Mixed Berry Pie

02Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Roll out just over half the pastry and line a 23cm pie dish, leaving the edges overhanging. Chill while you make the filling.
2. Toss the berries gently with the caster sugar, corn flour and lemon juice. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them first.
3. Tip the filling into the case and brush the rim with beaten egg. Roll out the remaining pastry, lay it on top, then press, trim and crimp the edges.
4. Brush the top with egg, sprinkle with raw sugar and cut 4 slits for steam. Set the dish on a baking tray.
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 200C, then reduce the oven to 180C and bake for another 35-40 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling bubbles through the slits.
6. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing so the filling can set. Serve with cream, ice cream or custard.

03Notes & substitutions

• Any berries work - blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, strawberries (halved) or a mix.
• Make a lattice top instead of a lid for a more traditional look.
• Replace half the berries with chopped apple to stretch a small pick.
• Add a little grated lemon zest or a pinch of cinnamon to the filling.

04Common mistakes

• Cutting while hot — the juices are still thin and run everywhere; waiting an hour lets the corn flour set.
• Skipping the oven tray — berry juice bubbles over and burns on the oven floor; a tray catches it.
• Using soft pastry — warm pastry slumps and shrinks; chill it before rolling and again before baking.

05Storage & leftovers