Potluck Pie

During the fifth Sunday of December, my church was having a day of Worship Through Action, in which we would put together crisis care kits to be sent all over the nation/globe during major catastrophes (i.e. hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.) , followed by a time of potluck fellowship.  My go-to on these pie adventures has been dessert pies, so I thought I would break my pattern and bring a brunch-type pie: Three Cheese and Onion Pie. 

The recipe I selected comes from a new cookbook I received for Christmas entitled, Cutie Pies.  The author of this cookbook is the owner of a pie shop, High 5 Pie, and a couple of coffeehouses, Fuel Coffee, in the greater Seattle area.  One of the interesting things about this particular pie cookbook is the variety of options that are held within.  Each recipe can be made into a variety of forms—Cutie Pies made in standard muffin pans, Petit-5s made in mini muffin pans, Pie Jars made in small jam-type jars, Flipsides formed like a pocket, Piepops made on a stick, and Full-Sized Pies made in a traditional 9-inch pie pan. 

With the new cookbook, came a new recipe for an all-butter crust, so I gave this a try.  This first time around I made the crust by hand, not my food processor, and found that I may not have mixed it thoroughly enough as well as let it get too warm because it was very sticky when I rolled it out.  The next time I will definitely try my food processor for the mixing and not letting the dough sit out for more than ten minutes before I get rolling.

The filling was very simple and I had two Three Cheese and Onion Pies ready to bake in no time at all. 

Final product?  Apart from baking the pie for an additional 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe indicated, delicious.  This was a great variation from my usual dessert pie and a success at the church potluck.  As long as you can handle a strong onion flavor, this is your pie.  

Perfect for a brunch

How Do You Change An Opinion Ever So Firmly Set?

I am not a traditional holiday pie lover.  Pumpkin… pecan… easy for me to pass.  So with Christmas just days ahead I was not entirely sure what direction to take.  The last day for Week 10 happened to fall on the same day that my parents were flying into town, which made me think of my dad and his love for Cherry Pie.  While cherries may not be the typical Christmastime pie, it was going to be red, which I found that appropriate for the season, and Cherry Pies remind me of family, so why not? 

Now my husband is not a fan of Cherry Pie and I thought I might be able to dissuade him of this position if I made the best Cherry Pie.  Where do I go to find the best Cherry Pie?  The New Best Recipe Cookbook, of course! 

This recipe was exciting for me for two reasons:

1.       I would be making a lattice-top, which I had never tried before due to utter intimidation.

2.       I might be able to forever change my husband’s grudge against the Cherry Pie.

Sugar, Morello cherries, almond extract, salt, and flour.

Right away I was surprised to discover that the lattice-top was actually constructed first, and then placed on the top of the pie.  I had always assumed that the lattice had to be made on top of the pie and I had only ever made Grandma’s oil crust (which is very soft), so I could not fathom how to create the lattice effect without it ripping apart.  Another trick I learned was the use of the freezer for making the lattice firm enough to form the desired shape without ripping apart, as I had originally feared.  So with these breakthroughs in mind, the lattice was constructed with ease and I would gladly try it on another pie.  Intimidation factor denounced.

The filling for this pie uses jarred Morello cherries, which I purchased from a local Trader Joe’s store.  As I drained the juice from these cherries I wondered if one of the reasons my husband has turned his nose up at cherry pies was that all cherry pies he has had in the past have been made with the sticky cherry pie filling found in most baking aisles at grocery stores across the United States.  Again the challenge to dissuade my husband’s stance on Cherry Pie made me anxious to get this delight in the oven, so I could serve him a new perspective. 

Cherries ready for my previously made lattice top 

Placing the lattice top on the cherries

Oven-ready!

I am pleased to say that everyone enjoyed their first bites of this Cherry Pie.  The pie not only looked amazing, but tasted fabulous, too.  Unfortunately, after the first bites my husband had had enough.  I had not changed his mind about Cherry Pie.  He did, however, comment that it was the best he had tried.  While I may not have won that challenge, my parents and I slicked up the rest of that pie over the next three days without any trouble. 

Beautiful finished product!

                                                                                                                                                                 

When Healthier Does Not Mean Better

When blackberries go on sale in the middle of winter, at $0.88 per container, it is time to make Blackberry Pie.  So during week 9, that is what I set out to do.  My recipe for Blackberry Pie came from Berry Fruit Pie recipe from  the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. 

I had loads of blackberries on hand and all of the other ingredients I needed.  Or so I thought.  I mixed up my blackberries with sugar, flour, and lemon zest.  My filling was ready.  I started to mix up my double crust, using Grandma’s oil crust, and sure enough my flour was going to only be able to make a single crust pie.  Rather than frogging the whole pie, I pulled out my whole wheat flour, thinking that I might be able to make a tasty (and healthier) pie by using whole wheat flour for half of the desired flour. 

Blackberries, sugar, flour, and lemon zest

Half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour crust

Bottom crust filled

The pie looked delicious going in and coming out of the oven.  The crust formed nicely and browned evenly.  The filling bubbled just so as I set it on the cooling rack.  Whole wheat crust?  No problem, I thought.  This pie was going to be delicious. 

What looked like a delicious pie... do not be decieved!

Wrong.

I LOVE berry pies, particularly blackberry.  This pie was ruined by its crust.  I am certain there are others out there that can manage a whole wheat crust that actually tastes nice, but this was the antithesis of what pie is about.  Perhaps Grandma’s oil crust is not meant for healthy pie.  Perhaps blackberries and whole wheat flour should not be combined.  Whatever it was… I do not want to repeat it. 

Lesson learned:  when you run out of all-purpose white flour, get up and go to the store and buy more before making a Blackberry Pie.

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.