"More people will come if they think we have punch and pie!"
~ Eric Theodore Cartman Twenty-one years ago, four crudely animated foul-mouthed boys began their seemingly endless journey through grade school in the quaint, cozy mountain town of South Park. Through alien abductions, soul-singing chefs, cannabis-drenched towels, and commentary covering all possible levels of political incorrectness, one thing has been perpetually certain: Eric Cartman loves pie. Loves all desserts, actually. Growing up, my siblings and I would ask my Mom, "Can we have dessert?" Her reply would often be, "Yes, you can have a piece of fruit." As if channeling Cartman, we would all bellow in unison, "But Mom, fruit is not a dessert." Honestly, in this form, it really is.
Whenever I bake a pie, especially a blackberry pie, I recall the mother of my best childhood friend (Mrs. C). A master pie maker. She taught me how to make a pie from scratch.
We picked wild blackberries from her daughter's back yard. The berries were so plump, we filled the huge plastic bucket within 15 minutes. Of all the priceless baking tips Mrs. C gave, I'm most thankful for her method of thickening a pie filling with tapioca flour (a.k.a. tapioca starch) instead of cornstarch or all-purpose flour. Tapioca flour makes the filling bright and clear, whereas cornstarch or A.P. flour can give the filling a cloudy look and chalky taste. This recipe is adapted from Julia Frey's blog Vikalinka. Besides some general streamlining, my changes include adding a bit of cinnamon to the filling, upping the amount of blackberries, and subbing tapioca flour in place of A.P. flour. I love her idea of topping the pie with honeyed creme fraiche (a favorite that really complements the blackberries well). One note, if you're lucky enough to have wild blackberries in your backyard, use them (and I'm envious). If not, store bought will do just fine. If you're short on time, you can also use your favorite store-bought pie crust. Just don't forget the honeyed creme fraiche. More people will come if they think you have honeyed creme fraiche.
Adapted from: Vikalinka
Number of servings; 8 Ingredients Blackberry Filling
Directions Blackberry Filling
8 Comments
Julie Anne Steiner
8/15/2018 08:59:27 am
I can hear mom saying yes to a piece of fruit for dessert! Thank goodness she outgrew that phase
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Jacqueline Steiner
8/15/2018 02:36:11 pm
Julie--you are hilarious!!! I'm happy you remember it the same way I do. xoxo
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Mrs. C. & family
8/17/2018 11:46:00 am
The wild blackberry pie looks delicious with the crème fraiche.
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Jacqueline Steiner
8/17/2018 12:43:28 pm
Mrs C-I will always cherish that day with you. It is a postcard memory for me.I still feel honored and lucky that you shared your craft with me.I'll always remember it. the Winterlake Lodge cookbook sounds awesome!!!! I would love to read it. Much love to everyone xoxo
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Jacqueline Steiner
8/17/2018 12:57:19 pm
Mrs C- it is also memorable because it was the FIRST time I ever tasted a fruit pie (I thought I didnt like them. Imagine that!). It WAS that good. You are the best.
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Jacqueline Steiner
8/17/2018 04:24:36 pm
xoxo
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Heidi
8/18/2018 06:52:51 pm
I can so hear your mom.
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Jacqueline Steiner
8/18/2018 11:01:00 pm
Heidi-I'm sure my mom said it to you too!! I love that you have 3 generations of pie-baking women in your family. What a great legacy. Maybe get some new tapioca;-). Happy pie-baking my friend. xoxo
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AuthorI'm Jacquie, personal chef & recipe developer in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Lover of books, bourbon, chocolate and movies. Archives
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