At the beginning of my work in progress, The Girl from Devil’s Creek, some policemen are eating blackberry pie. Blackberry pie is an Appalachian recipe and tradition, and everyone seems to have their own recipe for this one. Here is mine, which is what I would envision them eating at the Jay’s Nest.
Picking blackberries can be a trick, but around mid-July, we can find them along the roads and sometimes, if we can beat the deer, the birds, and the bears around here, we even find them on our property. I’ve never managed to harvest enough for a full pie, so the farmer’s market is a good bet in that case.
6 cups blackberries, rinsed, picked clean, patted dry (if you use frozen berries, defrost and drain them)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 to 6 tablespoons cornstarch,
1 pie dough for top and bottom crust
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine blackberries, sugar, starch and spices in a bowl. Rest for 30 minutes. Line pie pan with dough, refrigerate 30 minutes. Add filling to bottom crust, create lattice for top crust. Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack of oven.
