The Crust: A Flaky Foundation for your Easiest Effort

Give store-bought a pass. For real. Doing your own is simpler than you believe, and its flavor compares to none. It isn't a piece of cake to do it-I'll admit that it is pretty stressful-but trust me: this pay-off is worth all those aching biceps later. Here's what you'll be needing:

2 1/2 c. All-purpose flour 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup ice water

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or fingertips, work cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water by tablespoonfuls, mixing lightly with a fork until dough just comes together. Do not overmix! Divide the dough in half and shape into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This is important to ensure a flaky crust. Don't skip this step or you will be disappointed. You have been warned.

The Filling: A Burst of Summer

Now for the star of the show! For this pie, I like to use a mix of berries—raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries all work beautifully. Feel free to use your favorites, though. The key here is to use fresh, high-quality berries—the flavor will shine through. You'll want:

• 6 cups mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 tbsp lemon zest - optional, but highly recommended! * 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Toss in large bowl the berries, with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest - if using - and with cinnamon. Toss them delicately, without braking - in so many words. Cornstarch thickens juices when they are baking into that perfect, luscious filling. The stuff is pretty basic.

Assemble: Putting it All Together

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Pour in the berry filling. Roll out the second disc of dough and either place it over the filling or cut it into strips for a lattice top (lattice tops are prettier, but a full top is easier). Crimp the edges to seal. Cut several slits in the top crust to let steam out otherwise you will be left with a soggy pie, and nobody likes that.

Optional: Brush the top crust with a little milk or cream before baking. It will beautifully brown the crust and gives it a gorgeous finish.

Baking: The Moment of Truth

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the pie on a baking sheet-this helps catch any spills-and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If the crust starts to brown too quickly, you can cover the edges with aluminum foil. Let it cool off completely on a wire rack, then slice and serve. Patience, my friend, patience! A warm pie is tempting but a cool pie is far better with respect to slicing and serving.

Serving and Enjoying: The Sweet Reward

Serve your warm, gooey berry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for the ultimate indulgence. Or, if you're like me, you'll just eat it plain. It's that good. Seriously. I could eat this pie every day for a week, maybe even two. Don't judge. What do you like with berry pies? Let me know below in the comments! I want to hear from you, I wanna know what your feelings are.