Grandma Helen’s Blackberry Pie

With the holidays approaching our featured recipe is a staple at all of our family gatherings. “My mother died when I was a small child, so my father’s mother (Granny) was our substitute mother. She was a wonderful cook and taught me from an early age to make pies, among other things. She said the feather design (to let the heat out) was our “trademark”, so I’ve carried it on. I think of her every time I make one.”
– Helen Bacigalupi

Helen’s Flaky Pastry Dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp ice water

Directions- Combine flour and salt with 1 cup vegetable shortening. Drizzle over the mixture 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp ice water. Add water sparingly until dough forms into balls. The fat should remain in pea sized pieces or smaller inside the dough. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a round, flat dish and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or preferably for several hours before handling or rolling.

Ingredients for Filling
3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1/2 cup raspberries if available
1 cup and 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup flour

Directions- Remove from refrigerator and roll each half to desired size. Place bott0m half in pie pan and mold. Mix flour and 1/2 cup sugar in the bottom of the uncooked dough. Add all other ingredients. Sprinkle remaining sugar on top of berries and cover with other half of pie dough. Bake for 15 mins at 450 degrees and finish at 350 degrees until juice is bubbling them remove from oven. Cool on a rack.