My husband Chad and I fell in love over food.

We went to high school together and through that teenage crush (err, friendship) time. But, connecting again later on was on totally different level.

He was in Brooklyn, me in the Midwest. With lots of text messaging what was for dinner, countless handwritten letters and shipments of cookies. In his New York apartment we hand made noodles, roasted a turkey for Thanksgiving at my sisters and baked granola on winter mornings. I remember a lot about those first moments in our relationship - and food was always front and center. It sparks a memory or time in me that I crave to have again and again.

We've started a lot of traditions, as most couples do. Patterns and recipes we've began to make year after year. So we'll look back and remember that first time.

Well, that's what this blackberry pie is about. I began making this pie for Chad's birthday, which falls right in the heat of blackberry season. Blackberry pie is his favorite - and making one homemade with blackberries we picked ourselves felt even more special.

This year, a few months before his birthday he began to look forward to this pie. Talking about it. Making a special occasion, or event, around eating it. So it'll feel like the best pie he has eaten all year.

Maybe it's the anticipation for the pie, the summer heat, the tart and juicy berries that soak into the buttery crust. Or the feeling he has when I make it. All of these reasons are what traditions are all about.

This pie is adapted from my mom's recipe and it's always been my go-to when I need a classic blackberry pie. One that is simply all about the blackberry. And now it's become a birthday tradition!

Classic Blackberry Pie

Basic Pie Crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes {to make this vegan, you can use a vegan shortening}
6-8 tablespoons ice-cold water, plus more if needed

Blackberry Filling:

3-4 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt.
1 Tbsp butter (omit if making this vegan)

Directions:

Make the pie crust: In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it is coarsely incorporated, with few pieces remaining. Drizzle in the cold water and then pulse until the dough crumbles, but it holds together. If it is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pulse a few times - don't over mix the dough! (You can also use a pastry cutter or forks to cut in the dough to mix, instead of a food processor.) Pour the dough onto a pastry slab or floured surface and form into 2 round discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until ready to use, at least 30-60 minutes. You can even let it chill overnight. (This will make a double crust for a 9 inch pie)
Make the pie: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the blackberries, sugar and flour. Add the lemon juice and salt and combine.
On a floured surface, roll out one disk of pie dough to about 1/8-inch thickness and larger than the pie dish. Roll dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch pie plate, pressing gently to fit in plate, with some pie dough overhanging.
Pour the blackberry mixture into the pie shell. Dot with 1-2 tablespoons butter.
Roll out remaining disk of dough in the same manner. Either drape over filling or slice into thin (or thick as I did here) strips to make a lattice design. Fold or trim the pie overhang and crimp the edges - with a thumb and index finger of one hand, gently press dough against index finger of other hand. Continue around the pie. You can also use a fork and press it around the edges.
Place in oven and bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Continue baking until bottom and top crusts are golden and juices are bubbling in center, 50 to 60 minutes. Tent the pie with foil if the top is browning too quickly
Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
NOTE: You can make an egg wash to brush over top of pie dough before you bake it to lend a golden crust. Just whisk an egg yolk and 1 tbsp. water in a small bowl and brush it over the top crust. Then, sprinkle with sugar.

The blackberries in this pie were fresh-picked from our favorite local orchard - Eckert's. But, frozen berries work just as well!

In fact, we picked so many I froze half in gallon freezer bags in the freezer. That way we can enjoy the berries long after we pick them. So I plan on making another pie, this time just because...