Black Raspberries!! A find!!

Every couple of years good fortune smiles on me and I happily come across fresh black raspberries.  Such was the case last Thursday while traveling through Washington, In.  a sign caught my eye, "Black Raspberries", and I vowed to myself to stop on my way home and see if some could be had!!  Sunday just before noon as I traveled south I stopped and to my delight was able to purchase a gallon of the beautiful berries.

Today my granddaughter Katie was with me and she energetically assisted and a pie was made and three quarts were put into the freezer for cobbler or pie another day.

Pie Crust:
4 C. All Purpose Flour (King Arthur)
1 C. Cold Butter
1/2 C. Crisco Shortening
1 egg beaten
1T. vinegar
1/2 C. Ice Cold water
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt

Cut the butter and shortening into the flour, salt, and sugar with a fork, a pastry cutter, or in the food processor until it is like coarse crumb.  Mix the egg vinegar and water into the flour and quickly blend until it forms a ball.  Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.  This makes 5 single 9" crusts or 2 double crusts and a single.  They will be fine in the refrigerator a couple of days and will keep for months in the freezer.  I form them into 5 disks and put parchment or saran wrap between them before I store them.

Filling:

1 quart berries rinsed well in a colander
1 C. sugar
3 T. quick tapioca
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 t. vanilla

Mix all of these ingredients and let them sit together for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Flour your work surface and roll the chilled pastry larger than your pie plate.  Transfer the pastry to the pie plate and put the berry mixture in and dot with 2 T. soft butter.  Roll the top crust and cover the pie.  Slit the top for the steam to escape and sprinkle with sugar.  Place the pie on the prepared foil lined sheet and bake 1 hour.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream for a summer treat!