Deluxe Blackberry Pie

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). (5 minutes)

In a blender, puree 2 cups of the blackberries until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds, and pour the strained puree into a medium saucepan. (10 minutes)

Whisk in 1 1/4 cups of sugar into the blackberry puree. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil gently for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. (15 minutes)

In a small cup, mix together the cornstarch and blackberry brandy until well combined, forming a slurry. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the hot blackberry puree in the saucepan, and return the saucepan to the heat. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then remove from heat. (5 minutes)

Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg. The consistency should be similar to a thin pudding. If needed, thicken the mixture with a small amount of cornstarch and water mixed at a 2-to-1 ratio. (2 minutes)

Carefully place one pastry crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Fill the crust with the remaining 2 cups of fresh blackberries. Pour the blackberry puree evenly over the fresh berries, ensuring they are well coated. (10 minutes)

Cut the remaining pastry into strips and arrange them in a lattice pattern over the filling. Alternatively, you can cover the filling with the remaining pastry and cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle the top crust with 1 tablespoon of sugar. (10 minutes)

Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is beautifully browned, approximately 35 minutes. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, cover the edges with foil. (35 minutes)