It's been DAYS! I miss you guys. I guess I am just a big slacker.
Anyway, I have managed to do something reminiscent of keeping up with my pie-a-day thang. At least on average. So let's get caught up on this here internet side of things, shall we?
Going back to Friday, I made two pies. I gave you all a little teaser of what was coming; it was bourbon. So the pies were Pecan and Peach (topped with bourbon whipped cream). Both were super delicious. Then Saturday was to be a quiche (every Saturday is quiche day) and I picked out a Mushroom and Swiss Quiche. However, (me being a slacker) the quiche was late. Sunday's pie was Strawberry Lime, a suggestion by Ben P. Monday was Custard Pie and Tuesday was Banana Cream Pie. Both were late. Custard happened yesterday, and Banana Cream is in the works as we speak! That brings us all the way up to today. I'm not entirely certain what we'll be making tonight, but some ideas have been thrown around like Garlic Pie and Spaghetti Pie. I'll let you know when we pick one out.
But now, I will start the backlog of recipes for your viewing/baking pleasure. Additional posts forthcoming.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Pie teaser trailer
I'm really slow and I didn't get to make my pie for the day. So tomorrow will have TWO PIES! So here's your teaser: both pies have bourbon! What could they be?
Mystery, intrigue, suspense. Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!
Mystery, intrigue, suspense. Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!
Two pies, for a different reason...
Yesterday's pie: Strawberry
Remember how I said there were two recipes for strawberry pie? Well here is the other one! It makes two pies, so get ready for two pies!
So start by blind baking your two pie crusts. Pretty standard stuff. Then, arrange 2 1/2 quarts of strawberries in the bottom of the crusts (points up looks pretty). Then, the filling goo:
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
Mix the sugar and cornstarch up in a saucepan then add the boiling water and put it over medium-high heat. Stir until all of the cornstarch is completely dissolved. When the mixture starts to thicken, remove from heat and mix in the gelatin. Let it cool to room temperature and split the goo between the two pies. Chill for a few hours, until the goo sets.
Yummy pie! I personally preferred the other recipe, but this may be because I kinda borked this one. I used 1 1/2 quarts of strawberries, and when pouring the boiling water into the sugar and stuff, I made a big mess and burned my hand a bit. In any case, it is yummy and strawberry-ful and sweet. So celebrate good pies, come on!
Remember how I said there were two recipes for strawberry pie? Well here is the other one! It makes two pies, so get ready for two pies!
So start by blind baking your two pie crusts. Pretty standard stuff. Then, arrange 2 1/2 quarts of strawberries in the bottom of the crusts (points up looks pretty). Then, the filling goo:
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
Mix the sugar and cornstarch up in a saucepan then add the boiling water and put it over medium-high heat. Stir until all of the cornstarch is completely dissolved. When the mixture starts to thicken, remove from heat and mix in the gelatin. Let it cool to room temperature and split the goo between the two pies. Chill for a few hours, until the goo sets.
Yummy pie! I personally preferred the other recipe, but this may be because I kinda borked this one. I used 1 1/2 quarts of strawberries, and when pouring the boiling water into the sugar and stuff, I made a big mess and burned my hand a bit. In any case, it is yummy and strawberry-ful and sweet. So celebrate good pies, come on!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Two yesterdays of Pie
Monday was another repeat, the strawberry rhubarb. Yummy stuff.
So then yesterday was a new one, the first in the "lol wut" series. It is called "Cinnamon Carrot Pie" and you'd never guess what it has in it.
The crust, once again, your basic crust. The filling takes a little while, but isn't tough. I sorta made a mess, though, considering the final consistency of the filling and the beating it with the electric hand mixer.
2 cups cooked, mashed carrots
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated whole milk
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
I had to figure out how to cook the carrots, but it seems to be as easy as boiling them until they are soft and mashable (not the social media site). Then mix everything together and beat the mix with your choice of electric mixer for two minutes. Pour the goop into the unbaked pie crust, and pop into a 400F oven. Bake for fifteen minutes and reduce heat to 350F. 45 more minutes should just about do it, until it's pretty much set throughout.
It tastes reminiscent of Pumpkin pie, so whipped cream would be a good topper. You remember that recipe from the Strawberry pie from last week, right?
Some notes: Our carrots were maybe not entirely mashed, but I think it worked out anyway. I still haven't found anywhere convenient last nightto get lard, so I'm using shortening, but I think Eliot (who just moved in for the summer) appreciates it (since he's vegetarian). Maybe I'll just stick to shortening.
Anyway, a super big thank you to Eliot! He and I did a lot of cooking last summer, and we make a good team in the kitchen. He helped a lot with the pie yesterday; he even found the recipe for it! Thanks!
So then yesterday was a new one, the first in the "lol wut" series. It is called "Cinnamon Carrot Pie" and you'd never guess what it has in it.
The crust, once again, your basic crust. The filling takes a little while, but isn't tough. I sorta made a mess, though, considering the final consistency of the filling and the beating it with the electric hand mixer.
2 cups cooked, mashed carrots
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated whole milk
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
I had to figure out how to cook the carrots, but it seems to be as easy as boiling them until they are soft and mashable (not the social media site). Then mix everything together and beat the mix with your choice of electric mixer for two minutes. Pour the goop into the unbaked pie crust, and pop into a 400F oven. Bake for fifteen minutes and reduce heat to 350F. 45 more minutes should just about do it, until it's pretty much set throughout.
It tastes reminiscent of Pumpkin pie, so whipped cream would be a good topper. You remember that recipe from the Strawberry pie from last week, right?
Some notes: Our carrots were maybe not entirely mashed, but I think it worked out anyway. I still haven't found anywhere convenient last nightto get lard, so I'm using shortening, but I think Eliot (who just moved in for the summer) appreciates it (since he's vegetarian). Maybe I'll just stick to shortening.
Anyway, a super big thank you to Eliot! He and I did a lot of cooking last summer, and we make a good team in the kitchen. He helped a lot with the pie yesterday; he even found the recipe for it! Thanks!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Twice in one day
Yesterday(for real!)'s pie: Rhubarb Pie
Yeah, a repeat. I figured I would have to do this one and the Strawberry Rhubarb again at some point during the summer, so they fit into the "daily pie" bit. What better time than right after the farmer's market gives me the opportunity to get some fresh rhubarb and strawberries!? So this one's a short post, since you all should know the recipe (or at least where to find it (here, duh!)).
Anyway, it turned out really good. Yumtastic, in fact. I had half as much shortening as required, so I subbed butter for it, which reversed the ratio of fats. I can't say it had a seriously adverse effect, though!
Now, you might argue that this pie was late, and I actually baked two pies today. But I define a day as "the period of time between I wake up and I go to sleep." So when I went to bed at 4AM after taking the rhubarb pie out of the oven, "yesterday" was over. So there.
Side note: The Great Dane charged me ten dollars to bring this pie to the Ian's Pizza ultimate frisbee team after our game today. Pretty lame.
Yeah, a repeat. I figured I would have to do this one and the Strawberry Rhubarb again at some point during the summer, so they fit into the "daily pie" bit. What better time than right after the farmer's market gives me the opportunity to get some fresh rhubarb and strawberries!? So this one's a short post, since you all should know the recipe (or at least where to find it (here, duh!)).
Anyway, it turned out really good. Yumtastic, in fact. I had half as much shortening as required, so I subbed butter for it, which reversed the ratio of fats. I can't say it had a seriously adverse effect, though!
Now, you might argue that this pie was late, and I actually baked two pies today. But I define a day as "the period of time between I wake up and I go to sleep." So when I went to bed at 4AM after taking the rhubarb pie out of the oven, "yesterday" was over. So there.
Side note: The Great Dane charged me ten dollars to bring this pie to the Ian's Pizza ultimate frisbee team after our game today. Pretty lame.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
It's never too late for Pie!
Yesterday(?)'s Pie: Cherry Pie!
Again, this one's late. Last night, I wanted to get caught up, but by the time I got to the store to stock up on cherries (a necessary ingredient), it had closed for the night. So, today, I hope, will get us caught up again, with another pie tonight.
Anyway, the cherry pie is in the oven! It's a pretty easy one, but a bit more labor intensive (pitting cherries takes a while). The crust is a double batch of good ol' standard pie crust. No blind bake required, and the filling is easy to make once you've pitted all the cherries.
4 cups pitted cherries
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons minute tapioca
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Mix 'em all up and let sit for fifteen minutes or so. Place into bottom crust and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter, cubed small. I did a lattice crust for the top, so after rolling out the top crust, I sliced it into narrow strips and placed them over the top in a criss-cross pattern, pinching the edges to the bottom crust a bit. Bake 50 minutes at 400F. Let cool for a few hours.
Special thanks to Kelson for pitting all those cherries for me! Everything went a lot quicker with his help.
Again, this one's late. Last night, I wanted to get caught up, but by the time I got to the store to stock up on cherries (a necessary ingredient), it had closed for the night. So, today, I hope, will get us caught up again, with another pie tonight.
Anyway, the cherry pie is in the oven! It's a pretty easy one, but a bit more labor intensive (pitting cherries takes a while). The crust is a double batch of good ol' standard pie crust. No blind bake required, and the filling is easy to make once you've pitted all the cherries.
4 cups pitted cherries
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons minute tapioca
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Mix 'em all up and let sit for fifteen minutes or so. Place into bottom crust and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter, cubed small. I did a lattice crust for the top, so after rolling out the top crust, I sliced it into narrow strips and placed them over the top in a criss-cross pattern, pinching the edges to the bottom crust a bit. Bake 50 minutes at 400F. Let cool for a few hours.
Special thanks to Kelson for pitting all those cherries for me! Everything went a lot quicker with his help.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Late, late, for a very important Pie
Yesterday(ish)'s pie: Quiche
That's right, Egg pie! But kinda late, I only just took it out of the oven. Oops.
But it's an easy one. I got this recipe from Eliot's mom last summer, and it is really delicious. I can't wait to start adding all kinds of delicious things to the mix.
We start out with the simple pie crust as with the recent pies, blind bake it, and add some egg stuff.
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Place the shredded cheddar in the crust, mix everything else, and pour it over the cheese. Bake at 375F until a fork comes out clean. Let cool, and nom!
Well, that should certainly be delicious tomorrow morning! And now, I have a Cherry Pie to bake, so I can catch up!
That's right, Egg pie! But kinda late, I only just took it out of the oven. Oops.
But it's an easy one. I got this recipe from Eliot's mom last summer, and it is really delicious. I can't wait to start adding all kinds of delicious things to the mix.
We start out with the simple pie crust as with the recent pies, blind bake it, and add some egg stuff.
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Place the shredded cheddar in the crust, mix everything else, and pour it over the cheese. Bake at 375F until a fork comes out clean. Let cool, and nom!
Well, that should certainly be delicious tomorrow morning! And now, I have a Cherry Pie to bake, so I can catch up!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Two Pies, for your consideration
Yesterday's (and also May 29th's) Pie: Finger Pie
Chris found this recipe for me, and he requested I make it when he would be around to try some. So I brought all the supplies with me on my trip up to Conserve for the final graduation, and whipped up a pie, just for Chris. I made another yesterday, with a variation. The first one used a regular pie crust (like the strawberry and French Silk), which I made in advance and brought with me. Yesterday's had a graham cracker crust. I thought it would be a delicious alteration, and I am pleased with it.
The Graham Cracker crust is really easy.
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup butter
Mix it all together and press into the pie plate. It's that easy! It's sort of tough to get nice and even, so using a second plate on top to press the graham cracker bits into shape might be a good idea. All of my plates are still in use, so I had to do some guess work, which definitely made the corners and sides of the crust a lot thicker than the bottom. Oh well, still delicious.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350F.
The filling for this one is super duper easy.
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Mix it all very gently (perhaps with your fingers, hence the name) so the cream doesn't get whipped. pour into the crust and bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 325F. It's better to keep an eye on it and take it out when the filling is still boiling actively in the center but it has slowed down a bit toward the sides, indicating that the filling is thickened.
What an easy pie! It's super sugary and rich, so I recommend smaller slices than normal. But it sure is tasty!
Chris found this recipe for me, and he requested I make it when he would be around to try some. So I brought all the supplies with me on my trip up to Conserve for the final graduation, and whipped up a pie, just for Chris. I made another yesterday, with a variation. The first one used a regular pie crust (like the strawberry and French Silk), which I made in advance and brought with me. Yesterday's had a graham cracker crust. I thought it would be a delicious alteration, and I am pleased with it.
The Graham Cracker crust is really easy.
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup butter
Mix it all together and press into the pie plate. It's that easy! It's sort of tough to get nice and even, so using a second plate on top to press the graham cracker bits into shape might be a good idea. All of my plates are still in use, so I had to do some guess work, which definitely made the corners and sides of the crust a lot thicker than the bottom. Oh well, still delicious.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350F.
The filling for this one is super duper easy.
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Mix it all very gently (perhaps with your fingers, hence the name) so the cream doesn't get whipped. pour into the crust and bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 325F. It's better to keep an eye on it and take it out when the filling is still boiling actively in the center but it has slowed down a bit toward the sides, indicating that the filling is thickened.
What an easy pie! It's super sugary and rich, so I recommend smaller slices than normal. But it sure is tasty!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
French it up
Yesterday's pie: French Silk
SUPER delicious.
I used the same crust as yesterday's, so here's the filling:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cups butter (not margarine)
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
Let the butter come to room temperature. I just left it on the counter for close to an hour, while I was preparing the crust. Using a mixer (I just used a hand mixer), beat the butter to cream it a bit. Add the sugar and beat for at least four minutes, until the sugar is no longer adding a grainy texture to the mix. Have the chocolate melted and ready, and off the heat for a couple minutes before adding it to the mix. Add the vanilla, too. Mix that together well, scraping the sides of the bowl down often. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat each in thoroughly. Make sure you keep scraping the sides in to get it mixed evenly. Spoon it into the crust, and chill for several hours. I also topped mine off (before chilling) with some of the whipped cream left over from the strawberry pie, and it was a good touch. Chocolate shavings are a really classy topper, too. I didn't have a block of sweet chocolate on hand, so mine went without.
Special thanks to Kelson and Melissa for helping out during the mixing process. The extra hands definitely helped out a lot and made it go a lot quicker. A big thank you to Jack, too! He was the first (hopefully) happy customer! Let us know what you thought!
SUPER delicious.
I used the same crust as yesterday's, so here's the filling:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cups butter (not margarine)
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
Let the butter come to room temperature. I just left it on the counter for close to an hour, while I was preparing the crust. Using a mixer (I just used a hand mixer), beat the butter to cream it a bit. Add the sugar and beat for at least four minutes, until the sugar is no longer adding a grainy texture to the mix. Have the chocolate melted and ready, and off the heat for a couple minutes before adding it to the mix. Add the vanilla, too. Mix that together well, scraping the sides of the bowl down often. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat each in thoroughly. Make sure you keep scraping the sides in to get it mixed evenly. Spoon it into the crust, and chill for several hours. I also topped mine off (before chilling) with some of the whipped cream left over from the strawberry pie, and it was a good touch. Chocolate shavings are a really classy topper, too. I didn't have a block of sweet chocolate on hand, so mine went without.
Special thanks to Kelson and Melissa for helping out during the mixing process. The extra hands definitely helped out a lot and made it go a lot quicker. A big thank you to Jack, too! He was the first (hopefully) happy customer! Let us know what you thought!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Pie, pie, and more pie!
So it's pretty late now to be writing up a whole thing about how delicious the French Silk Pie for today was, so I'll do that tomorrow. But you should look forward to it because WHOA
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Pie today, Pie tomorrow!
Today's Pie: Strawberry!
Yummy stuff. That's all I can say.
I found two recipes that looked delicious when I was perusing the interwebs, so I had to pick one. Strawberry Pie will certainly be returning a bit later, so I can try the other recipe. But this one was pretty excellent. This crust is a recipe I got from good ol' Alton Brown (you'll see a trend here), and besides being really easy to make, it's SUPER tasty. Crispy and flaky, but soft enough to dissolve in your mouth.
6 oz flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 oz butter
1 oz lard
ice water in a spray bottle
Much like the recipe used for the previous pies involving rhubarb (because I used this method as a model), cube the fats (butter and lard) and freeze 'em for at least ten minutes. Stick the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine, then add the butter and pulse. Next, add lard; pulse. Then grab your spray bottle and spray the top of the flour to get it wet; pulse. Repeat a few times until you can pinch a bit of the dough and it sticks together. Once you've prepared the crust dough this way a few times, it's pretty easy to tell when it's just right.
Then dump it into a plastic zip bag, squish it into a disc, and chill it in the fridge for fifteen minutes. When it's nice and cool, roll it out and put it in your pie plate. I like to use two plates: set one on top of the dough (make sure it's floured so it doesn't stick) and flip them over together so the crust is hanging over the back of the pie plate. Gently gather the edges so they are closer to the angled sides, or they easily get pulled off at the corner. Place the other pie plate on top, upside down so they fit together. Flip again and remove the inner plate. Even out any holes with some crust dough that might be hanging over. Poke holes across the bottom and sides with a fork ("docking" the crust). Now stick the crust in the freezer for fifteen minutes and get the oven preheating to 425F.
We'll blind bake this crust since the filling is cooked separately. When the dough is cold and the oven is hot, throw a piece of parchment paper on the crust and fill it up with beans or rice or some other form of pie weights. If you use food like I do, don't try to cook it and eat it. It won't turn out quite right. I've re-labeled a jar of rice "Pie Weights" and they do nicely. Bake for ten minutes, remove the weights (the parchment paper will be cool enough to pick right up if you pull it out of the oven), and bake for ten more minutes or until deliciously golden brown. Filling time!
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Cut the strawberries into big pieces and arrange half of them in the bottom of the crust. Mash the other half in a saucepan, put on med-high heat, and add sugar. They'll boil fairly quickly, so stir frequently while you mix the water and cornstarch in a bowl. It might be easier to have this done before beginning to cook the fruit. In any case, add the cornstarch/water mix gradually while stirring the berries. turn the heat down and simmer for about ten minutes until it thickens up. Pour it over the uncooked berries in the pie crust and chill for several hours.
When you're ready to serve, whip up some whipped cream!
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Chill a whisk or the beaters for a hand mixer and a bowl. Beat the cream until it is almost to forming peaks. Add the vanilla and sugar and beat until the peaks are forming. Don't keep beating though! You'll start to curdle it. Spoon over a slice, and enjoy!
Some notes: I forgot to pick up lard, so I'm still using shortening in the crust. It still works quite nicely, so don't feel too bad if you can't get your hands on lard. Shortening is also a good substitute if you're vegetarian or serving vegetarians. For this particular pie, I was in a bit of a hurry while making the crust. I messed up the first crust by using too much water. Way to go. So I was running late for work, and the second crust didn't get fully chilled before I rolled it out. It was all sticky and falling apart. It still turned out delicious, but it looks like a puzzle that a four year old couldn't figure out and just tore the pieces instead. While making the second crust, the filling got to sit out for a bit longer and prolly thickened a bit more. I don't really think it changed anything too much.
I also made a pie over the weekend just for Chris. It was tasty, and I'll get to it when I make it for the official count.
Yummy Pie, every day! Come back tomorrow for something AMAZING!
Yummy stuff. That's all I can say.
I found two recipes that looked delicious when I was perusing the interwebs, so I had to pick one. Strawberry Pie will certainly be returning a bit later, so I can try the other recipe. But this one was pretty excellent. This crust is a recipe I got from good ol' Alton Brown (you'll see a trend here), and besides being really easy to make, it's SUPER tasty. Crispy and flaky, but soft enough to dissolve in your mouth.
6 oz flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 oz butter
1 oz lard
ice water in a spray bottle
Much like the recipe used for the previous pies involving rhubarb (because I used this method as a model), cube the fats (butter and lard) and freeze 'em for at least ten minutes. Stick the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine, then add the butter and pulse. Next, add lard; pulse. Then grab your spray bottle and spray the top of the flour to get it wet; pulse. Repeat a few times until you can pinch a bit of the dough and it sticks together. Once you've prepared the crust dough this way a few times, it's pretty easy to tell when it's just right.
Then dump it into a plastic zip bag, squish it into a disc, and chill it in the fridge for fifteen minutes. When it's nice and cool, roll it out and put it in your pie plate. I like to use two plates: set one on top of the dough (make sure it's floured so it doesn't stick) and flip them over together so the crust is hanging over the back of the pie plate. Gently gather the edges so they are closer to the angled sides, or they easily get pulled off at the corner. Place the other pie plate on top, upside down so they fit together. Flip again and remove the inner plate. Even out any holes with some crust dough that might be hanging over. Poke holes across the bottom and sides with a fork ("docking" the crust). Now stick the crust in the freezer for fifteen minutes and get the oven preheating to 425F.
We'll blind bake this crust since the filling is cooked separately. When the dough is cold and the oven is hot, throw a piece of parchment paper on the crust and fill it up with beans or rice or some other form of pie weights. If you use food like I do, don't try to cook it and eat it. It won't turn out quite right. I've re-labeled a jar of rice "Pie Weights" and they do nicely. Bake for ten minutes, remove the weights (the parchment paper will be cool enough to pick right up if you pull it out of the oven), and bake for ten more minutes or until deliciously golden brown. Filling time!
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Cut the strawberries into big pieces and arrange half of them in the bottom of the crust. Mash the other half in a saucepan, put on med-high heat, and add sugar. They'll boil fairly quickly, so stir frequently while you mix the water and cornstarch in a bowl. It might be easier to have this done before beginning to cook the fruit. In any case, add the cornstarch/water mix gradually while stirring the berries. turn the heat down and simmer for about ten minutes until it thickens up. Pour it over the uncooked berries in the pie crust and chill for several hours.
When you're ready to serve, whip up some whipped cream!
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Chill a whisk or the beaters for a hand mixer and a bowl. Beat the cream until it is almost to forming peaks. Add the vanilla and sugar and beat until the peaks are forming. Don't keep beating though! You'll start to curdle it. Spoon over a slice, and enjoy!
Some notes: I forgot to pick up lard, so I'm still using shortening in the crust. It still works quite nicely, so don't feel too bad if you can't get your hands on lard. Shortening is also a good substitute if you're vegetarian or serving vegetarians. For this particular pie, I was in a bit of a hurry while making the crust. I messed up the first crust by using too much water. Way to go. So I was running late for work, and the second crust didn't get fully chilled before I rolled it out. It was all sticky and falling apart. It still turned out delicious, but it looks like a puzzle that a four year old couldn't figure out and just tore the pieces instead. While making the second crust, the filling got to sit out for a bit longer and prolly thickened a bit more. I don't really think it changed anything too much.
I also made a pie over the weekend just for Chris. It was tasty, and I'll get to it when I make it for the official count.
Yummy Pie, every day! Come back tomorrow for something AMAZING!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Pie number two and first week's pie schedule!
So last Saturday, I made a pie. Shame on me for not sharing sooner! I made it for a potluck hosted by the lovely Jamie of Ian's. I decided on Rhubarb Pie, since there is so much delicious rhubarb at the farmer's market these days. I used the same crust as the Strawberry Rhubarb, and the filling was super simple.
5 cups Rhubarb
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, cubed small
As with the strawberry rhubarb, chill the butter and mix all the other stuff for the filling. Let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes to allow the sugar to suck up some of the juices. Put it in the pie crust, cover with the top crust, and brush with the egg white and water and sprinkle with big sugar. Cut a few slits, collar with foil, bake at 425 F for 15 to 20 minutes (then remove the foil), reduce to 350 F (a little lower than the strawberry rhubarb)for 45 to 50, or until the juices are bubbling up a bit. Let it cool so the insides can set up.
In other news, the daily pies will be starting very soon! To get you all drooling in anticipation, here are the first five pies I will be baking. That will take us from June 1st to 5th. I'll start simple with a Strawberry Pie, hit up a basic Quiche, a Chocolate Silk will be delicious, and hopefully I can find some delicious cherries for a Cherry Pie. Last but not least (and in fact, not in any specific order), Chris's request: Sugar Pie, AKA Finger Pie (easiest recipe ever). Who's excited?! I am!
5 cups Rhubarb
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, cubed small
As with the strawberry rhubarb, chill the butter and mix all the other stuff for the filling. Let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes to allow the sugar to suck up some of the juices. Put it in the pie crust, cover with the top crust, and brush with the egg white and water and sprinkle with big sugar. Cut a few slits, collar with foil, bake at 425 F for 15 to 20 minutes (then remove the foil), reduce to 350 F (a little lower than the strawberry rhubarb)for 45 to 50, or until the juices are bubbling up a bit. Let it cool so the insides can set up.
In other news, the daily pies will be starting very soon! To get you all drooling in anticipation, here are the first five pies I will be baking. That will take us from June 1st to 5th. I'll start simple with a Strawberry Pie, hit up a basic Quiche, a Chocolate Silk will be delicious, and hopefully I can find some delicious cherries for a Cherry Pie. Last but not least (and in fact, not in any specific order), Chris's request: Sugar Pie, AKA Finger Pie (easiest recipe ever). Who's excited?! I am!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
First Pie - recipe and early reactions
DAYUM. That's a tasty pie. I got my recipe from the Food Network's website; here it is, for your viewing/baking pleasure.
Crust:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional flour as needed, up to 1/4 cup
* 1/2 cup cake flour
* 3 teaspoons sifted powdered sugar
* Pinch salt
* 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) butter-flavored shortening
* 1/4 cup (4 tbsp, 1/2 stick) salted butter
* 1 egg
* 2 teaspoons vinegar
* 1/4 cup ice cold water
I adapted this recipe to the pie crust method I got from Alton Brown in the Good Eats episode "I Pie." Cube the shortening and butter and stick them in the freezer for ten minutes or so (if you're planning ahead, cube the 3 tablespoons of butter for the filling and throw it in the fridge). Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor; pulse a few times to get them mixed together. Add the cubed, chilled butter and pulse a few times more. Then add the shortening; pulse. Whisk together the wet stuff, add half, pulse, add the rest, pulse. The dough will have started to clump together quite well. Dump it all into a ziploc bag and squish it all together to make a ball of dough. Dust it with some flour and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so. Go chop your rhubarb and strawberries. When you come back, split the dough into two balls, and roll one out. Put it in the pie plate and chill it, freezer this time. Throw the other ball in the fridge for now. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Filling:
* 2 1/2 cups chopped red rhubarb, fresh
* 2 1/2 cups de-stemmed, washed and cut strawberries
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 tablespoons minute tapioca
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 tablespoons butter, cubed small
* 1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water
* Large granule sugar
So you've chopped your goodies, now mix together that next block of ingredients; sugar, tapioca, lemons, cinnamon, and vanilla. Toss it together with the fruit and let stand for 15 minutes or so, which will yield lots of juice to the sugar. Meanwhile, roll out the second ball of dough; it'll be the top. If you haven't already, cube the butter. Put the filling in the bottom of the pie, dot with the cubed butter, cover with top crust. Crimp together the edges and cut a few slits for steam to escape. Brush the egg white over the crust, sprinkle sugar on top.
Oven time! Collar with foil and bake. After fifteen minutes, reduce heat to 375 F and remove the foil. Bake 45 to 50 minutes more, until the insides bubble and the top begins to brown. Let cool before serving.
A few notes: I used regular shortening, because I have a bunch of it in the fridge. I skipped the lemon zest, because my lemons ran away (I made a curry for dinner, but after zesting them for the curry, I misplaced the lemons. Oops.) I forgot the butter under the crust. I didn't have any big, grainy sugar which would have been perfect for topping the pie, so I used regular sugar instead. Last but not least, I rolled the dough a bit too thick. It's sort of tough to get a fork or spoon through without squishing the filling out, but whoa is it delicious.
That's a yummy pie right there. Special thanks go to my lovely assistants Ben and Chris, who also provided some of the ingredients! Chris brought me the rhubarb, and the eggs used were from Ben's chickens. Their reactions have been positive - overall, delicious. I'll bring a few slices to work with me later today and see what the good folks at Ian's Pizza (shameless plug here) think of the pie.
Crust:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional flour as needed, up to 1/4 cup
* 1/2 cup cake flour
* 3 teaspoons sifted powdered sugar
* Pinch salt
* 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) butter-flavored shortening
* 1/4 cup (4 tbsp, 1/2 stick) salted butter
* 1 egg
* 2 teaspoons vinegar
* 1/4 cup ice cold water
I adapted this recipe to the pie crust method I got from Alton Brown in the Good Eats episode "I Pie." Cube the shortening and butter and stick them in the freezer for ten minutes or so (if you're planning ahead, cube the 3 tablespoons of butter for the filling and throw it in the fridge). Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor; pulse a few times to get them mixed together. Add the cubed, chilled butter and pulse a few times more. Then add the shortening; pulse. Whisk together the wet stuff, add half, pulse, add the rest, pulse. The dough will have started to clump together quite well. Dump it all into a ziploc bag and squish it all together to make a ball of dough. Dust it with some flour and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so. Go chop your rhubarb and strawberries. When you come back, split the dough into two balls, and roll one out. Put it in the pie plate and chill it, freezer this time. Throw the other ball in the fridge for now. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Filling:
* 2 1/2 cups chopped red rhubarb, fresh
* 2 1/2 cups de-stemmed, washed and cut strawberries
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 tablespoons minute tapioca
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
* 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 tablespoons butter, cubed small
* 1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water
* Large granule sugar
So you've chopped your goodies, now mix together that next block of ingredients; sugar, tapioca, lemons, cinnamon, and vanilla. Toss it together with the fruit and let stand for 15 minutes or so, which will yield lots of juice to the sugar. Meanwhile, roll out the second ball of dough; it'll be the top. If you haven't already, cube the butter. Put the filling in the bottom of the pie, dot with the cubed butter, cover with top crust. Crimp together the edges and cut a few slits for steam to escape. Brush the egg white over the crust, sprinkle sugar on top.
Oven time! Collar with foil and bake. After fifteen minutes, reduce heat to 375 F and remove the foil. Bake 45 to 50 minutes more, until the insides bubble and the top begins to brown. Let cool before serving.
A few notes: I used regular shortening, because I have a bunch of it in the fridge. I skipped the lemon zest, because my lemons ran away (I made a curry for dinner, but after zesting them for the curry, I misplaced the lemons. Oops.) I forgot the butter under the crust. I didn't have any big, grainy sugar which would have been perfect for topping the pie, so I used regular sugar instead. Last but not least, I rolled the dough a bit too thick. It's sort of tough to get a fork or spoon through without squishing the filling out, but whoa is it delicious.
That's a yummy pie right there. Special thanks go to my lovely assistants Ben and Chris, who also provided some of the ingredients! Chris brought me the rhubarb, and the eggs used were from Ben's chickens. Their reactions have been positive - overall, delicious. I'll bring a few slices to work with me later today and see what the good folks at Ian's Pizza (shameless plug here) think of the pie.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The first Pie!
The semester is nearly over, and I've got some fresh rhubarb, thanks to my roommates Jack and Chris. You know what that means? PIE TIME!
Consider this a warm-up. I'm not going to start the daily pie routine until after Memorial Day. A little time off will be nice. But today, strawberry rhubarb pie, and it'll be delicious!
Consider this a warm-up. I'm not going to start the daily pie routine until after Memorial Day. A little time off will be nice. But today, strawberry rhubarb pie, and it'll be delicious!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Pie schedule - your input wanted!
It's up to you, folks! What kind of pie do you like? What kind of pie have you never tried? What kind of pie sounds revolting?
Okay, so I won't make revolting pies, but everything else is fair game. I need no less than 90 pies.
Go!
Okay, so I won't make revolting pies, but everything else is fair game. I need no less than 90 pies.
Go!
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Piebrary: a concept
Here's the plan: I will bake a pie each day this summer.
Why? I like pie. Simple as that.
Along with this, I will post here the recipe I use each day, my reactions from the previous day's pie, and anything else I might decide to ramble about.
To finance this grand Pie operation, I think I will figure out a way to sell the pies I bake. So, right away, I look to my readership! (do I have one? I haven't even posted yet...) Does anyone out there have suggestions as to a successful way to sell pie, so I can bake pie?
I could also use some nifty layout tips - I'm new to blogging. Hopefully the world at large can give me some cool ideas.
Why? I like pie. Simple as that.
Along with this, I will post here the recipe I use each day, my reactions from the previous day's pie, and anything else I might decide to ramble about.
To finance this grand Pie operation, I think I will figure out a way to sell the pies I bake. So, right away, I look to my readership! (do I have one? I haven't even posted yet...) Does anyone out there have suggestions as to a successful way to sell pie, so I can bake pie?
I could also use some nifty layout tips - I'm new to blogging. Hopefully the world at large can give me some cool ideas.
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