Sweet Potato Pie
2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons margarine or butter
dash of salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• Boil the sweet potatoes in water to cover until tender.
• Drain and mash.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• While the potatoes are still hot, add the egg substitute, vanilla, sugar, margarine, salt, milk, and nutmeg and mix well.
• Pour into the pie shell. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: Serves 6
Summer Fruit No Bake Pie
• Use berries and fruits in season.
• Some of the fruit is first mashed and cooked into a thickened sauce and then the remaining fresh fruit is stirred in and the entire mixture turned out into a completely baked pastry shell and chilled.
Use a 9-inch pie plate
Filling:
4 cups any combination of fresh berries, picked over, washed, hulled, if necessary, and drained until dry, and/or cut-up peeled fresh fruit, divided (1 1/2 cups and 2 1/2 cups), Note: try blueberries and peaches, or raspberries and nectarines, or blueberries and strawberries, or plums and peaches with huckleberries; do not peel plums, nectarines or pears
2/3 to 1 cup granulated sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or more as needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Prepare the pastry, roll it out, and line the pie plate.
• Prick the pastry bottom with a fork and chill until firm.
Preheat the oven to 425degrees F.
• Bake the shell.
• In a food processor or using a fork, mash 1 1/2 cups of the cut-up mixed fruit or berries. Measure the sugar, cornstarch, and water into a saucepan and whisk until smooth.
• Stir in the mashed fruit and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and clear.
• Stir in the lemon juice.
• Taste the cooked sauce and correct the balance of sugar and lemon if necessary.
• Stir in the butter and all the remaining cut-up fresh fruit and berries.
• Firm fruits like apples or plums are best slightly mashed into the cooked sauce, while softer fresh fruits and berries should simply be stirred in.
• Chill until partially thickened, then spoon into the cooked pastry shell and chill for at least 3 hours to set.
• Serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Note — Advance preparation:
• The pastry can be baked a day in advance.
• The filling should be made early in the day, and the pie filled and set to chill at least 3 hours before serving.
Strawberry Pie with Glaze
1 Basic Flaky Pie Crust for a 9-inch pie
1 tablespoon egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup liquid cranberry/raspberry concentrate, thawed, undiluted
3/4 cup water
4 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled, dried, and halved
Dough:
Pastry for a 9-inch pie shell or a 9 1/2- or 10- by 1-inch tart shell
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 1/3 cups + 4 tablespoon pastry flour or 1 1/3 cups (dip and sweep method) bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (for savory recipes, use 1 1/2 times the salt)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Optional
1/8 teaspoon baking powder (if not using, double the salt)
Make dough:
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.
• Using a pastry cloth and sleeve rubbed with flour or two sheets of plastic wrap lightly sprinkled with flour, roll the dough 1/8 inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 13-inch circle.
• Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle.
• Transfer the dough to the pie pan.
• Fold under the excess and crimp the border using a fork or your fingers.
• Cover it loosely and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Line the pastry shell with parchment, pleating it as necessary so it fits into the pan, and fill it with rice or dried beans.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Carefully lift out the rice or beans with the parchment.
• With a fork prick the bottom and sides and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until the crust is a pale golden.
• Check after 3 minutes and prick any bubbles that may have formed.
• Cool the crust on a rack for 3 minutes, so it is no longer piping hot, then brush the bottom and sides with the egg white.
Make the filling:
• In a 2-quart saucepan, mix together the sugar and cornstarch.
• Gradually stir in the cran/raspberry concentrate and water until smooth.
• Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Boil for 1 minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.
• Gently fold in the strawberries and spoon the filling into the baked pastry shell. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.
Pumpkin Pie
1 9 inch deep-dish or up to 11 inch but shallower regular pie crust
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree*
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pastry Maple leaves for decoration
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare pie crust.
• I recommend freshly baked regular pie crust, in a Pyrex pie dish, at 400 degrees F.
• Note: See recipes for pie crusts in this section.
• Heat pumpkin puree in a heavy pan; stir frequently.
• Add milk and cream to pumpkin puree, continue heating gently and stir until smooth. Keep it hot but don’t let it boil.
• In a heatproof bowl, beat eggs (and sugar or maple sugar) until smooth.
• Beat in dry spices.
• For Maple Pumpkin Pie, beat in flour, then maple syrup.
• When the pie crust is baked, beat the egg mixture while pouring the hot pumpkin mixture into it in a thin stream.
• The resulting mixture will be hot but not so hot as to cook the eggs.
• Carefully pour hot pumpkin filling into hot pie crust.
• Return to center of oven and bake.
• We fill the pie partway out of the oven, and then top it off with a cup or ladle with the pie positioned in the oven, as the slightest sticking of the oven rack is liable to cause filling to slosh all over.
• For Ginger Pumpkin Pie, carefully sprinkle the candied ginger evenly over the pie filling. It will settle gently to the bottom forming a loosely packed layer.
• The pie is done when the outside edge of the filling is firm and slightly puffed, but the center is still wiggly.
• Remove to a rack and let cool gently, so the custard can first finish cooking, and then set.
*To make Pumpkin Puree:
• First, select appropriate sugar or pie pumpkins for your puree.
• Snap the stem off the pumpkin.
• Wash away any dirt or foreign matter from the outside.
• With a large chef’s knife, cut the pumpkin into 6 or 8 wedges, depending on its size.
• The easiest way to remove the pith, seeds, and pulp is to use a filleting knife along the inside of the wedges.
• With a little practice, this will leave little or no scraping needed.
• Cut the wedges into half through the pumpkin’s “equator”, so that you will have somewhat triangular pieces) and arrange them in a large roasting pan.
• Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour at 325 degrees F, and two more hours at 300 degrees F.
• The meat should be tender all throughout, and not watery under the dry skin that forms. Remove from the oven (or turn off oven and leave the door cracked for ventilation) and let the pumpkin cool and continue to dry for a couple more hours.
• Remove the skin and any exceptionally dry or leathery parts, and puree thoroughly.
• Note that most of the dry surface of the meat is still sufficiently tender to be used, but probably not the stem corners.
• Because the pulp is so dry, it will take several minutes with the food processor, and a number of stirs and scrapes, before the pulp liquefies enough to turn over by itself and puree properly.
• Once it does this, a good minute or more of pureeing will result in a wonderfully smooth, pumpkin-y paste.
Pastry Maple Leaves or other decorations:
• After you have lined your pie dish and put it back in the fridge to rest, bring together the trimmings.
• If they are very dry and flour-coated, consider spraying them lightly with a mister.
• Collect them together in a small disk, maintaining the layering as much as you can, then smash/smear them together until they become one mass again.
• Consider letting this dough rest in the refrigerator for several minutes.
• Roll the dough out to the desired thickness.
• Use your template or cutout to cut out leaves.
• We find a paper cutout (throwaway) works fine, and use a small sharp paring knife by inserting the point at the inside corners of the leaf then cutting down along each edge, straight down without pulling through the dough to keep it from stretching.
• Then using the tip of the paring knife from the dull side, score some veins into the leaf. Chill the leaves thoroughly.
• Brush the tops leaves carefully with a whole-egg egg wash (a whole egg beaten well with a pinch of salt, or a dash of milk or cream) to give them a darker, glossy look.
• Bake on a parchment-covered sheet, to desired doneness.
Peach and Carmel Ice Cream Pie
For crust
2 1/2 cups finely ground or crushed pecan shortbread cookies (such as Pecan Sandies®; about 11 ounces)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For caramel sauce
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 quarts (or 4 pints) peach ice cream, slightly softened
1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped (about 4 ounces)
1 cup (about) pecan halves, toasted
Make crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter 9-inch-diameter spring form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
• Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter in medium bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened.
• Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan.
• Bake until crust is set and pale golden, about 15 minutes.
• Cool completely.
Caramel sauce:
• Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat to medium-high.
• Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Gradually add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously).
• Stir over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve and sauce is smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla.
• Let stand until cool but still pour able, about 1 hour.
• Drizzle 1/4 cup cooled caramel sauce over bottom of crust.
• Freeze until caramel sets, about 10 minutes.
• Spread 1 quart ice cream over caramel in crust.
• Sprinkle chopped pecans over ice cream.
• Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over ice cream.
• Freeze until caramel sets, about 10 minutes.
• Spread remaining ice cream over.
• Freeze until top of pie is firm, about 1 hour.
• Arrange pecan halves in 3 concentric circles around top of pie.
• Drizzle 1/4 cup caramel sauce over pie.
• Freeze pie until frozen solid, at least 4 hours.
• Can be prepared 5 days ahead.
• Cover tightly with foil; keep frozen.
• Cover and chill remaining caramel sauce.
• Rewarm remaining caramel sauce over low heat, stirring often.
• Cut around pan sides to loosen pie.
• Let pie soften slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Remove pan sides.
Serve pie with warm caramel sauce.
Peach-Almond Crostada
7 or 8 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 tablespoons sugar
1 refrigerated piecrust
2 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 400° degrees F.
1. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Toss the peaches, flour, almonds, vanilla, and 8 tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl.
3. Place the crust on the baking sheet.
4. Spoon the peach mixture into the center, and then fold up the sides.
5. Dot with the butter.
6. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
7. Bake 45 minutes or until golden.
Yield: Serves 6
Mincemeat Pie
Mincemeat:
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit such as pears, apricots, apples, prunes, peaches, and figs (about 3/4 pound total)
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries (about 3 ounces)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons brandy
2 recipes pastry dough 3/4 cup pecans (about 3 ounces)*
1/2 tablespoon water
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon sugar
Make mincemeat:
• In a food processor coarsely chop mixed dried fruit and dates with spices, salt, and sugar.
• In a heavy saucepan combine dried-fruit mixture, cranberries, and 2 cups water and cook at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, or until fruit is tender (mixture will be very thick).
• In a small bowl stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until combined well.
• Stir cornstarch mixture into dried-fruit mixture and simmer, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in brandy and cool mincemeat.
• Mincemeat may be used immediately but will improve in flavor if kept, covered and chilled, at least 1 day and up to 1 week.
• Bring mincemeat to room temperature before proceeding.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Keeping remaining dough chilled, on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out half of dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick).
• Fit round into a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate and trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.
• Chill shell, covered, 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Coarsely chop pecans and in a shallow baking pan toast in middle of oven until a shade darker, about 4 minutes.
• Stir pecans into mincemeat and spoon into shell, smoothing top.
• Roll out remaining dough 1/8 inch thick and arrange over filling.
• Trim dough, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang, and fold overhang under edge of bottom shell, pressing to seal.
• Crimp edge decoratively. In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 tablespoon water and yolk and lightly brush crust with egg wash.
• Sprinkle crust with sugar and with a knife cut several steam vents.
• Bake pie in middle of oven until crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes, and transfer to a rack to cool.
• Pie may be made 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.
• Serve pie warm or at room temperature.
Yield: Serves 8
*Pastry Dough
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes.
To blend by hand:
• In a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
• Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart.
• If necessary add enough remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated and testing, to give mixture proper texture.
• Note: If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.
To blend in a food processor:
• In a food processor pulse together flour, butter, shortening, and salt until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps.
• Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse 2 or 3 times, or just until incorporated.
• Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart.
• If necessary, add enough remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing 2 or 3 times after each addition until incorporated and testing, to give mixture proper texture.
• Note: If you over process mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.
To form dough after blending by either method:
• Turn mixture out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions.
• With heel of your hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat.
• Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk.
• Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.
Yield: a single-crust 9-inch pie or an 11-inch tart.
Master Recipe for Pie Dough
The combination is butter and lard is ideal because the butter gives flavor and the lard makes the crust flaky.
1 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar
6 tbs. butter, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
4 tbs. all vegetable shortening (Crisco) chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
5 tbs. cold water
• Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a medium mixing bowl.
• Grate the butter and shortening into the bowl.
• Toss the mixture about 10 times until all the butter and shortening are coated with flour and mixed evenly throughout the flour.
• Break up any clumps with your fingers as you toss the mixture.
• Sprinkle 3 tbs. of water over the mixture.
• With the blade of a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix, then press down on the mixture with the broad side of the spatula until the dough sticks to together, adding up to 1 tbs. more water if the dough will not come together.
• Shape the dough into a ball with your hands, and then flatten it into a 4 inch wide disk. Dust it with flour and wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
Yield: a single crust for a 9 inch pie
Maple Pecan Pie
1 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 9-inch frozen deep-dish pie crust
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
• Place unbaked crust on baking sheet.
• Spread nuts over crust.
• Pour filling over.
• Bake until filling is set and slightly puffed, about 1 hour.
• Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Crust:
1 ¼ cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
4 tbs. butter, diced
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
3 tbs. ice water
Flour for rolling
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
You will need a nine inch pie pan.
• With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, mix the flour, sugar and salt.
• Add the butter and shortening and beat oven medium heat until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.
• Add the cold water and mix on a low speed until the dough comes together into a ball. Place the dough on a floured board (a marble slab works nicely.)
• Flatten it into a disk.
• Rollout the dough with a rolling pin to measure about 12 inches in diameter.
• Pick the dough up using a spatula and ease it into the pie pan.
• Trim the edges with a knife and make a nice edge with a tiny bit of extra to form the crust edge.
• Poke it with a fork to create room to crow it and use some pie weights like beans set aside for this purpose or the metal kind you can buy (or take a chance and use nothing which is what I do.)
• Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it just starts to loose the doughy look and turn golden. Remove it from the oven and let it cool.
Filling:
1 cup sugar
5 tbs. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
4 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
1 cup lemon juice
½ cup water
5 tbs. butter, diced
1 1/3 tsps. grated lemon rind
• In a saucepan just placed on the counter stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt and whisk in the yolks, one at a time.
• Finally add the lemon juice and water.
• Now place the pan over medium heat and cook stirring very steadily without stopping for five minutes or until it starts to boil and is thick enough to make ribbons on itself. Remove it from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon rind.
• Pour the custard into the pie crust, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour or until the custard sets.
Meringue:
1 tbs. cornstarch
1 tbs. sugar
1/3 cup water
4 egg whites
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
½ cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, sugar and water.
• Cook over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns thick and clear. Set it aside to cool.
• In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, combine the whites, vanilla, cream of tartar, and sugar.
• Start beating and keep going until the whites are foamy.
• Add the cooled cornstarch mixture and keep going until the meringue forms stiff peaks that stand up and bend a little.
• They should be firmer than the softly beaten whites but not stiff.
• With a rubber spatula, spread the meringue on the custard, going right up against the edge of the crust.
• Make pretty little peaks with the spatula.
• Bake the pie for 10 minutes or until the peaks turn golden.
• Cut into wedges with a sharp knife dipped in hot water between cuts.
Key Lime Pie
Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs from 9 (2 1/4-inch by 4 3/4-inch) crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh or bottled Key lime juice
Topping:
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
Crust:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well.
• Press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch (4-cup) glass pie plate.
• Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on a rack.
• Leave oven on.
Filling and bake pie:
• Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl until combined well.
• Add juice and whisk until combined well (mixture will thicken slightly).
• Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes.
• Cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools).
• Then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
Topping:
• Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Serve pie topped with cream.
Yield: Serves 8
Flaky Pie Pastry
• Don’t use a foil pie pan for this but the old fashioned tin ones baked on top of a pizza stone.
• Start with a hot oven.
2 cups plus two tbs. flour
½ tsp. salt
14 tbs. butter, chilled and cut up
5 tbs. cold water
Flour for sprinkling
• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
• Add the butter and press it between your fingertips.
• The bits will flatten out but not get smaller.
• Add the water to the flour and mix it with your fingers.
• It will look fry with clumps of butter.
• Turn the pastry out onto a board and with a rolling pin roll it as hard as you can away from you.
• Scrape all the dry pieces back from the edge to the center and roll it hard again.
• The butter will stick to the board.
• Keep scraping it off and keep rolling until you have mixture that will hold together.
• Shape it into a ball.
• Cut it in half and make two flat round cake.
• Wrap each one in foil separately.
• The pastry will still look a bit rough but refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
• Take a piece out of the refrigerator and you will see that is moister than before.
• Fold the edges of the dough under until the pastry is smooth and roll the dough out onto a floured board.
• Line a 9 inch pie pan and set the pan aside.
• Keep the other piece in the refrigerator until it is time to use it for the top of the pie.
Yield: 2 crusts
Coffee and Molasses Pie
This is a surprisingly good pie and not done much so can be a pleasant surprise for your family and guests.
Crust:
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening, frozen, diced
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons (about) ice water
1 large egg white, beaten to blend
Filling:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar
Vanilla ice cream
For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor 5 seconds.
• Add shortening and butter.
• Using on/off turns, blend until coarse meal forms.
• Add 3 tablespoons ice water; blend briefly.
• Add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and blend, using on/off turns, until moist clumps form.
• Gather dough together; flatten into disk.
• Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round.
• Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish.
• Trim overhang to 3/4 inch.
• Fold overhang under and crimp edge decoratively.
• Pierce crust all over with fork.
• Freeze 10 minutes.
• Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights.
• Bake crust until sides are set, about 25 minutes.
• Remove foil and beans.
• Bake crust until beginning to color, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 10 minutes longer.
• Remove from oven; brush crust with some of egg white to seal.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Meanwhile, prepare filling:
• Mix flour and brown sugar in medium bowl.
• Add butter; cut in with back of fork until blended and even-size crumbs form.
• Combine 1 cup hot water and espresso powder in another medium bowl.
• Add baking soda.
• Whisk in corn syrup, molasses, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
• Sprinkle crumb mixture over hot crust.
• Pour in molasses mixture.
• Bake pie until filling is set in center, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer pie to rack; cool completely.
• Sift powdered sugar over pie.
• Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream.
Yield: Serves 8
Chocolate Cream Pie
Crust:
1 1/3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (from about 26 cookies such as Nabisco® Famous Chocolate Wafers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
For filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
5 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), melted
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping:
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Crust:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir together crumbs, butter, and sugar and press on bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate (1-quart capacity).
• Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes, and cool on a rack.
Filling:
• Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolks in a 3-quart heavy saucepan until combined well, then add milk in a stream, whisking.
• Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking, 1 minute (filling will be thick).
• Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolates, butter, and vanilla.
• Cover surface of filling with a buttered round of wax paper and cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Spoon filling into crust and chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours.
Topping:
• Just before serving, beat cream with sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then spoon on top of pie.
Yield: Serves 10
Cherry Pie with Coconut Topping
For topping
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For pie
Simple Pie Pastry
2 1/2 pounds fresh cherries, pitted
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Make topping
Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl.
Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Cover and refrigerate.
Make pie
• Roll out pastry between sheets of lightly floured waxed paper to 12-inch round, turning over occasionally and lifting and smoothing paper.
• Peel off top sheet of paper.
• Using bottom paper as aid, lift pastry and invert into 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish.
• Peel off paper.
• Press pastry gently into dish.
• Fold overhang under; crimp to form high-standing decorative edge.
• Chill 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl.
• Let stand until cherries release juices, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer cherry mixture to crust.
• Bake pie 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Transfer pie to baking sheet.
• Sprinkle topping over pie.
• Bake until cherries are tender and juices bubble thickly, covering pie loosely with foil if topping browns too quickly, about 50 minutes.
• Transfer to rack.
• Cool 30 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: Serves 8.
Cherry Pie
You will need a cherry pitter for this pie.
Save any scraps of this dough to create a decorative design for the top of the pie.
Classic Pie Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
• Combine the flour and salt in a food processor.
• Add the shortening; pulse the machine on and off until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• With the machine running, trickle in 4 tablespoons of ice water through the feed tube, until the dough just gathers together.
• If the dough seems dry, add up to 1 tablespoon more of ice water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
• Divide the dough in half, forming each half into a thick disk.
• Wrap each disk in plastic.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill.
• Remove half the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface or between 2 sheets of wax paper to form a circle about 1/8-inch thick and 2 inches larger than the pie plate.
• Work quickly, as the dough can become sticky.
• With the help of a spatula, gently transfer the dough to a pie plate, pressing it lightly into the plate to fit.
• If the dough should tear, just press it together gently.
• Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang.
• If making a single-crust pie, turn the edge under and flute it decoratively.
• Repeat for a top crust or for another bottom crust.
• The circle for a top crust should be 9 inches for an 8-inch pie and 10 inches for a 9-inch pie.
Follow the individual pie recipes for filling and baking.
Yield: an 8- or 9-inch double-crust pie.
4 cups Bing cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Prepare the Classic Pie Crust as directed for a 9-inch double-crust pie.
• Place the cherries in a large bowl. Mix orange and lemon juices with the cornstarch, then combine with sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
• Toss with the cherries.
• Let rest for 15 minutes.
• Add the almond extract and the orange zest; toss well.
• Line a 9-inch pie plate with one crust and prick all over with a fork.
• Spoon the cherry filling evenly into the crust.
• Dot all over with butter.
• Cover with a top crust.
• With water, moisten the crusts where they meet, then turn the top crust under the bottom and flute the edge.
• Cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
• Decorate the surface if you wish by rolling out the scraps and cutting several cherry, leaf, and stem shapes.
• Bake pie in center of the oven for 10 minutes at 450°F.
• Reduce heat to 350°F and bake 45 to 55 minutes more, or until the crust is nicely golden.
• Let cool on a rack before serving warm or at room temperature.
Blueberry Pie
For a 9-inch pie
1 tablespoon egg white, lightly beaten
4 cups blueberries, rinsed and dried
1/2 liquid cup and two tablespoons water, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whipped cream (optional)
Crust:
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
• If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.
• Using a pastry cloth and sleeve rubbed with flour or two sheets of plastic wrap lightly sprinkled with flour, roll the dough 1/8 inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 13-inch circle.
• Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle.
• Transfer the dough to the pie pan, fold under the excess, and crimp the border using a fork or your fingers.
• Cover it loosely and refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Line the pastry with parchment, pleating it as necessary so it fits into the pan, and fill it with rice or dried beans.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Carefully lift out the rice or beans with the parchment.
• With a fork, prick the bottom and sides, and bake 5-10 minutes, or until the crust is pale golden.
• Check after 3 minutes and prick any bubbles that may have formed.
• Cool the crust on a rack for 3 minutes, so it is no longer piping hot, then brush the bottom and sides with the egg white.
Filling:
• Measure out 1 cup of the blueberries, choosing the softest ones.
• Place them in a medium saucepan together with the 1/2 cup water.
• Cover and bring them to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining 2 tablespoons of water.
• Set it aside.
• When the water and blueberries have come to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes or until the blueberries start to burst and the juices begin to thicken.
• Stirring constantly, add the cornstarch mixture, the sugar, lemon juice, and salt.
• Simmer for a minute or until the mixture becomes translucent.
• Immediately remove it from the heat and quickly fold in the remaining 3 cups of blueberries.
• Spoon the mixture into the baked pie shell and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.
• When set, the berries will remain very juicy but will not flow out of the crust.
• Just before serving, if desired, pipe or spread the whipped cream around the sides of the pie.
Banana Cream Pie
Buttermilk pie crust:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• Combine flour, sugar and salt in large bowl.
• Add butter and shortening.
• Cut in using hands or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add buttermilk and stir with fork until moist clumps form.
• Dough can also be prepared in processor.
• Using on/off turns, cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients until coarse meal forms. Add buttermilk and process just until moist clumps form.
• Press together to form dough.
• Divide dough in half.
• Gather dough into balls; flatten into disks.
• Wrap separately and chill 1 hour.
• Can be prepared ahead.
• Refrigerate 1 week or freeze 1 month.
• Let dough stand at room temperature to soften slightly before using.
Yield: 2 crusts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Shape the pie into a disk to fit into a pie pan and bake it in the pan for 15 minutes or until golden.
• Allow to cool.
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
For filling:
• Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan to blend.
• Gradually whisk in whipping cream and whole milk, then egg yolks.
• Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add vanilla bean.
• Whisk over medium-high heat until custard thickens and boils, about 6 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Whisk in unsalted butter and vanilla extract.
• Discard vanilla bean.
• Transfer custard to large bowl; cool completely, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour. Stir custard to loosen, if necessary.
• Spread 1 cup custard over bottom of prepared crust.
• Top with half of sliced bananas, then 1 cup custard, covering bananas completely. Repeat layering with remaining bananas and remaining custard.
• Chill banana cream pie until filling is set and crust softens slightly, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
• Cut pie into wedges and serve.
Yield: Serves 8
Apple Pie
Pastry for 2 crusts, homemade or store bought
6 cup pared, sliced, tart apples
1 cup white or brown sugar
2 tbs. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbs. butter
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
1. Line a deep 9 inch pie pan with pastry and fill with a mixture of apples, flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
2. Dot the apples with butter and adjust the gashed top crust, pressing the edges of the pastry together.
3. If you roll the upper crust wide enough to allow you to tuck it under the edges of the lower crust at the rim you can crimp the edges in to a tight seal.
4. Sprinkle pie with a little more sugar and cinnamon and bake for 45 minutes.
Vanilla Cream Pie
4 cups Blueberries — fresh or frozen
3/4 cup Sugar
3 tablespoons Cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Water
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1 tablespoon Margarine
1 9″ pie shell — baked
Whipped topping or ice cream
1. Wash and drain blueberries. 2. In a medium saucepan, mix sugar, 1 cup of the blueberries, cornstarch (use heaping tablespoons with frozen berries), salt, water, cinnamon and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat. Immediately add margarine and remaining berries. Stir until sauce is mixed with all of the berries and margarine is melted. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. 3. Keep refrigerated until serving time. Serve with whipped topping or ice cream.