“While on earth, it’s the job of us guardians to tend to the trees, nurture them, and gather their love to bake into pies to serve those who mourn, those left behind. . . it’s the love in the pies that connects the two worlds. “
Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber
The blackbird pie at the Blackbird Cafe does not contain blackbirds. It’s made of blackberries, a secret ingredient, and love. Inspired by my reading of Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, I decided to make my own “blackbird” pie. I found the recipe, Sour Cream Blackberry pie, in Pie: 300 Tried and True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie by Ken Haedrich.
Sour Cream Blackberry Pie
Ingredients for the Filling
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon grated orange zest
- Big pinch of salt
- 3 cups fresh blackberries, raspberries, or other berries
Ingredients for the Streusel Topping
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Result
I substituted frozen blackberries (thawed) for the fresh berries, and nonfat Greek yogurt for the sour cream. The results were almost like an upside-down cheesecake with fruit topping. The family actually prefers this version to a traditional berry pie, because this was not as messy and the sour cream topping was a nice contrast to the berries. I’ll be sure to make this again.
Review by Heather
