I cut my competitive teeth on evenings of Scrabble with my bibliophile wordsmith mother. I don’t recall much about those matches except that my brother and I never stood a chance against her prowess. Ben and I are more evenly matched, and the competition these days has only heightened. There is always a running game on our coffee table, and sometimes instead of going to bed like responsible adults, we lie awake playing endless rounds on our phones until the loser pouts themselves to sleep.
Occasionally, when I devise one of these alphabet designs, I consider baking the bonus scraps and sneaking them on the board as tiles. S’s are usually the most versatile, but sometimes you need those high-point letters like W to nudge your word from wimpy to worthwhile. Whatever your tactic, when it’s combined with this bingo of a deeply juicy balsamic grape filling, you’re sure to be a winner.
2 disks Beet Pie Dough
BALSAMIC GRAPE FILLING
6 cups (2 pounds/907 grams) seedless black grapes, sliced in half
⅔ cup (132 grams) packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup (38 grams) tapioca starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
KALEIDOSCOPE DESIGN NEEDS
Parchment paper
½-inch circle cutter
Letter W cutter
Letter V cutter
Paring knife
1. On a floured surface, roll 1 dough disk into a 13-inch circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Using a ½-inch circle cutter, punch out a hole in the center of the dough.
2. Punch out a ring of seven W’s radiating around the center circle.
3. Moving outward, punch a ring of V’s in between the W’s.
4. Flip the W cutter and cut an offset ring of M’s in between the V’s.
5. Finish the design with a final outer ring of V’s.
6. Slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and place the perforated pie top in the freezer until frozen solid, about 20 minutes.
7. Roll the second disk of dough into a 14-inch circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it over a 9-inch pie pan. Taking the edges of the dough, gently ease the dough into the pan, nestling it into the inner elbows of the pie pan. Trim the excess dough with kitchen shears to create a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang back under, creating an elevated edge.
8. To prepare the balsamic grape filling, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently fold with a spatula to coat the fruit.
9. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Use a small pastry brush to lightly dab water around the edge of the dough.
10. Remove the frozen pie top from the freezer, pick it up as one solid piece, and lay it centered on the surface of your filled pie. Let it sit for a few minutes to thaw slightly and settle. Press to seal the edges and run a paring knife around the edge to trim the excess.
11. Chill the entire pie in the freezer while the oven comes to temperature. The pie can be frozen until solid before baking or simply chilled through, about 20 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
13. When the oven comes to temperature, remove the pie from the freezer and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
14. Bake the pie for 25 minutes, then rotate the pie 180 degrees and lower the oven temperature to 350°F. If the edges are already brown, cover with a shield. If the top begins to brown excessively, rest a sheet of foil lightly on top. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling in the center, checking every 30 minutes to rotate the pie and adjust the shields as necessary, 75 to 90 total minutes. (If baking from frozen, add 30 to 45 minutes to the bake time.)
15. Cool the pie completely on a rack before slicing and serving.
SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS
Dough alternatives: Basic, Black Sesame, Blueberry, Butterfly Pea Flower, Cornflower, Dragon Fruit
Filling alternative: Seedless red grapes
NOTE
Use the pointy end of a chopstick to gently nudge the dough out of the letter cutter onto a sheet of parchment. These can be baked at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes and tossed in cinnamon sugar.