blackberry bliss

The last time I spent hours picking blackberries may have been when I was about 8 years old. Every time I visited my aunt's house in the sierra foothills she would recruit all the little ones to pluck berries so that she could bake blackberry pies [and we didn't object because we would eat them!]. I always ended up with stained fingers [and sometimes toes], and I knew that would be a danger when I decided to go blackberry picking this past weekend, but what I seemed to forget is how thorny the bushes can be. Regardless, the stains and pains were absolutely worth the delicious blackberry crisp reward I devoured a few hours later!

This article in 7x7 (which featured this blackberry crisp recipe from Saveur) sparked my desire to bake this simple & sweet crisp. And the fact that I know someone who [thank you Shaw family!] has a multitude of blackberry bushes in their backyard made it easy for me to use fresh berries.

[ready for the picking]

[warmed by the sun]

[stains]

[berries & sugar]

[Willie's blackberry crisp]