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Red, White and Blue Yogurt Cream Pie

This is a cool, creamy, tangy, pie with an easy-to-make sweet crumbly crust in bright Fourth of July colors. What’s not to love?

With a crust that’s half whole wheat (made with Hodgson Mill White Whole Wheat Flour and Naturally White Flour), and a filling made of protein-packed 2% Greek yogurt sweetened with honey and lemon, and fresh, plump blueberries and raspberries, I find it hard to feel guilty about including some heavy whipping cream for richness.

I love a good cookie-crumb crust, but I sometimes feel guilty eating it, since it’s usually made with processed white flour cookies filled with preservatives and sugar, and the crumbs are usually packed down with melted butter.  As an alternative, I like this pat-in-pan pie crust, which has a crumbly, sandy, shortbread-like texture, lightly sweetened with sugar and made with healthier vegetable oil.

While the oven is preheating, wash and dry the berries and set aside.  Mix up the flour, powdered sugar and salt. 

Then whip together the vegetable oil (I used safflower) and milk until it’s creamy.  (I know, it looks like a science experiment, but don’t worry.)

Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients until all flour is incorporated, and it becomes soft, sandy crumbs.

Press the crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan, starting with the sides.   Do your best to keep it even and watch your “baseboards” – the area where the pie pan sides meet the bottom – since dough will collect there and make a thick, tough bit of crust.

I decided this would be a no-fuss pie, so I just patted the crust edges level with the pie pan, like a tart, but you can flute them if you would like a fancier pie. After pricking the crust all over with a fork, it’s ready to pre-bake.

The filling has a few unusual steps, but it’s no-bake, which is terrific on a hot day. The secret to making it all come together is gelatin powder and an ice bath to help it set.  Let the gelatin powder soak up the water in a saucepan while you prepare a large bowl with water and ice, then find a metal bowl or large saucepan that can sit inside the bowl of ice water.  (A metal bowl is preferred because it will conduct the cold from the ice bath faster than glass or plastic.)

Boil the gelatin in 3 tablespoons of water, continually stirring until the powder dissolves, which takes about 3-4 minutes. Place ¼ cup of the heavy whipping cream into the metal bowl, then add the gelatin solution. Stir in the yogurt, honey, lemon juice, optional sugar and vanilla extract before setting the bowl into the ice bath.

Chill the mixture in the ice bath for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will start to thicken, and then it’s time to whip the remaining whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the yogurt mixture.

Fill the cooled crust by alternating three layers of bright white yogurt filling and berries, ending with the gorgeous fresh berries on top.  Then chill, and soon you can enjoy this delicious, fresh, messy, pie with creamy filling and crumbly crust cold from the fridge– preferably in a backyard, off a paper plate, right after a cookout and right before some fireworks.

Red, White and Blue Yogurt Cream Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 9-inch prebaked Pat-in-Pan Pie Shell (recipe below)
  • 1 envelope gelatin powder (such as Knox)
  • 3 Tbsp. water
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream, divided
  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries, washed, dried, and divided
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries, washed, dried, and divided

Instructions

Prepare and pre-bake one 9-inch pat-in-the-pan pie crust (recipe below). Let cool.

In a small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water.  Set this aside while you fill a large bowl with water and ice, and prepare a large metal bowl or pan that will fit inside the ice bath.  Then boil gelatin 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously, until it has dissolved completely. Pour ¼ cup of the whipping cream into the metal bowl then add the cooked gelatin mixture. Gently whisk in yogurt, honey, (sugar, if using) and vanilla, then set the bowl in the ice bath. 

Chill in ice bath, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. (Remove bowl from ice bath before stirring, to avoid water splashes.) Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whip the remaining whipping cream until stiff peaks form, about 30-60 seconds. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled, thickened yogurt mixture.

Fill the cooled pie shell with one-third of the filling then sprinkle in one-third of the berries. Repeat twice until pie is topped with the last third of the berries. Cover pie completely with plastic wrap, leaving it loose on top to avoid crushing, but sealing completely around the edges.  Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours, or preferably overnight, until firm. Enjoy cold.

Notes

Keeps 3-4 days tightly covered in fridge.  Variation: Use any combination of firm berries totaling 2 cups. Cut berries may bleed slightly. For a richer filling, increase heavy whipping cream to ¾ or 1 cup total.

Half Whole Wheat Pat-in-Pan Pie Crust

Preheat the oven to 425° F.  Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix until blended. In a measuring cup, combine the oil and milk and beat with a fork until creamy. Pour all at once over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completely moistened. Place the crumb mixture in the pie pan and pat with your fingers, first up the sides of the plate, then across the bottom. Flute the edges if desired.

Prick the surface of the crust with a fork and bake 15 minutes, checking often, and pricking more if it bubbles up. Cover edges with tin foil if it’s browning too quickly.  Let cool completely before filling.

Notes

Makes one single crust for a 9” pie pan.Can be prepared 1-2 days in advance if kept tightly covered after baking.

Servings

Pie serves 6-8.

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