Blackberry Pie

An open letter to Pie:

I think I need to apologize to you. For years I’ve been acting under the notion that I hate any and all kinds of baked fruit. Because of it, I’ve turned away from you, ignored you, shunned you. I’ve passed you over in favor of things like cake and cupcakes, lured in by their swirls of sweet sugary frosting.

In my constant search for recipes, you were always the last on the list, if you even made it to the list at all. Cookies were always my top choice. Macarons even beat you out. I’d cite my abhorrence to squishy fruit and my fear of pie crust as reasons for my avoidance. The few feeble attempts I made at conquering you over the years were of the cream and custard variety, with graham cracker or store bought crust, and did very little to sway me from my firm prejudice against you.

That is until I made handpies. With real pie crust. From that moment on, I was hooked. Enrobed in flaky, buttery dough, my hatred of baked fruit began to wane. You broke down my defenses and made me realize how wrong I had been this whole time. And I’ve been so, so very wrong. This Blackberry Pie proves it.

The filling is almost jam-like sweet and I can’t get enough of the crust. I’ve eaten piece after piece, unwilling to share with anyone else. I can’t believe I went this long without you, Pie. With just a few simple ingredients, you turn into something incredible. You’ve certainly changed my mind, and for that I’m grateful. And I’m truly sorry I ever doubted you.

Signed,
A new pie lover

PS- I'm on my way today to the Ohio State Fair, where I find out whether my 7 entries this year won any ribbons! *Crossing fingers*

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Blackberry Pie
Adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 10 to 12



Crust:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 tablespoons shortening, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ice water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon raw sugar

Filling:
1 ½ pounds blackberries
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1. Make crust: In a large bowl whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and salt to combine. Using a pastry cutter, add shortening and chilled butter and cut into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir together ice water and vinegar. Making a well in the center of the flour mixture, add liquid, stirring until dough comes together and holds together when squeezed. If mixture is too dry, add additional water, a half teaspoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
2. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Gently knead the dough 2 to 3 times to incorporate any loose bits, divide in half, and pat each portion into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until cold, at least an hour.
3. When crust is chilled, preheat oven to 375F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk to a 12-inch round, making quarter turns after each roll. Gently roll the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and gently pinch to seal. Place in refrigerator to chill while you roll out and cut remaining pie dough.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, plastic wrap, or foil; set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out remaining pie dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch star cookie cutter, cut shapes out of dough, transferring shapes to baking sheet. Gather and reroll scraps up to two more times. Place baking sheet in refrigerator to chill, at least 5 minutes.
5. Make filling: In a large bowl, stir together blackberries, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon juice until completely coated, gently crushing some of the berries as you stir. Remove pie crust from refrigerator and pour filling into prepared pie plate. Place cubes of butter over the filling.
6. Working from the outside in towards the center, arrange star shapes over the filling, overlapping slightly. Lightly brush the beaten egg over the crust and sprinkle with raw sugar.
7. Place pie plate on an unlined baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack at least 4 hours before serving.