Food was always at the center of family life for Amanda Wilbanks growing up. She says, “I was raised in my mother’s and grandmothers’ kitchens. We always connected, showed our love for each other, and celebrated all of life’s special moments around the family dinner table with a meal that was made with loved and crafted with fresh ingredients. Farm to table was a way of life for us long before it became a trend.”

But food didn’t really become Amanda’s passion until she learned to make her “very first buttermilk pie and pâte brisée crust” form her mother-in-law. Now there is nothing she loves more than sharing her love for baking and cooking with others through her company, Southern Baked Pies. 

For those who like eating pie more than baking, Southern Baked Pie has three retail bakery locations in George and ships nationwide. (Because sending flowers in nice but sending pie is better.) They offer sweet and savory pies that are handmade using Southern Baked Pie’s signature all-butter pie crust.

And now, Amanda has just released her first cookbook, Southern Baked: Celebrating Life with Pie. Inside is more than just pie. It’s twelve months of Southern family menus filled with recipes for all of life’s special occasions. Amanda says, “There are recipes for sweet and savory pies, tried and true family heirloom side dishes, and easy week night meals. Although the recipes are organized by months of the year and seasonal holidays, I encourage everyone to mix and match their favorites to make every night a celebration whether it’s a weeknight dinner, a tailgate or a spur the moment dinner party! So today we’re sharing a recipe for Southern Baked Pie’s Three Berry Pie, including that signature all-butter crust. 

THREE BERRY PIE

2 recipes SB Pie Dough (below)
1 1/2 cups raspberries
2 cups blackberries
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup butter, cubed

Butter an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish. Roll out dough into a 12-inch square. Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with the dough; partially bake dough for 12-15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into the crust.

In a large bowl, mix together the almonds, oats, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, syrup, honey, and oil. Sprinkle evenly over berry filling. Dot with cubes of butter.

Bake in bottom third of oven for 30 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake an additional 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

SOUTHERN BAKED PIE DOUGH
Makes dough for 1 single crust 9-inch pie

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

Cut the butter into small cubes. Combine butter and flour in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour. Add the salt and sugar. Continue to work the butter into the flour until the mixture has a consistency of course-ground cornmeal. The cubes of butter should now be smaller than the size of a green pea.

Add the water, all at once. Continue to work the dough until the dough begins to come together. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and press into the shape of a disk. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to desired size on a lightly floured surface.

Amanda says: The trick to making delicious pie dough is using cold ingredients. I even chill my flour, salt, and sugar. Starting with very cold butter and ice cold water will make a world of difference when it comes to the texture of the dough.