a pie for your travels

these pies are miniature. and cute. and totally free-form. making them quicker to bake than a whole pie, much less exact and portable enough for a summer picnic or road trip. you can make them as small or as large as you'd like, if you make them larger you can slice as you would a pie. AND, you can use this method for any fruit filling peach, blackberry, strawberry-rhubarb, apple, you name it.   

CHERRY GALETTES

For the filling:

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 cup water

6 cups cherries, pitted, and halved (bing or sour cherries)

1/4 cup sugar (increase to 3/4 cup if using sour cherries)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 tsp.  butter

Combine 1/3 cup cornstarch and 1 cup water in a saucepan on the stove.  Bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk until mixture has thickened. Mix cherries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a large bowl and stir.  Add thickened cornstarch mixture and combine with the fruit.

FOR THE CRUST:

2 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2⁄3 cup vegetable oil

6 tbsp. cold milk

Preheat oven to 400°. For the crust: Sift together flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Measure oil into a measuring cup, then add milk, but don't stir together. Pour oil and milk into flour mixture. Stir until dough just holds together. Divide dough into four sections, shape into 4 balls, and flatten slightly. Roll out each ball between two sheets of wax paper into 6" rounds. 

Place about 3/4 cup of fruit filling in the center of each piece of crust, and fold edges up over fruit to make a barrier.  Back for about 30-45 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

like double cherry pie

Until more summer fruits and berries are in season, you can make this pie with tart cherries that they sell in the frozen section of the grocery store.

TART CHERRY PIE

Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling:

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups whole pitted sour cherries or dark sweet cherries (about 2 pounds whole unpitted cherries)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (if using sour cherries) 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon (about) milk
• Vanilla ice cream
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• 
  
  For crust:
  Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until small pea-size clumps form. Add 5 tablespoons ice water; mix lightly with fork until dough holds together when small pieces are pressed between fingertips, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 2 pieces. Form each piece into ball, then flatten into disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.
  
  
  For filling:
  Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla; set aside.
  
  
  Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Using large knife or pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch-wide strips from dough round. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter. Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strip overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold bottom crust up over ends of strips and crimp edges to seal. Brush lattice crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle lattice with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
  
  
  Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, covering edges with foil collar if browning too quickly, about 1 hour longer. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.