Blackberry Pie

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold, cubed )
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (cold, cut into small bits)
• 1/4 cup vodka (frozen)
• 1/4 cup water (cold)
• 5-6 cups blackberries (rinsed, drained and patted dry)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (use more to taste if your blackberries are tart)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from the same lemon as you juice)
• 1 medium lemon (juiced)
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or quick cooking tapioca*)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the Crust:

2. 2

   Sift two cups of flour and re-measure 2 ½ cups into your mixing bowl. You can also use a kitchen scale, measure 310g, and skip the sifting.

3. 3

   Add salt and sugar to the flour, mix with a fork or pastry blender, cover, and put the bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use it.

4. 4

   Cut up the butter, measure the shortening, and put it back in the refrigerator while you measure your vodka. Place some ice cubes into a cup of water. Put that vodka back in the freezer!

5. 5

   Remove the dry ingredients from the refrigerator and drop the butter slices into the bowl. Cut the shortening and butter into the flour mixture with your pastry blender until the dough looks like a streusel topping with no unincorporated flour.

6. 6

   Drizzle the vodka over the surface of the dough. Then measure ¼ cup of ice water into the same measuring cup used for the vodka and drizzle this evenly over the surface of the dough. Using a sturdy spatula (or your hands), mash the dough to mix the liquid into the crumbles. Scoop from the bottom and press against the sides of the bowl. This should come together very easily.

7. 7

   Scoop up the dough, pat into a ball, and divide it in two. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour. This dough is sticky and moist, so I let mine chill for 3 hours, but overnight is even better.

8. 8

   --- Rolling the dough: ---

9. 9

   Turn the larger disk of dough onto a floured work surface to roll out the bottom crust.

10. 10

    Lightly flour the top surface of the dough and the rolling pin. With a light touch and a fluid motion, roll the dough from the center up and back to the center, then from the center down toward you and back to the center. Pick up the rolling pin and repeat, going from the center to each of the sides. Lightly cup your dough in your palms and spin ¼ turns counterclockwise.

11. 11

    Repeat the rolling until your dough is large enough to cover your pan and drape delicately over the sides.

12. 12

    At this point, gently slide your hands under the dough and then turn. For a regular 9-inch pie pan, your round should be approximately 12” in diameter.

13. 13

    Repeat with the second pie of pie dough. I have a nice latticing tutorial if you are going to lattice the crust. If you are not making a lattice, make sure to cut ample holes using cookie cutters.

14. 14

    --- Assemble & Bake Pie: ---

15. 15

    Preheat the oven to 350°F.

16. 16

    Combine all the ingredients for the pie filling in a large bowl. Before adding the tapioca, taste the filling to ensure it isn’t too tart.

17. 17

    Line the pie dish with one circle of pie dough by gently folding it in half and then in half again, unfolding it into your pie pan. Gently move the crust to the bottom of the pie tin so it is flush with the bottom and edge. Then, fill the bottom crust with the blackberry pie filling.

18. 18

    Top with the second pie circle or latticed top and crimp edges decoratively. Chill the pie for at least one hour before baking.

19. 19

    Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the filling is bubbling in the center and the pie crust is a dark golden brown.

20. 20

    Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing with a sharp knife. Serve within a week or wrap and freeze.