Thanks for having me back! Today I am sharing a recipe for blackberry pie from the new book 250 Treasured Country Desserts by Andrea Chesman and Fran Raboff. I illustrated the cover for the cookbook plus made patterns for each of the chapter openers. I thought it would be fun to pull a recipe from this book and do a little illustrated version. I picked blackberry pie because it seemed like the perfect end of summer treat. Happy Baking! -Julia Rothman

CLICK HERE for the full recipe (and more of Julia’s illustrations!) after the jump!

Ingredients:

Pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie, homemade or purchased
6 cups fresh blackberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Steps:

1. If you are making your own pastry, prepare the pie dough according to recipe directions and refrigerate.

2. Rinse and sort the blackberries. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.

3. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl. Add the blackberries. Toss lightly to combine. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third of the oven.

5. To prepare the pie shell, lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the larger portion of the chilled dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Fit into a 9-inch pie pan, leaving a 1-inch overhang. (Fit purchased pastry into the pie pan.) Spoon the blackberry mixture into the pastry. Dot with butter. Roll out the remaining dough into a circle about 1 inch larger than the pie pan. Moisten the edge of the bottom crust with water. Fold the dough circle in half, lift off the work surface, place the pastry across the center of the filled pie, and unfold. Trim the edge ½ inch larger than the pie pan and tuck the overhang under the edge of the bottom crust. Crimp the edges with a fork or make a fluted pattern with your fingers. Make several decorative slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.

6. Make an egg wash by combining the egg with the water. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon sugar over the top. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any juices that overflow.

7. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

8. Cool the pie on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe serves 8. Time for a pie picnic! You can find 249 other delicious recipes in the cookbook here. Thanks and happy baking! xo Julia

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Julia is an illustrator and pattern maker located in Brooklyn NY. You can find more of her work here.