Olallieberry Pie

Makes one large 9 inch pie

Inspiration

Olallieberries are a cross of logan and young berries, that were developed in Oregon. They grow well in the warm outlying areas of the central coast of California. Olallieberries have a cult following. Yes, I am sure I am not exaggerating. Summer olallie mania heightens in proportion to the short growing season of June plus another week or so. Every summer, my mother would drive to Gizdich Ranch, just outside Watsonville, to purchase olallies. That day she would make olallieberry pie, the next day she would make jam. Some years, her olallie exuberance would dictate more trips for her favorite summer fruit. My mother loved jam and wanted enough to last the year; but she always ran out. She had olallie jam not only on her English muffins but on waffles, pancakes, French toast and vanilla ice cream. This is how we learned that both jam and syrup were wonderful with our pancakes, waffles and French toast. With the end of the olallieberry season fast approaching I had to have some. I wanted to make pie.

Essentials

Olallieberries have a unique tart, rich berry flavor. The exterior of the berry is deep purple when ripe, while the interior of the berry remains a deep rich red. The berries are very fragile. When compressed the olallies release their deep red juice. Ripe berries gently harvested and placed on top of each other in the morning will be puddled in juice by afternoon. Making a pie requires more sugar and thickening than other fruit. I find flour thickens the olallies better than cornstarch. Beware, the juice will stain. Any type of blackberries may be substituted for the olallies, adjust sugar and flour to their tartness and juiciness.

	Crust
2-1/2 C	all purpose flour, more for rolling out the dough
1 t	salt
1/2 C	cold butter
1/2 C + 1 T	cold vegetable shortening
1 T	vinegar, optional
1/4–1/2 C	ice cold water
	Filling
8 C	ollallieberries or blackberries
1-1/2 C	granulated sugar
3/4 C	flour
1 t	cinnamon
pinch	salt
	milk or half & half, and sprinkle of sugar for the top of the crust

Olallieberry pie from ranch to kitchen.

1. Prepare pie crust dough: I use my food processor. Whirl dry ingredients, flour and salt in food processor with blade attachment just until mixed. Cut cold butter and shortening into cubes, add to food processor. Pulse until shortening is the size of peas, a few pinto bean sizes are fine. Do not over mix. Add the vinegar and just enough cold water through feed tube until the dough starts to come together. Do not over mix. Pour dough out on floured work surface. With as little handling as possible bring dough together into a ball. Cut ball in half and wrap halves in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour, prior to rolling out.
2. Prepare berry filling: While the pie crust dough chills, gently rinse and clean the berries. In a large bowl gently combine berries, flour, sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt. Frozen berries can be used. Thaw and drain before combining with the filling ingredients.
3. Preheat oven to 400°.
4. Prepare bottom pie crust: With a floured rolling pin, on a floured work surface roll out half of the pie crust dough. As needed, add small amount of flour to the surface when rolling out the dough. Roll dough, in a circle, until it is 1 1/2 inches larger than the 9 inch pie pan circumference. Place dough in bottom of pie pan, forming to contours of the pan. Do not stretch dough. With knife, trim the dough to the edge of the pie pan.
5. Prepare top crust for pie: Sprinkle flour on work surface. With floured rolling pin, roll out the second half of dough. As needed, add a small amount of flour to the surface when rolling out the dough. Roll out dough, in a circle, until it is 1 inch larger than the 9 inch pie pan circumference.
6. Finish pie preparation: Gently fill dough lined pie pan with berry filling. Only add accumulated berry juice to within 1/3-1/2 inch of top of pie pan, discard the rest. Place top crust over the berry filled pie pan. Trim any overhanging dough to 1 inch wider than the pie pan. Fold overhanging dough under the bottom crust, making a double layered edge. Crimp or flute the edge of the pie crust. Brush milk or half & half over the top crust and crimped edge. Lightly, sprinkle sugar on top of the crust. Cut 3-5 steam vents in the crust.
7. Bake: To catch any berry juice that may overflow during baking place the pie on a large sheet pan that has a rim, and comfortably accommodates the pie. Immediately bake the pie at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375° and continue baking for 30-45 minutes until crust has browned and berry juices are bubbling. Check the pie during baking and cover the edge of the crust with foil if it is browning too quickly.
8. To plate: Cool pie for a least one hour. If you can wait, the pie will be easier to serve and hold it’s shape if you let it cool 3 hours. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is a wonderful addition to a slice of Olallie pie.

Optional Jam-roll

I make the leftover pastry scraps from the crust into a Jam-roll. This is a family favorite, that disappears as soon as it cools. Gather together the scraps of the pie dough and roll into an oblong shape. Then thinly spread jam all over the dough. At our house apricot jam is the favorite. But any jam you have on hand will be delicious. Or, cinnamon sugar is another option. Starting on the widest side, roll the dough into a long log. Brush the roll with milk or half & half, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the Jam-roll on a parchment lined sheet pan. It can bake in the same oven as the pie. The Jam-roll takes about 10-15 minutes to bake. The crust will be brown and the jam will ooze from the crust.