EASY BLACKBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE: Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day Weekend. When I was growing up that meant the last weekend before school started. We'd go down the shore or up to the mountains, or just kick back at a neighborhood barbecue. Sometimes we'd go to the country and pick blackberries for jam and pies. When I moved to California, I found blackberries everywhere at this time of year -- by the roadside and later in my own backyard! They were a bit of a bramble. Prickly bushes, but the blackberries were oh so sweet and plentiful!

I used to make an awesome Blackberry Apple Pie, but since this is a Chocolate blog, and this is Labor Day Weekend, I'm recommending this easy and delicious Blackberry Chocolate Chip Pie. I adapted a recipe I found at Allrecipes. com, and there was a caveat with the original: "Adjust the ratio of berries and chocolate chips to suit your preferences." Well, that's wise, so you might have to make it several times, just to get it right.

EASY BLACKBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP PIE

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) package pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (I use Trader Joe's pie crusts if I don't make my own)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups blackberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Place one pie crust in bottom of 9 inch pie plate.
In bowl, mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Gently stir in blackberries and chocolate chips. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Transfer to pie crust in pie plate.
Put second pie crust on top, and secure to bottom crust by pressing with fork, or fluting with fingers. Bake 35 minutes in preheated oven, until top is golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing.