Sharing the Love

Blackberries. I picked 12 pounds of them last week. Got home and wanted to have something to show for my efforts... well, in addition to the two buckets full of blackberries. I knew I wasn't up for making jam. Nor had I made the ganache to use in a mousse yet. But I wanted something to start off the berry celebration. Lucky for me I had a graham cracker pie crust just sitting there empty. So I filled it. With berries. A "quickie" pie, as I like to call them.

This recipe is pretty simple. The blackberry taste is front and center. Mr. Doughboy and I each had a slice. (The Doughnut Holes weren't home, so they didn't get any.) Then, since I knew the upcoming days were going to be filled with bathroom scale-straining projects from all the different dessert and berry creations I planned on attempting, I sent the rest of it to my best friend's house. I'm so grateful to her and her husband and sons for being willing to sacrifice their waistlines for my food porn collection. I bake. I take the pictures... and then I have to off-load the calories somewhere. So this berry mousse pie (and three-fourths of the Chocolate Zucchini Cake) went up the street to its new home.

Blackberry Mousse Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 pkg unflavored gelatin

1/4 C cold water

1/4 C granulated sugar

1 C cream, chilled

3 tsp powdered sugar

2 C blackberries, fresh or frozen

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in saucepan. Let stand about 1 minute. Stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved (about 1 minute). Remove from heat.

Place berries, sugar and gelatin mixture in blender and puree. Pour into bowl and chill until mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon (about 45 minutes). Beat cream and powdered sugar in a chilled bowl untili soft peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the cream into the blackberry puree mixture to lighten it. Fold in remaining cream. Pour into crust. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Garnish with fresh blackberries and creme fraiche or whipped cream.

Note: This pie can also be prepared with strawberries or raspberries. For strawberries, use 2 cups; for raspberries use 2 1/2 cups.