Pie Sold Here

21 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by in Berry Pie, Chocolate Pie, Freeform Pie, Mixed Fruit Pie, Nut Pie

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And for a good cause!

If you back up a few posts, you’ll find the flyer I posted prior to the auction. It went off pretty much without a hitch, I’d say, and we raised about $500 for the Glendale Relay for Life. Thanks so much to everyone who baked, bought, or just came and participated in some good, ol’ fashioned fun.

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P.S. If you’re interested in seeing close-ups of the 5 pies I baked, move on over to the Pie Gallery page and check out pies 91-95. Which one would you have placed a bid on?

The Pies of Summer

20 Tuesday Nov 2012

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…there are just so many of them, it’s hard to keep up sometimes. I bake so much faster than I blog.

I found this old friend hiding on my phone, and though it’s long after the pies of summer have gone, I couldn’t just skip over him without a mention!

This Peach-Blueberry Cobbler Pie (think pie on bottom, cobbler on top) was baked on one of those numerous summer evenings which included the following: late daylight, friends from far away and around the corner, grilling, mismatched plates, cutlery, and chairs, sitting under the hanging lights on our patio. And maybe some port.

I like this picture because everything looks a little messy (even the pie. I usually give myself the first piece cause it’s the most falling-aparty one.) I’ve realized recently that I can’t do as much living as I want to do and still have everything look perfect all the time. Evenings such as this one leave crumbs on the table, as you can see. But those crumbs are just evidence of how full to overflowing my life really is.

Stay tuned for pictures from our Old Fashioned Pie Auction later this week.

Friendly Competition

02 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Berry Pie, Summer Fruit Pie

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We had a dessert-off at our church.

A dessert-off is what it sounds like…a free-for-all contest in which any dessert may be entered. No parameters.

What kind of pie would you make in this situation, given 212 recipes to choose from? I was at a loss. Should I make a chocolate pie? Everyone likes chocolate…but then again, I was sure many of the desserts would be chocolatey.

Nectarines were in season (this was at the very beginning of September. California seasons.) I also like nectarines a lot. I decided that I wasn’t going to find one pie that would please everyone, so I might as well pick one that pleased me.

Added some blueberries, to please the hubby.

Now normally I don’t give away my secret ingredients so easy. But as this recipe is neither mine nor a secret, being as it’s published in Ken Haedrich’s Pie, I’ll just go ahead and tell you that the key to success here is almond extract. Don’t skip it.

Deep Dish Nectarine Pie with Almond Crumb Topping arrives at the dessert-off and nervously checks out the competition.

There are an array of other tasty and beautiful desserts around, from cupcakes to tarts to cheesecake and beyond.

But lo! What treachery is this? A decadent-looking Caramel Apple Pecan Pie made by an aspiring young pastry chef? What does this mean for poor Deep-Dish Nectarine?

It means that the competition will be stiff. Well done, young pie Jedi. I have my eye on you.

Although neither pie took home the prize, I should mention that they were both in the top four. Also, that they were delicious in my belly.

A Subtle Hint of Chiffon

15 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in Chiffon Pie, Chocolate Pie

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When I made this Chocolate Mousse Chiffon Pie, my brother asked me to define what makes a pie classifiable as “chiffon.” I gave some weak answer detailing all of the steps that I took in order to produce said pie. He then ate a piece and described its deliciousness in terms like, “This pie is extra chiffony,” and, “What really makes this pie stand out is the subtle hint of chiffon…”

*Sigh*

I’ve since done some internet research and found that my original, long-winded explanation was basically correct. The thing about chiffon pies is that, by definition, they have many steps. And they are very, very chiffony.

TermWiki: Chiffon pie is created by starting with a custard base, and adding egg whites and gelatin to produce a light, fluffy texture.

American Heritage Dictionary: n.

  1. A fabric of sheer silk or rayon.
  2. Ornamental accessories, such as ribbons or laces, for women’s clothing.

adj.

  1. Of, relating to, or resembling the fabric chiffon.
  2. Made light and fluffy by the addition of beaten egg whites or gelatin: a lemon chiffon pie.

To make Chocolate Mousse Chiffon Pie, you need all of these things.

You also need a graham cracker crust to put them in, obviously.

Oh wait, you’re also going to have to make some coffee…as brewed coffee is one of the ingredients too…I told you this wasn’t going to be easy. Don’t come home from work and think you’ll get this puppy done in time to eat after dinner. No way, no how.

Phase one: coffee, chocolate, and butter in a saucepan.

After twiddling your thumbs and waiting for the chocolate to cool down, you can whisk in some egg yolks and vanilla. But then you should actually find something productive to do with your time, because you’re going to have to refrigerate it for a while, and then add gelatin heated with more coffee…and then let it cool again…yada yada yada.

The fun isn’t over yet. It’s time to beat the egg whites into a froth, and give thanks for your KitchenAid.

Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate, reuniting them with their long-lost yolks.

Alas; there is no rest for the weary. Now you must wash your mixer’s bowl and beaters, go out to the barn and milk your cow, and whip some cream. Then, fold THAT into the filling.

The finished product: decadent, delicious, and decidedly chiffon in nature. My only concern was that it had some small lumps-it was more annoying visually than when actually eating it. If anyone has a tip for me on avoiding lumps in pies like this, I’d love to hear it!

So, in conclusion, the next time you have five or six hours to kill, make this pie for yourself!

For all my complaining-it was totally worth it.

Keeping it Local

20 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in Summer Fruit Pie

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Beautiful Mt. Rainier, seen from above the clouds. The mountain gives its name to a very special fruit, grown in the locale. There would never be a more appropriate time to bake some Rainier Cherry Pie with a Grated Top Crust.

Rainier cherries are sweet, peachy, red-and-yellow marbles of deliciousness. And if you go to a local Washington market (NOT a supermarket), you will get a great price such as $1.99 a lb. I should have bought about twice as many as I did. Regrets.

Regrets continued: for the first time in my life, I talked myself into buying pre-made crust. “I don’t want to buy all the ingredients and have the leftover go to waste,” I said to myself. “I don’t know if there will be any measuring cups where we are staying.” (There weren’t.) “I’ve already spent too much money on groceries this month.” All pitiful excuses. This will never happen again, I promise you, because the pie would have tasted about 100 times more delicious if I had made the crust myself. I already hear some of you insisting “But the store-bought crust tastes just as good!”  Quite frankly, you’re wrong. Sorry.

*Deep breath* Moving past all that…the pies sure looked pretty. To make a grated top crust, simply freeze half of your pastry and then grate it over the top like a block of cheese. In case you were wondering, we were in Washington for a family vacation. Levi’s grandparents, Ken and Bonnie, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Hooray for them! Locally made ice cream to go along with your Rainier Cherry Pie? But of course!

 

Trending now…

17 Friday Aug 2012

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Mini pies are all over downtown Seattle. I’m telling you, I’ve got to get in on this. What’s currently happening in Seattle is soon to be happening in the rest of the country. Mark my words. Just look at Starbucks. 

 

 

 

There’s always time for pie.

16 Thursday Aug 2012

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Especially for Bittersweet Chocolate-Mascarpone Pie. (Is there anything in the world better than Mascarpone cheese, I ask? Anything?)

There is even time for this pie when you have about a million friends staying and coming and going and your house is a mess and you haven’t slept in probably two months, but you don’t even care because you’re just having such an awesome time. I seriously love you all. 

 

The process is simple: make an Oreo crust in a food processor (I use Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe’s, since you all know I hate shopping anywhere else.) Mascarpone, melted chocolate, whipped cream, and other goodness goes in the filling. The rest of the whipped cream goes on top. Hey, I can’t be TOO specific, or you won’t buy the cookbook. But it’s easy-peasy, trust me. You can make it in the morning, leave for a beach party at 10 am, come back at 10 pm, and eat it. This method has been fully tested and approved.

 

Summertime and the bakin’ is easy

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

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Today I baked a Sweet Summer Corn Pie. I already made two of them last month, but I couldn’t find the picture I’d taken of the finished product (or maybe I never saved that picture at all?). And I got three ears of fresh sweet corn in my CSA box yesterday. And…oh yeah, I don’t work during the summer. Oh well. There was just nothing for it but to make another one. In case you’re curious what they taste like, they’re very creamy…the texture almost reminded me of flan…but some of the corn kernels are left whole. Definitely yummy. I wouldn’t use anything but the freshest summer stuff, though.

My new puppy Obi helpfully tried to eat the husks of the corn as I shucked it. 

The following pictures are all from July. My little cousin Ava helped…and a very good helper she was! She’s only three, born a couple of days before my wedding, but she’s already an accomplished baker. 

Onesipie

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Apple Pie

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[Oh-nes-ih-pie]

I can explain.

The summers I was 15, 16, and 17, I attended a two-week program known as “Operation Onesimus,” which arguably changed the course of my life forever. You may never have heard of Onesimus; he is a character–a slave–in the New Testament book of Philemon. The name is symbolic of service; not slavery in the way we usually think of it, but service in love. Ironically, living a life serving each other in love turns out to be the most freeing way to live. To me, this is what the Operation Onesimus program is all about.

In July, I returned to Operation Onesimus not as a participant, but as a helper, excited beyond belief to be able to spend time with such an amazing group of people. My self-appointed title was “Onesimus Experience Enhancer.” Basically, I just tried to find ways that I could make the experience of the participants a little bit better. And one way I thought of (naturally) was to make pie for everyone! Because pie enhances every experience. Ever.

Challenges faced: lots of hungry mouths, no stocked pantry, no rolling pin, no food processor, no wax paper, no apple peeler, looked in three kitchens for a grater…this was quite a challenge. Total time spent on Onesipie: at least 4 hours. I took a couple pictures for you along the way.

(Can I just take a wee minute to show you my “new” apron? I discovered it while visiting my family in Minnesota, and my Aunt Sarah felt that it was only fair that I should have one of Grandmother’s handmade aprons. So now it’s mine, and I love it a lot.)

How to make a pie, Onesimus style.

When you’re baking for thirty, you need a big bag of flour.

Okay, getting started. All-Butter Pastry. Lots of butter. Go.

Apples, lemon zest and sugar get mixed together for the filling.

When you can’t locate a rolling pin or wax paper to save your life, improvise with an empty juice bottle and Glad Press n’ Seal. But this is really a last-resort option.

You’ll notice these pies look a bit naked right now. There’s no top crust in sight…but just wait until you see how we’re going to finish these!

Are you ready for the secret ingredient? Prepare yourselves…here it comes….

Weird, right?

In the absence of a food processor, enlist the help of small friends to mix the Cheez-It topping together by crunching it up inside a Ziploc bag. Many hands make light work!

Add the crumblies part of the way through baking…and that’s how you make an Apple Pie with Cheddar Cracker Topping.

(Thanks so much to our friends Vinnie and Rachel, who let us stay in their comfortable and adorable cabin for over a week! Every time I noticed another piece of bird decor, I squealed with happiness. No joke, just ask Levi.)