Fresh blackberry pie was one of my mother's favorites. She didn't make it often as blackberries were not commercially available and as such, it required a trip into the countryside to pick them ourselves. She always said to be careful as the blackberry bushes harbored snakes, but I never did see one. In any case for this reason it was pretty much a once-per-summer treat.
As beautiful, large and delicious blackberries are now available from your local grocer and even big box stores like Costco, a blackberry pie can be enjoyed more frequently. However with so many pie ingredients available in the spring and summer, I usually only make this one once a year as well.
Below is the recipe for my filling. Make your crust following my recipe here or purchase store bought dough. See also my notes about the most appropriate pie plates for this type of pie. I give you the option of using Instant ClearJel instead of cornstarch, as it is a superior thickener to plain cornstarch. It will thicken a fruit filling even without baking. Where flour may make your filling cloudy, and cornstarch may break down and become watery, ClearJel leaves the filling crystal clear, and holds its thickening power, both when baking and when refrigerated. To avoid clumping, always mix with the dry ingredients before adding to the fruit. Instant ClearJel is widely available on Amazon and the King Arthur Flour website.
Ingredients
prepared pie dough for crust
two pieces for top and bottom crust
20 ounces (4 cups) blackberries
1/2 to 3/4 cups sugar
4-6 tablespoons cornstarch
or 5-8 tablespoons Instant ClearJel
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon water
Sanding or crystal sugar
Instructions
Select firm, ripe berries. Use four cups, more or less, as will mound nicely into your pie dish. Rinse and pick through the berries to ensure they are clean and free of debris. Drain and set aside. Taste one berry to determine if it is sweet and juicy. The more sweet, the less sugar you will need to add. The more juicy, the more thickener (cornstarch or ClearJel) you will need to add. Error on the side of more thickener versus less.
Place your pie crust in your pie plate and trim the dough edge until it is about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of your pie plate. Place the pie crust in the plate into your refrigerator to chill. Let the top crust sit at room temperature while you make the filling below.
Whisk sugar, cornstarch (or Instant ClearJel), and salt together in large bowl. Add blackberries and toss gently to coat without breaking up the berries. Add lemon juice and toss until no dry sugar mixture remains. Blackberries may start to exude some juice.
Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven and set the oven to preheat at 400F degrees.
Transfer blackberry mixture to your dough-lined pie plate and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and cut holes to vent, or make a lattice topping as noted in next step.
Optional Lattice Top Crust: Cut the top crust pie dough into 8 strips. Lay 4 dough strips parallel to each other across pie, about 1 inch apart. Lay remaining 4 strips perpendicular to first layer of strips, about 1 inch apart. If you want a woven crust, lay the 4 dough strips as noted. Then when laying the additional 4 strips perpendicular, one by one lift the first strips so the dough weaves under every other strip, rather than over the top of all four.
Pinch edges of pie crust or lattice strips and bottom crust firmly together. Tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of plate using your fingers.
Mix together the egg and the water. Brush top crust and crimped edge with egg and sprinkle with sanding or crystal sugar.
Place the pie in the oven on the hot baking sheet and bake until golden brown and juices bubble evenly along surface, 45 to 50 minutes. Rotate sheet halfway through baking. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for at least 4 hours before serving.
As beautiful, large and delicious blackberries are now available from your local grocer and even big box stores like Costco, a blackberry pie can be enjoyed more frequently. However with so many pie ingredients available in the spring and summer, I usually only make this one once a year as well.
Below is the recipe for my filling. Make your crust following my recipe here or purchase store bought dough. See also my notes about the most appropriate pie plates for this type of pie. I give you the option of using Instant ClearJel instead of cornstarch, as it is a superior thickener to plain cornstarch. It will thicken a fruit filling even without baking. Where flour may make your filling cloudy, and cornstarch may break down and become watery, ClearJel leaves the filling crystal clear, and holds its thickening power, both when baking and when refrigerated. To avoid clumping, always mix with the dry ingredients before adding to the fruit. Instant ClearJel is widely available on Amazon and the King Arthur Flour website.
Ingredients
prepared pie dough for crust
two pieces for top and bottom crust
20 ounces (4 cups) blackberries
1/2 to 3/4 cups sugar
4-6 tablespoons cornstarch
or 5-8 tablespoons Instant ClearJel
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon water
Sanding or crystal sugar
Instructions
Select firm, ripe berries. Use four cups, more or less, as will mound nicely into your pie dish. Rinse and pick through the berries to ensure they are clean and free of debris. Drain and set aside. Taste one berry to determine if it is sweet and juicy. The more sweet, the less sugar you will need to add. The more juicy, the more thickener (cornstarch or ClearJel) you will need to add. Error on the side of more thickener versus less.
Place your pie crust in your pie plate and trim the dough edge until it is about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of your pie plate. Place the pie crust in the plate into your refrigerator to chill. Let the top crust sit at room temperature while you make the filling below.
Whisk sugar, cornstarch (or Instant ClearJel), and salt together in large bowl. Add blackberries and toss gently to coat without breaking up the berries. Add lemon juice and toss until no dry sugar mixture remains. Blackberries may start to exude some juice.
Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven and set the oven to preheat at 400F degrees.
Transfer blackberry mixture to your dough-lined pie plate and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and cut holes to vent, or make a lattice topping as noted in next step.
Optional Lattice Top Crust: Cut the top crust pie dough into 8 strips. Lay 4 dough strips parallel to each other across pie, about 1 inch apart. Lay remaining 4 strips perpendicular to first layer of strips, about 1 inch apart. If you want a woven crust, lay the 4 dough strips as noted. Then when laying the additional 4 strips perpendicular, one by one lift the first strips so the dough weaves under every other strip, rather than over the top of all four.
Pinch edges of pie crust or lattice strips and bottom crust firmly together. Tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of plate using your fingers.
Mix together the egg and the water. Brush top crust and crimped edge with egg and sprinkle with sanding or crystal sugar.
Place the pie in the oven on the hot baking sheet and bake until golden brown and juices bubble evenly along surface, 45 to 50 minutes. Rotate sheet halfway through baking. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for at least 4 hours before serving.
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