Berry Berrissimo

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The problem with the lingonberry being plentiful and easy to harvest is wondering what in the hell to do with two big buckets of them. Technically the benzoic acid in lingonberries keep them from spoiling for quite a long time but if I don't deal with them while they're fresh, I'll forget about them and then I'll have the first known specimen of furry green lingonberries in the history of humankind. So, welcome to red food month which follows on the heels of blue food month.

Lingonberry is, for all practical consideration, a smaller, juicier version of the American bog cranberry. I've been making stuff all week with the berries we picked on Sunday, but I'll start with a pie. I wanted a quick and easy pie, i.e. I was cooking too many other things at the time to make a pulla crust pie, so I went looking for one of those 'one bowl' kind of pies where you mix everything up in a bowl and shove the pan in the oven. The Berry Bible had a recipe that was close, but called for blackberries but I figured I could substitute lingonberries without too much trouble. It's called 'berrissimo' because it means 'the most berries', but it sounds more like one of the Sopranoes talking with their mouth full. :) The recipe is also very similar to many of the Nordic pie recipes but with a slight twist. I liked the 3-step baking of the crust, then the berries and then the filling since getting all the parts of a pie baked for just the right amount is often a challenge.

The pie is very easy to make though I found it difficult to slice and serve from the tart pan, which didn't have a removable bottom, so it might be easier to use a springform pan or a tart pan with a removable bottom. I used the créme fraîche, but think it would work equally well with rahkaa or kermaviili for a slightly lighter taste. The taste of the berries isn't overwhelmed by the filling or crust nor is it overly sweet.

One litre of berries down - only 20 more to go. :)

Berrissimo

makes: 10-12 servings
time: about 1 hour
source: The Berry Bible

crust:

• 2 cups or 4.75 dl all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 pound or 225g cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 large egg

filling:

• 1-1 1/5 cup or 2.5-3.5 dl sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups or 9.5 dl fresh lingonberries rinsed and drained

topping:

• 1 cup or 2.5 dl sour cream/creme fraiche/rahka
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar

Preheat oven to 400F/204C.

Put the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest and salt together in a bowl and blend together. Add butter and egg and mix until just blended. Press the dough, using your fingertips, into an 11-inch/28cm tart pan. Chill.

Mix together sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle a little of the mixture over the tart shell and bake it for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar over the berries and mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Whisk together the sour cream, egg yolks, honey and vanilla and pour it over the berries. Bake for 15 minutes longer, until the topping is set and just starts to turn golden brown around the edges. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Server warm or at room temperature for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or a snack.