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The 4th of July is one of my favorite food holidays. The burgers, the hot dogs, the summer sides like fresh corn casserole and (the best ever!) baked beans—there's just nothing like it. I love making a really cute patriotic dessert to go along with whatever is on the menu, and this 4th of July Pie is absolutely perfect. It feeds a crowd, is made with fresh summer fruit, and is easy to decorate. It can also be made in advance, before celebrations really ramp up (more on that below).
The red stripes are made from a mixture of raspberries and plums, and the blue portion where the stars hang out is a blueberry-lemon combo. The rest of the design is made with just a little crust handiwork! Serve pieces with scoops of vanilla ice cream and you've got one of the best Fourth of July desserts (and red, white, and blue desserts) to enjoy during the firework show!
Can you use store-bought pie crust?
Yes, you can! If you're going that route, you'll need 3 refrigerated pie crusts—that's a box and a half. Unroll two of the crusts onto a lightly floured surface, stack them, and roll them together into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle. Gently fit the crust into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and fold the edges under by about 1/2 inch to create a neat edge.
Roll out the third pie crust into a 13-by-10-inch rectangle. From that, cut three (15-by-1-inch) stripes and three (8-by-1-inch) stripes. Use a cookie cutter to cut stars from the remaining dough. Then just continue on with the rest of step 6 of the recipe!
Can you make 4th of July pie ahead of time?
Yes, the entire pie can be assembled and baked off in advance, which is perfect when you're entertaining! It will stay good, covered, at room temperature up to one day, or up to two days in the refrigerator. The baked pie can also be wrapped tightly in a layer of plastic, then a layer of foil, and frozen for up to two months. Let it thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Just keep in mind—the crust may lose a little of its crispness after freezing and defrosting, but it’ll still be tasty!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 tsp.
kosher salt
- 3 cups
all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup
plus 2 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into pieces
- 7 Tbsp.
ice water, plus more if necessary
- 1 Tbsp.
distilled white vinegar
- 1
large egg, beaten
Ice cream, for serving
Raspberry-Plum Filling
- 1 cup
sugar
- 2 Tbsp.
cornstarch
- 1 tsp.
ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 2 1/4 lb.
red plums or nectarines, cut into ½-inch wedges (about 6 cups)
- 12 oz.
raspberries (a little less than 3 cups)
- 1 Tbsp.
white or regular balsamic vinegar
Blueberry Filling
- 2 Tbsp.
sugar
- 1 Tbsp.
cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp.
ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
- 5 oz.
blueberries (about 1 cup)
- 1
teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
- Step 1For the crust: In a large bowl, combine the salt and 2 cups of the flour. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingers until it is almost fully incorporated and forms a shaggy dough, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup flour and toss to combine.
- Step 2Whisk the ice water and vinegar in a small bowl, then drizzle over the dough. Gently knead by hand until the dough comes together, adding more water 1 teaspoon at a time if needed.
- Step 3Divide the dough into two portions—one roughly two-thirds, the other one-third. Shape the larger portion into an 8-by-6-inch rectangle and the smaller into a 4-by-6-inch rectangle. Wrap each piece in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Step 4Place a baking sheet in the center rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Step 5On a floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle. Drape it into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, pressing it into the corners and up the sides. Trim as needed so that the crust reaches 2 inches up the sides of the dish. Fold 1/2 inch of dough under and press to adhere to the sides of the pan. Brush the folded edge of the crust with beaten egg. Freeze for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight.
- Step 6Roll out the smaller piece of dough into a 15-by-8-inch rectangle. Cut 3 (15-by-1-inch) stripes from one of the long ends (a pizza wheel is handy here). Then cut 3 (8-by-1-inch) stripes. Cut out stars from the remaining dough using a star cookie cutter (a 1-inch star cutter will get you 12 to 14 stars). Place the stripes and stars on a baking sheet, brush with beaten egg, cover, and refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Step 7For the raspberry-plum filling: In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and salt. Add the plums, raspberries, and vinegar; toss to coat.
- Step 8For the blueberry filling: In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Add the blueberries, lemon zest, and juice; toss to coat.
- Step 9Remove the crust from the freezer. Cut a piece of foil to 8-by-8 inches. Fold it in half once, then again lengthwise to create an 8-by-2-inch strip. Fold that strip in half crosswise to make a 4-by-2-inch piece. With the baking dish positioned so a long side is facing you, unfold the foil to form a right angle. Place it in the upper left corner of the crust to create a square section.
- Step 10Spoon the blueberry filling into the square section framed by the foil. Spread the raspberry-plum filling over the remaining area of the crust, smoothing it evenly to the edges. Arrange the dough stars over the blueberry section. Lay the dough stripes over the raspberry-plum section to form a flag pattern, trimming the stripes as needed. Place the assembled pie in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.
- Step 11Gently lift out the foil frame. Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is golden, 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes. Let the pie cool for at least 3 hours before serving with ice cream.
Tip: 4th of July pie will stay good for up to 1 day at room temperature, up to two days in the refrigerator, or up to two months in the freezer.

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