Updated and rewritten: August 2022
Originally Posted: April 2014
This post was originally written before the popular restaurant Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar opened near NC State in the Village District in Raleigh, NC. I attended a media event for the release of the restaurant's second cookbook: Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first-ever Tupelo Honey Cafe began in the Blue Ridge M mountains of Asheville, NC in 2000. Since then, the popular brunch and dinner restaurant has expanded into 13 additional Southern and not-so-Southern states. The award-winning Tupelo Honey brand operates four locations in North Carolina. Two locations in Asheville, one in Charlotte, and one in Raleigh at 425 Oberlin Road. All Tupelo Honey locations are under the direction of Executive Chef and Culinary VP Eric Gabrynowicz, who helped author the restaurant's third cookbook highlighting Southern Spirits and Small Plates.
The first recipe I ever made from the cookbook was the restaurant's recipe for scrumptious Blackberry Pie.
Blackberries are in peak picking season in North Carolina from August to early September. The fruit grows best in Western North Carolina. I have many fond memories of picking fresh blackberries in my grandma's yard. Yes, God probably didn't intend for us to get the health benefits of the scrumptious berry in a sweet dessert, but who can resist a blackberry pie once in a while? Blackberries, in season in late summer, provide fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and antioxidants. When I don't buy directly from my NC-produce box or the farmer's market. I typically choose the Driscoll's brand in my local grocery store. Driscoll's website is also an excellent resource for all berry recipes. Berries can be used in many, many ways. Honestly, I'm obsessed now with Driscoll's recipe section and plan to try some of their recipes to get more berries in my family's diet.
In its cookbook, Tupelo Honey has its own pie-crust recipe. Those who have been following me for years know that I rarely bake cakes, and pies, so it will not be a surprise when I tell you that I used storebought pie crust. However, I'm fond of the Pillsbury brand the most. So, other than making my own pie crust, I followed the recipe.
HinesSightBlog Version of Tupelo Honey Cafe's Blackberry Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
7 cups of fresh blackberries ( I buy Driscoll's brand when at the grocery store the most)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon of Sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Tupelo Honey Pie Dough Recipe, page 205 in the cookbook (I use Pillsbury even though the recipe does not seem hard. It's easy for me to use storebought. Use directions on the box).
Heat over to 375 degrees.
Toss blackberries with vanilla in a large bowl. Combine the 1/2 cup of Sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend. Add to blackberries and toss gently to coat.
Put your crust in a pie pan and mound the fruit mixture on top of the crust.
Place the second pie crust on top of the fruit mixture and crimp the two crusts together.
The cookbook wants you to make 5 petal-shaped vents in the center of the top crust, forming a flower design. I'm sure I tried but failed miserably, so I put five vents in the crust. Brush the top crust with the egg wash mixture and sprinkle lightly with 1 teaspoon of Sugar.
Place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake until the bottom crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling. If you douse your own crust, then bake for one hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. I would check the storebought crust at the 45-minute mark until ready and determine if done baking. If necessary, cover the edges with tinfoil if they begin wrapper-brown or loosely cover the pie in tinfoil if the center browns.
Let the pie cool and serve it warm. If you are local to NC, I suggest getting some vanilla ice cream from the NC-State University-founded Howling Cow Creamery. The fabulous NC-made ice cream is also available in select Harris Teeter lo. PintsNorth Carolina and pints are sold at the creamery location off Lake Wheeler road in Raleigh. It's one of my 's favorite places to go for homemade ice cream.
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