Langlois Family: Blackberry Pie

I had never made a pie, until Friday. The whole thought of the homemade crust kept me from trying it. I love baking, but I have always been more of a cookie, cupcake, crisp...kind of gal. I had always wanted to give it a try, so when Justin suggested we go blackberry picking in our neighborhood I figured this was my chance. He was beyond thrilled at the thought of a pie so I couldn't say no...:)

I searched the internet for tips, read many different recipes, and chatted with my mom about how she made her pies. After reading this pie tutorial and looking at a few different recipes I decided to give it a go! The one decision I kept going back and forth about was the lard/butter ratio. In the end I decided to do a 50/50 mix for some flavor as well as flakiness.

Below is the recipe I completed after picking and choosing what I liked from a few different ones:

The Crust (for a nine inch, two crust pie)

2 ½ cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon sugar (for a fruit pie. Omit sugar for a savory pie.)
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks

1/2 cup cold leaf lard, cut into chunks

1/4 cup cold water

I used the food processor for ease and it worked out really well. I rolled out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, which was really helpful. I refrigerated the dough for about 30 minutes before rolling it out. I followed the tips from the above tutorial for the crust and it worked out really well.

The Filling

6 cups blackberries
3/4 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of tapioca for thickening
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

After I assembled the pie I dotted the top of the filling with a few tablespoons of butter and splashed a little lemon juice over the top (about half a lemon). I brushed the top with an egg/water wash and then it was ready to go!

There are a few other tips I followed about the cooking time, etc. and they can all be found on the tutorial link above. I found it really helpful! Then again, I am new to all of this :)

Here are a few pictures of the pie! It was really yummy and we already went out and picked more berries to freeze so I can make another one in the near future! At some point I may try a varied crust with a little more lard...I never said this was a healthy pie!! I am the type of dessert person where I go all in and just enjoy! Everything in moderation right?!?!