Blackberry Bounty 2--Chilled Blackberry Pie

As I mentioned in my last post, my honey brought home lots and lots of handpicked blackberries. The first pie that I made turned out really well, but I wanted to try something different for the second one. This recipe is similar to a fresh strawberry pie that I make occasionally, although not often enough!


Ingredients:

• 3/4 c sugar
• 3 T cornstarch
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 pkg blackberry jello (not pictured)
• 3 c blackberries
• 1 single crust pie crust

As in the previous post, I used my favorite pie crust recipe--refrigerated ready crust (!). Place crust in pie plate, and prick with fork--this keeps the crust from puffing up where it isn't suppose to.

Bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned. Not quite this brown.

While the crust is cooling, mix together sugar, cornstarch, and water. Cook on medium high heat until translucent to clear. Add jello, stir until dissolved. I couldn't find blackberry jello, so I used blackberry/raspberry fusion.

Allow the cooked mixture to cool slightly but not set, stir in blackberries, then pour into baked pie crust.

Refrigerate and allow to set for at least 30 minutes. As you can see, this one held together very well! Top with whipped topping and enjoy!

I didn't like this pie quite as well the first one--part of it may have been the jello--I'm not a big fan of raspberry flavored anything, so I thought the gel filling had a whang that wasn't to my personal liking. I also thought it was bit stiff or sticky--I should have remembered that when I make my strawberry pie, I don't use a whole box of strawberry jello as most recipes call for, I use only about 2 or 3 tablespoons. My husband thought it was a bit "seedier" than the other one, which is to be expected since the berries aren't actually cooked in this one.

Verdict: I would make this again if I could find blackberry or even blueberry jello, I just don't like the raspberry, even mixed with other flavors, and I would add only about 3 T of the jello powder, not the whole box.

This post is shared at:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace

Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Foodie Friday at Desgins by Gollum

Recipe Swap at the Grocery Cart Challenge

Click over and fined links to other recipes, and see what's cooking around the blogosphere.

Stay tuned for the easy blackberry jam I made!

Until next time, good cooking and good eating!

Blackberry Bounty--Pie a la Mode

My sweet husband has come home from work three days this week with fresh blackberries, picked from wild berry patches growing out around his job site. He stayed late in the heat and picked berries, braving not just the heat but the chiggers and brambles, and brought us home quarts and quarts of beautiful fresh ripe berries. All he requested was a cobbler "like his grandma used to make" with two crusts.

Now you have to understand, I don't do pie. I do make really good peach or pear cobbler, but those involve making a batter that cooks into a thick, almost cake-like top, nothing like the traditional pie crust style cobbler. So I searched out and found this recipe for blackberry pie and decided to try it.

As you can see, I used my trusty regular pie crust recipe--Pillsbury Ready Crust(!)

The other ingredients are:

• 3 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 c sugar
• 3 T corn starch
• 2 T butter

The directions stated to put the berries in the bottom crust, then sprinkle with sugar and corn starch and dot with butter.

The top crust I cut in strips and latticed-it---you real pie bakers out there just be quiet, I was really impressed with myself! Then I sprinkled just a little more sugar on top so it would have pretty little sugar crystals on top. I baked it about 35 minutes at 350 degrees.



This is what it looked like after it came out of the oven--my son even said, "Wow, mom, it looks like a real pie!" I was so excited, I could hardly wait for it cool off enough to cut into it.

Unfortunately, we had to eat it out of a bowl instead of on a plate! It tasted good, anyway--not too sweet, but just sweet enough, especially with vanilla ice cream on top!

If I make this again (and I probably will) I'd gently toss the berries with the corn starch and sugar, not put the corn starch on top. Besides not thickening enough, I had a couple of clumps of cornstarch right underneath the top crust that never dissolved. I might even increase the amount of corn starch by another tablespoon.

Verdict--this one's keeper!

Stay tuned this next week, I'll be sharing even more blackberry bounty recipes as I go!

This post is being shared at:

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Finer Things Friday at The Finer Things in Life

Recipe Swap at The Grocery Cart Challenge

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace

Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Until next time, good cooking, and good eating!