Mixed Berry Pie – Crisp with Cherries

I wanted something sweet and pies are my favorite things. I had one frozen pie crust. It was the kind that is ready made, and then rolled up. You find them near the canned biscuits at the grocery store. I also had purchased a bag of frozen mixed berries, with Cherries. I set both out to thaw for an hour. I couldn’t wait and used them after 40 minutes, very carefully.

I first preheated the oven to 425 degrees. I stirred the berries in a bowl along with 2 very heaping Tablespoons of cornstarch; then sprinkled with a tiny bit of cinnamon. I let the berries sit for a while.

The crust is easy to roll out right into the pie dish once it’s thawed. I press into dish gently, trim off excess from the edges, and turn under the top rim a little. I use my thumbs to make an attractive pattern all around the rim.

I filled the crust with the berries and spread them out evenly. I lightly sprinkled the whole thing with just a little lemon juice.

In a small bowl I mixed about 3/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal with about 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I spread this on top of the berries, then dotted with butter, placed very closely all over the pie.

The pie went in the oven and took about 45 minutes at 425 degrees. The crust can get too brown in which case you place a little aluminum foil over those areas. Let it cool and serve wedges with whipped cream, or iced cream. The oatmeal topping gives a crunch that’s appealing with the berries and not too sweet.

Snow Cream

When I lived in East Tennessee, every time we had a new snow we would look forward to having snow cream. It must be eaten right away, otherwise it will get icy if you try to keep it in the freezer. A real cold weather treat!

Collect a large bowl of clean, new-fallen snow(powder is the best)
Blend: 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 can evaporated milk, and 1 Tablespoon vanilla

Add to snow, stirring carefully. Add more milk to desired consistancy. Taste for sweetness. If necessary adjust sugar. Serve immediately.