Saskatoon Pie

Baby don't you cry

Gonna make a pie

Gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle

Darlin' don't be blue

I'll make it just for you

Gonna make a pie filled with Saskatoon love

That's the song I sang to the girls while we were driving to go pick berries the other day.
"We're going to make a pie with a heart on it!" Was Mady's response. So now there were expectations.

This wouldn't be a problem, though, because you just roll out the pastry and take a heart-shaped cookie cutter to it, right?

Well, yes. If you have a heart-shaped cookie cutter. How do I NOT have a heart-shaped cookie cutter? Isn't that a basic shape that is included in every set? Shouldn't I have it in 5 different sizes?? So, that was the first problem with this pie.

Good thing hearts are not exactly difficult.

The second problem was the fact that I've never made pastry. And besides my mom showing me when I was probably 5, I haven't really seen enough of it to know the secrets to making it well.

I decided to use my mother-in-law's recipe because 1. I knew where it was and 2. I like it when Mark makes apple pie (his only kitchen cooking duty besides BBQ).

Simple enough. 4 ingredients. Um... but I don't think my water was cold enough. Nor do I think I chilled the dough long enough. I think pastry is something you're supposed to learn from doing with someone and not just from a recipe. I had no idea what I was doing. And basically the bottom fell apart the minute I tried to pick it up, so I just pressed it into the pie plate like you would a crust for a square. The fruit will cover my sin.

That method would be a problem for my "heart in the middle" top, though.

I chilled the dough a bit longer. Prayed a whole bunch. Threw out some curses as it started to rip. Pinched a few places. Apologized out loud to my mom for the terrible fluted edge I did based on what I obviously remembered incorrectly from her showing me when I was a kid. And thanked my lucky stars that it only had to impress a 3 year old.

Don't laugh too hard at my attempt.

Ignore the "bleeding" heart.

Not the most flaky crust in the world. Not utterly terrible. I think I'll leave future pastry making to Mark and I'll stick to Tenderflake.