Blackberries are a big part of Michaelmas tradition. According to legend, St. Michael cast Lucifer out of heaven on Michaelmas (originally, this legend was attached to Old Michaelmas – which was on October 10th). Lucifer landed in a blackberry bramble, and being so angered by the prickles, he spat on them – so, it became unlucky to pick blackberries after Michaelmas, since they would be spoiled.
“On Michaelmas Day, the devil puts his foot on blackberries.”
Irish proverb
Because of this association, blackberry desserts are a popular tradition for Michaelmas – whether blackberry pie or cobbler, it’s considered the last time of the season to use these late berries.
Here’s a fun way to bring some Michaelmas flavors and imagery into the holiday – a blackberry pie with a fire-breathing dragon on top!
I love a rustic pie crust – it may not look flawless, but it’s delicious! To make the dragon on top, I just rolled out the pie dough and traced the dragon onto the dough. I partially baked the pie, then added the dragon on top and finished baking the pie.
Hearthstone Fables 