Blackberry Pie

Some of all that frozen fruit (mostly blackberries, but also some strawberries) went into making this pie.  I love how few ingredients a pie can have and still come out just right.  The filling: fruit and cornstarch (and maybe sugar).  The crust: flour, oil, and salt.  Seriously!

I loved this pie (especially once it firmed up--it was better the second day).  The filling just had this really dense and tart berry flavor, and the whole wheat flour gives the crust a fantastic texture.  We ate it with coconut bliss ice cream, which I think is the only grocery store vegan ice cream worth getting.  So good... and it, too, only has three ingredients: coconut milk, agave, and vanilla.

Mixed Berry Pie with Whole Wheat Oil Crust

Whole Wheat Oil Pie Crust

(also posted elsewhere on this blog)

Ingredients

1 1/4 c white flour

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 tsp salt

3-4 TB of cold water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine flour, oil, and salt.  Add water until you have dough.  Roll dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper, on top of a slightly wet countertop.  Transfer to a 9-in pie pan; extra crust can be rolled out and cut into fun shapes or thin strips as a topping, or cooked off in a frying pan as a snack, or frozen for later use.  Poke crust with a fork and bake 15-20 min.  I suggest placing a sheet of parchment paper over the crust and weighting it down with dry beans; this helps the crust keep its shape.  Remove crust from oven and set aside until you're ready to fill it.

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Mixed Berry Pie Filling

Ingredients

LOTS of berries (far more than you think you need)

0-1/2 c turbinado sugar (to taste)

1/4 c cornstarch, mixed with a bit of cold water

2 TB lemon juice

Instructions

In a saucepan, cook fruit with some water until it begins to soften. Add remaining ingredients and cook for a few minutes, until well mixed. Transfer to pie crust. Top with reserved crust pieces and brown sugar, if desired.  Bake pie at 425* for ten minutes, then at 350* for an additional 40-50 minutes, until filling is bubbling and crust begins to brown. Allow to stand and cool before serving.  It will seem way to mushy to be done, but if you let it sit and cool for at least a few hours, it will firm up just fine.

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Reference cupboard: conversions, "bean math," legume and grain cooking times and water ratios.