Streusel-Topped Pear & Plum Pie

 I'm happy to report that my family and I are all okay and safe from Hurricane Sandy- our power is still on and now we're just waiting for news on the subways (no school tomorrow?) and hoping everyone is okay!
On Sunday, when we heard that we would probably be stuck indoors for a few days, I knew some pie was needed. We had just been shopping for hurricane supplies, which included lots of fruit and butter for baking (and an obscene amount of ice cream, but that's completely unrelated), so we had plenty of pie ingredients. I wanted something that could be easily made gluten-free, was delicious, and incorporated somewhat fall-like flavors (other than pumpkin, please!). This pie was the perfect choice.

 It starts with a crisp pie crust - I used a leftover gluten-free galette crust from this galette, but feel free to use your favorite. Then comes a thick layer of chopped pears and plums, mixed with lots of delicious magic! Finally, the best part (in my opinion) gets crumbled on: the streusel topping! I love the "crumb" on crumb cake, and this is basically a layer of just that - I even used gluten-free all-purpose flour for my mom, and it was wonderful. This pie is perfect warm with a big scoop of ice cream, or at room temperature if the idea of taking the time to heat up pie and scoop ice cream is just too daunting (it's okay - I get it).
The three layers go perfectly together to create a delicious dessert that can be made in fall just as easily as in summer - if you can't find any of the fruits or don't like them, feel free to substitute your favorites. This would be delicious with apples for Thanksgiving as well, or with nectarines for the Fourth of July, or with any other fruit for any other day of the year...
   Enjoy!

Streusel-Topped Pear & Plum Pie

(from Oprah)

1 9" pie crust, chilled
1 1/3 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided (I used gluten-free all-purpose flour and added about a teaspoon of xanthan gum)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup plus 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
3 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and sliced
3 plums, pitted and sliced

Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat oven to 400 F. (Be sure to do this - I didn't, and had a smoke-filled kitchen as pie juice burned on the bottom of my oven!) Line a 9" pie pan with crust; set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss together 1 1/3 cups flour, butter, 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, brown sugar, almonds, and 1/4 tsp. salt until mixture forms clumpy streusel bits; set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together pears, plums, remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar, remaining 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 tsp. salt until well coated.
Fill pie crust with fruit and scatter streusel evenly over the top.
Place pie on top rack of oven and bake 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 F. Continue baking until juices are bubbly and thickened, 45 to 60 minutes more. Set aside to let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TWD: Blueberry Nectarine Pie

Sorry for the 2-day delay on this TWD post; I went away for a few days and completely forgot to post this! Well, the delay is definitely worth it for this pie.

I had a couple of issues with this pie. The first was that I made the crust gluten-free (by using gluten-free all-purpose flour and a little xanthan gum) for my mom, but it just didn't hold together like it should have. I had to piece together the bottom crust, so I decided to not try and roll out the top crust - I cut out little butterflies instead! I think it ended up looking cute.
The other problem I had was with the fruit filling. Instead of flour I used cornstarch, but I must not have put in quite enough, because the filling was pretty runny. Once we kept in the fridge overnight it was fine, but when we ate it warm it was more like a cobbler. Hey, nobody ever complained about a tasty cobbler, did they?

This is one great summery fruit pie. The blueberries and nectarines go together really well, and the slightly tart filling pairs perfectly with the sweet crust. The recipe can be found on the hosts' blogs: Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake and Hilary of Manchego's Kitchen, or in the book. Enjoy! <3

Cheesy Creole Tomato Pie

On our recent trip to New Orleans, my parents and I ate at some of the best restaurants we've ever been to. Sure, we went to the classic tourist places: Commander's Palace, Brennan's, and Cafe du Monde (I MUST make beignets soon. Like, you have no idea - if I learn how to make them, it may be a health hazard). But Easter was my dad's birthday, and my mom and I had decided to make a reservation before we even went. That reservation just so happened to be at Emeril's flagship restaurant. I was so excited to have dinner there, and it did not disappoint. They don't have a vegetarian entree, so when I told them I didn't eat meat, they just made up a dish for me. The meal was so delicious, on our last night in New Orleans we decided to go to NOLA, one of Emeril's other restaurants there. We eat a lot of good food living in New York City, but the flavors were something I had never tasted before.
I decided I had to have one of the cookbooks. When we asked our waiter which one they sold there, he came out with a stack of about 20 books. Let's just say we spent quite a while sitting at our little table, trying to decide which one to bring home. Well, we finally decided on one that had plenty of vegetarian options, and that had things I could bake! This week, my mom and I decided to try out some recipes.

We have tried several (five, actually - not one of which hasn't been delicious!), but this was the only one that could fall in to a "baked goods" section. This, my friends, is a cheesy creole tomato pie. A savory crust piled high with layers of cheese, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and deliciousness. It was super rich; do not serve this as a main dish with nothing else! We had it with a few different vegetables, and it was great. We did adapt it to make it gluten-free (really slight adjustments), but feel free to use regular bread crumbs and flour and leave out the xanthan gum if you don't need it gluten-free, and found that the crust could definitely use less salt. If we've noticed one thing from cooking Emeril's food, it's that you need to watch the salt! We also were not able to roll out the crust, it was too hard - so we patted it into the pan. Aaaaand, to give credit where it's due, I actually had no part in making the crust - my mom did it before I got home. Good job mommy!
We will definitely be making this pie again soon, and while it shouldn't be an everyday thing (take a look at the ingredients list and try to guess the amount of fat in this - I'm too scared to even try), it is worth the time it takes to make. Enjoy! <3

Cheesy Creole Tomato Pie
(slightly adapted from Farm to Fork by Emeril Lagasse)

1 recipe Savory Pie Crust dough (recipe follows)
1 egg, separated
2 pounds ripe Creole tomatoes or other regional variety, such as heirlooms or beefsteak
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup unseasoned dry gluten-free breadcrumbs
3/4 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onions
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
2 ounces Fontina cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9- or 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Fit the dough into the pie plate and crimp the edges decoratively. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes or up to a day.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator and line it with aluminum foil. Fill the shell with ceramic pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 13 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Remove the foil and weights, return the shell to the oven, and bake for 3 minutes.
Remove the pie crust from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the entire surface of the warm pie crust with the egg white (you will probably not use all the white). Then allow the pie shell to cool and the white to set. It will look glazed.
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, discarding the stem and root ends. Season the tomatoes with the salt and pepper.
Combine the mayonnaise with the egg yolk in a small bowl, and stir until smooth.
Sprinkle one third of the breadcrumbs over the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Layer half of the sliced tomatoes over the breadcrumbs in a circular pattern, and top with half of the sliced onions. Drizzle in half of the mayonnaise mixture, and top with half of the herbs, half of the Fontina, half of the mozzarella, and half of the remaining breadcrumbs. Make a second layer with the remaining tomato slices, onions, mayonnaise mixture, Fontina, mozzarella, and breadcrumbs. Drizzle the olive oil over the top, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
Bake the pie in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until it is bubbly hot and golden brown. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes or up to 5 hours before serving. This pie is at its best at room temperature.
6 to 8 servings

Savory Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Place the flour, xanthan gum, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. While the machine is running, gradually drizzle in the water, processing until the dough comes together to form a ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (The dough can be frozen for up to a month; thaw in the refrigerator before using.)
One 9- or 10-inch pie shell

TWD: Pizza Rustica

Thanks to Emily of Capital Region Dining and Raelynn of The Place They Call Home for hosting this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe!It was a great one.
This is a pizza rustica, which is essentially a cheese pie (sort of like a firmer, cheesier quiche) baked in a sweet pie crust. It is supposed to have prosciutto for a salty, savory kick but I made it vegetarian by adding in sauteed mushrooms instead. I also subbed basil for parsley. It worked really well, but because the crust (which I also made gluten-free by using gluten-free all-purpose flour and adding a little xanthan gum)is so sweet, I think something saltier might have worked better. My mom suggested salty olives, which I think could be a good idea.

This was pretty good. We ate most of it on the first night! I had the leftovers for lunch cold the next day, and they weren't as good- I recommend eating it at room temperature. Overall it was a fairly quick recipe - I put it together in under an hour - and a dinner we will go back to again.

The recipe can be found on the hosts' blogs. Enjoy!

Food Network Pecan Pie

I'm always looking for new pie recipes. Everyone in my family (except my dad) absolutely loves pecan pie, and I've yet to find the perfect one. But this one comes pretty close.
The filling is interesting because it is boiled before being baked, which made it not runny, which is usually a problem for me with pecan pies. I also liked that the pecans were chopped and mixed in, because it kept that layer of pecans and then a layer of sweet filling from forming.
Overall it was a delicious pie, and I recommend trying it out. :)
Enjoy!

Pecan Pie (original recipe from Food Network)
Dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), diced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Flour, for rolling the dough
Filling:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups chopped toasted pecans
1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten


Make the dough by hand: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
Alternatively, make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
Set separate racks in the center and lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift sides of the parchment paper to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
While the crust is baking make the filling: In medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, bourbon, and the vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a sheet pan and pour the filling into the hot crust.
Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 40 to 45 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking.) Cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm or room temperature.

Apple Pieeeee

Remember way back when I made a whole bunch of TWD recipes and posted them all at once? Well, one of those was Dorie's DELICIOUS "all-american, all-delicious" apple pie. I just wanted to give a quick shoutout to this amazing pie, which I have made many times since then and made again recently. I think it's the perfect homemade apple pie - not too sweet, nice and cinnamon-y, and full of apples. I usually don't use Dorie's crust, but that's up to you - use your favorite recipe. Give it a try!

Thanksgiving Pies

Hello there! Again, I'm so sorry I haven't been posting - now that all the high school stuff is over, I'm in my school's play (Much Ado About Nothing), which opens this week, so I've been in rehearsal every day after school. I just wanted to write a little about the Thanksgiving TWD, where we got to do a rewind of our choice.
At my school, all of the 8th graders have to do a community service project. I decided to make mine be working with the soup kitchen down the street. They always have a big meal on Thanksgiving, and love it when people bring in pies. I decided to combine that week's TWD and my community service project and make a whole bunch of pies.
About two weeks before Thanksgiving, I decided to make all of the crusts. For all of the soup kitchen pies, plus the three we were having for ourselves, that meant fourteen crusts.
A few days before the due date, I set about making the pies. First, I made all the pumpkin pies. Five for the soup kitchen, one for us. Those were easy - I rolled out the dough, whisked together the filling, and baked them all. Okay, not so easy - I did manage to slightly burn a few of them. I used Libby's classic pumpkin pie for those. Since my pans were a little smaller than those the recipe called for, I made four times the filling instead of six. I still had way too much, and ended up making a few mini pies in a muffin tin (some with crust, some without). They were as delicious as the pumpkin pies themselves (which were quite delicious).
Then I made the pecan pies. I used Dorie's recipe, but since I wanted a classic pie, left out the chocolate, espresso powder, and cinnamon. This time, I made five times the filling (haha, don't ask me why), which ended up being the perfect amount (???). Those baked up nicer-looking than the pumpkin, and the one we had was also quite tasty.
On Wednesday, I took the five of each kind of pie to the soup kitchen. They were so grateful to have ten homemade pies!
Wednesday afternoon, I used the remaining two crusts (and scraps from the others) to make two of Dorie's apple pies with my friend, one for my family and one for hers. Those were delicious as well!
All in all, it was quite stressful to make thirteen pies, but it was a lot of fun and I loved getting to take them to the soup kitchen. Who knows - maybe I'll even do it again next year :)

PS - I know I haven't done a Daring Bakers in several months, and I probably won't be able to do this month's either. Hopefully I'll be back to normal in January! (That includes weekly TWD!)

Oh Wow.

Oh my gosh. I haven't posted in a really long time, and I'm SO sorry. But this time I do have an excuse.
If anybody reading this has ever been in 8th grade in New York City, you know what I'm talking about. I think this past month has been the craziest in my life. Why? I'm dealing with applications to NYC Public High Schools. Admissions to the really good schools is very competitive, and I have spent all of my free time studying for tests, practicing for auditions, going to open houses and tours, and sleeping. :)
Now all of the tests are over, and I seem to have a bit more time on my hands (although I'm still super busy). Also, I was recently on Tuesdays with Dorie's website and read about how anybody who doesn't post by today is getting kicked out. SO.... I decided it was time I put up a post :)
I'm just going to talk about a jumble of TWD recipes I've made over the past few months (no pictures today, because I'm too tired and busy to find them).
Peanut Butter Crisscrosses - I actually made these way back in February, before they were chosen. I believe I doubled the recipe, because I was making them for a big party. They were pretty simple to make and delicious. A hit!
Peach Ice Cream - Oh my goodness, this stuff is amazing and SO addictive. In August, we went peach picking and I had to find something to do with all the quickly ripening peaches, so I went with this. It's actually very easy to make (although a bit time-consuming). The next time you have some extra peaches, go make it!
Crunchy Custardy Peach Tart - This was also a hit. The crust was same as usual, and the thin layer of custard was delicious. My only complaint was that the peaches were baked for so long, they seemed to lose a bit of their flavor. But all in all, a yummy dessert.
Mango Bread - I made this one because I was bored over the summer and wanted to cross something off the old rewind list. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this spicy bread, and I will make it again sometime!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bread - Oh, what we did for this bread. We were in Rome when we decided we wanted this bread. So we looked up the ingredients, got the people at the supermarket annoyed with our hand gestures as we tried to communicate what we were looking for, and went back to the house where we were staying. When we got there, we realized we had forgotten the applesauce. Back to the store we went. And who would have known? Apparently Italians don't believe in applesauce :) So we went back to the apartment, cut up and cooked some apples, and mashed them in a ricer. And you know what? That applesauce was pretty good. The bread, on the other hand, was just okay. This might have been a result of our not really knowing what baking powder/baking soda we were dealing with, and our measurements having been slightly off. We also didn't make the crumble, just sprinkled some spices and sugar on top. I guess I'll just have to make it again!
Raspberry Blanc Manger - When I went peach picking, I also went raspberry picking. When I got home, I decided to make this cold dessert. It was actually a bit of a let-down for me. The agar-agar (vegetarian substitute for gelatin) sort of clumped, making weird lumps in the custard. However, the taste was good, and everyone else liked it.
Blueberry Pie - I had never made a blueberry pie before, although I had always wanted to. I loved seeing the blueberries and sugar become a syrupy, yummy mess. I'll definitely make this one again.

Coffee Break Muffins - It's coffee in a muffin. What's not to love? Mmm, I want one right now.....
Tarte Fine - This was one of the easiest recipes in Dorie's book that I have made. It consists of a thin layer of puff pastry, some apples and sugar, and jam brushed on top. I didn't have high hopes for it, but it was really, really good. And so easy! (Especially when you used frozen homemade puff pastry, because you get the flavor of the homemade in a few minutes.)
Apple Pie - I loved loved loved this pie! It was a simple filling, but the best I've made. Definitely one I'll make again.

So those are the recipes I've made recently. Hopefully I'll be back next week with a more detailed post!

Key Lime Pie(s)

Okay, I admit it. I'm suffering from Blog Guilt. I bet you know the feeling. You haven't posted for a long time, and you have so many recipes to post, you just want to get some of them out there! That's exactly what I'm feeling right now. So I decided that I have to post the recipe for an awesome Key Lime Pie. Or, in my case, six of them.
The night before her bat mitzvah, my friend was having a family dinner. She wanted lots of one dessert (so that she wouldn't order, say, three apple pies and three lemon meringue and everyone wanted apple), and her favorite is Key Lime Pie, so she ordered six of them. I said I could do it, no problem, and then realized what it meant. I had never before in my entire life made a key lime pie. Ever. I had heard they were really easy, and I found a recipe that looked simple enough. Actually, really simple - just make a graham cracker crust and put in egg yolks, lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk. I made one to test out the recipe, and it came out really yummy. The only problem was that even after several hours of refrigeration, the filling was still a bit too runny. But I figured since it tasted great, I could just make a little adjustment and it would be fine.
The day before the party, I set about making the graham cracker crusts. Six of them. I just multiplied the recipe by six and made it all at once (yeah, I know you're probably not supposed to do that...), and it worked out just fine. This was the most time-consuming step, because I had to press together six crusts. In to the oven they went!
Later on, I made the filling. Again, I made it all at once. ;) This time I added a bit of agar-agar (vegetarian gelatin made from seaweed) and it worked like a charm.
All in all, the hardest part of this recipe was finding room in my fridge for six pies! Everyone loved the pies, and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. So try this recipe!

Key Lime Pie (from Baking Bites)

1 pre-baked graham cracker crust (8 or 9-in.) (recipe below)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (key lime, if possible)
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk with a large whisk until smooth. Whisking constantly, stream in lime juice and stir until smooth and well-combined. Pour into pie shell.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Serves 8.

Graham Cracker Crust (also from Baking Bites)

8 large grahams crackers (to make 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups graham crumbs)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375F.
In a food processor, whizz graham crackers until reduced to crumbs. Add sugar and pulse to combine. Pour in vanilla and melted butter and process until crumbs are all moistened.
Press firmly and evenly into a 9-inch pie plate.
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375F, until browned at the edge.
Set aside to cool.

Note: The lime juice supposedly cooks the egg, but if you have been told by your doctor to stay away from even a hint of uncooked food, I would go with a baked version.

Another note: No worries, this recipe makes only one pie, not six! :D

Enjoy!

Lots of Tuesdays

Well, I've been gone a long time! I have four recipes for you guys. First up: this week's TWD.

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie was chosen by Cristine of Cooking with Cristine. She chose the Quick Classic Berry Tart. It is a simple tart crust, vanilla (or in my case, almond) pastry cream, and fresh berries. I used raspberries and blackberries. This tart is definitely a classic, but I wouldn't call it quick!
We loved it, and I will definitely be making it again! You can find the recipe in the book or here.


Next up: last week's recipe.


I had zero time to post last week's recipe, but it was Burnt Sugar Ice Cream, selected by Becky of Project Domestication. This was fairly quick to make, except for the time it took to churn (I love my ice cream machine!) and then freeze. We ate it the first time when it had been churned and frozen for two hours, and it was still very soft and melted quickly. But the next day, it was like store-bought ice cream. I liked the flavor, but thought it was a bit too sweet. Even so, I might make it again and am excited to try other recipes from Dorie's book. You can find the recipe here.

Next up: a rewind.


Perfect Party Cake! This cake is a lemon cake, layered with a lemon meringue buttercream and raspberry jam. I wasn't able to get the perfect layers of jam and icing like in the picture in the book (in fact, the cake was quite crumbly and hard to layer), but everything was covered up with the icing. We loved loved loved this cake! It was an interesting but perfect combo of flavors. I will definitely be making this one again!

Finally: another rewind.


The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart. This is made using Dorie and Pierre's citrus pastry cream (which is like a curd, only the butter is beat in at the end to achieve the "texture of lemon cream dreams"). Last time I made this, I cut down the butter by a stick, but had no need to this time. It was delicious!!!!! I loved it and will be making it again (like pretty much everything else in this post). You can find the recipe here.

Enjoy!

TWD Rewind: Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

The first time I made a meringue pie (or, for that matter, meringue of any sort) was last July. I was terrified! What if the cream turned into eggs, or the meringue fell, or any of the many tragedies I've heard of happened? The cream went fine, although it took a while to thicken (what if it's not supposed to take this long?). The meringue was quick (but what if I'm over-beating the egg whites?). But when I tasted it, I knew I had done it right. It was so yummy!

But back to THIS pie. The graham cracker crust was really quick and easy. Next was the cream. Since I've joined Tuesdays with Dorie, I have made a. lot. of. pastry. cream. Like, way too much. So when I made this pie, I wasn't scared of the cream. The only thing I changed in the recipe was that I cut down the butter from 2 1/2 sticks to 1 1/2 sticks, because I read on other blogs that it tasted too buttery. It was simple and went smoothly. Then came the meringue. I wasn't nervous about it, but when I started, I realized I didn't know what the egg whites should look like. I sort of guessed based on the description in the book, and I think I guessed right! I put the pie in the broiler to brown, and that was really quick. Out it came!

The next day, we served it as dessert for our Easter lunch. It was delicious! The cream was tart, but the meringue was sweet and made up for it. Everybody loved it! I might try this pie again in the future with lemons, too. If you want the recipe, you can find it here or in the book. Enjoy!

TWD Rewind: Florida Pie

Last night I had a few hours home alone with nothing to do, so I decided to make another TWD rewind. This one took quite a while and had many parts to it, but was fun to make. It starts off with a graham cracker crust. I used the leftover cookies from January's Daring Bakers challenge. I accidentally put in too much butter, so it was quite candy-like, but delicious. Anyways, then comes a simple mixture of sweetened coconut and cream, which has been cooked down. After that is a traditional key lime pie filling - lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. All that is baked and then frozen for an hour (or, in my case, since it was getting late, 30 minutes) and then topped with a simple meringue made of egg whites, sugar, and sweetened coconut. I used my blowtorch ( :D ) to brown it, which I loved doing. After it was chilled for another 30 minutes, we tasted it and it was delicious! There are a lot of different flavors, but they all mix very well. Today we ate some more and it was still delicious, although the crust was sticking to the pie plate. Part of the meringue also became a sort of syrup... (?). If you want to try the recipe for yourself, you can buy the book or find it here. Enjoy!

TWD: My Favorite Pecan Pie

This week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe was chosen by Beth of Someone's in the Kitchen with Brina. She chose the only pecan pie recipe in the book. This week and next week, due to the holidays, we are allowed to post any time in the week we want. I had been wanting to make this one for a long time, so when it was announced for this week, I decided to make it for Thanksgiving. It was easy to make, and I liked it. My mom, who loves pecan pie, said that it was a bit too rich for her, with all the chocolate. It also stuck to the pie plate (as you can see below), even though I had buttered it. All in all, probably not one I'll make again, but it was fun to try. If you want to try it for yourself, you can buy the book or find it on Beth's blog later this week. Enjoy!

Taste of Home Cherry Pie

Do you ever make a recipe while trying to impress people, and then you discover that it was amazing? I know I did, last Saturday when I made this pie. My dad requested cherry pie, so that's what I made. The recipe included directions for a crust, but I stuck with my new favorite, Dorie's. I had made six (6!) of them before thanksgiving, and I had two left. The filling uses tart cherries, but all we could find was sour cherries (are those the same...?). I was told to use a recipe with almond extract. Anyways, we made it, and it looked delicious. Honestly, the photo above doesn't do it justice. The next day when my dad took it to the office, it got great reviews. He even said it was the best cherry pie he's ever had! So basically what I'm saying is to go make it! Now! Enjoy :D

Cherry Pie (submitted by Taste of Home on Allrecipes)

• 2 9-inch pie crusts, chilled
• 2 (16 ounce) cans tart cherries
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• red food coloring
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 375 F. 
Roll out one pie crust to fit a 9-in. pie plate for bottom crust. 
Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Mix cherries, juice, sugar, tapioca, extract, salt and food coloring if desired; pour into the crust. Dot with butter . Top with a lattice crust using the second pie crust. 
Bake for 55-60 minutes.

TWD Rewind: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

My dad is a die-hard pumpkin pie fan, and my mom goes crazy over pecan. So I knew that making a combination of the two for Thanksgiving was not an option. However, my dad had asked me to make a pumpkin pie for his office, so I suggested this. We made it together, but he almost got sick when he saw that corn syrup goes into pecan pie. Needless to say, he now refuses to eat or even participate in the making of pecan pie. Oh well, more for my mom and I! This pie was quick to put together. I used Dorie's pie crust recipe, which is my new go-to recipe. There is supposed to be a layer of pumpkin and a layer of pecan pie, but they sort of mix in the oven. However, the pecans do stay on top, which makes the pie very pretty. It tasted great - really like a mix of pumpkin and pecan pies, although it had the texture of a pumpkin pie. This would be great for Thanksgiving if you don't have people at your table who love plain pumpkin or plain pecan pie. If you want the recipe, you can buy the book or find it here. Enjoy!

Maple Pumpkin Pie

My dad recently found this recipe while looking through a Real Simple magazine. He begged me to make it. I hadn't found a pumpkin pie recipe yet for Thanksgiving, so of course I said yes. We made it last night (pies keep for a few days). It was SO easy to make (I made crust in advance). You just whisk everything, put it in the raw pie shell, and bake it. Since the pie is for tomorrow, we haven't tasted it yet, but it looks delicious and we can't stop walking over to smell it :D

I recommend this recipe for someone who wants a last-minute, quick, yummy pumpkin pie. Enjoy!

Maple Pumpkin Pie (Real Simple Magazine)

1 piecrust, store-bought or homemade, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate (I used Dorie's recipe)

2 large eggs

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Set an oven rack in the lowest position and heat oven to 350F. Place the pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust and bake until the center is set, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

The pie can be prepared and refrigerated, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Apple Crumble Pie

Okay, so, technically I didn't make this, my mom did, but I have made it tons of times. Since this was my mom, she made it with - dare I say it? - a frozen pie crust. Traitor.

Well, it was delicious anyways. It starts with a basic pie crust and a layer of apples mixed with cinnamon and sugar. Then a crumble of brown sugar and butter goes on top. Yum! We served it warm with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious. Enjoy!

Apple Crumble Pie (BakingBites)

All Butter Single Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into pieces
4-6 tbsp ice water

Whisk together flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips, pressing it into the flour mixture and breaking it up, until mixture resemble very coarse sand and no pieces larger than a large pea remain. Using a fork, stir in ice water until dough almost comes together into a ball. Press dough into a ball with your hands and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 30-60 minutes before using.

Apple Filling:
6 med/lg granny smith, jonagold or other pie apples
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix apples, sugar, flour, spices and salt together in large mixing bowl. Set aside until dough is rolled out.

Crumble Topping:
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
3 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into pieces

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add in butter and rub in with your fingertips, pressing it into the flour mixture and breaking it up, until mixture resemble very coarse sand. Set aside until dough is rolled out.

Assembly:
Preheat the oven to 450F.
On a large, lightly floured, flat surface, roll out the chilled pie crust into a large circle. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Keep rolling until the dough will fill the pie dish, which you can double check by holding the pie plate over the dough and looking for 1-2 inches extra crust around the rim of the plate. Gently lay the bottom crust into the dish, crimping the edges if you desire (or just pinching them off, as I tend to do). Lightly score with a fork 4 or 5 times.
Fill pie dish with filling, leaving any excess juice at the bottom of the bowl to help keep the pie from getting soggy. Arrange slices in an even layer. Top with crumble topping, squeezing it into small clumps in your hand (to create larger crumbles) as you finish the pie.
Bake pie for 20 minutes at 450F, until browned. Turn down oven temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes, until pie is dark gold and apple slices are tender when pierced with a fork. If the apples are not tender and you need to bake for an additional 5 or 10 minutes (some types of apples are very resiliant in the oven. Granny Smiths worked fine for me at this time) and are worried about over-browning the crust, you can place a ring of foil around the edge of the pie plate to shield it from the heat while the filling finishes cooking.
Cool down to room temperature before slicing.

Serves 8-10.

Two TWD Rewinds: Russian Grandmother's Apple Pie Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream

Yesterday we had some friends come over for dinner who have tasted lots of my baking, so I wanted to make something really delicious. That combined with the fact that we have tons of apples to use up, I decided on Russian Grandmother's Apple Pie Cake. When my mom mentioned that we should buy some ice cream, I immediately took the opportunity to make another TWD rewind. Vanilla Ice Cream!

This was probably one of the most annoying things to make in the book. I was making the 9x13, as in the recipe, but I was also making an 8 1/2x3 1/2 loaf pan, so I had to scale up the recipe by one fourth. So many apples to peel and slice! And the dough was extremely hard to roll out, and it kept cracking when I put it into the pan. But when it was baked you couldn't tell. It was delicious! The crust really was more like a sugar cookie than a pie, but that was great. However, I didn't see how it was like a cake at all. Sorry Dorrie!

This is pretty easy to make, however, I think I over-heated the custard, because it the eggs started to cook at the bottom. But after I strained it, it was fine. This ice cream was what everybody was talking about. It was creamy, sweet, and delicious. My dad even said it was Haagen-Das quality! We will be making this one again!

If you want the recipe for the apple pie cake (I recommend it!) you can buy the book or find it here. If you want the recipe for the vanilla ice cream, you can also buy the book or find it here. Enjoy!

Joy of Baking Apple Pie

For our 4th of July BBQ, a friend brought over an amazing apple pie. Sadly, this was the only picture I got of it, which isn't very good... if you look in the corner, you can see my dog, looking crazy. Anyways, I didn't make this, but it was amazing. However, my friend said that it was a pain to make. It does take a long time, according to the recipe, but I think it is worth it, because it was amazing. Good luck!

Apple Pie (from www.joyofbaking.com)

Pate Brisee (Short Crust Pastry):

2 1/2 cups ap flour

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/4 cup water ina a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.

Make the Apple Filling:

2 1/2 pounds apples (about 6 large), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 thick (about 8 cups sliced)

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

In a large bowl combine the sliced apples, sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and sal. Let the apples macerate at room temperature for about two hours. Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices). Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have at least 1/2 cup of juice. Spray a 4 cup heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, 6 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup and is syrupy and lightly caramelized. (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.)

Meanwhile, remove the top pastry crust from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it has time to soften and become pliable. Transfer the drained apple slices to a large bowl and mix them with the cornstarch. Then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss to combine. Pour the apples and their syrup into the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make five 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the stone (or pan) to catch any apple juices.

Set the pie on the stone or pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Make sure to cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent over browning after about 30 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie.

What can I say, but... good luck?

Lemon Meringue Pie

For our 4th of July BBQ, I decided I would make the hamburger cupcakes (below), and lemon meringue pie. I had never made one before, so I was nervous. Lemon meringue pie is always rumored to be difficult. But really, it just looks and tastes like it was really hard to make, because it was easy. The only thing is that when you wait for the curd to come to a simmer, it might take longer than the recipe said, so don't worry. In the picture below you can see that the sugar did something weird and formed some little dots of liquid (update: I now know this to be weeping :D ). If this happens, don't worry, because it won't affect the taste at all, and, honestly, it makes the pie look pretty. Good luck with the recipe, and don't be scared!

Lemon Meringue Pie (courtesy of Emeril Lagassse, www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

1 recipe Sweet Pie Crust, recipe follows

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cold water

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 large egg yolks

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons limoncello (I left this out)

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions:

After following instructions for pie crust below, remove the dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, pressing gently to fit, trim the edge to within 1/2-inch of the pan, turn under, and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or rice. Bake until the crust is set, about 12 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights and bake until lightly colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before filling. Combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, milk, water, and pinch of the salt in a large, non-reactive saucepan, whisk to combine, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. As the mixture reaches a simmer and begins to thicken and turn clear, 4 to 5 minutes, whisk in the egg yolks, 2 at a time. Slowly add the lemon juice, whisking constantly, and add the zest and limoncello. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and whisking constantly, return to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour immediately into the prepared pie crust.

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and remaining pinch salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beating constantly, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until glossy stiff peaks form, being careful not to over beat, as this will make the meringue difficult to spread.

Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Working 1 row at a time, pipe the meringue across the top of the hot lemon filling in a zigzag pattern, alternating direction with each row. Cover the pie filling completely, going out to the pastry edges, so the meringue does not draw up or weep during baking. (Alternatively, spread the meringue evenly over the pie filling using a rubber spatula, smoothing out to the pastry edges. Make decorative peaks in the meringue using a dull knife or the back of a spoon.)

To quickly cook the meringue, preheat the broiler with the rack in the highest position. Place the pie under the broiler and cook until the meringue is set and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. (Alternatively, the meringue can be cooked in a preheated 325 degree F oven until set and golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes.)

Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Sweet Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (I used 8 tablespoons butter instead of 6 butter and 2 shortening)

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, or as needed

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. With your fingers, work the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 3 tablespoons of the ice water and work with your fingers just until the dough comes together, adding more water as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a smooth dough, being careful not to overwork the dough.

Form the dough into a disk shape, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Yield: enough dough for 1 (9 or 10-inch) crust.

Have fun!