Blackberry Pie With Lattice Crust

Homemade blackberry pie tastes like summer, no matter what time of year you bake it. It’s fantastic with fresh blackberries in season, but frozen blackberries can do the trick (just don’t thaw them before tossing them with the rest of the ingredients).

You’ll use tapioca and cornstarch as thickeners for this blackberry pie recipe. The combination ensures the berry mixture bakes up juicy, not soggy, and beautifully set. But before you start mixing, give your berries a taste. If they’re very sweet, use the smaller amount of sugar suggested below. A little lacking? Boost the sugar to the full amount. This berry pie also gets a dash of lemon juice to keep the filling bright and zippy. While you’re at it, go ahead and include the lemon zest, or add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, or a little almond extract to enhance the berries’ flavor even further.

While our go-to pie dough recipe is an all-butter one, the pastry here has a mix of cold butter and shortening. The duo builds an extra-flaky, durable crust that’s easier to arrange into the lattice top and holds its shape beautifully. Instead of a traditional egg wash, this recipe calls for brushing the top of the pie with egg whites only, and dusting with sparkling sanding sugar. The resulting pie crust practically shimmers and is tastier than any store-bought version. Serve your homemade blackberry pie warm or at room temperature, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.