Bumbleberry Pie

Bumbleberry Pie

Bumbleberry Pie originated in Western Massachusetts where the bumbleberry grows.

I almost had you, didn't I?

There is no such thing as a bumbleberry.

pie on napkin and wood plank table with fresh-picked berries on the side

Bumbleberry is a made-up term to describe the magic that happens when three different berries get together for the sake of pie-making.

The combination includes blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and or blackberries. Together the flavor is sweet and tart, at the same time in the same bite.

Here on the Eastern Shore in Stevensville, we enjoy the bakery Peace of Cake where they make the best Bumbleberry Pie. We visit at least a few times a summer, for good reason, or for no reason, to indulge. It's always delicious.

Right now, on the shore, it's blueberry season. It's also blackberry and raspberry season. My friend Joyce paid a visit this week with the great gift of fresh grown blueberries and blackberries from her gardens. Enter my desire to make a Bumbleberry Pie from scratch for the first time.

I have a confession to make. I have never made a scratch pie crust. If I made pie, I picked up the ready-made crust in the freezer from the market. I never felt like I had time to mess with all the details associated with baking a scratch crust. While I can't say it was my favorite thing to do, it wasn't that bad.

Fresh-Baked Pie on an explosives bin in white pie plate with a few fresh-picked blueberries and blackberries in front of and old-style ice chest.

How to Make Bumbleberry Pie

If you've made a pie before, including the scratch crust, this is probably a process that you already know. For me, this was new, and for a first-time pie, it came out beautifully. First, let's discuss the ingredients:

These ingredients come together well if you follow the steps! You'll also need some cookie cutters for the top. Get creative with the top of this pie, latticework is beautiful, too.

Making Bumbleberry Pie

Once you've gathered together the ingredients, it's time to move on to making this pie. It begins with preheating your oven to 450°F.

First: Prepare and Bake Pie Crust

Prepare the cookie dough crust recipe, divide in two and refrigerate overnight. On a well-floured marble surface, roll out half of the dough to form a 12-inch circle. I bought a silat liner imprinted with different circle sizes; it was super-helpful. Next, line a 9-inch pie plate with dough. Trim and flute edge. Cover pie shell with foil before baking for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for three more minutes (until golden). Don't overcook it. Remove pie crust from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate pieces, allow to melt and spread evenly along the bottom of the pie shell and set aside.

Rolling out sugar cookies for national sugar cookie day

Second: Make the Upper Crust

Reduce oven to 375F. Roll remaining dough to 1/4 inch thickness and with a cookie-cutter selection of your choice, cut shapes in assorted sizes. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and one tablespoon of water. Arrange cookie shapes on Silpat lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart, before baking, brush with egg and water mixture. Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack

Third: Make the Pie Filling

In a large saucepan, combine honey, flour, and lemon juice. Add 4 cups of berry mixture. Stir over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from heat, add remaining berries and pour into crust. Bake 10 minutes (cover the edge of the pie to prevent burning). Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Place cookies artfully on top.

Tip: I mixed up the dough for the crust and refrigerated overnight. I woke up the next morning and baked the pie. It was not overly difficult. It was not a perfect outcome, but it is a very delicious pie.

Bumbleberry Pie on flower napkin on porch, shot up close

Adapting our Bumbleberry Pie

You know, a recipe is not truly perfect until you’ve added your own touch to it. That’s why we encourage you to play with your food. Call to your inner chef to come out and play and change up this recipe. Here are some ideas–

  • Replace all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour.
  • Skip the chocolate if you aren't a fan. The pie will be just as good without it.
  • I watched a few videos on making pie crust prior to attempting this, and they helped.
  • Be sure to refrigerate the pie crust for 30 minutes after you roll it out and get it all set-up in the pie plate. This will help reduce shrinking during the first stage of baking.

I hope you'll give it a try. What I am most proud of was doing this the very first time in a gluten-free way with gluten-free flour. This recipe is relatively low in sugar.

Start with the pie crust, then bake the pie:


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