The Tuesday Treat: Black Raspberry Pie

For an explanation of The Tuesday Treat, see here.

Black Raspberry Pie

My aunt and uncle live on about 250 (give or take a few) acres in Vermont; about 10 acres (give or take a few) are ‘developed’ – by which I mean there’s a house for living in, a pond for swimming in, lots of flowers, a now defunct vegetable garden, and lots and lots of green grass. There are also a lot (and I mean a lot) of black raspberry bushes growing wild and unchecked out back of the house and in the hills. As my brother, Emily and I played with the dogs and chatted up the cousins, my husband ventured off to pick berries (he didn’t see any bears, although they certainly are around); later I made a pie. We ate so much at dinner (Jeff’s veggie chili and a sausage soup with quinoa, Julie’s venison ravioli, Emily’s grilled squash and herbs from the garden, assorted other tid-bits) it was difficult to manage dessert, but we certainly made a good effort. I left a few pieces behind and brought the rest to a housewarming party in Maine – now all that remains of it is this photo, and the memories.

Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4-6 tablespoons ice water

Filling
4 cups black raspberries
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash vanilla extract

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, fork, or simply your hands. Mix and crumble together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing and stirring with a fork until it just holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in fridge at least 1/2 hour.

Whisk the sugar and flour together, then add the black raspberries and vanilla and toss lightly to combine.

Divide ball of dough in half, and roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to about a 11-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter pie dish (glass or pottery). Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.

Spoon filling into pie crust, discarding the majority of the liquid that has pooled in the bowl.

Roll out the other disc and fit onto the pie dish. Press the edges of the dough together, then crimp with a fork (trim any excess or sort of tuck and press to incorporate into the rest of the dough). Make four slivers in the center of the pie.

Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake the pie for 35-45 minutes more, or until the crust is golden and the filling bubbly. Cool on a rack until room temperature.

Devour, preferably with vanilla ice cream.