This blackberry version of an American classic consists of a flakey pie crust filled with lusciously smooth blackberry filling and a voluminous cloud of Swiss meringue!
A few months ago, I decided to switch things up a little by making a Blueberry Meringue Pie instead of your traditional Lemon Meringue Pie. Well, needless to say, it was an absolute hit and an incredibly refreshing spin on the classic.
As a result, I just knew I had to replicate this heavenliness once again. However, this time, it would involve blackberries…
Without a doubt, this Blackberry Meringue Pie exceeded ALL of my expectations. The filling is impossibly smooth and velvety, and it’s absolutely bursting with blackberry sweetness! Its sweet and slightly tart flavor pairs so well with the ultra fluffy cloud of Swiss meringue piled on top. And with that buttery, tender crust…your tastebuds are guaranteed to swoon.
Now I’ll try not to bore you with too many details. Trust me, us food bloggers are FULLY aware that all you care about is the recipe. However, there are a few key elements worth mentioning (and worth reading) to ensure that your pie ends up as radiant as this one. Not to brag or anything…
TONS of Blackberries = TONS of Flavor
To load this pie with as much blackberry flavor as possible, you’ll need FIVE WHOLE CUPS of blackberries. The juicier, the better! And with it being peak blackberry season, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting your hands on tons of blackberries. However, frozen blackberries work just as well. In fact, I often pick tons of blackberries and flash-freeze them, so that I have blackberries to use throughout the year.
To extract all of that yummy blackberry juice, you’ll use either a potato masher or fork to smash the berries into smithereens as they cook. The goal is to squeeze as much of that delicious juice from the berries as possible. They’ll get a second squeeze when you pour the juice through a fine-mesh strainer, using a spatula to press the juice out of the berry solids. You should end up with about 2 cups of blackberry juice.
Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest = Brighter Flavor
Lemon has always been known for its ability to enliven the flavor of pretty much any fruit. Blackberries are definitely no exception. The 2 Tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice has enough tartness to balance out the sweetness of the berries while the heaping Tablespoon of lemon zest incorporates more lemony flavor into the filling.
No Finicky Cooking Instructions = Less Frustration
Most lemon meringue pie recipes require egg tempering and baking the filling in the oven, but this recipe involves NONE of that. The filling starts by combining some sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Then the egg yolks, lemon juice, and zest are whisked in, followed by the blackberry juice. This mixture is heated on the stove for about 7-8 minutes until it thickens up. Make sure to stir it constantly!
Once it reaches a pudding-like consistency, remove the pan from the stove, and stir in the butter. The butter gives the filling a creamier texture while also making it extra silky. Pour the filling into the fully baked pie crust, and smooth out the top. Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before chilling it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
Swiss Meringue = Extra Fluffy and Extra Heavenly
Traditionally, lemon meringue pie is made with a French meringue, which tends to be foamy and stiff. Instead, I opted for Swiss meringue since it’s much more creamy and extra fluffy. It’s also very stable and doesn’t weep like French meringue has the tendency to do.
Although there are a few extra steps involved, making Swiss meringue is actually quite simple. It starts with whipping up some egg whites until stiff peaks form. I recommend using a stand mixer or an extra helper who can continuously beat the whites when it comes time to add the sugar syrup. The sugar syrup is just a mixture of sugar and water, which is cooked over high heat until it reaches 240ºF. Immediately after it reaches that temperature, the sugar syrup is poured into the whipped egg whites while the mixer is running on medium speed. Make sure to pour it in a thin steady stream, and try to avoid hitting the whisk or beaters.
Once all of the sugar syrup is incorporated, add a teaspoon of vanilla, a couple teaspoons of lemon juice, and a 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is basically an added safeguard for meringue and it lends more stability to the beaten egg whites. After a few more minutes of beating, the meringue should be VERY voluminous and cool enough to spread on top of the pie.
Lots of Meringue = Sky-High Pie
Once you scoop the meringue on top, it might seem like too much. However, after you’ve spread it out evenly, it won’t look quite as mountainous. My tool of choice is my handy dandy offset spatula since it gives me more control and less chance of accidentally dragging my knuckles through there meringue.
Now that you’ve got your beauteous bluff of meringue on top, it’s time to bring out those nice peaks and valleys with a little toasting action. You can either use a kitchen torch, or place it in the oven under the broiler. If using the broiler, make sure to keep a very close eye on it. It shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes to reach a nice, golden brown.
This Blackberry Meringue Pie is not only a feast for the eyes, but a feast for the mouth as well. Its exquisitely smooth and creamy filling, perfectly flakey crust, and light-as-air meringue are sure to please the tastebuds of everyone you’re kind enough to share it with!
Blackberry Meringue Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold
Blackberry Filling:
- 5 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Heaping Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Meringue:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- In a small bowl, combine the water and sour cream; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar and salt together. Scatter the shortening over the flour, then use a cheese grater to grate the butter on top. Using a fork or a pastry blender, cut the mixture together until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sour cream mixture and use a stiff rubber spatula to stir and press the dough together until it forms one big mound. If dough is still too dry and doesn’t hold together, add another tablespoon of water.
- Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a 5-inch disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Once chilled, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle and fit into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Trim, fold, and crimp the edge of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15 minutes until chilled and firm.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. To blind-bake, I like to press a sheet of aluminum foil into the pie pan since it gets into the crevices better than parchment paper. I then pour pie weights (or dried beans or rice) on top of the foil. Place pie plate onto a baking sheet and bake until the edges of the crust are starting to brown, about 15-16 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the aluminum foil (with the dried beans or rice) out of the pie. Return the pie crust to the oven and bake until the bottom crust is golden brown, about 10-13 minutes longer. Remove and cool completely.
Make the Filling:
- Place blackberries and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher or a fork, crush the berries. Bring the berries to a simmer, then lower temperature to medium-low and simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and pour berries into a fine-mesh strainer set over a glass measuring cup. Using the back of a ladle or spoon, press on the berries to squeeze out as much juice as possible. Discard solids. You should end up with about 2 cups of juice. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, and zest, whisking until combined. Pour in the blackberry juice, and whisk until smooth.
- Cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until the filling has completely thickened and large bubbles begin to form on the surface, about 7-8 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from the heat and immediately pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, using the spatula to push all the filling through the strainer while leaving behind any bits of cooked egg. Whisk in the butter until fully combined.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and smooth out the top. Allow to cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Make the Meringue:
- Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or large mixing bowl with a beater), and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Pour the sugar and water into a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until it reaches 240ºF. This usually takes about 5-6 minutes from the time it begins to boil. Immediately pour the hot sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream into the whipped egg whites, with the mixer running on medium speed; try to avoid hitting the whisk attachment.
- Once all the sugar syrup has been added, add the cream of tartar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Continue beating the meringue on high speed for 7-9 minutes, or until it’s cooled to room temperature and glossy peaks form.
- Using a spatula, spread the meringue evenly on top of the chilled pie filling. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue, or place the pie under the broiler, watching closely so it does not burn.
- Serve within 6 hours, keeping chilled until ready to serve.