Making a 50/50 pie

[mgaretz]

My son likes blueberry pie (he's home for the holidays) but my wife and daughter prefer apple. At the store I have seen pies that are half one fruit, half another. (not mixed, split down the middle)

Any suggestions on the best way to accomplish this?

Or should I just make what I want: cherry!

[mkayahara]

With apple, it should be pretty straightforward, right? Just layers apples in on one half of the pie, then spoon the blueberries in the other half. Of course, you might have issues with cooking times; I can't imagine both fruits would necessarily reach their peak doneness at the same time.

Another solution - besides making a different flavour altogether - would be to make mini pies. Or tartlets!

[KarenDW]

Splitting a pie should be completely doable. Especially if you are inclined to pre-cook your apple filling, the way my kid sister does. Then the apples and berries will reach doneness at about the same time.

I'd want the "middle" slices... with both fruits! TIA.

But really, in my family, we would just make two smaller pies.

[mgaretz]

I thought of making smaller pies. I'll have to root around and see if I have any smaller pie dishes. All the ones I use regularly are the 10" Pyrex kind.

I do have some largish ramekins that I could use to make individual pies. Last time I used them to make a blueberry crumble without crust. (they were in my eg food blog)

[KarenDW]

the only caveat: if there are two types of pie, would some people want to have both?

[djyee100]

Are you OK with a melded pie? The blueberry juices will run under the apple filling, the apple juices (with cinnamon & nutmeg) will mix with the blueberries.

Have you considered dispensing with a pie pan and making a freeform apple galette? Blueberry filling, OTOH, seems to need a pan under it.

You can also use individual ramekins and top the filling with a crust. A bottom crust will probably not cook well in a porcelain ramekin, and be careful that the filling doesn't burn.

[prasantrin]

There's a pie pan you can buy that has a divider in the middle. Personally, I think making smaller pies is the way to go.

[Marmish]

I thought of making smaller pies. I'll have to root around and see if I have any smaller pie dishes. All the ones I use regularly are the 10" Pyrex kind.

I do have some largish ramekins that I could use to make individual pies. Last time I used them to make a blueberry crumble without crust. (they were in my eg food blog)

Maybe a large muffin tin?

[mgaretz]

You can also use individual ramekins and top the filling with a crust. A bottom crust will probably not cook well in a porcelain ramekin, and be careful that the filling doesn't burn.

Why would the ramekin be a problem? I don't think they are any thicker than my Pyrex glass dishes. In fact there appear to be lots of porcelain pie dishes out there.

(I checked and I don't have any small pie dishes.)

[runwestierun]

Just make 2 pies!

[djyee100]

You can also use individual ramekins and top the filling with a crust. A bottom crust will probably not cook well in a porcelain ramekin, and be careful that the filling doesn't burn.

Why would the ramekin be a problem? I don't think they are any thicker than my Pyrex glass dishes. In fact there appear to be lots of porcelain pie dishes out there.

I don't know what the material of your ramekins are. Mine are stoneware. Stoneware, or any ceramic, conducts heat slowly compared to glass (pyrex) or metal.

I don't use stoneware for baking pies because I'm concerned the bottom crust will not be fully cooked and browned when the filling and the top crust are done. I would expect the ceramic pan to be slow to heat up and cook the bottom crust. If I'm baking a pie with a bottom crust, I use a metal pan.

[Mjx]

If I was making a single regular sized pie of this sort, I'd be inclined to fit two semicircular shells in the single pie pan, to get around the intermingling of the two fillings. You could also blind bake a single shell, prepare the fillings, the add them in, either starting with the less runny one, then adding the other, or pouring them in from either side at the same time.

I'd love to hear what you do, and how it comes out.

[mgaretz]

I decided to make separate, smaller pies. I made a test (cherry) pie tonight using the ramekins I have. Made my normal all butter crust and used canned cherry pie filling with some added almond extract. Cooked at 350F for 45 minutes on a cookie sheet in my Breville Smart Oven. It came out fantastic! The crust on the bottom and sides was fully and perfectly cooked and the top was just right, even the edges weren't over-browned.