Easy as Pie

Week 8 was the first week I did not make my pie deadline; I was a day late.  Knowing the week I had been having, I knew I needed an easy pie.  And the coupon insert in the Sunday morning newspaper found a perfect fit for my need: Peppermint Ice Cream Pie.

Four ingredients!

For the crust, I mixed crushed Oreos with a little melted butter and pressed it into my pie plate.  I froze the crust for a few minutes.

Oreo cookie crust.  Yum.

The filling… well, I’m almost embarrassed to say that I made such a simple pie… one carton of slightly softened Peppermint ice cream.  Once I had shaped the ice cream into the pie crust, I placed the whole thing in the freezer for a few more minutes.

Finally, I created a decorative border using whipped topping and froze the pie for a few hours. 

Easy as pie. 

And quite delicious, too.  When December rolls around, peppermint ice cream is always at the top of my list of must haves.  Place that peppermint ice cream in an Oreo cookie crust….

One plate of peppermint heaven, coming right up!

No complaints here.

Don't Judge a Pie by Its Photo

The Festive Cranberry Apricot Pie was one that I had seen pictured in the Better Homes and Gardens 75^th Anniversary Edition Cookbook.  The picture showed a beautiful pie with leaves cut out of crust decorating the crust edge and a nice display of more leaf cut outs in the center of the pie.  The picture had me hooked.  I was not particularly interested in the contents of this pie as much as trying out a pie that could just look pretty because of its adornments.  Didn’t my mom always tell me not to judge a book by its cover?  Should the same be true for pies?    

Ingredients

The recipe for this pie calls for a double pastry crust, although the top crust is not used in the traditional way.  The bottom crust I rolled out and then lined my pie plate.  The top crust I rolled out and then used a small, leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut out several dozen leaf shapes. 

Leaves ready to be artfully placed

Setting the crust leaves aside, I mixed up my filling and poured it into my pie plate.  Here is where disappointment number 1 begins.  The cranberries and apricots did not fill the 9-inch pie plate, which the recipe specifically mentioned to use.  So rather than a pie full to overflowing with beautiful apricots and cranberries, I had a two-thirds full crust.  I kept hoping I was filling a muffin tin with batter and while baking the pie filling would magically rise to a delightful dome, or at least rise up even with the edge of the crust. No such luck.  After baking, my pie looked even more concave.

Waiting for magic to happen...

My second disappointment may have been tied to my first, as the leaf shapes I had cut out an then placed artfully on the top of my pie, did not brown or firm up.  Ick.  The edge of the crust, lined with leaves, was gorgeous, but it did not follow suit that the leaves placed on the center of the pie were also gorgeous. 

Notice the contrast between the leaf shapes on the edge of the crust and those in the center of the pie.

The final disappointment for this pie was the taste.  While it was no surprise to me that it would taste like a Thanksgiving pie, I secretly hoped it would not taste like Thanksgiving.  Yes, I agree this is a silly disappointment, but I wanted the mild flavor of the apricots and the tangy flavor of the cranberries to shine through and make a bright pie eating experience.  Instead the pumpkin spice seasoning, called for in the recipe, overpowered the fruit. 

Final verdict?  No need to make Festive Cranberry Apricot Pie a second time.  I also need to remember not to choose a pie based on its photograph in a cookbook. 

 

 

Thankful for Pies that Delight

Week 6 happened to fall on Thanksgiving week.  I’ll give you one guess as to who was in charge of pies this year.  Not a brain-buster of an answer here.  With my pie project underway, I was more than happy to volunteer.  I had originally planned to make one of the pies a pumpkin, but when I learned that only one or two people really cared for pumpkin pie, I quickly changed my plans to engage a few more of the family in pie-tasting.  The short order: 1 AppleRaspberry Crumb Pie and 1 Nutter Butter Frozen Peanut Butter Pie.

The Apple Raspberry Crumb Pie recipe comes from the Fall 2007 Betty Crocker Fall Baking magazine (the little magazines sold at the checkout stand at grocery stores).  This was not a new pie for me to make, so I already knew what to expect and I tell you, it did NOT disappoint.  Last Thanksgiving when I made this pie for my family, I used Grandma’s oil crust.  This year to mix it up a little, I used the basic flaky piecrust recipe from Real Simple magazine.

The beginnings of Apple Raspberry Crumb Pie

By using the basic flaky piecrust recipe, I was able to make the crust of the pie the day before Thanksgiving, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated overnight, taking some pressure off my time restraints on Thanksgiving Day.  When I got up on Thanksgiving, I sliced up the apples, tossed the apples in some sugar and spice, and was ready to fill my prepared piecrust. 

Sweetened apples... yum!

To fill the pie, I added the sweetened apples as a base layer.  Then, I topped the apples with raspberries.  With the raspberries in place, I crumbled almond paste over the top of the raspberries.  Finally, I capped off the pie by sprinkling a crumb topping, consisting of flour, sugar, butter, and almonds to the top.

Layered goodness: apples, raspberries, almond paste.

Crumb topping mixed and ready

The Nutter Butter Frozen Peanut Butter Pie recipe comes from the 2003 A Taste of Kansas City: Then and Now cookbook.  This was the fastest pie I have made to date (freezing time not included).  The crust consisted of crushed Nutter Butter cookies and melted butter mixed and then pressed into the pie pan.  The filling was peanut butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and whipped topping.  Had I not been taking 

pictures between the various stages, this pie could have been ready to be put in the freezer in ten minutes!

The makings of Nutter Butter Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

Making Nutter Butter crust

 
 

This may look like a crumby crust, but don't be deceived!

How did these two very different pies turn out, you ask?  Divine!  I am not a great fan of peanut butter (nor am I a foe), but the Nutter Butter Frozen Peanut Butter Pie was a delicious peanut butter pie.  The next time I make this pie, I will drizzle a little chocolate on the plate, as the recipe suggested.  The pie was relatively rich, so I would also suggest a cup of coffee or a glass of milk to balance the richness.

 

Nutter Butter Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

The Apple Raspberry Crumb Pie was nothing less of superb for me.  Throw a few of my favorite fruits in a pie crust with almonds and we are already on the right track.  Throw in a little almond paste… ooh, need I go on?  This pie was awesome.  

Apple Raspberry Crumb Pie

Company Pie

The pie I made for the fifth week was a Raspberry ButtermilkPie.  This pie was pulled together last minute, while most of my family had come down with head colds.  Needless to say, I was looking for a pie that I could make with only half of my brain alert.  My mom saved the day, so to speak, when she emailed me an article printed in the November 2012 issue of Real Simple magazine, entitled “10 ideas for: Pie”. 

Knowing that we were not going to be having guests over, due to the status of my family’s health, I was not overly worried about a clean kitchen or killing my friends with the germs that were so rampant around our house last weekend. 

Humble ingredients

For this pie I followed the basic flaky piecrust listed in the article, of which each of the 10 pies listed would use.  The crust was easy to make, flaky and buttery, and held up very well over the course of 2 days.  I par-baked it, as directed, as the filling also needed to be baked.   

The filling consisted of buttermilk sugar, flour, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt whisked together, poured into the pan, and baked.  Very simple. 

Buttermilk pie beginning to bake

After cooling on the counter for a couple hours, I chilled the pie in the refrigerator until we were ready to eat it.  The final step to this pie was to top it with 1/3 cup raspberry jam and ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds.

Topping with raspberry jam

End result topped with toasted sliced almonds

The verdict: two thumbs up from the family.  I was not really sure what the body of the pie would taste like, whether it would be gummy or custardy.  To my surprise the texture and flavor was a bit like eating cheesecake.  The thin layer of raspberry jam and sprinkled almonds were a perfect finish to a simple pie.  I will definitely be making Raspberry Buttermilk Pie again and next time we will have company.  

Happy taste-tester going for a hands-only approach.

Good pie.  Happy husband.

Peach Pie with Candied Pecan Topping or Bust?

Luther and Laurie, a local pastoral family, were the guinea pigs for the fourth week’s pie: Peach Pie with Candied Pecan Topping from Better Homes and Gardens.  After the previous pie’s lengthy crust process I decided to keep the crust simple by using Grandma’s oil crust, a recipe that I have memorized by rote over the years.  Luther and Laurie had requested a fruit pie, so peach seemed a fitting option, particularly with the candied pecan topping to welcome the cool autumn evening. 

My hopes were high. 

The pie was very simple in its setup.  Roll out a double crust.  Mix peaches with sugar and spice.  Pour sweetened peaches into the pastry lined pie pan.  Top with the upper crust and bake.  Even the topping was uncomplicated.  Mix pecans with brown sugar and butter, pour over the baked pie, then pop it into the oven for a few minutes to firm up.

Sweetening the peaches

Grandma's oil crust

Peaches ready for the upper crust and candied pecan topping

Finished product cooling before guests arrive

Not a complex pie, yet the results were my first big disappointment of my year long adventure (keeping in mind that this was only the fourth pie of fifty-two).  So here are my two main grievances:

1. Although I used Grandma’s oil crust, a recipe I have used and trusted for many years, it did not hold up to the power of the peach.  The first night it fared decently, but the second night it was gummy mush.  Yuck.    

2.  Although divine sounding, the candied pecan topping overpowered the peaches.  The pecans also did not crisp, as I hoped they might.  Rather than a nice crunch to the top of the pie, they created a layer of chewiness that did not suit the pie. 

It is challenging to write about a pie in the negative, because after all is said and done it is still pie that we ate and enjoyed (not to mention having great with whom company to share the experience).  However, as I am onboard to make 52 pies this year, there will be others that get a negative review, as well.  Onward, ho!  

I Thought I Saw A Graham Cracker In There

This third pie was made at the request of a new friend and his visiting girlfriend from Israel. 

I was excited to make a  Banana Cream Pie because I was going to try out a new pastry crust for the pie.  Typically I stick to my grandma’s oil crust, as I love its taste and texture.  However, as I was reading about some of the downfalls of cream pies being a crust that does not hold up when refrigerated, I knew this would be a great week to try out a new crust that had been tested by America’s Test Kitchen.  The consensus from their thorough testing is that a pastry crust rolled out on graham cracker crumbs would provide a more stable crust that could withstand refrigeration, without the sogginess that generally follows.

The crust did turn out quite magnificent, though the process was much more involved than my grandma’s crust, using both butter and shortening, and requiring both refrigeration time and freezer time.  The addition of the graham cracker crumbs added a nice flavor to the crust that complemented the filling well.  As for sogginess… there was none of that.  Even the second day! 

Complete pastry crust with graham cracker crumbs rolled in.

Homemade whipped cream.  Remind me why I ever buy the stuff in a can?

Ready to dish up!

The Banana Cream Pie was delicious and while I would not want to take the time for this particular crust on every pie, it did make a difference, and a notable one at that.  Our friends went away full and content.  I couldn't ask for more than that!

*As a side note, my 3 ½ year old son declared that his favorite part was not the crust or the filling, but the white stuff (homemade whipped cream) on top. :)

Sometimes You Feel Like a Walnut Crust

Rich and delicious are the first two words that come to mind upon my refection of the pie I made during my family vacation last week.  My only complaint about this pie is that I had not brewed a pot of coffee to accompany our tasting of the Chocolate Bar Pie from Better Homes and Gardens.

In my previous post I had mentioned that very little granulated sugar was needed to make this pie—it only needed two tablespoons.  I knew I did not want to pack a container of sugar for such a scant amount, so I made good use of the sugar packets, undoubtedly meant for the coffee brewed using the in-room coffee maker in the condo we had rented for the week.  The walnuts for the crust I had ground before leaving for vacation and the rest of the ingredients were easy to acquire at the local grocery store in Newport, Oregon.   

Simple ingredients

My first attempt at forming the crust was a little discouraging.  I quickly realized as I pressed the walnut crust into the glass pie pan, the one I used for almost all of my pie baking, that my ingredients were not going to stretch the distance or depth of the pan.  The recipe was designed for a smaller pan.  Thankfully my parents saved the day with a small metal pie pan they had packed, just in case I had not packed one of my own.  Thus, after scraping the first attempt into the second metal pie pan, the crust spread exactly the distance and depth for which it was intended.  Success!

Successful attempt at walnut crust using metal pie pan

While the crust baked, chocolate bars and marshmallows were melted with milk, and then combined with a whipped cream mixture. 

Chocolaty goodness ready to fill the crust

The walnut crust was filled with chocolaty goodness and then placed in the freezer while my family waited what seemed like forever for the pie to reach its desired chilliness. 

Chocolate Bar Pie

Since I began my pie mid-afternoon, and it needed to chill out in the freezer for 5 hours, we were all in our pajamas by the time we got our first taste.  We dressed up the chilly chocolate slices with a whipped topping and chopped chocolate almond bars. 

Dished and ready to go

EAT ME!

While my first impression of the Chocolate Bar Pie was rich and delicious, there was some discussion among my family of whether or not the crust needed to be walnut or if a graham cracker crust or a pastry crust would have sufficed.  Everyone enjoyed the pie, but the consensus seemed to be that sometimes you feel like a walnut crust, and sometimes you don’t.

Vacation Pie

I thought and thought about what pie I could make while my family is vacationing this week.  I needed a pie that did not require a lot of ingredients since the car would be loaded to the gills with all manner of other items.  I knew we would have access to a kitchen, so baking would be a possibility.  I did not however, know what kind of equipment I would be working with or what utensils would be at hand. 

The solution: Chocolate Bar Pie from Better Homes and Gardens. 

The recipe needs no flour, no odd spices, and very little sugar.  The only prep necessary before leaving for vacation was to grind some walnuts for a crust.  The rest could be made in a sparse kitchen with minimal utensils and equipment... while watching whales surface from the window in front of me. 

Smells like a perfect vacation pie.

Hello, Good-Pie!

Hello! Today marks the beginning of a year long adventure in the art of pie-making.  For the next year I will be hand-crafting a minimum of one pie each week.  These pies are not limited to dessert pies, but may include non-traditional pies including meal-type pies, ice cream pies, and others that I may unearth in the weeks ahead.

I have had an affinity for pies since childhood, beginning with Grandma Mac's pies at all of our holiday festivities.  Surrounded by family and warmth and laughter, pies have been a part of fond memories and a sense of peace and togetherness in my life.  Now as an adult I want to invite you to journey along with me as I step into the kitchen each week, and hopefully share some of the warmth, peace and togetherness this year brings.  So, hello and welcome!

Now to business...

Each week my goal (this is a key word) is to write a post  before and after making the pie.  This said, I am already off on the wrong foot, because I have made my first pie and did not post what I was going to make and my reasoning for trying the pie!  Again, going back to my note in the first sentence of this paragraph, "goal" is a key word.  This blog and this year long journey is is a work in progress.

The pie this week was Apple-Blueberry and was made as a farewell pie for my friend Jason who is moving to Texas to start and run a new pizza franchise.  I am not particularly fond of straight blueberry pie, but it happens to be Jason's favorite pie, so I compromised and met him in the middle with the Apple-Blueberry pie from Pillsbury Complete Cookbook.

Pastry crust filled with Granny Smith apples, blueberries, sugar and spice.

Finished off with a crumb topping and ready for baking.

Oven-baked to a golden brown and cooling to eat in a few hours.

The consensus after a slice of the Apple-Blueberry pie... delicious!  I may not be fond of straight blueberry pie and I can be a tough critic on many apple pies, but this was a fantastic combination that I would be more than happy to make again.  The four of us gathered around the table Sunday night were seriously holding back from having seconds.  Jason and his wife went home with two slices and the last two my hubby and I cleaned up the following night.

  

Hello, Good-Pie!