Mom's Berry Crumb Pie

http://teriskitchen.com/pa-dutch-recipes/berry-crumb-pie.html

Makes one 9-inch pie

This was my mother's recipe for berry pie that was passed down to her from my grandmother. In my opinion, it is the best. You can use any kind of berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries or, my favorite, black raspberries. Fresh, local berries are always best, but canned can be used in the off season. Adjust the recipe as indicated. Back in the day, my grandmother canned her own berries so that she could make this pie all year long. Whatever you use, always taste the berries before making the filling to determine how much sugar is needed.

Ingredients

• One 9-inch pie crust, store-bought or homemade (see the similar and related recipes)

   Berry Filling

• 3 cups fresh or drained canned berries, juices reserved (do not use pie filling)
• 1 cup juice from can or water (omit if using fresh berries.)
• 3 tablespoons minute tapioca
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, more or less depending on sweetness of berries

   Crumb Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, preferably unsalted, room temperature

Preheat oven to 425° F. For the berry filling, combine berries, juice, tapioca, lemon juice and sugar in large bowl; stir to blend well. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the crumbs. Combine all ingredients. Mix with hands until large crumbs form. Sprinkle on top of pie after the first 30 minutes of baking. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.

Notes: Substitute top crust for crumbs, if desired. Double pastry recipe, place extra crust on top of berries before baking. My mother was very generous in the amount of berries she used in a pie. Sometimes, the filling bubbles over, which is not a bad thing. However, you might want to bake the pie on a baking sheet to catch any overflow. If the crumbs start to brown too much before the pie is done, loosely place a piece of foil on top to prevent burning.

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