My Best Blackberry Pie
Blackberry
Pie
Makes one 8-inch pie
For
the filling:
4 cups fresh or frozen* blackberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons butter (reserved from the two sticks used in the crust)
1 recipe Perfect Pastry for double-crust pie (below)
Preheat the
oven to 450 degrees. Line the bottom of the oven with a sheet of aluminum
foil.
Stir the flour
and sugar together in a medium bowl to mix well. Add the berries and
lemon juice and mix until all the berries are coated. Let stand at
least 15 minutes to get the juices flowing while you prepare the dough for the crust.
Perfect Pastry for a double-crust pie
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
14 Tablespoons (1 stick plus 6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, very cold
1/2 cupice water (add a tiny bit more, if necessary)
Stir the salt into the flour in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into pieces and add to the flour. Using a pastry blender or two sharp knives, “cut in” the butter until well-distributed and no large chunks remain. Add 1/2 cup ice water while tossing the mixture with a fork. Add a small amount of additional water if necessary and continue tossing gently just until all of the flour is moistened and holds together when pressed. Do not stir vigorously or the crust will be tough!
Turn the dough out onto a
lightly floured board or counter and press together into a disc. Cut
in half and set one half aside. Roll out the other half into a circle
a couple inches larger than your pie pan. Place in the pan allowing
it to hang over the edge. Fill with fruit filling and dot with 2
tablespoons butter. Using a sharp paring knife, trim the edge of the
dough so it comes just past the edge of the pan. Roll out the second
disc into another circle about the same size as the first. Place over
the fruit filling and trim so it hangs over the edge of the pan by
about 1 inch. Now, tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of
the bottom crust and press to seal well all around the pan. Then make
a decorative edge with your thumb or by pressing with fork tines.
This keeps the juices from bubbling down under the bottom crust and
burning.
Perfect Pastry for a double-crust pie
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
14 Tablespoons (1 stick plus 6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, very cold
1/2 cupice water (add a tiny bit more, if necessary)
Stir the salt into the flour in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into pieces and add to the flour. Using a pastry blender or two sharp knives, “cut in” the butter until well-distributed and no large chunks remain. Add 1/2 cup ice water while tossing the mixture with a fork. Add a small amount of additional water if necessary and continue tossing gently just until all of the flour is moistened and holds together when pressed. Do not stir vigorously or the crust will be tough!
Cut a small
hole, about the size of a Cheerio in the center of the crust to allow
steam to escape, then cut slits or a design in the top, being careful
not to accidentally cut through the bottom crust. If desired, brush
or spray the top lightly with water and sprinkle evenly with sugar. (I like the coarse turbinado sugar like Sugar in the Raw.)
Place pie in
the preheated oven and immediately reduce heat to 425 degrees. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the
juices are bubbling through the hole in the center of the pie. Cool
on a wire rack. I like to set a large rack over the kitchen sink for the best air circulation. This keeps the bottom crust from getting soggy.
*If
using frozen blackberries, thaw first and drain off any liquid or it
will make the filling runny. You can use half blackberries and half
blueberries for a “Black & Blue” pie.
