Lattice top berry and sloe gin pie Recipe

A lattice top pie is a classic British bake that never seems to have gone out of fashion. There’s something ultimately satisfying about the neat lattice topping that inspires that comfort-food-feeling of eating a big piece of pudding after dinner as a child. We’ve given this lattice top pie a grown-up twist with a healthy hit of sloe gin. This squidgy, warming lattice pie is made with a combination of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries – the perfect way to use up seasonal fruit. If you want to make this in the winter you can substitute fresh for frozen berries. They’ll still taste delicious and will give that amazing colour too.

Ingredients

• 300g each strawberries, raspberries and blackberries
• 50ml sloe gin
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1tbsp cornflour
• 75g caster sugar, plus extra for the pie top
• 2 x 230g readymade and rolled all-butter shortcrust pastry
• 1 egg, beaten, to glaze

You will need:

• 20cm fluted tart tin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas Mark 4.
2. Cook the strawberries, gin, vanilla and caster sugar in a pan on a low heat for ten minutes. Add the rest of the fruit and the cornflour. Stir well and leave to cook for a further five minutes. Remove from the heat, drain off the juices (reserving for later) and leave to cool.
3. Meanwhile grease the tart tin well and line with one half of the pastry, pushing into the edges. Chill for 20 mins. Prick the pastry all over, line with foil, fill with baking beans and blind bake for 25 mins. Remove the foil and baking beads, brush with egg and bake for a further 10 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool. Trim edges with a serrated knife.
4. To make the lattice top cut the other half of the pastry into seven 2.5cm inch wide strips, 20cms long. Chill for 20 mins. Weave the pastry strips into a lattice on top of the pie. Pinch around the edges to secure, paint with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with the extra sugar.
5. Bake for 45 mins, until golden. Serve at room temperature.