Berry Pie with Almond, Orange, and Ginger Streusel

Almost everyone is familiar with the Old Lady that Swallowed a Fly. Why, oh why did she swallow that fly? She should have been like the Old Lady that Swallowed a Pie. I'm sure it tasted better.

I have a love/hate relationship with berry pies. I do not like uncooked berry pies, especially strawberry. I don't understand why every recipe seems to call for jello. Cooked berry pies tend to be harder to find unless it's blueberry and even though they are amazing for you, I'm not a huge fan of blueberries. My very favorite berry pie is boysenberry, but they are really hard to find.

(Never heard of a boysenberry? It's a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry and it was invented at Knott's Berry Farm which is 10 miles from my house. Knott's Berry Farm no longer produces fruit though, and is now an amusement park)

When boysenberries are no where to be found, I make mixed berry pie. It allows me to use whatever is the best of the season, or whatever is lying around in my freezer. The pie today? It's good. It only requires rolling out 1 crust (yay!) and has a streusel topping. I love streusel!

The orange and ginger flavor in the streusel is pretty mild. There was some concern it might be too strong until I made it, and was eating it raw right out of the food processor. This topping is seriously good. I am using the flavor combo the next time I make shortbread.

Mixed Berry Pie with Orange, Ginger and Almond

Adapted from Bon Apetit 

For Crust:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

2 tablespoons (or more) ice water

To make the crust, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut in the butter until it resembles a course meal. Stir in water with a fork, adding more if the dough seems dry. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour. 

For Streusel

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 cup sliced almonds

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, ginger, orange, and salt. Add butter and pulse until course crumbs form. Add milk and pulse (should look like wet bread crumbs). Move mixture to bowl and stir in almonds. 

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out pie crust to 12 inches then place in a 9 inch pie pan. Turn up the edges so there is 1/4 inch rim around the dish. Place crust in the fridge. 

For Filling

2 pounds mixed berries (if using frozen, do not defrost)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

Combine everything in a bowl. Pour it into the pie crust, mounding slightly in the center. Cover with streusel. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the crust and topping are golden brown. (The streusel doesn't get super brown. It has no cinnamon to color it). Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Disclaimer: The links above are to Amazon. I'm an Amazon affiliate. I'm also a poor college student.