Darling Blackberry Pie

"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." -Emily Dickinson



But I just have to share this pie recipe! I usually make this pie using raspberries -fresh berries to celebrate the first raspberries of the season, or frozen (2-10 ounce containers defrosted and drained well) for out of season celebrations like Valentine's Day. I acquired the recipe from one of my husband's coworkers years ago. She gave me a xeroxed copy from a cookbook by Renny Darling and that's why I call this Darling Pie rather than Cream Cheese Pie with Raspberries and Chocolate. It was my son's idea to use blackberries here -and what a great idea!

Darling Pie

Adapted from The Joy of Eating French Food by Renny Darling

In Pyrex pie dish in preheating (to 350 degrees) oven, melt 1/3 -1/2 c. butter
In food processor reduce one packet of graham crackers to crumbs
Add 2-3 T. sugar and 1/2 c. pecans and process a bit more then add to melted butter. Mix and press into bottom and sides of pie dish to form a crust. Bake for 9+ minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on 1/2 c. chocolate chips. Do not be tempted to heap on more chips according to the 'more is always better' rule for chocolate. In this case it will make cutting the pie very difficult -if not down right impossible. Return dish to oven for one minute to melt the chocolate, then remove from oven and spread with the back of a spoon to form a thin layer of chocolate on the baked crust. Chill/Cool completely until chocolate hardens.

Whip 1 c. whipping cream and set aside.

Beat until light and fluffy:
8 oz. package Neufchatel Cheese
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
Beat in whipped cream on lowest setting just until mixed. Pour into chilled crust. I make a bit of a 'pond' shape in the center for the berry layer to fit into.

Fold together:
2-4 c. fresh picked ripe blackberries
1/2 c. melted blackberry jam
Spread over cream cheese mixture and chill for several hours.