Pop Culture Pies: Hillary's Breaking-the-Glass-Ceiling Pie

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 with the rack in the middle position. In a small saucepan mix together granulated sugar and fresh blackberries. Over medium/high heat bring to a boil, once boiling adjust the temperature to medium to keep the berries at a consistent simmer. Stir gently every so often and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the berries and set the juice aside to cool.
2. Slice and squeeze limes until you have 1/4 cup of lime juice, set aside. In a medium bowl gently whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and the egg yolks. Add the lime juice and 1/4 cup of the cooled blackberry juice. Whisk together until everything is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Depending on what color your mixture turns (typically it’s a blueish purple, you may want to add a few blue food coloring drops to the mix to make it more blue than purple).
3. Pour the filling into the par-baked pie shell and bake for 14 to 20 minutes, or until the outside edge is firm and the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged. Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before pouring on the candy top.
4. While the pie is cooling roll out the extra pie dough to 1/8 inch thick and using your paper cutout and a sharp paring knife, cut out the democratic donkey shape. Transfer the crust donkey to a baking sheet or a silpat sheet and bake 5 to 8 minutes or until the cutout is a golden brown. Set aside to cool.
5. Once the pie is cooled you can start making the candy top. In a small bowl or measuring cup mix together several drops of blue food coloring and 2 tablespoons of water. In a medium saucepan mix together the blue water and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Bring the sugar mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let the sugar simmer, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until all of the sugar is dissolved, about 3­5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour directly onto the top of the cooled pie. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula and leave to set. When you’re ready to serve the pie, crack the candy top with the back of a spoon and place the democratic donkey decoration on top.