Raise your hand if you like pie.

Now keep your hand up if you are a little OCD and have anxiety when someone cuts you a slice and all the goodness starts to smoosh out the sides. (Don't even mention the practice of putting a scoop of something coldthatwillimmediatelymelt on top of that warm slice. Too much smooshiness for me.)

I much prefer my pie neatly contained and non-smooshy.

So when my pal Shauna introduced me to individual pies in mason jars, I knew my pie dreams had come true. Especially because then you can give away little pies as gifts! Amazing and genius, right?

One day, she taught me how to make them. I was really focused, so I didn't take pictures. But I made some blackberry jar pies for the 4th of July and I documented it all.

Because I know you love pie. And I love you.

So here we go. It's easy, folks. This recipe will fill 8 jars.

5 C fresh or frozen, unthawed berries
1 C sugar
3 T cornstarch or flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 T lemon juice
a few T cold butter cut into small pieces
1 egg
raw or coarse sugar for sprinkling
1 pkg of pie dough (2 sheets), thawed
8 mason jars (the 8 oz., wide mouthed variety are best)



Don't make the berry mixture till your jars are ready.

STEP 1: Roll your dough between plastic to smooth it and thin it a bit. Using a drinking glass or a cookie cutter about the size/shape of the opening of the mason jar, cut out 8 pie tops. Use the remaining approx. sheet and a half of dough to line the jars, tearing off pieces and pressing into the jars. No need to spray or grease them first. Press the pieces of dough to fill all the spaces on the sides and bottom, and stop just below the threads of the jar (where the lid would screw on). Don't bother to make it perfect. It will all cook together fine.

STEP 2: Preheat your oven to 400 and set racks at the bottom third and top third of oven. Make the filling by mixing together the berries, sugar, cornstarch or flour, salt and lemon juice. If you are using frozen fruit, you will need to add at least another tablespoon of cornstarch or flour. Scoop filling into jars. If using frozen fruit, overfill them because they cook down a LOT. If you are using fresh fruit, fill only 3/4 full.

{this is what the mix looks like with frozen blackberries. it looks much different with fresh fruit because they immediately begin to break down. that's why you shouldn't make the mix too early and let it sit.}

STEP 3: Dot the filling with a few pieces of the cold butter. Place tops on filling. If your tops go all the way to the edge of jar, then you'll need to cut a couple small slits in the dough with a sharp knife to vent the pie. Brush dough lightly with egg and sprinkle with the raw sugar (optional).

Bake directly on the lower rack for 15 minutes to cook the bottom crust until turning golden. Then lower the temp to 350, and move all the jars to the upper rack for another 15 minutes or until the tops are golden and filling is bubbly. After they are completely cooled, you can put the lids on the jars and put them in the fridge, give to your neighbors, mail to me, eat for breakfast the next day, you decide. I reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds and think they're delicious. But reheating in the oven (if I were patient) would make the dough crispier. I'm guessing.

But know this. Pie will never be the same to you. And you're welcome.

Go make some.