Slab pie is highly transportable. I made this one to take on a camping trip and it stood up to the journey beautifully. I made it two days before the trip and wrapped it, still in the pan, in several layers of plastic wrap. Then I stuck it in bag and put a bunch of other food on top (only light things like potato chips to avoid crushing) and hauled it off to our campsite. It survived being wedged between tents and coolers in the back of a car. I think that sitting around for a couple days actually improved it and helped the filling set up so that you can easily slice pieces that hold together. I highly recommend it for any summery, sitting-on-a-blanket-on-the-grass type activities you have planned for August. All you need is a knife to cut slices, plates and forks are optional.

The pastry I used is from a Bon Appetit recipe and it's a bit different that other pie doughs. It has almond flour and a couple egg yolks in it, which I hadn't seen before. I have made it a bunch of times with various different fillings since the sour cherry pie recipe came out two years ago in Bon Appetit, and it has never failed. It always comes out perfectly flaky and it never gets tough. I know every pie dough recipe everywhere makes claims to be the magical, never tough, perfect, easy dough. But this is really it. Just try to mess it up, I bet you can't.

Equipment note: I used a quarter bun pan, or a 9" x 13" jelly roll pan. These pans have a 1" high side and they are just the right size to hold a standard pie crust and filling.

crust:

adapted from Bon Appetit

⅓ cup almond flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 big pinch salt
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces (my butter was not chilled, doesn't seem to matter too much)
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cold water

Combine almond flour, granulated sugar, salt, all-purpose flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until mixture is just combined and has a sandy texture. Combine egg yolks and water and drizzle them over the flour mixture. Pulse until just combined. Add a few drops more water if the dough isn't coming together.

Dump the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and squish it into a rectangle. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.

filling:

adapted from Martha Stewart

5 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup raspberries
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

assembly:

Cut chilled dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other, about 2/3 for one piece and 1/3 for the other. Roll out the larger piece into a rectangle slightly larger than your pan so that dough hangs over the edge when you lay the dough sheet over the pan. Roll out the smaller piece the same size as the pan. Cut vents into the dough with a knife or cut little circles out with a piping tip.

Spread the fruit filling over the dough in the pan and cover it with the top sheet of dough. Fold over the overhang and press the dough together to seal.

Brush the top of the pie with heavy cream and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar if you like. Bake at 375°F for about an hour. If the crust browns too quickly tent it with foil.

Let cool for at least two hours before serving.

Photos by Tyrel Hiebert

Amaretti and raspberry cake

When I was deciding what cake to make for my friend's birthday last week I wanted something a little lighter, a little less intense. I'm still feeling aftershocks from Christmas overindulgence. I wouldn't describe this cake as light exactly, but the fruit does help offset the richness a little.

I was try to replicate the flavour of amaretti cookies, which have a strong, slightly bitter almond flavour. Use a really good quality almond extract, some of the cheaper (artificial) almond extracts are too wimpy and bland.

Almond and vanilla cake

adapted from

Baked

2 1/2 cups cake flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbs baking powder

1tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups ice water

3 egg whites

Mix flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. Cream together the butter and the shortening. Add the sugar and the vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add the egg and just combine. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture and water in turns. Scrape the bowl to ensure everything is mixed properly.

In a clean bowl, beat the eggs until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into the batter until just combined.

Divide batter between two 6 inch cake pans lined with parchment (I make a few cupcakes with any leftover batter) and bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake come to room temperature then c

ut into very thin layers.

Freeze cake layers, wrapped well in cling wrap.

Amarretti frosting

adapted from smitten kitchen

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 egg whites

2 1/3 cups butter

1/2 vanilla bean innards

1 tsp almond extract

In a very clean, dry, heat proof bowl, whisk together egg whites and sugar. Set bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water, whisking constantly. When the sugar granules dissolve, remove the pan from the heat and wipe the water from the bottom of the bowl. Pour egg mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer whip the eggs until they about double in size. Add the butter, a little at a time. The mixture will very likely break and start to look like a scrambled leaky mess. Keep whipping, it should come back together.

Raspberry filling

1 cup raspberry jam

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

juice of one lemon

a little water

Put everything into a saucepan and cook on medium heat. Mash the raspberries a little so they are still a little chunky. Let cool.

ombre frosting

Test pattern: I like to practice new frosting designs

on a piece of parchment before I try it on a cake.

Assembly

Spread a layer of raspberry filling onto a cake layer, top with another cake layer spread with frosting. Alternate cake layers with either filling until you run out of cake layers. Chill cake for 30 minutes.

Frost the cake with a thin quick layer of frosting to seal in the crumbs. Don't worry about making this layer too pretty. Chill again for 30 minutes.

Put about 1/3 cup frosting in a small bowl, add 1-2 drops red food colouring mix well. Repeat with more frosting, adding a little more colouring each time. You want to end up with three different shades of pink to red. Pipe a line of the darkest colour frosting around the bottom of the cake, smooth with an offset spatula. Work your way up the cake, adding lighter shades of frosting as you move up. Blend the edges between the different colours to give a softer fade. Use remaining white frosting to touch up the top of the cake.