Triple Raspberry Pie

I'm not sure if it's possible, when picking berries, to not pick too many, but so far we aren't complaining. We picked nearly 10 lbs of black, red, and purple raspberries today, mostly the black raspberries, which were both plentiful and very juicy. Black raspberries happen to be a favorite of my berry-picking partner, so that worked well. The red raspberries, the most popular (and easiest to get to), were fairly picked over, but we persevered. The purple ones were new to us, and not especially unusual in flavor, but they were big and pretty and purple, so we picked some anyhow. Lunch today was late, so dinner tonight ended up as triple berry pie, with vanilla ice cream on the side. Once again, no one complained. We let the pie sit for about 30 min. after it came out of the oven before diving in, but really longer is preferable, so it has time to set up more.

Triple Raspberry Pie

Filling:

6 c raspberries (we used black, red, and purple)

1/2 c granulated sugar

1/2 c brown sugar 1/4 tsp nutmeg (I used garam masala, as the nutmeg appears to have disappeared)

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1-2 tsp vanilla

3-4 Tbs cornstarch

Crust:

2 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 Tbs granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1 tsp vanilla

1/2-3/4 c cold water

Starting with the crust, mix the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor. Then add in the cold butter and pulse til it's in pea-sized pieces. Add the vanilla, and then slowly add the water, tablespoon by tablespoon, to the processor while pulsing until the mixture just starts to come together. Pour it out onto the counter and knead gently to bring it together. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 min.

Meanwhile, mix together in a large bowl the granulated and brown sugars, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, and cornstarch. Then add the berries and toss the mixture together gently. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

When the dough is cold, roll one half out to fit the bottom of the pie pan with a little overhang. Pour in the berry mixture, and then top with the second crust, crimping the edges together with your fingers. Using a knife, cut air vents in the top crust so the steam can escape. Optional: brush the top crust with milk and then sprinkle with 1 Tbs granulated sugar. Place the pie on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 min. Then turn the heat down to 350 degrees for another 50-60 min., or until the top is golden brown and the berries are bubbling. Let cool completely before eating (or eat warm, with less perfect-looking slices). Serve with vanilla ice cream.