Recipe: A beautiful blackberry pie

"I make no apologies for baking with blackberries again; they are such a wonderful, truly seasonal product," writes Mercy Fenton in her weekly column.

"This pie tastes so fresh and clean, it’s a real pleasure to make it. Enjoy."

Sour cream, Blackberry & Apple Pie

Ingredients

160gr cream flour

85gr caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder plus ¼ tsp & 1/8 tsp of baking powder

100gr butter

1 egg - beaten

1 tsp vanilla essence

300gr blackberries

450gr brambly apple, peeled, cored and diced

Finely grated zest of ½ a lemon

¼ tsp cinnamon

400gr sour cream

60gr sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

• Line the base of an 8-inch spring form tin with a disk of parchment paper, butter the sides.
• Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it becomes small to medium crumb.
• Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until it comes together.
• Press into the base of the prepared tin, pushing a little up the sides to reach halfway.
• Chill the base and prepare the fruit and cream.
• Heat a large frying pan, add a little butter and heat, next add the apples and cinnamon.
• Keep tossing and moving the apples over a gentle heat until all the liquid is driven off - try to keep the apples a little under-cooked - just barely tender is perfect.
• Remove from the pan onto a tray, and spread out so they cool quickly and don’t overcook.
• Next prepare the sour cream mixture.
• Put the sour cream, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in a bowl, whisk together. Set aside.
• Pre-heat the oven to 175C.
• Once cool, gently mix the apples and blackberries. Pile into the prepared base.
• Scrape the cream topping onto the apple and berry mix - spread evenly and then tap the tin gently on the counter to help the cream fill any air spaces.
• Place in the centre of the pre-heated oven until the top is lightly browned and the cream is set. It will have a jiggle still in the centre when cooked; also, insert a skewer into the centre of the pie to ensure it’s heated all the way through.
• It will take between 50 and 70 minutes to cook through - check often.
• Allow to sit for an hour or so before freeing the side of the tin, serve warm or chilled with whipped cream.