you know it’s summer when it’s fresh blackberry time. and surely, there’s nothing more all-american than a slice of homemade pie with ice cream. this week’s baked recipe couldn’t be more fitting for the weekend’s festivities. we have three picnics to attend. one down, two more to go and the pie is all but gone. we enjoyed it tonight with some local, homemade ice cream.

it was heavenly.

supposedly, pie is the new cupcake. have ya heard? i don’t know about you, but pie makes me really really happy. cupcakes do too, but today it’s all about the pie.

the last few months, i’ve made quite a few different pies. i’m really trying to master my crust. pie crust is definitely not my strong point, but thanks to this recipe, i’m a little more confident than ever. the crust turned out beautifully. it was soft and flaky, yet had a nice bite to it. the crimped edges didn’t shrink up in the oven and held it’s shape nicely. the one thing i cannot stress enough is using cold, no freezing cold ingredients. yep, that’s the trick.

the filling was perfectly sweet. but the only problem i had, it was extremely runny. i didn’t quite have seven cups of berries so that might be why? or, maybe next time i’ll use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken it. whatever the case, this pie was every bit as lovely as i though it would be.

you can find this fabulous recipe right over here. enjoy.

Happy Independence Day everyone!