Call me weird, but I think the reason I love blackberries is because of their seeds. There is something so satisfying about their sweet flavor and almost crunchy bite. When I was pregnant, I had a major blackberry craving. At the time I worked in downtown Chicago near 2 weekly farmers markets. I would go to the same stands to buy a quart of blackberries, head back to my desk and start snacking, nearly polishing them off. There were far worse things I could have been overeating!

I still go crazy every blackberry season mashing them into yogurt and cooking them down into small batch jams. Last weekend I baked a loaf of blackberry pound cake. After pureeing berries with a little sugar, I spooned them carefully into the batter and dragged a skewer through the loaf to create a ribbon of blackberries. For pound cake, the slices were light and not too dense. I ate the cake for breakfast, snack-time and even for dessert with a side of fresh blackberries, of course.

Blackberry Pound Cake
Adapted from Everyday Food July/August 2010

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature plus more for pan
3 ounces blackberries
1-1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan, line with parchment paper and butter the parchment.

In a food processor, puree the blackberries with 1 tablespoon sugar.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Spoon about half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Add half the blackberry puree and layer with the remaining batter followed by the rest of the puree. Drag a skewer through the batter to create a swirl. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center or the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing the loaf and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

My lazy streak came to an end last week. Finally a combination of inspiration and motivation hit, and before I knew it, I was baking a fruit pie. The dough is never the hard part since I always whip up mine in the food processor. For me, it’s a foolproof way to ensure flaky, buttery crust with dough that hasn’t been overworked.

The filling was a cinch, too. For this cherry pie, I just folded the fruit into sugar, cornstarch and vanilla extract. The lattice crust was where I went all out using one of my most trusty kitchen tools, a metal ruler, to create a woven plaid. Once baked and golden brown, I almost hesitated to slice it, but I didn’t think twice after I took that first bite.

Cherry Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living August 2007

Makes 1 pie

For crust
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2-1/4 sticks (18 tablespoons), cold unsalted butter, cubed
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

For filling
2 pounds fresh cherries, pitted (I used sour cherries.)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For pie
1 large egg, lightly beaten

In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse sand. With the motor running, slowly pour the water through the feeder tube. The dough will come together in about 30 seconds. Divide the dough in half, press into disks, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and vanilla extract.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the dough disks into an 11-inch diameter circle about 1/8-inch-thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the dough.

Roll out the remaining dough into a rough 9-inch-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut into strips. Lay half the strips over the pie. Weave the remaining strips in the opposite direction, folding back the perpendicular strips as you go. (For lattice inspiration, try here and here.) Trim the strips creating a 1-inch overhang, Tuck the strips under the crust and crimp the edges. Brush with the beaten egg.

Bake the pie for 1 hour to 1 hour & 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If the crust starts browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.

Cool the pie to room temperature before serving.