Recipe of the week: Moon witch blackberry pie
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This moon-themed pie makes a great Halloween recipe.
“This pie can easily be made vegan by using shop-bought non-butter shortcrust pastry instead, and brushing the pastry with vegan milk,” says former Bake Off contestant Helena Garcia.
“If in season, I highly recommend picking your own blackberries. There’s something rather special about foraging your ingredients from the wild and magically transforming them into a sweet treat.”
Ingredients:
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting; 1/2tsp salt; 1tsp icing sugar; 225g unsalted butter, cut into cubes; 4-5tbsp ice-cold water; 1 egg yolk, for brushing
For the filling:
800g fresh blackberries; 100g caster sugar; 1tbsp cornflour; 1tsp lemon juice; 1tsp ground cinnamon; 1tbsp ground almonds
Method:
1. Pulse flour, salt and icing sugar in a food processor a couple of times to mix together. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms large clumps and holds together.
3. Dust your work surface with flour and tip the dough out onto it. Knead it a couple of times and form into a ball, flatten it, cover in cling-film and refrigerate.
4. Combine the blackberries, sugar, cornflour, lemon juice and cinnamon and leave for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan [375°F/Gas mark 5]. You will need a 23cm pie dish.
6. Divide the pastry into two portions, one slightly bigger for the base of the dish. Roll out the larger piece on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness and use it to line the dish. Cover with cling-film and refrigerate. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out a flying witch silhouette, a crescent moon and some little stars using a paper template.
7. Sprinkle ground almonds over the base and top with the blackberry mixture. Top with the cut-out shapes and brush with the egg yolk. Bake for 30–35 minutes.
The Wicked Baker: Cakes And Treats To Die For by Helena Garcia, Photography by Patricia Niven, is published by Quadrille, priced £12.99. Available now.
