This pie has become my favorite thing to do with blackberries. I first made it for a 4th of July party, inspired by the bounty of fresh berries in Craig’s garden. It was fantastic! To me, the key is making sure you add enough lemon to give it a zingy, lemony undertone. At the same time, some lemons are juicier than others, so it’s important to start with one lemon and then add more lemon juice, if needed. And if it’s too tart, just serve it with a bigger scoop of ice cream!

This version is simplified from one published in Saveur. They make it with a beautiful lattice crust; I’ve opted instead for a more rustic approach, simply folding the edges of the crust back over the berries. It’s less fuss, and I like the look.

Clarification: When I say I like the look of the rustic fold-over crust, I don’t mean these candidates for Nailed It! This was my first attempt at making blackberry tartlets from this recipe, and I overbaked them because I mis-set my oven timer. (Doh!) The important thing to remember is that they tasted amazing. And (see below) whipped cream can conceal many screw-ups.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe of your favorite pie crust — enough for a bottom crust with some overhang
• 6 heaping cups fresh blackberries (When blackberries are not in season, I thaw out some of the ones I’ve frozen, and they work equally well.)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• zest from 2 lemons
• juice from 1-2 lemons

Prepare the berries

1. Prepare the crust and chill until firm.
2. Wash the berries and drain well. Set aside about a quarter of the berries.
3. Place the rest of the berries in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice from one lemon. Mash the berries lightly.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and the flour.
5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the berries. Stir together carefully till well blended and no lumps of flour are visible.
6. Add the reserved whole berries to the mixture, and set it aside.

Prepare the pie

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a sheet of foil on the bottom of the oven to catch drips.
2. Roll out the crust to your desired thickness and place it into a 9-10-inch cast-iron skillet or deep-dish pie plate. The crust should overhang the edge of the pan by an inch or two.
3. Taste the berry mixture and add more lemon juice, if desired. Pour the berries into the prepared crust.
4. Gently fold the edges of the crust over the berries.
5. Bake the pie for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30-45 minutes more — or until the filling is bubbling.
6. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Notes

I strongly recommend baking this pie (and all pies, come to that) in a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. It helps to create that wonderful crunchy-on-the-bottom crust that I’m always trying to achieve.

As you can see from the photos, I tried making tartlets from this recipe, using both large and regular muffin tins. I got six of each, but I needed extra crust. The tartlets only take about 20 minutes to bake, and I found they came fairly easily out of the tins, after cooling for 15 minutes or so. And it was great to be able to give away (or freeze) the extras. I will try again!

Here’s the recipe in Saveur upon which this one was based. And a link to the Nailed It! Facebook page.