Black pepper strawberry slab pie is a stunning and seasonal red dessert to take to Juneteenth celebrations. Learn how to create this unforgettable treat in under an hour!
If you're reading this, you're probably searching for a Juneteenth dessert recipe. And you've landed in the right spot. I'm sharing the recipe for this delicious and simple slab pie along with a love letter to the Black American cookbook author who developed it, Nicole A. Taylor. You might be surprised to find that you already have most of the ingredients for this sweet summer dish on hand. So let's get into the juicy details.
Looking for more red dessert ideas for Juneteenth? Check these out next!
Juneteenth 2022 Collaboration
Join me in celebrating Juneteenth with 18 other Black culinary creators. This year, we are honoring 19 Black American cookbook authors by recreating their recipes, amplifying their work, and sharing our connections to Freedom Day. Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day, the final emancipation of those enslaved in the US announced in 1865. Share these recipes with your family and help us continue the legacy of celebrating progress. Additionally, you can easily follow each participant by using the hashtag #JuneteenthCookout2022 on Instagram.
This collaboration is brought to you by Eat the Culture.
What You'll Need for this Slab Pie
Much of the beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity, which is exactly what you want in a good cookout recipe. These gatherings often come together just the day before or so, and flavorful yet non-fussy dishes are the move. Using prepared puff pastry saves you so much time in putting the pie together. Here's the full ingredient list.
- Black Pepper - Freshly cracked black pepper is best here.
- Blackberries
- Cornstarch
- Egg
- Flour
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Puff Pastry
- Sea Salt
- Strawberries
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
This strawberry blackberry pie recipe is a great primer on how to make a slab pie easy. But you'll need a few common kitchen tools for the process. First, you'll need a large saucepan or a skillet and a kitchen spoon. Then a rolling pin to press out the puff pastry to the right size.
Next, grab a one-inch biscuit cutter. As you can see, I used a slightly bigger one because it's what I had on hand. Feel free to improvise, as needed. Bake your berry slab pie on a parchment lined sheet pan and you're about done!
Making the Filling
We already know that the pie crust is easy, thanks to the puff pastry shortcut but what about the black pepper strawberry pie filling? Most of the remaining ingredients come together in a large saucepan and cook down to deepen the fruity flavor and develop thick, jammy filling. This is the same method I use when making my famous peach cobbler and it doesn't take much time at all.
The flavor of the filling is bright, sweet, and fruity with a slight kick from the black pepper that balances everything out. This slab pie pairs perfectly with the homemade ice cream in Nicole A. Taylor's Juneteenth cookbook, Watermelon & Red Birds. Be sure to grab a copy for even more sweets ideas for summer barbecues.
Tips for Success
- How to make pie with puff pastry crust? Working with puff pastry is not too different from working with a traditional pie crust. Thaw the dough, roll it out, and add your filling. The outcome is light and airy and truly perfect for a summer pie.
- Packing slab pie for travel - If you're taking this dessert to a cookout, I recommend making it same day and cutting into serving-size pieces before transport. Cover the sheet pan with cling wrap or transfer to an airtight container before transporting.
- How to serve it? This pie is marvelous on it's own and best enjoyed warm--either freshly baked or gently reheated. And I highly recommend pairing it with a scoop of ice cream.
- How to store slab pie? Cut it into serving size pieces and store in an airtight container. The pie will keep at room temperature for about two days after which point any extra pieces should be transferred to the freezer for longer storage.
A Love Letter
Watermelon & Red Birds is a treasure trove of Black cuisine and I thank you for the sheer variety and commitment to cultural ingredients. From the Rodeo Turkey Legs to the Blueberry & Bay Leaf Tonic and the Cherries Jubilee, this is a masterclass in intersections and inventiveness. Especially because people tend to have a very limited view of Black American food and can often only name a few Soul Food staples like fried chicken and mac & cheese. This book thoroughly celebrates Juneteenth with food so vibrantly and highlights, for me, the fact that Black foodways underpin American cooking. I write this love letter to celebrate you just as you wrote Watermelon & Red Birds to celebrate Juneteenth. Thank you.
I hope you'll make this easy pie recipe with puff pastry very soon and check out more amazing recipes from Watermelon & Red Birds. And sharing is caring, so be to pin this dessert to take to the Juneteenth cookout and follow me on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Nicole A. Taylor's Black Pepper Strawberry Slab Pie Recipe
Black Pepper Strawberry Slab Pie
Ingredients
For the Black Pepper Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and cut into halves or quarters, depending on size
- 4 cups blackberries
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For the Crust
- all-purpose flour for dusting
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
Instructions
For the Black Pepper Strawberry Filling
- Combine strawberries, blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, sea salt, vanilla extract, and freshly cracked black pepper in a large saurcepan over medium low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the berries have broken down a bit but still have some shape to them. Remove pan from heat and allow to fully cool.
For the Pie Crust
- Line a full sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Beat together egg and one tablespoon of water to create an egg wash. Set aside.
- Lightly dust a surface with flour then roll out one sheet of the puff pastry to a 14 x 12-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to the prepared sheet pan. Roll out second sheet of puff pastry to the same size then use a biscuit cutter to cut our six to eight circles from the dough.
- Spead the cooled filling over the first sheet of puff pastry, leaving a one-inch border around the perimiter. Brush the border with the egg wash then align the other piece of puff pastry over top.
- Pinch the edges of the pastry together then use the prongs of a fork to crimp and seal. Brush the crust with egg wash and place cutouts of pastry on top. Brush cutouts with remaining egg wash then sprinkle sugar over top of prepared pie.
- Bake pie for 28 to 30 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Cool until just warm or about one hour then cut into squares and serve.
Tope Obodoechina says
Love this recipe! I'm not a baker but I was able to make this pie and the family loved it!
Adrianne says
I’m trying this soon, and will check out Watermelon and Red Birds! And I loved your love letter!
Britney Brown-Chamberlain says
What a beautiful recipe and way to pay homage for Juneteenth! This pie turned out so beautifully, that black pepper strawberry filling was too good for words!
Takera says
In general, this is a great summer dessert. I also love the added words to the author.
Jazz says
Thanks, Takera! Summer berries are just perfect right now.
Marta says
Where has this been all of my life?!?! The combination of the sweet strawberry (and blackberry) flavor and spice of the black pepper is something I would've never put together, but they're so right! You made Nicole proud with your rendition.
Robin says
The puff pastry made this pie so light while the pepper added just the right notes. Everyone raved!
Kaluhi says
Most delightful ever!! I enjoyed the fruitiness and loved loved loved the zingy notes of the orange with that of the strawberries. I will be making this weekly!
Jessica says
This was one of the best fruit pies I've ever tasted. The black pepper adds a depth of flavor to the berries that really makes them shine. I also love that it's a slab pie. So easy to cut and serve and the best crust to filling ratio!