"Life was so simple when apples and blackberries were fruit, a tweet was the sound of nature, and facebooks were photo albums...." -Carl Henegan, author of "Darkness Left Undone"
Every August my mother would back
blackberry apple pies. Pies made with Pastry born out of bacon grease saved carefully in glass jars kept in the fridge. Bacon grease carved off cast iron skillets and plopped unceremoniously into its waiting end.Those were the days.....
Every September, when school was unfortunately back in session, she would create blackberry cream pies, with a single crust, custard , and blackberries swimming on top. Coming home from school was a treat because the kitchen was highly scented with custard and sugar, and the warm pies waiting to be devoured. But it was the
blackberry apple concoction that had centre stage....
I'm not nearly so attentive to the black purple blackberry , as I used to be. But every so often, this season, I make a blackberry apple pie. Then it's poured over with liquid whipping cream. And it's still devoured. Or given to the neighbours. Then another made, ane so on and so forth......
SHORTCRUST PASTRY: 4 cups flour, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1
¼ cups cold butter, 10 large tblsp COLD water, approx..
Cut in butter ( you can use shortening or margarine, whatever you wish......) with flour and pinch salt, till
crumbly, add water a little bit at a time, till forms a nice ball of pastry. You can also add a tablespoon of vinegar and an egg with the water. Whatever you like. I've done both, added the vinegar without the egg. Marvellous pastry as well.
Divide
in two discs, flatten each disc. Wrap in cling film, and keep in fridge or freezer,
till ready to use. 1 disc is good for one 2 crust pie and leaves.
HERE COMES THE FILLING:
2
½ pounds of peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smiths
3
cups blackberries.......or more. Guesstimate. Pile it high...
1
cup sugar
½
cup lemon juice..............
2-3
tbsp flour
1-2
tbsp butter for top of fruit................
1
½ tsp cinnamon
½
tsp ground nutmeg...................
Beaten
egg with water to glaze top
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1.
Pour lemon juice into large bowl. Cut in
apples and turn to coat. This stops browning.
2.Toss
in Blackberries, add sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3
.
Divide one pastry disc in half. Roll
out one half and spread in pie pan.
4. Fill with prepared fruit. Dot with
butter.
5
.
Roll out other half of pastry disc. Lay
over top of fruit layer.
6. Cut around edges, not too closely.
Whatever is leftover you can use to make leaves. Pastry should not be too thick.
7
.
Crimp or pinch edges to seal in the
fruit.
8. Roll out leftover pastry, cut in leaf
shapes, lay on top pastry layer.
9
.
Take beaten egg wash and brush over
pastry and leaves.
10.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce to 350 for about an hour.
11.
My mother would serve this with cream (
not whipped..plain cream), or custard, if you are really so inclined. Very good
with ice cream as well. Not the end of summer without this pie! Stirs up a lot of good memories.....
"If it could be like this always-----always summer----the fruit always ripe."- Arthur Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966, Travel writer)
"The end of summer winds makes people restless....." -Sebastian Faulks (1953- British Writer)
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