Irish American Apple & Blackberry Pie

Don't you just love the Autumn, turning leaves, cool mornings, pumpkins, jackets and apple pies!

After a long hot summer (90 plus days of 90 plus degree heat in Atlanta this year!!) it's amazingly, wonderfully cool again in the morning and evenings and as the weather turns cooler and leaves begin to loosen on the trees many of us think of baking again, particularly with the abundance of autumn fruit now available on farm stands and markets across the land, and in my mind I tend to turn first to that classic bake, the apple pie. After all, as I consider the Scots-Irish heritage in both Northern Ireland and Appalachia what could be more classically American and also classically Ulster than the apple pie? Known as apple tarts in Northern Ireland these pies are a great tradition in County Armagh, also known as the Apple County where I grew up. In the autumn I spend an entire Saturday baking these for my freezer so I can enjoy them all winter and if you are like me and plan to make several to freeze, do not slit the top of the crust or bake; wait until you are ready, then prepare.


Also, to give this wonderfully traditional recipe a new twist I have added a taste of blackberries into the mix which add a delightful nuance to the flavor of the tart combining the sweetness of the berries with the sharpness of the apple. The results are just wonderful.

So, if you would like this recipe I've have a new and easy way to get it which should make it much more convienient for all you cooks out there...I have condensed the recipe into an easy-to-read PDF file as below:

To get this handy PDF in your mail-box either click on this link which will lead you to our website and send me an e-mail:

http://www.theulsterkitchen.com/Contactus.html

Or...jump on over to our new Irish food blog!...yes, I have started a new and improved food blog and will move all my posts over there soons, but I want you to move with me. Here's the link:

http://theshamrockandpeach.wordpress.com/

Enjoy the turning of the leaves and the delights of autumn!

Judie the Irish Foodie XX