This recipe appeared in Southern Living in November 2011. We made it for Thanksgiving that year and it was a big hit. It tastes wonderful, and it is beautiful as well. I love to weave the pastry strips over the top of the pie. The recipe originally included white cheddar cheese in the crust but I leave it out now. Add it to the top of the pie if you want some cheddar cheese on your apple pie.
Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sparkling sugar
Stir together flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Drizzle 1/2 cup ice water over flour mixture, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened and dough is crumbly but forms a ball when pressed together, adding more ice water, 1 tablespoon. at a time, if necessary (up to 1/4 cup). Divide dough in half. Place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape each dough half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill 2 to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 1 dough disk on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Starting at 1 edge of dough, wrap dough around rolling pin. Place rolling pin over a 9-inch pie plate, and unroll dough over pie plate. Press dough into pie plate; trim off excess crust along edges. Brush edges of crust lightly with egg; reserve remaining egg. Spoon Blackberry-Apple Pie Filling (see below) into crust, mounding filling slightly in center.
Roll remaining dough disk to about 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into nine 1-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips in a lattice design over filling; gently press ends of strips into bottom crust; crimp edge of crust. Brush lattice with reserved egg; sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 400°F on lower oven rack 45 to 50 minutes. Cover loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake 25 more minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack 2 hours.
Blackberry-Apple Pie Filling
3 pounds Granny Smith apples
3 pounds Braeburn apples
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
12 ounces blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Peel apples (yes, they must be peeled) and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges; toss with sugar and 1/2 cup flour.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add apple mixture, and sauté 15 to 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat. Cool completely (about 1 hour)
Toss blackberries with 1 tablespoon flour, and stir into apple mixture. Use immediately.