It’s blackberry season again, and we have another great, easy recipe to use up the blackberries you may collect in the wild or buy at your favorite produce outlet. This recipe for a Blackberry Balsamic Pie with Sea Salt Walnut Crumble comes from food stylist and creator of PieBox, Adrienne Blumthal. I was attracted to this recipe for two reasons: first, the sea salt walnut crumble, and second, the PieBox that the pie is in!! Since Ashley began her Small Measures column here at Design*Sponge, I’ve taken note of the many things I can do to clean up my home environment and help contribute to a better world. Glass is heavy, and plastic containers are soooo 20th century, but this wood box fits the bill. It’s too early for Christmas, but a home-baked pie in a PieBox will definitely be on my list this year! — Kristina

About Adrienne: Adrienne Blumthal is a Chicago-based food stylist from southern Illinois who has turned her lifetime passion for baking into a career. Prior to becoming a food stylist, she worked in brand communications on the agency side for six years, then decided to jump ship and go to pastry school. In addition to styling, she also develops and writes recipes, and recently she created PieBox, a locally made (in Chicago) reusable raw pie box designed to safely (and stylishly) transport pie.

Images by Steven Karl Metzer

Read Adrienne’s recipe after the jump . . .

Blackberry Balsamic Pie with Sea Salt Walnut Crumble

Note: This recipe is for a 9-inch deep-dish pie. If using a smaller pie pan, you may have some filling and crumble left over.

For the Pie Dough

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
• 4 tablespoons ice cold water

 

For the Filling

• 4 1/2 cups fresh blackberries (about three 6-oz. containers)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• zest of 1 lemon

 

For the Crumble

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

 

Pie Dough

Combine flour and butter in a food processor. Pulse 7 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition. If dough seems too dry, add additional cold water by the tablespoon. Remove pie dough from food processor and mold into a circular disk. Cover and let refrigerate for at least 25 minutes.

Filling

Mix blackberries, sugars, cornstarch, balsamic and lemon zest in a bowl. Turn the mixture with a spoon several times to ensure the blackberries are coated.

Crumble

Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, walnuts and sea salt in large bowl. Add butter and rub into the mix with your fingertips (just like you would with pie dough!), pressing the mixture together until clumps form.

Bake and Assemble the Pie

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on a floured surface and transfer to 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Trim any crust overhang, fold under and crimp the edges. Spoon the blackberry filling into the dough-lined pan. Sprinkle crumble on top, fully covering the blackberries. Bake pie for 45–50 minutes or until filling is bubbling and topping is brown and crisp. Check pie after 25 minutes of baking and cover the edges with foil if the crust or crumble seems to be browning too quickly.

Why Adrienne Loves This Pie

I love this pie because it’s simple, yet sophisticated. It’s the type of pie that takes no time to make but looks like it took hours. The balsamic and lemon zest in the filling enhances the bold flavor of the blackberries, while the walnuts and sea salt in the crumble balance the sweetness.

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