Cherry and Blueberry Slab Pie

I made this American Flag Cherry Slab Pie for the Grandsons……but I must confess that I was craving a little Cherry Pie myself.  A slab pie is a great way to feed pie to a crowd, so it is nice to cook one up for a special occasion when there are more than a couple mouths to feed.  I decided to make a Cherry Slab Pie with just a traditional top, but then I realized the rectangular shape of the sheet pan made a perfect flag, so I couldn't  resist. 

Make the dough: this recipe uses half whole wheat and half white flour, with butter and shortening cut in until  thoroughly blended.  Add water and mix until all clings together well, and then divide into two balls (with one bigger than the other).  

Roll out to fit a Jelly Roll or Sheet Pan.

Place Blueberry Mixture in one corner of the crust.

Put Cherry Mixture in remaining pie  shell.

Top with remaining dough rolled thin and cut into Stars and Stripes.

Bake 40 -50 minutes.  Cool approximately 1 hour.  You can also add an icing if desired.

Note:  Sour Cherries are more red in appearance and sweet cherries are often much darker, almost black once baked.  I had sweet cherries, but if you have a chance to get some sour cherries for this pie, it would look prettier.  Adjust the sugar for either type of Cherry according to the tartness or sweetness by a little taste testing.

Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice or grated into flour

1 cup Natural Palm Shortening
8 to 10 Tablespoons ice water

For Cherry Filling:
8 cups (2 3/4 lb./1.25 kg) pitted fresh or frozen cherries
3/4 to 1 cup granulated organic cane sugar
1/4 cup Cornstarch
2 teaspoon. Almond Extract

For Blueberry Filling:
2 cups fresh or frozen Blueberries

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1/4 cup granulated organic cane sugar

For Icing:
1 1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
1 tsp Almond extract
4-6 teaspoons milk or cream (enough to make to make a drizzling consistency).

Directions:

For Crust:

1. Measure flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. 
2. Cut in butter and shortening until well distributed into dough.
3. Add water a tablespoon at a time, stirring and mixing until dough clings together well.
4. Divid dough into two balls, making one ball slightly larger than the other.  The bottom crust will require the larger ball of dough.
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until filling is ready. You may make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate until needed if desired.
6. When ready to use, roll out larger ball of dough into 13 x 18 inch rectangle on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper,  (slightly larger than the size of an approximate sized sheet pan).
7. Lift wax paper with dough and gently roll dough onto a 12 x 17 inch sheet pan (or close approximate size).  Press dough neatly into the pan.
8. Trim dough at the top of the rim of the pan.
9. Roll remaining dough into a rectangle  approximately 6 x 17 inches long.
10. Cut strips to form the stripes of the flag. 
11. Cut stars out the scraps of dough, using a tiny star shaped cookie cutter.

For Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. For the Cherry Filling, measure cherries, into bowl; add sugar, cornstarch and almond extract and stir to mix well.
3. For the Blueberry Filling, measure blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla in a second bowl. Stir to mix well.
4. Spread Blueberry filling in one corner of the of the sheet cake, making a small rectangle that will represent the blue part of the flag.  
5. Spread the Cherry filling in remaining part of the flag.
6. Top with remaining strips of dough to make the stripes in the flag.
7. Add dough stars.
8. Bake in preheated oven 40 - 50 minutes.
9. Cool approximately 1 hour.
10. Drizzle with icing.
11. Serves 12

For Icing:

1. Mixing Icing ingredients until smooth.
2. Drizzle over pie.

Cut, Serve and Enjoy!

Happy Fourth of July everyone.