Blackberry/Strawberry/Blueberry Pie

It gets really HOT here in Arizona in the summer and that puts a damper on many outside activities.  So what's left to do when it's over 100 degrees and you don't feel like swimming or going to an air-conditioned mall?  Bake? Cook? Go out to dinner?  The latter gets expensive after awhile so I chose to bake and cook.  Berries are in season and I thought what better thing to do than bake a pie that consists of many of the delicious berries that are in season right now...blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries!  I found this great recipe in a Rachel Ray magazine so let's give it a try together shall we?

Recipe:
3 containers (6 oz each) blackberries (about 3-1/2 cups)
1 cup sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca (not pearl)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
8 oz strawberries (about 2 cups) halved
1 container blueberries (6 oz) (about 1-1/4 cups)
1-1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter (8 tbsp) plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg separated
Ice water
She suggests serving strawberry ice cream but I used vanilla. Serve it with the pie!

Wash 2 cups of strawberries and 3-1/2 cups of blackberries.

Wash and take off the stems of the blueberries (1-1/4 cups).

Blackberries, 3-1/2 cups.

Halve the strawberries.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, the tapioca, and lemon juice, mash with a potato masher. (I know this picture is blurry but it's kinda' hard to take photos when you've got fruit and flour on your hands!)

Stir in the strawberries, blueberries, and remaining blackberries, and 3/4 cup sugar.  Let stand for at least 20 minutes, gently stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.  Add 8 tbsp of butter and with a pastry blender or 2 knives (I didn't use either and used my hands instead).  Cut the butter into the flour until crumbly.  Continue working with your fingertips until the mixture is flaky.  In a cup, combine the egg yolk with 1/4 cup ice water.  Drizzle over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until incorporated and the dough is slightly moist but not wet. (Test by pinching some of the dough; if it doesn't stay together, sprinkle about 1 tsp more ice water and gather the dough into a mass).

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out to 13-inches round, rotating the dough occassionally to keep it even and to prevent it from sticking to the surface. Don't worry if you don't get a round shape.  It'll just make the top of your pie look a little more interesting :-)

Roll the dough up onto the pin and unroll over and into the 9-inch pie plate; center it and let the excess pastry drape over the edges.  Gently press the dough into the pan. I would have taken pics of this but my hands were covered in flour!

Spoon the berry mixture evenly into the pan, making sure to pour in all the juices that have collected in the bowl.

Dot the top with the remaning 2 tbsp butter.  Gently fold the pastry up and over the berries, pleating as you go around. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork until frothy.  I used an electric blender.  With a pastry brush, lightly glaze the pastry all over with the egg white.  Sprinkle the dough with a few pinches of sugar. I like my pie crust a little on the sweet side so I was a bit liberal with the pinches of sugar!  

Bake the pie until the the berry filling is bubbling well, about 1 hour; check after 40 minutes and if the crust is browning too quickly, cover loosely with a sheet of foil.  You might also want to put some foil under the pie pan because the filling will probably bubble over.  It'll save having to clean the oven afterwards.

Let the pie cool completely, at least 4 hours, before cutting and serving with scoops of vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

This is a really easy recipe to make so I highly recommend you give it a try. Hey, if I can do it, YOU can too.  One bite and your family and friends will be asking for more.  I've made 3 of these pies in one week by demand!