts

prep time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 2 hours

baking time: 45 minutes

total time: 3 hours

ingredients:

crust - 8 oz unsalted butter, softened plus 2 tbs extra to grease the tart pan. .5 cup sugar. 1 egg yolk. .5 tbs whole milk. 12 ounces all purpose flour. .25 tsp kosher salt.

citrus curd filling - 1 tbs meyer lemon zest. .5 cup meyer lemon juice. .5 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice (you can use regular oranges or all lemons if you prefer). 1 cup sugar. 5.5 ounces unsalted butter. 7 egg yolks + 5 eggs. 2 pinches kosher salt.

tools - tart pan. stand mixer or food processor. whisk. baking sheet. fork. plastic wrap. mesh strainer. aluminum foil (optional).

start by making your crust. in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer with a paddle attachment. (i like to use a food processor because your dough comes together very quickly), combine the butter, sugar, egg yolk and milk together.

mix or pulse in your food processor till well combined.

add in the flour and salt and mix or pulse until your dough comes together.

lightly shape your dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. if you plan to reserve some of the dough, you can freeze it for up to 2 months. while your dough chills, make your citrus curd.

in a medium sized sauce pan, combine the lemon zest, citrus juice, sugar, butter and salt. heat over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved into the mixture. while that heats, in a bowl with a whisk or in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs and yolks till completely combined.

when your citrus juice mixture is ready, add it VERY slowly to your egg mixture while either whisking or while the mixer is on a low speed.

adding in the mixture too quickly will cause your eggs to scramble so take your time.

return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over low heat until the mixture thickens to a pudding like consistency. do not allow the mixture to boil. once the mixture is thick (coats the back of a wooden spoon), remove it from the heat. continue to stir until the mixture cools. strain the curd into a bowl to cool. cover with plastic wrap so that no air is between the curd and your plastic.

once your dough has chilled for an hour, lightly butter whatever tart pan you are using. press the dough into the pan to fill in all the ridges. cut off any excess dough and reserve or bake (i baked it to make a nice little cookie snack). prick the bottom of your tart pan with a fork and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes. in the mean time, preheat your oven to 375 degrees f.

after 30 minutes, place your tart shell on a baking sheet and bake until the edges of are starting to turn a light gold. about 15-20 minutes. allow the tart shell to cool slightly.

fill your shell with citrus curd. bake until the curd has set. about 20-30 more minutes. if the edges of your shell start to brown too much, you can lightly cover them with aluminum foil to prevent more browning.

allow the tart to cool completely and then refrigerate till you are ready to serve.

xo, a

blood orange + lemon tart

serves: 10 inch tart round tart or 6 mini 4 inch tarts

prep time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 2 hours

baking time: 45 minutes

total time: 3 hours

ingredients:

crust - 8 oz unsalted butter, softened plus 2 tbs extra to grease the tart pan. .5 cup sugar. 1 egg yolk. .5 tbs whole milk. 12 ounces all purpose flour. .25 tsp kosher salt.

citrus curd filling - 1 tbs meyer lemon zest. .5 cup meyer lemon juice. .5 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice (you can use regular oranges or all lemons if you prefer). 1 cup sugar. 5.5 ounces unsalted butter. 7 egg yolks + 5 eggs. 2 pinches kosher salt.

tools - tart pan. stand mixer or food processor. whisk. baking sheet. fork. plastic wrap. mesh strainer. aluminum foil (optional).

start by making your crust. in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer with a paddle attachment. (i like to use a food processor because your dough comes together very quickly), combine the butter, sugar, egg yolk and milk together. mix or pulse in your food processor till well combined. add in the flour and salt and mix or pulse until your dough comes together. lightly shape your dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. if you plan to reserve some of the dough, you can freeze it for up to 2 months. while your dough chills, make your citrus curd. in a medium sized sauce pan, combine the lemon zest, citrus juice, sugar, butter and salt. heat over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved into the mixture. while that heats, in a bowl with a whisk or in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs and yolks till completely combined. when your citrus juice mixture is ready, add it VERY slowly to your egg mixture while either whisking or while the mixer is on a low speed. adding in the mixture too quickly will cause your eggs to scramble so take your time. return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over low heat until the mixture thickens to a pudding like consistency. do not allow the mixture to boil. once the mixture is thick (coats the back of a wooden spoon), remove it from the heat. continue to stir until the mixture cools. strain the curd into a bowl to cool. cover with plastic wrap so that no air is between the curd and your plastic. once your dough has chilled for an hour, lightly butter whatever tart pan you are using. press the dough into the pan to fill in all the ridges. cut off any excess dough and reserve or bake (i baked it to make a nice little cookie snack). prick the bottom of your tart pan with a fork and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes. in the mean time, preheat your oven to 375 degrees f. after 30 minutes, place your tart shell on a baking sheet and bake until the edges of are starting to turn a light gold. about 15-20 minutes. allow the tart shell to cool slightly. fill your shell with citrus curd. bake until the curd has set. about 20-30 more minutes. if the edges of your shell start to brown too much, you can lightly cover them with aluminum foil to prevent more browning. allow the tart to cool completely and then refrigerate till you are ready to serve.