I have a new obsession and it’s called Slab Pie. If you’re wondering what it is just imagine this: warm, flaky, luscious Pop-Tarts for grown-ups. The basic concept is this: take a pie recipe, spread it all out and bake it flat in a jelly roll pan or Half-Size Sheet Pan. Pie transforms from a nice dessert into a wonderful treat you can pick up and eat out of hand or serve a la mode or topped with whipped cream.

The best part of Slab Pie? The crust. I’m a total flaky crust girl and this crust is divine! So flaky, so loaded with butter (yes butter but butter is a healthy fat so I don’t feel in the least bit guilty!), so crispy perfect I think you’ll fall in love too! I love how rustic this pie is. Don’t worry if your crust tears while you’re rolling it out, just patch it back together. You can get all fancy and make a lattice or whatever you like but I keep mine super simple.

I use Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee recipe and it makes one heck of a crust. Feel to make your favorite crust recipe if you like or buy a ready made crust and roll it to fit your jelly roll pan. Any fruit will work, I used blackberries for mine, and other than making the crust it’s quite simple to put a Slab Pie together. One pie will easily make 12-16 generous slices so it’s the perfect choice to feed a crowd. And it’s particularly awesome for a potluck. Watch them rush throughout their burgers to get to your Slab Pie!

I chose blackberries for my Slab Pie because I had lovely blackberries from a North Carolina farmer’s market I bought back in July. They were in my freezer but it’s super easy to use frozen fruit in a pie. I’ll tell you how I do it in Kate’s Tips below.

So, go make yourself a Slab Pie and enjoy life! You will LOVE IT!

Slab Pie

Crust

Pate Brisee Recipe from Martha Stewart

• 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (I used organic spelt flour)
• 2 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
• 3 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (I use Kerry Gold Irish butter)
• 6 to 12 tablespoons ice water

1. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse mea;, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the ice water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds.
2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide in two with one piece slightly larger than the other. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two rectangles. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

Pie Filling

• 1 to 1 ½ cups organic granulated sugar (use less sugar if your fruit is quite sweet)
• 6 cups blackberries, or any fruit you’d like
• ¼ cup Organic Corn Starch
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Large pinch of salt
• All purpose flour, for rolling out dough
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¼ cup granulated sugar for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt. Stir to combine then set aside.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle. Transfer to a 15-by-10-by-1-inch rimmed baking sheet, (pastry will hang over sides of pan). Pour blackberry mixture into lined baking sheet; refrigerate pie. (I like to leave about an inch border all around the fruit. It makes it easier to crimp the edges together when you add the top piece of pastry.)

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining piece of dough into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Remove pie from fridge. Drape crust over filling. Bring bottom pastry up and over top pastry. Pinch edges to seal. Using a fork, prick top crust all over or use a knife to make decorative slits. Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 40 to 55 minutes. Let it cool for about 45 minutes until it’s just warm to the touch but not hot. Serve right from the jelly roll pan. If using a glaze, drizzle it on now.

Kate’s Tips

• Use any kind of fruit you like, fresh or frozen. Or just use your favorite fruit pie filling and whatever spices you love.
• If using frozen fruit, no need to thaw first. Instead, use twice the amount of thickener (cornstarch) and bake the pie about 15-25 minutes longer. After the first 50 minutes, slide a flat cookie sheet under the jelly roll pan to deflect some of the heat and prevent a burnt crust. Make sure the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling up through the slits before you remove it from the oven.
• Also, If using frozen fruit, don’t mix it with the other ingredients until you’re ready to bake. I get the bottom crust rolled out and refrigerated first. Then I mix my frozen fruit with the other ingredients and pour into the bottom crust. Put it back in the fridge while you prepare the top crust. Roll out top crust and drape over filling, crimp edges and prick or make decorative vents with a knife. Pop in the oven.
• You can make a simple glaze by mixing 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water or 1 tablespoon water plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Drizzle decoratively on your cooled Slab Pie.
• Don’t worry if you’re pie isn’t an exact rectangle. This is a rustic dessert and doesn’t have to be perfect.
• You can also just make a bottom crust, add your filling and then make a crumb topping. Yummy!
• Here are my other favorite pie recipes: Apple, Lemon Meringue and Blackberry 🙂

 What’s your favorite pie?