Lavender Almond Blackberry Pie

 

I made my first pie last year and I've been itching to do a lattice top one this next time. Also a blackberry pie was another great way to use up our blackberries!

I don't love pie and I think part of the reason is I find the crusts boring. Yes they're flaky and buttery but why not just do a tart or galette and skip most of the work. So I substituted some of my flour for ground almonds and spiced it up with some lavender and I really love the results. It gives the pie more depth and I love that. Plus it makes the crust look all cute and speckled! (also important: a pie's cuteness)

lavender almond crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup almonds; ground up in food processor into almond meal
1-2 tbs lavender buds
1 tbs sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup cold butter; cut into pieces
1 cup water with ice cubes in it
1 egg white; lightly beaten

filling:
2 pints blackberries
2 tbs coarse sugar
3-5 tbs honey
2 tbs butter; cut into pieces

1    mix flour, almond meal, lavender buds, sugar and salt in a bowl
2    using a pastry blender cut in the butter until only about pea size pieces
     are left
      (you want pieces because it makes the crust flaky)
3    once blended  mix in 1/2 cup cold water (no ice cubes)
4    if dough isn't quite able to come together add more water 1 tbs at a time
      (shouldn't need the full cup)
5    bring dough together into a ball and split in half
6    wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 1 hour
      and up to overnight
7    preheat oven to 425 degrees F, flour your rolling surface and bring 1 dough
      ball out of the fridge
8    roll it into about a 12" circle
9    then lightly fold in half, and then half again and transfer to pie tin and unfold
     (there should be about a 1/2: overhang of dough)
10  press into tin and roll our your other half of the dough
11  place blueberries inside bottom crust and sprinkle in sugar, drizzle in honey,
      and scatter the butter pieces
12  to make a lattice top use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into strips and then
      weave them together over the top of the pie
13  crimp the woven dough together with the bottom by pressing your thumb
      between you middle and index finger all the way around
14  brush egg white over top of pie crust and place pie in oven and bake for 25 minutes
15  then reduce temperature to 375 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes, filling should
      be bubbling and crust should be golden brown
16  let cool and serve with lemongrass ginger ice cream :)