Category Archives: Pies and Tarts

Apple Cider Cream Pie

Posted on by May 10, 2016

I think this Apple Cider Cream Pie one of the recipes I’ve made in the past few years with a name that doesn’t do it justice. Cream pies in general don’t look very dramatic in photos (though I’m pleased with this one) and they sound a little old-fashioned and dare I say boring. So, I’ll take it upon myself to make sure that you don’t overlook this Apple Cider Cream Pie. The apple cider is a playful take on the traditional apple pie and reducing the cider down so its full of intense apple flavor is a great move.  The cinnamon cream not only finishes the pie perfectly, but it’s a perfect cool down after our spicy Mexican mains. All in all, this is just the right amount of untraditionally-traditional to makes its way onto my every so unexpected Mexican Thanksgiving Menu. I usually make a double batch of the boiled cider when I’m taking the time to boil it down. It’s another ingredient that is fun and easy to keep on backup in the fridge since it keeps for a long time. And no one is ever said when I’m able to pull it out of the fridge and turn … Continue reading →

Apple Cranberry Pie with Cheese! Crust

Posted on by November 20, 2014

Sometimes the best dishes come about because I’ve forgotten about some ingredients that I don’t want to lose, like this Apple Cranberry Pie with Cheese! Crust. Ok, that’s an understatement. Worry about what’s still in the fridge happens to me a lot; it’s a peril of grocery shopping for a living. But this Apple Cranberry Pie with Cheese! Crust is a real winner. It all started with a trip to Wisconsin this summer. I got to go to a beautiful dairy, Upland Dairy, near Dodgeville and an awesome cheese shop in Madison, called Fromagination. In honor of my father I bought his favorite cheddar. It’s an aged bandaged cheddar from Bleu Mount Dairy. I also bought a lot of other special cheeses, but those were eaten right away. The other day I was cleaning out my cheese drawer, and what did I find, but the awesome cheddar. Epic fail! It was sort of dry. Rather than eat it in less than perfect condition, and rather than throw it away, I started brainstorming how to use a very dry cheddar that still had awesome flavor. It definitely needed to be grated, so the brainstorming started there. I didn’t have any pasta … Continue reading →

Pastry Dough for a Two-crust 9-inch Pie

Posted on by October 27, 2014

I’ve been making this Pastry Dough for a Two-crust 9-inch Pie (from Fannie Farmer) FOREVER. There are lots of great pastry doughs out there, and you should definitely know a few, but if you’re only going to learn one, it should probably be this Pastry Dough for a Two-crust 9-inch Pie. It’s great for pies, quiche, Snow Day Chicken Pot Pie, and tarts. Pastry Dough for a Two-crust 9-inch Pie keeps well in the freezer. I often have one on hand, for just in case. ¾ cups butter; diced and very cold ½ teaspoons salt 2 ½ cups flour; put it in the food processor bowl and put it in the fridge for an hour 6 – 7 tablespoons ice water Preheat oven to 425° F. Food process the salt, flour and butter until tiny peas form. Slowly add in the water until the mixture just holds together.  It won’t be uniform or a solid mass. Remove and form into a ball with your hands. Divide in two. Sprinkle counter with flour. Roll out the bottom layer as thinly as possible. Set into pie pan. Fill with fruit of your choice (sour cherries pictured). Roll out top layer. Cover. Decorate as … Continue reading →

Pâte Sablée (Sweet Tart Dough)

Posted on by November 5, 2014

Pâte Sablée (Sweet Tart Dough) is another repertoire recipe that’s a good one to know. It’s different from regular Pastry Dough due to the higher amount of sugar in the dough, as well as the egg. It’s a more forgiving dough to work with, because of the binding properties in egg, which is a nice quality in a dough, and therefore, a great dough for beginning bakers. Another property is that it doesn’t stay as flaky; it’s more of a tart dough, and is more like a cookie shell in texture, which works really well with fruit tarts and sweet custards, etc. I wouldn’t use Pâte Sablée (Sweet Tart Dough) in place of Pastry Dough for everything, but it’s a great one to know in the summer when fruit abounds. I also learned a great trick from the Tartine cookbook. When you are planning on blind baking these empty and filling them later with custards or fruits, etc., you can brush the inside of the dough with egg white before you bake it. This will “seal” the shell, so to speak, which will slow down the process of the shell getting soggy and soft. All in all, this versatile Pâte Sablée (Sweet … Continue reading →

Sour Cherry Pie

Posted on by October 28, 2014

When sour cherries become available, I make Sour Cherry Pie. Well, first, I go cherry picking, pitting and freezing, but that’s another story. I have given you the recipe two-crust pie. It’s the Fannie Farmer recipe that my family has always used. Obviously, you could make a lattice crust, or have an open top. Even a crumble, but that would be wrong. There are lots of different pie crusts out there, but for me, the crust is very important. Different pies require different crusts. Rhubarb? Lattice. Blueberry? I don’t even like blueberry pie and I know the answer to that one. Crumble. Cherry? Two crust. It’s just the way it is. Here in PA, fortunately there are sour cherries. In California, it was almost impossible to get them. My uncle Pete was famous for hauling them home from Door County every July. That’s how good Sour Cherry Pie is, drag them through the airport good. Sour Cherry pie filling: 2 quarts cherries 1 ½ cups sugar 2-3 tablespoons flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ – ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper- just try it, it’s awesome! Pastry Dough (for a-9 inch pie) Make the dough. While it’s chilling, pit the cherries. Trust … Continue reading →

Banana Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust

Posted on by October 29, 2014

While Banana Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust is more Southern than Midwestern, the pudding mix dessert aspect fits right into our Midwestern Potluck theme, which is all about jazzing up low-brow potluck standards. In doing recipe research before I set to preparing this Banana Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust, I discovered a strong split in opinion about the use of banana pudding mix versus vanilla mix for Banana Cream Pie. I am a staunch supporter of the vanilla mix, because I really hate banana flavoring, but hey, that’s just me. That said, if you know you love banana pudding, by all means, make the switch. Either way, the pudding mix is the signature ingredient that fits the nostalgia requirement. All similarities to the potluck staple ended there. The pretzel crust lined with chocolate is a serious upgrade that elevates this dish from good to great. Don’t forget about a really good caramel sauce, too, and don’t be afraid to add a touch of salt there as well. Another great part about this particular recipe is that it is definitely on the easy side of the spectrum, especially if you use my pre-bought (rather than homemade) caramel sauce shortcut. It’s so good … Continue reading →

*Definitely Not Derby Pie* – Chocolate Walnut Pie

Posted on by April 27, 2015

When I began my research for *Definitely Not Derby Pie* – Chocolate Walnut Pie, I found out that the name is protected fiercely by the Kern family and the Melrose Inn- the creators. It’s kind of funny to me because the pie is pretty simple. It’s basically a chocolate chip cookie with walnuts in pie form. But it’s really good, and they are credited with inventing it, so I guess I get it. Then I read a lot of recipes, or in this case, many best guesses as to what’s in the real thing. Since there isn’t one official recipe due to the creator’s protective nature, there are plenty of variations out there. You can change the nuts. Add caramel or butterscotch. Make the crust. Buy the crust. You should probably add bourbon. In my case, I took a lot of these suggestions to heart, and then added more bourbon. After all my research, I’m inspired to take a trip to the Melrose Inn. I promise to report back with my suspicions as to what’s in the original. In the meantime, you’re stuck with my idea about what will be the tastiest and voila! *Definitely Not Derby Pie* – Chocolate … Continue reading →