If you have been a faithful follower of my newsletters, you may remember that I blogged this recipe a couple of years ago. It is one of my all-time favorite pies, so I’ve updated it and decided to send it again.
Recently I taught it to a group of high school students on Zoom. Before teaching it, I played around with various pie crust recipes. (I’m quarantined and have not much else to do.) My favorite pie crust ends up being one made with sour cream. A sour cream crust is easier to roll out and doesn’t shrink as much as a regular pie crust made with ice water, especially when it is pre-baked, as with this pie. I have had so much good luck with this crust that I consider it foolproof. All you need to do is make sure the ingredients are cold when you blend them.
For my favorite pie crust recipe, click here. It needs to be blind baked (see the recipe). This means that it is baked without a filling. (When I was young I thought that meant the crust was blind, because it was covered with foil as it baked and couldn't see. Works for me!)
You need a 9-inch pie dish, not a 9 1/2-inch one for this pie. When I tried to purchase a second 9-inch pie dish in order to demonstrate the pie on Zoom and switch to one already baked, I went to 3 grocery stores. To my chagrin, I found they only carry 9 1/2-inch pie dishes, which are too deep for this pie. I had to go to a hardware store to finally find a regular 9-inch pie dish. If you can’t find a glass one, I suggest purchasing a foil one. Don’t try multiplying the recipe. The fruit won’t hold together when layered too deep.
For the filling, all you need is good, ripe nectarines or peaches and black or boysenberries. if you use nectarines, you don't even need to peel them. To peel peaches either plunge them into boiling water for 10 seconds, remove and slip off peel or use a carrot peeler that has a serrated edge. (This type of peeler is also good for tomatoes.)
If the fruit is hard, just leave it on the counter and wait for it to ripen. When it’s soft and feels juicy, slice it and pile it up onto this flaky pie crust. Heat up some berries with cornstarch and sugar and when they get thick and juicy, spoon them over the fruit to cover. This is a pie you’ll want to make many times this summer. I promise.
In a small saucepan, bring sugar, water, cornstarch and berries to a full boil. Boil for 5 to 7 minutes.
You want to cook the glaze until it is thick enough to coat the fruit, but thin enough that it will fall between the layers of fruit to hold the slices together.
Spoon the thickened glaze with the berries over the pie to coat.
Summer Nectarine (or Peach) & Blackberry (or Boysenberry) Pie
1 Sour Cream Pie Crust, baked, click here for recipe
6 nectarines, unpeeled, or 8 peaches, peeled (about 6 cups)
4 cups blackberries or boysenberries
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Whipped cream or ice cream for serving, optional
1. Make and bake pastry as directed.
2. Slice nectarines or peaches and combine with 1 1/2 cups berries. Place in baked pie shell.
3. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water. Add 2 cups berries and bring to a full boil, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should be thin enough to fall between fruit, but thick enough to hold the fruit together. Spoon over pie, allowing to drizzle through the fruit. Refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.
4. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Makes 8 servings.
