Munchie Monday: Blackberry Pie

I made this in DC last summer after an intense berry picking
adventure with Melinda & Co

I got this pie recipe from Southern Living (surprise, surprise!). It is absolutely delicious, with the right balance of sweet and tart, it makes for a great summer dessert! However, feel free to use more berries than the recipe states. As you can see in the picture, my pie could have used a bit more. Now, I fill the entire crust with a layer of tightly packed berries before adding the liquid. I also skip the food coloring, which is why your pie may not match mine.


**At the time of the picture, Melinda and I had 11.6 lb of blackberries to work with. As any good southern girls would do, we immediately starting baking**

Though this pie should be assembled and served the same day, you can get a head start by combining the berries and sugar and chilling them the night before.

This recipe goes with Fresh Blackberry Pie

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  fresh blackberries
• 1 1/4  cups  sugar, divided
• 1/2  (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 3  tablespoons  cornstarch
• 1 1/4  cups  water
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  (3-ounce) package raspberry gelatin
• 4  drops blue liquid food coloring
• Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Preparation

Gently toss berries and 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl; cover and chill 8 hours. Drain.

Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pieplate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork.

Bake at 450° for 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned.

Stir together cornstarch and remaining 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan; slowly whisk in 1 1/4 cups water and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 7 to 8 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Stir together raspberry gelatin and blue liquid food coloring in a small bowl; whisk into the warm cornstarch mixture.

Spoon blackberries into piecrust. Pour glaze evenly over berries, pressing down gently with a spoon to be sure all berries are coated. Chill 2 1/2 hours. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.