Bramblewood Blackberry Pie Recipes

Steps:

• To begin making pastry dough, sift 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Add boiling water to the flour mixture. Stir until mixture clings in a ball. Divide dough in half, and roll out two crusts.
• Combine sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix with the berries. Place berry filling in an unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter or margarine.
• Fit and seal upper crust.
• Bake on lower shelf in a 425 degree F (220 degree C) oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 9 inch deep dish pie pan with one of the crusts.
• Place the blackberries in a large bowl. Stir together the sugar, flour, and salt. Sprinkle over the berries, and toss to coat. Pour into the pie crust. Dot with butter. Place the other pie crust over the top, and secure to the bottom crust by pressing with a fork, or fluting with your fingers. Cut a design in the top crust with a sharp knife to vent steam.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top crust is browned. Let cool to almost room temperature before serving to allow the filling to set.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Combine 3 1/2 cups berries with the sugar and flour. Spoon the mixture into an unbaked pie shell. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the sweetened berries, and cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges, and cut vents in the top crust for steam to escape.
• Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Steps:

• Toss together the berries, granulated sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, unroll one pie crust and press it into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the other crust on a floured cutting board. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut the entire crust into rounds, rerolling until all the dough is used (about 28 rounds).
• Sprinkle the cornstarch over the berry mixture and toss to combine. Pour the berry mixture into the crust and spread into an even layer. Dot the top with the butter pieces. Brush the border of the dough lightly with the egg wash. Place the rounds around the border of the pie plate, overlapping them slightly and using the egg wash as an adhesive when necessary. There will be empty space in the center. Crimp the edge of the pie. Brush the entire crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
• Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake until the center is set and the crust is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Put on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Puree two cups of the blackberries in a blender until liquid. Strain out the seeds, and pour into a saucepan. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups sugar. Cook over a medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly and scraping bottom. Keep at a boil for 5 minutes, and then remove from heat.
• Mix cornstarch and brandy in a cup. When well mixed, whisk into pan; stir until mixture returns to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the nutmeg and cinnamon. Check the consistency of the mixture; it should be like a thin pudding. If necessary, add cornstarch and water mixed at a 2:1 ratio to thicken.
• Fill the pie shell with the remaining two cups of blackberries. Pour the blackberry puree over the fresh berries, covering evenly. Use either strips of dough criss crossed to cover, or cover with a solid sheet of dough with slits cut in it. Dust with sugar on top.
• Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven for 35 minutes, or until crust is browned.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Smash blackberries in a bowl until they are mostly liquid, with only few chunks remaining.
• Combine sugar, water, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Whisk out lumps and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil and stir; continue to cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add blackberries and mix together; set aside.
• Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl. Add butter and mix with your hands until clumpy and crumbly.
• Press pie pastry into a pie pan and add blackberry filling; top with crumble.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the bottom of the crust is cooked and golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for filling to set, about 1 hour.

Steps:

• Put the butter and flour in a food processor with 1/4 tsp salt and blend until the mixture resembles damp breadcrumbs. Or do this by rubbing the butter and flour together in a big bowl with your fingertips. Add the sugar and briefly whizz again or stir to combine.
• Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tbsp cold water, and drizzle over the flour mixture. Use the pulse button to blend the mixture once more, keep going until it starts to form larger clumps. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more water a tsp or 2 at a time, but no more than 3 tsp in total.
• Tip out onto a work surface and briefly knead the dough to bring it together into a smooth ball. Avoid overworking or it will become tough. Flatten the dough into a puck shape and wrap well in cling film. Chill for at least 30 mins, or for up to 2 days, or freeze for 2 months.
• Next, make the filling. Put the apples and half the sugar in a large bowl, then stir together until the apples are well coated. Set aside for 30 mins to macerate.
• Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and divide into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Re-wrap the smaller piece of dough and set aside. Divide the larger piece of dough into the number of pies you'd like to make, or leave whole for a large one. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness of a 50p piece, or until large enough to line the base of your pie plate or tin, with a little pastry overhanging. Roll the dough over your rolling pin, lift onto your plate or tins, then press it well into the corners. Scatter the polenta or almonds over the base.
• Drain any juice from the apples, then toss through the remaining sugar, cornflour and cinnamon. Layer the apples and blackberries in the lined dish, creating a dome effect in the centre. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf.
• Now choose how you'd like to decorate the top of the pie (see tips below). Once covered, whisk the reserved egg white and brush over the pastry. Scatter with extra sugar, then put the pie on the baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 mins for mini pies, 35-40 mins for medium pies, or 45 mins for a large pie, until the pastry is golden and crisp and the juices are bubbling. Cool for 10 mins before serving with cream or ice cream.

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Tip both flours and the sugar into a bowl with a large pinch of salt. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles crumble topping, then rub in the soft cheese until the pastry comes together. (If it's still crumbly, add 1 tbsp iced water and it should come together.) Tip onto a surface and knead for 30 seconds, then cut off about a third of the pastry. Mould both pieces into flat rounds. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hr. Will keep chilled for up to two days.
• Wash and drain the blackberries, being careful not to break them up, then tip into a bowl with the sugar. (If they are wild blackberries, they will need slightly more sugar.) Toss together and set aside while you roll out the pastry.
• Butter a 23cm pie dish and, on a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece of pastry out into a round that fits the base of the dish with some overhanging. Push the pastry down in and around the dish to line it. Sprinkle the cornflour over the blackberries and gently mix together. Tip the blackberries and all their sugary juices into the pastry case and dot with the butter. Beat together the egg and milk to make a glaze, then brush the edge of the pie with some of it.
• For an easy pie, simply roll out the rest of the pastry, drape it over the top, then trim and fork or crimp the edges together. For a lattice finish, roll the remaining pastry into a square, roughly 30 x 30cm. Cut out 10 strips of roughly the same width. Lay five of the strips vertically over the pie, then weave with the remaining five horizontally, to create an even lattice over the fruit. Or, if you prefer, you can cut each strip into three thinner strips to weave a more delicate lattice. Pinch the edges, then trim the excess and crimp. Can be assembled and chilled four hours before baking, or baked straightaway.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Brush the top of the pie with more egg glaze and bake for 20 mins, then brush with the glaze again, scatter generously with extra sugar and bake for another 20-25 mins until the pastry is a deep golden colour and the juices are bubbling. Leave the pie to cool for at least 30 mins, then serve as is, or with ice cream.

Steps:

• Beat the egg and vinegar together in a small bowl, and set aside. Whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the cold butter or shortening until it's the size of small peas. Turn mixture into a bowl and proceed.) Stir in the egg and vinegar mixture. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until the flour mixture is moistened. Do not add more water than you need: when you squeeze a handful of the moistened pastry mixture, it should form a ball. Divide the dough in half and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to three days.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Roll one ball out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place bottom crust in pie plate and chill for at least 20 minutes before baking. Roll out top crust and set aside. Arrange the apple slices on the bottom of the pie crust, then scatter the blackberries on top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar. Place the second pie crust on top of the fruit mixture, and pinch the top and bottom crusts together. Lightly sprinkle the top crust with water, followed by the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Poke several holes in the top of the crust with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.