Blackbird Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Combine 3 1/2 cups berries with the sugar and flour. Spoon the mixture into an unbaked pie shell. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the sweetened berries, and cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges, and cut vents in the top crust for steam to escape.
• Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Steps:

• Toss together the berries, granulated sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, unroll one pie crust and press it into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out the other crust on a floured cutting board. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut the entire crust into rounds, rerolling until all the dough is used (about 28 rounds).
• Sprinkle the cornstarch over the berry mixture and toss to combine. Pour the berry mixture into the crust and spread into an even layer. Dot the top with the butter pieces. Brush the border of the dough lightly with the egg wash. Place the rounds around the border of the pie plate, overlapping them slightly and using the egg wash as an adhesive when necessary. There will be empty space in the center. Crimp the edge of the pie. Brush the entire crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
• Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake until the center is set and the crust is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Put on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Use a bench scraper to cut butter into ½-inch cubes. (If butter begins to "sweat," dust with flour.) In a large, flat-bottomed bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter cubes and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour; do not smash or smear the butter. Scrape butter off the pastry blender during the mixing process and continue mixing. (If butter is softening too fast, put the bowl in the refrigerator until butter firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Continue cutting, working quickly, until butter is broken down and looks like a coarse crumble with only a few larger pieces.
• Combine vinegar with water and ice; you'll use 10-12 tablespoons of this liquid in the pie dough. Begin by sprinkling 4 tablespoons of liquid over the flour mixture; use a bench scraper or your hands to incorporate until the mixture begins to come together. Sprinkle in 4 more tablespoons of liquid and continue the mixing process. Squeeze a fistful of dough: if it holds, like wet sand, it's ready. If it falls apart, add 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid at a time, squeezing the dough to check if it holds. Bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of liquid as necessary; dough will look shaggy. Knead in the bowl just until incorporated.
• Turn dough onto a work surface and use a bench scraper to divide dough into two equal pieces. Shape into flat disks and wrap in plastic; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen up to 1 month, tightly wrapped.
• Generously grease pie dish with softened butter. Dust a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Place one chilled pie disk on the work surface and lightly dust it with flour. (Reserve the other disk for another use.) Roll dough by starting at the center and lightly pressing down with the rolling pin to flatten slightly. Rotate the dough and repeat, pressing down so it's evenly flattened all around, about ⅛-inch thick. Then roll outward to make a circle, rotating the dough a quarter-turn at a time to keep it even. (If dough is softening too fast, chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2-5 minutes.) Roll the dough until it's about 2-3 inches larger than the pie dish, all the way around. Use a pizza wheel to trim away the rough edges. (Save the scraps to make crust cookies!)
• Overturn pie dish onto the center of the dough circle, then remove and place it right side up on your work surface. Use the light indentation created by the rim as a guide for gently positioning dough into the center of the dish. (If dough is softening too fast, put it back into the refrigerator until it firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Fit crust gently into dish, being careful not to stretch the dough. Begin crimping the edge by using your fingers to roll the dough firmly so it rests on top of the rim. Crimp by using your index finger and thumb on one hand to squeeze a letter "C" into the dough rim. (Lightly flour your fingers if the dough is sticking.) Repeat, crimping the entire pie and making sure the final fluted crust sits directly on top of the pan's rim. Pie is ready to be filled and baked.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wearing gloves, use a cherry pitter to pit the cherries, with a large bowl to catch the pits. Set cherries aside.
• Streusel: In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt. Combine using a pastry blender. Then cut in butter until the cubes are smashed and coated with dry ingredients. Wipe butter off of pastry blender and continue mixing with your fingers, rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until texture is similar to wet sand. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. (You can store streusel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to one month.)
• Filling: Peel the apple, then shred on the large holes of a box grater. Discard the peel and core. In a large mixing bowl, combine potato starch, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and bitters. Squeeze lemon juice into the cherries, then add to sugar-spice mixture along with the shredded apple. Toss until well mixed, crushing some of the cherries with your hands.
• Assembly: Pour filling into the refrigerated pie shell, packing down the cherries and adding all the remaining juices. Evenly distribute the streusel on top.
• Pie will bake for a total of 1 hour. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake until crust is set and beginning to brown, 20-25 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 30-35 minutes longer. (If crust is browning but the filling isn't bubbling, cover with aluminum foil and bake until the filling bubbles.) Allow pie to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into it, 2-3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 200C/400°F.
• Grease and line a pie dish with baking paper.
• Mix together your mashed potato, leeks, chicken, ham, crème fraiche & seasonings to taste. Set to one side.
• Roll out your pastry and line the base of the pie dish - allow the edges to extend over the edge of the pie dish.
• Put you filling into the pastry pie case - and sit your blackbird or pie funnel in the middle, pushing it down slightly so it is not too high.
• Turn back the pastry edges and make a raised crust all the way around. Dampen the piecrust with some of the beaten egg & milk mixture.
• Roll out your pastry for the lid - ease it over the top gently breaking OR cutting a hole for the blackbird to poke through!
• Turn back the edges of the pastry lid and neatly crimp the top together with the bottom - using a fork to help you if necessary.
• Brush the beaten egg and milk glaze over the top and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes.
• Take out and allow to cool very slightly before serving with fresh vegetables & gravy. This is also wonderful cold as picnic food.

Steps:

• Use the pre-made pie crust to line a 9-in pie pan.
• Place blueberries and peaches in a bowl and toss with lemon juice. Add sugar, tapioca and the 1/2 tsp cinnamon and mix lightly.
• Place above mixture into pie crust and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar as desired.
• Bake 35-40 minutes in a 425° oven.

Steps:

• In a large, flat-bottomed bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter cubes and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour; do not smash or smear the butter. Scrape butter off the pastry blender during the mixing process and continue mixing. (If butter is softening too fast, put the bowl in the refrigerator until butter firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Continue cutting, working quickly, until butter is broken down and looks like a coarse crumble with only a few larger pieces.
• Combine vinegar with water and ice; you'll use up to 1½ cups of this liquid in the pie dough, a tablespoon at a time. Begin by sprinkling about 8 tablespoons of liquid over the flour mixture; use a bench scraper or your hands to incorporate until the mixture begins to come together. Sprinkle in 8 more tablespoons of liquid and continue the mixing process. Squeeze a fistful of dough: if it holds, like wet sand, it's ready. If it falls apart, add 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid at a time, squeezing the dough to check if it holds. Bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of liquid as necessary; dough will look shaggy. Knead in the bowl just until incorporated.
• Turn dough onto a work surface and use a bench scraper to divide dough into two equal pieces. Shape into flat disks and wrap in plastic; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen up to 1 month, tightly wrapped.
• Generously butter a baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Dust a large work surface and tapered French rolling pin with flour. Roll out 1 disc of chilled pie dough into a rectangle by rolling it in an "X," diagonally, for even stretching. (If dough is softening too fast at any point in the rolling process, chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2-5 minutes.) Once the dough has been thinned out, switch to a straight French rolling pin and continue rolling the dough until it's a rectangle of even thickness, 3-4 inches larger than the baking sheet. Fit the dough into the baking sheet by gently folding in half, then in half again. Align the creases squarely in the middle of the pan, then unfold the dough so it's centered in the pan. There should be a 1-inch dough overhang on all sides. (If necessary, it's okay to stretch the dough gently.) Repeat the rolling and shaping process with top crust dough to a 17" x 13" rectangle. Invert a rimmed baking sheet and spread the dough on top. Refrigerate both sheets while assembling the filling, 20 minutes.
• Filling: Taste your blueberries first. They can vary from really sweet to really tart which will affect how much sugar is added; add or take out up to ¼ cup sugar to adjust sweetness. In a small bowl, mix shredded apple with lemon juice. In a large bowl, combine both sugars, Angostura bitters, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and ground arrowroot. Add the blueberries, crushing about half of them with your hands; mix well to combine, making sure no spices remain at the bottom of the bowl.
• Preheat oven to 425 F. Remove the chilled dough sheets; set the top dough aside. Transfer the filling into the dough-lined baking sheet, patting it down to make sure there are no gaps. Use the round pastry cutter to punch random holes into the top dough, 2-3 inches apart, to create a polka dot effect; don't get too close to the edges. (Save the pastry circles to make crust cookies!) Place the top dough sheet squarely over the filling, then seal the top and bottom crusts by tucking and pinching excess dough under the bottom crust. Seal again by pressing circumference of crust with your thumbs.
• Brush egg wash evenly over the top crust, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Pie will bake for a total of 1 hour. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until crust is set and beginning to brown, 20-25 minutes. Lower heat to 375 F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until crust is a deep golden brown and juices are bubbling throughout, about 30-35 minutes longer. Allow pie to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into it, 1-2 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Use a bench scraper to cut butter into ½-inch cubes. (If butter begins to "sweat," dust with flour.) In a large, flat-bottomed bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter cubes and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour; do not smash or smear the butter. Scrape butter off the pastry blender during the mixing process and continue mixing. (If butter is softening too fast, put the bowl in the refrigerator until butter firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Continue cutting, working quickly, until butter is broken down and looks like a coarse crumble with only a few larger pieces.
• Combine vinegar with water and ice; you'll use 10-12 tablespoons of this liquid in the pie dough. Begin by sprinkling 4 tablespoons of liquid over the flour mixture; use a bench scraper or your hands to incorporate until the mixture begins to come together. Sprinkle in 4 more tablespoons of liquid and continue the mixing process. Squeeze a fistful of dough: if it holds, like wet sand, it's ready. If it falls apart, add 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid at a time, squeezing the dough to check if it holds. Bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of liquid as necessary; dough will look shaggy. Knead in the bowl just until incorporated.
• Turn dough onto a work surface and use a bench scraper to divide dough into two equal pieces. Shape into flat disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. (Note: dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen up to 1 month, tightly wrapped.)
• Generously grease pie dish with softened butter. Dust a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Place one chilled pie disk on the work surface and lightly dust it with flour. (Keep the other disk refrigerated until it's time to make the lattice top in Step 6.) Roll dough by starting at the center and lightly pressing down with the rolling pin to flatten slightly. Rotate the dough and repeat, pressing down so it's evenly flattened all around, about ⅛-inch thick. Then roll outward to make a circle, rotating the dough a quarter-turn at a time to keep it even. (If dough is softening too fast, chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2-5 minutes.) Roll the dough until it's about 2-3 inches larger than the pie dish, all the way around.
• Overturn pie dish onto the center of the dough circle, and use a pizza wheel to trim away the rough edges. (Save the scraps to make crust cookies!) Remove the pie dish and place it right side up on your work surface. Use the light indentation created by the rim as a guide for gently positioning dough into the center of the dish. (If dough is softening too fast, put it back into the refrigerator until it firms up, 2-5 minutes.) Fit crust gently into dish, being careful not to stretch the dough. Begin crimping the edge by using your fingers to roll the dough firmly so it rests on top of the rim. Crimp by using your index finger and thumb on one hand to squeeze a letter "C" into the dough rim. (Lightly flour your fingers if the dough is sticking.) Repeat, crimping the entire pie and making sure the final fluted crust sits directly on top of the pan's rim. Place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to let the dough set again before adding the filling.
• Lattice: Dust a clean surface with flour. Roll out second chilled dough disk to a circle slightly larger than the pie dish, between ⅛- and ¼-inch thick. Using a pizza wheel, trim rough edges from left and right sides to square them off. Cut the dough into 8 strips of equal width. Transfer strips to a baking sheet and refrigerate, 30 minutes.
• Apples: Prepare the apples using an apple­ peeling machine or peel, core, and thinly slice with a sharp knife or mandoline. Place in a bowl and toss with lemon juice and sugar. Set apples aside to soften slightly and release juices, 20-30 minutes.
• Caramel Sauce: Whisk sugar and water together in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium­-low heat until the sugar is just dissolved. Add the butter and bring to a slow boil. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture turns a deep, golden brown color, almost copper. Turn off heat and immediately but slowly add the heavy cream (use caution, as the mixture may bubble up rapidly). Whisk the final mixture well to combine; set aside to cool while you prepare the pie filling. Makes about 2 cups. (Caramel Sauce can be made several days in advance. Cool, then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container; bring to room temperature before using.)
• Filling: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, add the bitters to the raw sugar and mix with your fingers to combine. Add salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, and flour; mix well. Leaving behind excess liquid, add prepared apples to the sugar spice mixture. Gently toss the apples to coat.
• Assembly: Tightly pack the apples into the chilled pie shell, mounding the apples slightly higher in the center. Spread ½ cup Caramel Sauce evenly over the apples with a spatula (use more sauce if you'd like a sweeter pie). Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
• Lattice top: Assign a number to each strip of dough: 1 being the longest and 8 being the shortest. Lay strip 1 across the top of the pie, just slightly to the left of center. Lay strip 2 over strip 1 at a 90-degree angle, just below the center of the pie. Lay strip 3 over strip 2, to the right of and parallel to strip 1. Lay strip 4 over strip 2, to the left of and parallel to strip 1. Fold back the right end of strip 2 so it's on top of strip 5; fold back the top ends of strips 1 and 5 and lay strip 6 above and parallel to strip 2. Return the top ends of strips 1 and 5 to their original positions. Fold back the bottoms of strips 1 and 5 and lay strip 7 below and parallel to strip 2. Return the bottom ends of strips 1 and 5 to their original positions. Fold back the top ends of strips 3 and 4 and lay strip 8 above and parallel to strip 6. Return strips 3 and 4 to their original positions.
• Trim the lattice edges so they're flush with the edge of the pan. Roll and pinch the bottom crust overhang inward to build up the crust edge. Crimp the edge of the pie all the way around so that the final fluted crust sits directly on top of the pan's rim. Brush the crust with the egg wash, being careful not to smudge the caramel (it will burn as the pie bakes). Sprinkle with raw sugar and flaky sea salt. Pie will bake for a total of 50-55 minutes. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the preheated oven. Bake until crust is set and beginning to brown, 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 30-35 minutes longer.
• Test the apples for doneness with a skewer or sharp knife; they should be tender and offer only the slightest resistance. Cool completely on a wire rack, at least 2 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.