Blackberry Pear Pie

Preparation

Pastry Steps

Step 1
Mix flour and salt, cut in shortening by hand with a pastry blender, or use a stand mixer.

Step 2
Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, while tossing lightly with a fork, or paddle until the dough will form a ball. Divide dough in half.

Step 3
Roll, shape and chill one half in a pie plate, then roll the other flat and chill on a floured sheet pan.

Filling Steps

Step 1
Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together in a small bowl. Then, in a large bowl, stir together the blackberries, diced pears, lemon zest and sugar cornstarch mixture.

Step 2
Pour the fruit mixture into your chilled pie shell and dot with cubed butter.

Step 3
Cover with the rolled, chilled top crust and fold it over the rim of the bottom crust to make a solid seal and crimp.

Step 4
Heat the oven to 425°F.

Step 5
Chill the pie for 20 minutes.

Step 6
After 20 minutes, remove pie from the refrigerator and brush with the egg wash.

Step 7
Cut a few slits in the top with a sharp knife, and sprinkle with a bit of sanding sugar if desired.

Step 8
Bake pie on the sheet pan in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating as necessary to ensure even browning.

Step 9
Drop oven temp to 375°F and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling up through the slits.

Step 10
Cool pie 30 minutes before serving.

Tips and Tricks

Frozen berries are a great alternative to fresh for winter baking. Many people fret about whether they should thaw the fruit first, but you don’t need to. With the exception of a slightly longer baking time, the results are no different from baking with fresh berries, and the crust actually holds its shape well with frozen berries inside. Feel free to adjust the sugar and cornstarch to your tastes for sweetness and texture; less cornstarch will yield a runny pie, more will give the filling a more jammy texture.