American Flag Patriotic Pie

If you're looking for a show-stopping dessert for your holiday weekend, look no further! This American Flag Pie is simple and easy to make - but will impress all of your cookout guests. Plus, it is full of yummy berries -- the perfect way to ring in Summer!

Pie Dough: (makes enough for bottom crust and top)

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubed

1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening (I used Crisco bars sliced into smaller pieces)

1/2 cup ice water, used as needed

Berry Filling:

4 cups halved strawberries

1 cup raspberries

2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

Egg wash:

1 tbsp milk

1 egg

For the pie dough:

Before you begin, make sure all ingredients for your dough are cold. I prefer to freeze the lard ahead of time and I cube my butter and put it in the freezer while I assemble other ingredients.

In a food processor, add flour, sugar and salt. Add in butter and shortening and pulse a few times to combine. Slowly drizzle in ice water and pulse just until the dough comes together, but no longer looks dry. Pour dough out onto a floured surface and form into two even sized discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

*Not cold dough = butter melts out and you are left with a greasy pie crust that doesn't hold it's shape. Cold dough = butter creates steam and creates beautiful flaky layers

For your filling:

In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch. In two other bowls, add strawberry/raspberry mixture to one and blueberries to other. Add 2/3 of sugar mixture to strawberries and 1/3 to blueberries. Toss both in lemon juice and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and remove pie dough from refrigerator. Roll out into a circle and lay into your pie pan. Trim excess and crimp edges. Return to refrigerator. Roll out second disk and cut 6 even stripes and using a star cutter, cut out 8 stars. Place on parchment paper and return to refrigerator.

Assembly:

Add strawberry and raspberry mixture to 3/4 of the pie - only where the stripes will be. Add the blueberry mixture to the top left corner, where the stars will be. Lay your pie dough stars and stripes on top, trim edges. Brush with egg wash.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes then lower to 350 degrees and cook for another 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and let cool at least 2 hours before slicing.