Aluminum Foil Is The Secret To A Festive 4th Of July Pie

For many bakers, there's nothing more exciting about a holiday than the festive-themed desserts that come with it. Colorful shortbread Christmas cookies, rich Valentine's Day brownies, classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pies, and Halloween candy treats. Then, of course, there's all of the American pride that comes with the 4th of July. Red, white, and blue cookies, star-spangled cakes, cupcakes covered in confetti — all you really need for a festive 4th of July dessert, though, is pie crust, fruit, sugar, and some aluminum foil.

You may have already seen a flag pie before, but making them can be a little messy. Two colors of fruit are usually used, like dark blackberries or blueberries and bright strawberries, raspberries, or cherries. However, the fruits can sometimes meld together during baking, ruining the distinctive look. The secret to avoiding this is to use aluminum foil to divide the filling during assembly.

Once your pie crust is ready to go, all you need to do is fold up a sheet of foil to create a thick strip. You want it to be a couple of inches wide so that it's taller than the level of filling and long enough to touch both sides of the dish, but you don't need to be too specific on measurements. Lightly press the thin edge of the strip into the crust wherever you want to separate the colors. Spoon in the fruit around the foil and, once it's settled, remove the strip. Then, move on to decorating.

You can fill the pie with about one third blue fruit and two thirds red, do a 50/50 split, or make a small rectangle in the corner just like the flag. To do this, just fold your foil in half to create a 90 degree angle and tuck it into the corner of the pie dish, making sure both ends still touch the edges. An adjustable pie dam is very handy if you have one, but foil works just as well.

If you don't have either, you could try using some scrap dough to form a little makeshift barrier. Just roll it into a thin but sturdy strip, create your 90 degree angle, and crimp to ensure that it stays in place. Another way to stop your fruits from mixing is to use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the crust or pre-cook them and strain the excess liquid. This should stop any juices from floating together, and it will help with prevent a dreaded soggy bottom.

If you're topping the pie with stars and stripes made from dough, you can also experiment with baking them separately. At the end of the day, even if the pie doesn't come out perfectly it will still taste delicious. And there's lots of easy 4th of July dessert ideas out there if you do face a worst case scenario, like sprucing up a cheesecake with berries — yes, even a store-bought one.