Category: pies

summer berry pie, #38 of 52 pies

Published on by alisahuntsman2 Comments

in what is quickly becoming a never ending game of catch-up, i am trying to get all of the pies posted…wish me luck, please!!!

on that note, i also found myself trying to keep the pie simple.  that is not hard to do when berries are in season.  a quick trip to the store and i had plenty of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries to make a pie that was as delicious as it was easy to prepare.  by not stressing over the crust and just folding it in towards the center, the result was similar to a rustic galette but with a lot more fruit.  one more note, if you find yourself with frozen berries (whether you picked them or bought them), go ahead and use them in this recipe.  measure the fruit while it is still frozen and then let it thaw before using it-frozen fruit will drastically increase the necessary baking time and can mean a burned crust.

summer berry pie
1 (9″) pie serving 8
pie dough for a single (9″) pie shell
2 cups blueberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons rosewater
crystal sugar
preheat the oven to 350.  roll out the pie crust so that is it about 1-1/2 to 2 inches larger than needed to line the pie plate.  place the crust into the plate and allow the excess to hang over the edge.  combine the berries in a bowl.  in a separate bowl, rub the sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest together with your fingers and completely combine them.  toss the berries with the sugar mixture taking care not to mash them and then scrape the filling into the pie shell.  gently lift the excess dough up and drape it on top of the fruit pleating it as needed to make it fit.  sprinkle crystal sugar over the pie crust and bake until it is bubbly in the center, about an hour and 15 minutes.
as most berry pies are, this will be runny while it is hot.  be sure to let it cool to room temp before trying to cut it.  and as always, bake one and send me a photo i will post it here.  bakinbabe116@aol.com

tomato pie with caramelized onions and fontina cheese, #37 of 52 pies

Published on by alisahuntsman2 Comments

for gardeners, tomatoes are the holy grail.  every gardener you meet will have a favorite; hybrid or heirloom, red or yellow, sweet or classic flavored.  the choices are abundant.  in our garden, there are mostly heirlooms and they range in color from striped reds, purple and yellow.  there are cherries and slicers of all sizes.  at least that is what the tags promised.  what the tags do not tell you is that if your summer is extremely hot and dry, you won’t be picking much and what is there, the squirrels will get before it ripens…and if you are as lucky as we are, you will also get a dose of fusarium wilt in the bed to really make it difficult.

getting off to a late start hasn’t helped much either.  we had a cool and wet spring that caused us to put the plants in the bed later than we wanted but it also looks as if a couple of those hybrids we planted might make it and produce a few fruits for us.  meanwhile, my tomato sandwich obsessed husband has had to satisfy his yen for white bread slathered with thick slabs of tomato and mayonnaise by purchasing tomatoes at the farmers market and i have had to cancel my plans to stand in the garden and stuff my face with cherry tomatoes  still warm from the morning sun…

decent tomatoes can be had if you are willing to pay for them and pay you will!  i found some kentucky heirloom tomatoes at my local supermarket for $4.99 per pound and while pricey, they had nice flavor and made it possible to bake this pie.  this recipe isn’t totally original but i did make some changes to it to punch up the flavor.


a red and yellow striped heirloom tomato from the supermarket.  it not only looked like it was home grown, it tasted like it too.  a little sweet and not very acidic, these are one of the varieties that will have you cutting it into wedges and eating it as if it were a peach.

 taking the time to caramelize the onions will add lots of flavor and so will the use of fresh herbs.  we have a lot of basil, oregano and sage in the garden and they made a flavorful addition to the pie.

tomato pie with caramelized onions
and fontina cheese
adapted from simplyrecipes.com
serves 6-8
1 (9″) pie shell-home made or purchased and partially baked
2-3 large or 3-4 medium sized ripe tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons bacon fat (or olive oil)
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/3 cup fresh herbs-measure them first then chop them
salt & fresh cracked pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
preheat the oven to 300 and prebake the pie shell using the instructions to pie #29 but do not bake it completely since it will be returning to the oven(partially baking the pie shell-it should just barely have color and the bottom crust will no longer appear shiny when you lift out the weights).  turn the oven up to 350.  cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out as much of the juice and seeds as you can.  dice them into bite size pieces, place them in a strainer which is set over a bowl and place a weight on the tomatoes-you want to remove the juice without pureeing the tomatoes so do not use a heavy weight, just one that causes enough pressure to remove the juice.  while the tomatoes drain, heat the bacon fat in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions.  as they begin to color, stir them to allow even caramelizing.  add the garlic and the herbs once the onions have caramelized and saute them for a minute or two.  remove the onion mixture from the heat and place it in a mixing bowl.  measure out 3 cups of tomatoes and add them to the onions.  toss them to combine them, season with the salt and pepper and then scrape the filling into the partially baked pie shell.  in a clean bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the cheeses to form a thick topping.  carefully spread the topping over the surface of the filling.  bake until golden brown on top, about 45-50 minutes.
and as always, if you bake one, photograph it and send it to me, i will post it here!  bakinbabe116@aol.com.  

lavender-vanilla panna cotta tart, pie # 35 of 52

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my life has been such a blur lately.  days pass by in what feels like minutes.  we watched both of our daughters cross the stage this summer, one from high school and the other from college.  we hosted celebrations with family members.  the carport never looked so festive.  there was a trash can turkey at one party and a barbecue at the other.  the girls beat a pinata to death and we all ate way too much!  somewhere in there, i went off to new york city and phili for media training and suddenly, my book has landed in nashville.  so, knowing very well that i am going to only get busier, i am even more determined to finish this 52 week challenge.  to prove the point, the 4 pies that needed to be made, are all done and have been for some time, all i need to do is get them posted here.  damn, blinked and lost another hour…

panna cotta has never been something that i just had to try.  but in an effort to keep this challenge interesting and varied, i decided to try it in a tart.  then i needed to make it different from every recipe i saw out there-that was the challenge.  a walk through my garden fixed that-with a hand full of lavender blooms and a fig tree full of ripe fruit, i had my inspiration; infuse the panna cotta with lavender and vanilla bean and serve it with fresh figs…

i decided to use buttermilk in the filling as well.  since it isn’t a good idea to heat buttermilk for long periods of time, i infused some heavy cream with lavender blossoms and vanilla beans.

 to make the crust, i toasted some almonds and chopped them finely and added them to a buttery crust dough.

 my absolute favorite trick for prebaking crusts-use large coffee filters.  if you can get them from a coffee shop or restaurant, you will not have to buy a huge quantity of them.  however, you can used several smaller ones to do the same job.  the filters are so strong that you can actually lift them out with your weights in them and not have to worry about it tearing.  but if you use marbles like i do, spoon them out just to be safe.

lavender-vanilla panna cotta tart
1 (6″) tart serving 4-6
tart dough
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
2 tablespoons almonds, sliced or slivered
2 tablespoons water
preheat the oven to 350.  toast the almonds until lightly golden, about 5 minutes, cool them completely before proceeding with the recipe.  place all the ingredients except the water into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine and cut in the butter.  when it resembles a coarse meal with bits of almonds in it, add the water and pulse it until it comes together.  press the dough into a greased 6″ cake pan so that it is 3/4 of the way up the sides.  make sure the dough is distributed evenly around the pan.  line with a coffee filter, add pie weights and bake it until it is completely baked and lightly golden, about 30 minutes.  cool completely before making the filling.
panna cotta filling
1/4 of a vanilla bean
1 tablespoon lavender blooms-dried
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoon gelatin
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
fresh fruit for garnish
place the vanilla bean, lavender and cream in a very small sauce pan and heat until it almost simmers.  remove from heat and allow to steep for at least 5 minutes (can also be done in the microwave but be careful since it is quick to boil).  soften the gelatin in the water while the cream steeps.  strain the cream into a bowl and add the gelatin, stir to melt it-if needed, gently heat the mixture in the microwave to melt it.  with a whisk, gently whisk in the buttermilk and the sugar and then pour the filling into the prepared crust.  refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.  serve with your favorite fresh fruit, berries work best with the flavors in this recipe but you can also use figs or peaches.  if a sauce is desired, sweeten an extra cup of fruit and puree in a blender for a quick coulis.

sugar pie, honey bunch; #34 of 52

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in my quest for pies, i came across a recipe for hoosier pie, also called sugar pie.  it’s easy to see why it would be called sugar pie; sugar is one of only 4 ingredients in the filling.  i guess the hoosier part is some state’s way of saying, hey that’s our state pie!  well, what ever…it’s about 147 degrees outside with a humidity level near swamp stages and the simpler this weeks pie is, the better it is for all of us.  so grab the best of motown cd and crank up the four tops, it’s time to make some sugar pies!

prebaked mini pie shells mean a quick baking time for the pies.  the  quicker it is, the less it heats the house up…

 hard to believe but 4 ingredients is all it needed:  heavy cream, brown sugar, flour and vanilla.  the topping is optional but i think it added a little something something to it.

mini sugar pies
makes 8 mini pies
pies
1 package frozen mini pie shells (need 8 shells)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla-use good quality since you will taste it
crumb topping, recipe follows
place the  pie shells on a sturdy baking tray and prebake them according to the directions on the package but lower the temperature to 325 to reduce the amount of browning.  turn the oven temperature up to 350.  in a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and the flour by whisking them until blended.  whisk in the cream and vanilla.  divide the filling evenly between the pie shells, sprinkle them with the topping and bake until almost completely set in the center, about 18-20 minutes.  can be served warm or chilled.
cinnamon pecan topping
makes 1/2 cup
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped pecan pieces
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
combine the ingredients by rubbing them together with your fingers or a whisk.
so, i’m off to see the wizard-he’s currently residing just outside manhattan.  i will be back but in the meantime, check this out-my book!!!  and as always, if you bake them, they will eat them…but do send a photo, i will post it here.  bakinbabe116@aol.com

kiss my grits; a pie fit for a southern belle, #33 of 52

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after making more than 30 pies so far in this challenge, i decided to try something that i could also serve in the cafe.  for the last 7 years, i have made many pies and every now and then, i need something new for the showcase.  but what?  what flavor could i use?  would it be fruit or would it be custard?  i decided to look around me and see what the common ingredients were and go from there.  well, that’s when i saw the big bag of grits and it was enough to make me go, hmmm.  a quick google search revealed to me that  paula deen had beat me to the punch!  so i tried out her recipe but i had to make a change-i didn’t have any quick cooking grits at home.

on the left are the old fashioned yellow corn grits that are lurking in the cupboard in my kitchen and on the  right are some quick cooking white grits that are now keeping those yellow grits company.  the main differences arethe size; the yellow grits are more coarse which means longer cooking times and of course the white grits have been parcooked hence the name quick cooking grits.

i decided to cook them in milk, which according to my grits research is a traditional italian method for  cooking them.

and they cooked and cooked.   is it any wonder i went out to the store for quick cooking grits…

the first pie was not up to my expectations and this is the second pie.  i changed several ingredients in the recipe, omitted the flour and my pie came out nice and creamy and if you didn’t know it was grits, you might think it was coconut (but not flavorwise).

the biggest changes i made were to increase the amount of grits in the pie and to cook them in milk.  for the vanilla, i used a portion of a bean and added a pinch of fresh lemon zest.

sweet grits pie
1 (9″) pie serving 8-10
1 partially baked (9″) pie crust (i cheated and bought one) for instructions on partially baking a pie shell, follow the directions from pie #29 but do not bake it completely since it will be going back into the oven.
6 tablespoons quick cooking grits
1 1/3 cup milk
small piece of a vanilla bean, split 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
preheat the oven to 325.  place the grits into a pot with the milk and vanilla bean and over medium low heat, slowly boil the grits until they are soft and the mixture looks a bit like a porridge.  pour the grits into a heat proof bowl and whisk in the butter and sugar.  whisk in the eggs, half and half and lemon zest and pour it into the partially baked pie shell.  place the pie on a sturdy baking sheet to make it easier to handle and bake until set, about 50 minutes.  can be served warm with whipped cream or cold-either way is extra tasty!
this weeks round-up
looky here, a brownie pie!!!  this comes to us from nick of the kitchen, sophomoric and all i can say is well done!  you make a baker proud!!!  and to all of you out there, if you bake one, and email me a photo, i will post it,  just look above for proof!  may the force be with you…bakinbabe116@aol.com

all american brownie pie, #31 of 52

Published on by alisahuntsman2 Comments

so, it was the afternoon on july 4th.  we had already come back from the hot chicken fest-and were totally fried, literally(read the previous post) and i realized that i hadn’t baked my pie for our barbecue party.  my ideas of a fruit pie were shelved for something much simpler-a crustless brownie pie.  i know, that’s a bit lame to call it a pie but in my own defense, i was sun-fried and overheated not to mention short of time.  brownie pie it is…

some brownies recipes call for whipping the eggs and sugar, and this recipe is one that instructs you to whip them to a ribbon.  but just what is a ribbon?  it is easily defined as a slowly dissolving mound of batter as it falls from the beater.  if you look at the photo to the left, you can see that the batter is slowly mounding and that the mound is slowly smoothing out.  ok, some imagination is needed but keep in mind that i held the beater with my left hand and worked the camera (somewhat clumsily) with my right hand and in that time frame, the mound built and dissolved.

baking a brownie in a glass or pottery pie dish makes it easy to serve as a dessert-just cut into wedges and serve with ice cream, caramel, whipped cream or any other garnish that you like.  this quick recipe mixes up in less than 15 minutes and can be baked and ready to serve in an hour and a half.

quick and easy brownie pie
1 (9″) pie serving 8-10
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup self rising flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder-natural not dutched
heat the  oven to 350.  grease a deep 9″ pie dish and set aside.  in a mixing bowl on medium speed, whip the eggs with the sugar and vanilla until it forms a thick ribbon (see photo above).  while the eggs whip, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave on the lowest setting.  fold the butter and chocolate into the egg mixture.  sift the cocoa and flour over the batter and carefully fold it until it is mixed and no streaks remain in the batter.  pour into the pie dish and bake until slightly fudgy when tested with a pick-about 40 minutes.  allow it to cool about an hour before cutting.  serve it with ice cream, whipped cream, hot fudge, caramel…the list goes on and on
and if you dare to bake one, snap a photo and send it to me, i will post it here!
bakinbabe116@aol.com

peach-basil custard pie, #30 of 52

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summer brings some of my favorite flavors; ripe, juicy peaches and basil.  my little peach tree is years away from providing an abundance of fruit so i must content myself with what i can find at the farmers market and the grocery store(my last resort).  however, i have plenty of basil in the herb garden to keep me stocked for the rest of the year!  we let it grow until the frost takes it and if we are paying attention, we pick as much as possible before it is killed off, puree it and freeze it in ice trays.  during the summer, basil ends up in lots of things; salads, vinaigrette, sauces and desserts.  wait, desserts?  yes desserts.  it blends beautifully with peaches!

for this weeks pie, i infused some milk with lemon grass, basil, star anise and cardamom pods.  it was then strained and used to make a custard with a lovely herbal flavor to fill the baked pie shell and topped with ripe, juicy slices of peaches.

anyone that has looked in a seed catalog or visited a nursery has seen the many different varieties of basil out there.  i plant as many as i can in my herb garden.  one of my favorites, pictured above, is from a friend.  jim, a fellow gardener, shared a plant with me two years ago and it has been reseeding itself in abundance.  this year, i returned the favor and gave away at least 25 of the plants but i still have at least that many left in the garden!  it is the most unusual basil i have ever encountered; it doesn’t have the strong licorice flavor that most basils have, including the flavored varieties.  they only thing i can say about the flavor is that the scent of it makes me think of juicy fruit gum and as soon as i mention that out loud, everyone agrees.  another characteristic of this plant, it is a little hairy in comparison to other basils. so if you know what variety it is, let me know-and if it isn’t a basil, tell me that too.  we have compared the flowers as well as the stems and leaves to all of the other basils and they are almost identical except for the hairiness and the scent.

peach-basil custard pie
1 (9″) pie that serves 8
1 (9″) fully baked pie shell, purchased or home made
basil custard, recipe follows
4-6 ripe, freestone peaches
1/4 cup peach jelly, jam or preserves (for glazing the tart)
for the pie shell,  use the recipe from pie #18 or pie #29 but follow the instructions for prebaking, regardless of which it is, by following the recipe for pie #29.  while the pie shell bakes, prepare the custard according to the recipe and chill it completely.  scrape the chilled custard into the cooled pie shell and top it with slices of peaches.  i made a circular design starting at the outer edge and working my way to the center.  place the jelly in a microwave safe bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of water.  heat on the low or defrost setting until the jelly boils.  stir it to smooth it out and using a brush, coat the peaches to seal them and prevent them from changing color.  
basil custard
2 1/4 cups milk
several lemon grass leaves, tied in a bundle
2-3 large sprigs of basil
3 green cardamom pods
1 star anise pod
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
place the milk into a sauce pot with the lemon grass, basil, cardamom and star anise.  bring to a low boil and turn off the heat.  allow it to steep for at least 30 minutes.  strain the milk back into the sauce pot.  place the cornstarch in a heat proof bowl and dissolve it with some of the milk.  add the sugar to the sauce pot and over medium heat, bring it to a boil.  whisk the eggs into the cornstarch mixture.  using the directions for pastry cream in pie #29, temper the eggs and cook the custard until thickened.  strain the custard into a heat proof dish and press plastic to the surface.  chill until completely cold.
and as always, make one and send me a photo-i will post it here!  bakinbabe116@aol.com
may the power of basil be with you…

celebrate the solstice with a summer berry tart; #29 of 52 pies

Published on by alisahuntsman1 Comment

the first day of summer, or summer solstice as some call it, usually means hot weather and in that respect, we have had plenty.  since it is so hot, i decided to make a fruit tart rather than heat the house up by using the oven to bake a pie.  right now, markets are brimming with fresh berries of all types.  for some reason, summer holidays mean truckloads of berries at almost affordable prices.  why is that?  in the summers of my childhood, picnics in honor of summer holidays always meant popsicles and watermelon slices-berries were for special occasions.  on my last trek through the grocery store, i stocked up on strawberries and raspberries and luckily, enough survived to decorate the tart!

first step is to make a classic pastry cream.  while it cools down in the fridge, you can make the tart shell.  milk is heated with a vanilla bean and some sugar until it just begins to boil.

 cornstarch is mixed with some milk to dissolve it and then the eggs  are whisked in.  classically referred to as a liason, this combination will thicken the custard filling.

while the milk heats/steeps, set a heat proof bowl, a mesh strainer and a spatula nearby to strain the custard.

 once the milk reaches a slow boil, whisk a portion of the hot milk into the liason and then return the remaining milk in the pot to the heat.  while whisking the boiling milk, the liason is carefully added. and whisked continually until it boils and thickens.

whisk the custard filling continually until it boils and thickens.  be sure to let it boil for a full minute to cook out the starch.

 once finished, pour the custard into the strainer and use the spatula to force it through the mesh into the bowl.

 the reason for the strainer, all the little rubbery bits and the vanilla bean need to be removed or you will not have a creamy filling for your tart.

 the simplest dough in the world!!!  flour, powdered sugar and butter are pulsed in a food processor until they resemble a coarse meal.  an egg yolk is added and the dough is pulsed until it comes together.

this buttery dough is so easy to work with that you can immediately press it into your tart pan-no chilling is necessary.

 make sure it is evenly spread out-thin spots could cause the shell to crumble later on.

 my favorite baking trick-line the shell with a large coffee filter (bribe a barista for some if you can or just use several home sized ones) and use beans or marbles as weights to prebake the crust.  why a coffee filter?  simple, they are designed to hold lots of weight-think about wet coffee grounds in a filter, they do not rip easily.  parchment paper crumbles when it is baked, foil can cause breakage when removed from the tart and waxed paper is waxed and who wants that in the tart?

 a perfect tart shell ready to be filled and decorated.

 my next big secret;  melt 2-3 ounces of white chocolate (or dark if you prefer) and carefully coat the bottom and the sides of the tart shell with it.  this will help prevent the crust from becoming soggy.  allow it to set by freezing it for 5-10 minutes then fill with the custard and decorate with the fruit.

 slice the strawberries and arrange them around the edge of the tart.  save the small end pieces that you cannot use and place them in the center of the tart before adding the raspberries.  it’s a shame to waste the end pieces and no one will know they are there!  if you must, you can seal the tart using a prepared tart glaze.  in the summer months, supermarkets by me sell small tubs of fruit glaze in the produce section but stick to the peach one and dilute it-the strawberry one has too much added color.  personally, i like mine naked!

solstice berry tart
1 (9″) tart serving 6-8
there are lots of hints above, be sure to read them!
custard filling
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 vanilla bean, split
place the cornstarch in a heat proof bowl and whisk in a small amount of milk to make a smooth paste.  whisk in the eggs and set aside.  place the remaining milk in a sauce pot with the sugar.  scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add both the pod and the seeds to the milk.  over medium heat, bring to a slow boil.  temper the egg mixture with about half of the hot milk.  return the remaining milk to the stove and return to the boil.  while whisking the milk, add the hot egg mixture and while whisking, bring to a boil.  allow the custard to boil for a full minute then pour through a mesh strainer into a clean heat proof bowl.  press plastic wrap to the surface and chill completely.
easy tart shell
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 egg yolk
preheat the oven to 350.  place the flour and sugar into the bowl of a food processor.  sprinkle the butter cubes over the top and pulse to cut the butter in.  continue pulsing until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.  add the egg yolk and pulse until a smooth dough is formed.  press the dough evenly into a tart pan, place it on a baking sheet (catches any oily drips that may leak from the pan) and line with a coffee filter and weights.  bake until done, about 25-30 minutes.  remove from the oven and carefully lift out the weights and paper.  cool completely before assembling.
assembly
2-3 ounces chocolate (white or dark), melted
2 pints of strawberries
1 half pint raspberries
carefully remove the tart shell from the pan and place on a flat serving tray.  brush the inside of the tart with the melted chocolate and place in the freezer to set.  spread the custard filling evenly in the tart shell and arrange the fruit over the top of the custard as directed in the photos above.
happy solstice, y’all!  make one and send me a photo, i will post it here, bakinbabe116@aol.com

black and blue rhubarb pie, #28 of 52 pies

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there is something special about a freshly baked berry pie.  a little sweet-a little tart and a deep rosy hue that draws the eyes, makes the mouth water and has the hands reaching for a knife and plate.  trying to develop an original recipe is a challenge on it’s own but when you limit the categories to one and complete the task weekly…well, let’s just say this isn’t always as easy as it should be.  add a family that isn’t always receptive to the chosen flavors and you can end up repeating the theme easily.  those of you who have followed this endeavor will no doubt find yourselves saying “hmm, she already used that ingredient” and you would be right!  my husband loves fruit pies as long as they aren’t peach (go figure) and when i was pondering the choice of fruits, he wanted rhubarb.  since he will likely eat most of it, i decided to indulge him and make a rhubarb pie but rather than pair it with strawberries (as well as raspberries which i did for #18), i chose to go with blueberries and blackberries since they are both coming into season in the garden.

since not everyone has a freshly picked supply of blueberries and blackberries, buy them fresh or frozen.  you will need a total of 3 cups of berries which is a pound.  using frozen berries will make it possible to serve this pie even when the berries are not in season.

i am hoping to get some rhubarb crowns into the garden so i can harvest my own stalks.  believe it or not, my local supermarket has bags of sliced rhubarb available with the frozen fruits which means we can have a rhubarb pie anytime!  using purchased pie dough will save some time but for those of you not willing to compromise, make enough dough for a double crust pie using your favorite recipe or this one from pie #18

black and blue rhubarb pie
 1 (9″) lattice topped pie serving 8-10

dough for a double crust, 9″ pie
1 to 1 1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
zest of 1 orange or 3 mandarins (i chose mandarins!)
1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice (or cinnamon if you do not have any)

1 pound berries, about 3 full cups of blackberries and blueberries
1 pound of rhubarb slices, about 3 full cups

preheat the oven to 350.  grease a sturdy baking sheet, line it with parchment or foil and grease that as well.  line the greased pie plate with the bottom crust.  a whole lot of greasing going on?  this makes a sticky pie if the juices spill over during the baking and it will not be easy to remove from the baking sheet without the grease!  trim the excess dough so that only about 3/4″ of dough hangs over the edge.  roll the excess dough under and flute the edges.  place the prepared pie crust on the baking sheet.

in a large bowl, rub the sugar, cornstarch, zest and spice together.  add the fruit and toss together.  scrape the filling into the pie crust and top it all off with lattice strips.  sprinkle some coarse sugar crystals over the strips and bake until it boils in the center, about 1 hour 15 minutes.   let it cool completely, about 4-6 hours, before cutting or you will have a never ending pie; no matter how many slices you cut, the filling runs out and fills the plate again!

so go forth in the world and bake a pie.  send me a photo and i will post it here!  bakinbabe116@aol.com

peanut butter-banana cream pie; #27 of 52 pies

Published on by alisahuntsman1 Comment

has anybody noticed just how hot it is around here?  10+ days above 90, well above 90 on many of those days.  the thought of turning on the oven to bake a pie seemed ridiculous.  when the husband suggested i make a banana cream pie for this week’s challenge, i balked at first;  i’ve done banana already, remember the banana creme brulee tart? i asked him.  well, as the day heated up and i began to wilt, i experienced a flash of brilliance.  okay, i was hungry and since peanut butter wasn’t on the list of choices, i wanted it even more.  peanut butter and bananas in a sandwich on wheat bread…i had a salad instead and put the objects of my desire into a pie, substituting a chocolate cookie crumb crust for the bread, and then i topped it with whipped cream and called it dessert.

peanut butter-banana cream pie
1 (9″) pie serving 8-10
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (homogenized is best)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (9″) chocolate cookie crumb crust-purchased or using the recipe that follows.
3-4 ripe bananas
place the cornstarch in a heat proof bowl, and add several tablespoons of milk and whisk to combine a smooth slurry.  whisk in the eggs and set aside.  place the remaining milk in a saucepot with the brown sugar and over medium-low heat, bring to a gentle boil.  carefully pour some of the boiling milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking it carefully.  when about 1/2 of the milk is in, place the pot of milk back on the stove and return to a gentle boil again.  now begin whisking the milk in the pot and while whisking constantly, pour the in heated egg yolk mixture in a steady stream.  it is important to whisk this constantly while you bring the mixture to a boil.  it also must come to a complete boil to cook the cornstarch and thicken the cream.  when finished, pour the cream into a wide and shallow heat proof bowl, press plastic wrap to the surface and refrigerate until no longer warm. 
make the cookie crust while the cream cools.  when the cream is ready, slice up about 1 1/2 bananas and cover the bottom of the pie shell completely with them.  carefully spread half of the cream over the bananas.  using the remaining bananas, cover the cream with slices and once again, top it off with the remaining cream.   cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours to fully set the filling and make it firm enough to serve.
to make the topping, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until almost stiff peaks are formed.  spread evenly over the top of the pie and smooth it out with a decorating spatula (called a palatte knife).
chocolate cookie crust
11/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cups chopped peanuts
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter-unsalted
combine the ingredients and press into a pie dish.  no baking is necessary but if you want a really crispy crust, bake it at 350 for 10 minutes.  allow it to cool completely before using.

so, you think you can bake do you?  prove it!  make one and send me a photo.  i dare you to, double dog dare you to…do it and i will post the photo here!!!  bakinbabe116@aol.com