Irish Michaelmas Pie

Submitted by Marcia Brisson
http://www.littleshamrocks.com/Irish-Pie-Recipes.html#IrishMichaelmasPie

Ingredients:
12 oz. all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 oz. vegetable shortening
3 oz. chilled butter, diced
3 fl. oz. chilled water
pinch of salt
2 lbs. cooking apples
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground nutmeg (I didn't have this so I just added more cinnamon)
12 oz. blackberries (I cute each blackberry in half)
1 egg, beaten

***FYI 8 ounces is 1 cup

Oven 350F

Pastry Directions:
1. Prepare the pastry.
2. Place the flour in a large bowl and stir in the cinnamon and salt.
3. Rub in the butter and shortening with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4. Make a well in the center and add the chilled water.
5. Bring the mixture together using a round-bladed knife.
6. Once it has come together, knead for a brief moment and place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling Directions:
1. Peel and core the apples.
2. Cut into large chunks and place them in a saucepan with the sugar, cloves and nutmeg.
3. Cover with a lid and gently cook for 5 minutes or until the apples have softened. Fold in the blackberries and remove the saucepan from the heat.
4. Cool completely. (I put mine in the fridge)

Make the Pie:
1. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out 2/3 on a lightly floured surface.
2. Line an 8 inch metal pie plate.
3. Strain the fruit but keep the juice. After all the fruit is in, pour back in the juice but only enough to cover half the pie. Otherwise, the juice will pour out the pan and into your oven.

I also took some of the juice and added it to the crust but then of course I had to add more flour to make the dough back to it's originally consistency. You don't have to do this but I thought it was a great way to flavor the crust. If you still have remaining juice, just keep it because you can use it later when serving to pour over the pieces if you want. It is really tasty!

4. Roll out remaining pastry and lay over the fruit.
5. Lift back the edge and brush the base with a little egg and seal the edge. Trim and crimp the pastry edges.
6. Brush the surface with the remaining egg and make a couple of slits in the top.
7.Scatter a little more sugar over the pastry and bake for 35 minutes. (I cooked mine longer because I like harder crust)

Serve hot or cold with ice cream or fresh whipped cream.