Berry Pie Baking Kit

I got given the cutest little Berry Pie Baking Kit for Christmas: “A baking kit containing all you need to make a berry pie, including the pie dish! The kit comes with 85g of crust mix, 28g of pie spice mix, a ceramic pie dish with handle, and a full recipe. Simply add fresh or frozen berries, some butter and water and you’re good to go!” The kit comes from Deacon Family Farms and it is available at Whitcoulls.

You can make it with any sort of berries that you have from your garden or in the freezer, mixed berries is just fine. I used blueberries because that was what I had most of, but you just need a cup of berries, 50g butter and 1.5 tbsp water.

It was so simple and the little pie was just so cute. Although it looks tiny it is the perfect size for 1-2 people. You don’t really need the kit (unless you want to give it as a gift or get the gorgeous little pie dish) as you can make or buy your own pastry and add your own spices to your berries. But I love the idea and I think I might make several little mini-pies of different flavours to have in the freezer for when people come round.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C (the recipe actually says 177C but I can’t be that precise with my oven!)

Empty the bag of crust mix into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter using your fingers until it is crumbly.
Stir in the water until the dough comes together (don’t add it all at once – mine was very wet and sticky and I had to add more flour). Chill for 30 mins.

Toss berries in a bowl with Berry Pie Spice Mix (sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves) until the berries are completely coated.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces (roughly 1/3:2/3) and, on a floured surface, roll out the dough into 2 circles – one about 5 inches and the other about 3.5 inches. I have a silicon pastry sheet that conveniently has those size circles printed on it so that was easy to do.

Press the larger circle into the pie dish. Fill with spiced berries (mine were mounded right up and I was a bit concerned that there would be leakage when it was baking but it was fine). I also tipped all the remaining spice mix on top but that is optional.
Place the smaller circle of pastry on top of the berries and pinch the edges of the pastry circles together to seal them. Poke a few holes in the top of the pastry.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until crust becomes golden brown (check sooner as mine was ready in 20-25 minutes).

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then serve with icecream, cream or yoghurt.