Buttered Rum Shoofly Engagement Pie

The mention of Shoofly Pie, like apple butter, is usually something that results in raised eyebrows from those who haven't spent much time in the Midwest or, more specifically, around Amish country.

Essentially a molasses custard pie with a brown sugar crumb topping, this comforting late winter pie results from a combination of simple pantry ingredients coming together into what a friend  from Pennsylvania eloquently called "a sign of the end of winter, but before people were completely at ease. Nobody knew for a fact whether the weather was going to warm tomorrow or three weeks from now." The perfect harbinger of spring, but still decadent enough to warm you on a winter's night, this pie is tried and true...with a just a little modern twist in the form of a dash of rum. Don't tell the Amish. :)

This particular recipe came from  Ashley English's A Year Of Pies, which I received as a Christmas gift. A unique collection of seasonal pies, this book contains many twists on old classics and I can't wait to try recipes like Peaches and Cream Crumble Top Pie, and Chai Spice Apple Pie. While my new favorite pie crust recipe comes from The Homemade Pantry, I decided to try out English's recommended crust instead--I'd review it for you here but I forgot to add half the butter so...we won't talk about that. If I made this pie again I might actually decrease the rum just a little bit, as well as the salt. While they were perfectly complimentary flavors and a welcome update to an old classic, they were just a little bit over powering for my taste.

So, why is this an engagement pie? Well, no reason really except that it turned out to be the first thing I baked since becoming engaged!!! I just wanted to share that news with you, dear readers, and to thank everyone that has extended their well wishes to us, as you will likely be seeing a lot more from my future husband and taste-tester-to-be on The Cupcake Avenger. 

Buttered Rum Shoofly Pie

Basic All-Butter Crust (makes 2)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter chilled and cubed
3/4 cup ice water

Mix the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or two forks, incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. slowly drizzle in the ice water, stir with a large spoon until the mixture begins to clump.

Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and, using your hands, fold it into itself until all the flour is incorporated into the fats. The dough should come together easily but should not feel overly sticky. Divide the dough in half, shape it into two balls and pat each ball into a 1/2 inch thick disk. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Filling
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt
8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup dark rum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
3 large eggs, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the crust and roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and fit it into a 9" pie pan. Trim the crust overhang to 1 inch and crimp decoratively. Place in the refrigerator.

2. Mix together the flour, sugars, spices and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in the butter until pea-sized crumbs form.

3. Bring the water and rum to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat and pour into a medium bowl. Whisk in the baking soda and molasses.

4. Add the eggs beating well to combine, then stir in a little more than half of the prepared crumb mixture.

5. Pour the molasses mixture into the chilled pie crust and sprinkle with the remaining crumb topping. Set the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 45 minutes, or until the filling is set.

Tweet

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Peach Pie

Recently, one of my absolute favorite food bloggers Smitten Kitchen posted about getting back to basics, and allowing simple flavors to shine through in dishes rather than fixing what isn't broken by throwing in heaps of extracts or spices just for the sake of it. Generally, I agree. Well, except for cardamom, you know how I feel about that. : )  In SK's post, she was specifically referring to peach pie, and while I absolutely agree that the delicious flavor of in-season fruit stands on its own, when I had a craving for peach pie a couple of weeks ago, I knew plain old peaches just weren't going to cut it.

I was craving a pie with depth. Specifically, a peach pie complemented by the sweet touch of brown sugar and cinnamon. And when I found a recipe that included both of these things AND a dash of booze, I knew it had to be good.

If you're worried about overwhelming sweetness (not usually something that enters my pie-eating considerations...) although this recipe calls for both white and brown sugars, surprisingly the most frequent compliment I received on this pie was that it wasn't too sweet. Similarly, even though the bourbon smelled a bit overwhelming in the initial stages, the flavors melded beautifully and it didn't stand out at all in the end.

A couple of notes: Using peaches that are a little more on the firm side is fine, this helps to keep their shape during baking rather than getting too mushy. I also, accidentally, reduced the brown sugar in this recipe to 1/3 cup but will probably continue to do so based on the feedback. I went with my new go-to crust recipe from The Homemade Pantry, but feel free to use your own favorite or store bought crust.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Peach Pie
     from Pink Parsley
6-8 large fresh, firm, ripe peaches (3-4 lbs)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbs bourbon or whiskey
2 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten + 1 tsp water
1 1/2 Tbs granulated sugar + 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Divide your chosen pie crust dough into 2 equal pieces and on a lightly floured surface, roll the first piece into a 12-inch circle.  Starting at 1 side of the dough, wrap it around a rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.  Press dough into the plate being careful not to punch through.  Trim the overhang.

2. Peel the peaches, and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, and cut the slices in half.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt.  Add the peaches and bourbon, and stir to coat.  Immediately pour the filling into the pie plate, and scatter the butter pieces over the top.  Don't make the filling until you are ready to use it, because the peaches will give off too much of their liquid and the filling will be runny.

3. Roll the second pie crust into a 10-inch circle, and if making a lattice crust, cut into several strips using a pizza cutter or knife.  Make a lattice design over the peaches.  If you choose to make a standard top, transfer the crust to the pie, pinch the edges together to make a fluted edge or use the tins of a fork to press them closed.  Cut a few slits in the top to release steam.

4. Brush the top with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar.

5. Freeze the pie for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and position the oven rack to the lowest position.  Heat a baking sheet in the oven as it preheats.

6. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet.  Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Bake 40 minutes.  If the crust is getting too dark, cover loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake an additional 15-25 minutes, or until the juices are thick and bubbly.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool 2 hours before serving.

Tweet

Sour Cherry Almond Pie

If you've never experienced the joy of sour cherry season, you're not alone. Available for few brief blink-and-you'll-miss-them weeks at the beginning of June, sour cherries (also called pie cherries, or tart cherries) are the lesser-known cousins of the sweet cherries we all know and love from the late summer. Prepping for a four month stint overseas last June, I managed to miss the entire sour cherry season and vowed to make up for it this year.

While you may find sour cherries available at your local farmer's market this time of year, I was lucky enough to get some hands-on picking experience at Hollin Farm in nearby Delaplane, VA. A beautiful plot of rolling hills just 1 hours from DC, Hollin Farm had strawberries, cherries and a few early raspberries on offer as well as a few early summer veggies for picking. It's also conveniently adjacent to several local wineries if you feel the need to stop off for a quick tasting on the way home, like we did. :)

While I debated for awhile what to do with the quarts of strawberries I'd picked, I knew immediately that these cherries were meant for a pie. I also figured it was about time to try my hand at making a crust from scratch again. I usually go with store-bought crusts, since mine never seem to measure up in taste or texture despite all of the hard work and heartache.  This time I decided to try a recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks, Alana Chermila's The Homemade Pantry.

My first lattice top pie!

Folks, we may have a winner :)  Flaky but not too flaky and neutral enough in flavor not to overwhelm the pie, I was a big fan of this crust.  I would only note however, this recipe calls for vinegar as the only liquid, but there was no way this crust was ever coming together without a little cold water. I'm not sure exactly how much I added but it was at least 5 tablespoons, so you'll have to experiment.

I have to say I absolutely loved this pie and already can't wait for next year's sour cherry season!

Basic Pie Crust
     from The Homemade Pantry
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup water

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cut the butter into half-inch squares and combine with the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using your hands, toss the mixture to coat the butter in the flour. Put the bowl in the freezer. In a measuring cup, combine one-third cup water, the vinegar, and salt. Stir until the salt dissolved and put the measuring cup in the freezer. Freeze both mixtures for 10 minutes.


2. Take the mixing bowl out of the freezer and blend the mixture on low speed with the paddle attachment until it starts to become the texture of crumbly meal. take the measuring cup out of the freezer and, with the mixer still running on low speed, slowly pour the wet mixture into the bowl. The dough will be crumbly at first, then after 10 or 20 seconds, it will come together in a ball. Stop the mixer


3. Turn the dough out onto the counter and press it together into a large disc. Cut the dough into two equal parts, wrap each piece in waxed paper, and press each into a disc. refrigerate for at least two hours, and up to three days.


4. Grease a 9-inch pie dish with butter and lightly dust with flour. Take the dough out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before you are ready to roll it out. Unwrap the dough and place one of the discs on a lightly floured counter. Starting from the center, roll the dough into a circle about 12-14 inches in diameter and 1/4" thick.


5. Fold the crust in half then fold that semicircle in half again so that you have a quarter of a circle. Line up the corner of the quarter with the center of your pie dish and unfold the quarter into a semicircle, then into a full circle.


6. Fill the crust with your pie filling. Repeat the rolling process with the second disc of dough, and either lay it on top of the filling, or cut in strips to form a lattice. Brush top crust with 1 Tablespoon milk and dust with remaining 1 Tablespoon sugar. Use your fingers to crimp the edge of the dough along the circumference of the pie dish.




Sour Cherry Pie

     adapted from Epicurious
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cook tapioca (can substitute cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups whole pitted sour cherries (about 2 pounds whole unpitted cherries)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon (about) milk

1. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, tapioca (or cornstarch, if using), almonds (if using), and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts; set aside.

2. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter. Top pie with remaining crust or lattice strips as directed below. 

3. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, covering edges with foil collar if browning too quickly, about 1 hour longer. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

Tweet

Martha Monday: Apple Butter Hand Pies

Apple butter has always held a special place in my heart. And, yes, I realize how completely weird it is to be sentimental about spiced fruit spread.  Growing up, my family went nearly every year to the Roscoe Village Apple Butter Stirrin' Festival--Yes, an entire 3-day weekend devoted to apple butter--in Coshocton, Ohio. A restored river town full of historical reenactors doing doing historical things like wearing bonnets and stirring enormous copper cauldrons of apple butter over open flame, Roscoe Village actually has lots of themed events throughout the year and is an awesome day trip if you're ever passing through Columbus. It's also only 15 miles from the World's Largest Basket. Just saying.

Ok, off my Ohio tourism soapbox.

I originally planned to make the apple butter from scratch as well but, unbeknownst to me, apparently one does not simply throw together an apple butter. It takes 4-8 hours (if you're using a crockpot) or THREE DOZEN APPLES (if you're being a Martha and using the stovetop). I may attempt this in the fall after another seasonal trip to Stribling Orchard, but for now store-bought apple butter will do just fine, and you should be able to find it in the jelly and jam section of your grocery store.

A couple of notes: I am coming to realize that for any type of folded, or poptart-type it is nearly impossible to get the desired amount of filling in your pie without having it leak out into a splendid mess on your cookie sheet. Just something to keep in mind, as I actually reduced the amount of filling called for in the recipe and still had trouble. Just something to keep in mind and, when it says to crimp the edges, crimp like you've never crimped before.

Leaks waiting to happen

Apple Butter Hand Pies
     makes16
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Apple Butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and zest.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg, and beat until just combined.  Add cream cheese, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and beat until smooth. Form dough into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap; flatten into a disk and refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight, or freeze up to 1 month (thaw in refrigerator before using.)

3.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8" thick. Using a 4 1/2" round cookie cutter, cut out 16 rounds. transfer rounds to parchment-lined baking sheets, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Spoon about 2 tablespoons apple butter onto half a round, spreading evenly to about 1/2" from the edge. Brush ice water around the circumference of the dough, and fold round in half, creating a half-moon shape. Using your fingers, press down on edges to seal and flute edges. repeat process with remaining dough rounds and apple butter. Place hand pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes.

5. Preheat over to 375 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon a small bowl. Lightly brush hand pies with water and sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar mixture, dividing evenly. Bake until hand pies are golden brown and crust is just slightly cracked, about 20 minutes. Transfer pies to a wire rack; let cool slightly before serving.

Tweet

Pie Sisters, Georgetown

I'm no longer in denial that my love of pie has recently been gaining on my love of cupcakes. Unsurprisingly, I think this is because I love them for the same reasons: portability, nostalgia, and virtually endless flavor combinations.

And when it comes to pie, I think nostaligia is the key; as Washingtonian dining editor Todd Kliman recently opined in his hilariously observant rant against the deconstructed pie trend, "Do you really want your confections to awaken an intellectual appreciation of what can be done with flour, sugar, and berries? Wouldn’t you rather make me swoon over every bite? Send me back to my childhood on sugary waves of nostalgia?"

And nostaliga is what you'll find in spades when you step into Pie Sisters, a new gourmet, pies-only bakery in Georgetown. Full of wood accents, candles, live music and pie, you can't help but want to stay and reminisce when the server at the counter ask, "Would you like a glass of milk with that?" I have to say, it pretty much takes an act of God to get me to go to Georgetown, but this heavenly pie is worth the trip.

Mmm...sugary waves of nostalgia...

Serving up whole pies and "cuppies" (pie served in a cupcake-shaped crust--it's like they know me!) Pie Sisters offers up all the traditional flavors as well as seasonal favorites and a savory option. If you're enjoying your pie in-house, take them up on the offer to have it heated. Trust me. Thinking they would simply stick my cuppies into the microwave, I was pleasantly surprised when they were popped into the convection oven and served piping hot. For a double scoop of nostalgia, you can also have it a la mode.

Though the cuppies are a little pricey, it's a great way to sample several flavors and not feel like you're eating the equivalent of an entire pie by yourself. For the next party when everyone expects you to show up with cupcakes, mix it up a little by ordering ahead and bringing a Pie Sisters pie instead. They even come in a glass dish so just say it's homemade...you don't have to elaborate exactly whose home it was made in ;)  I tried the Chocolate Pecan and Classic Apple on my trip and will definitely be back for more! 

If you go

Pie Sisters
3423 M St.
Washington DC, 20007

On Twitter or Facebook

Tweet

Martha Monday: Gingerbread Raspberry Linzertorte

If you have the Martha Stewart Pies and Tarts tome that was released this past spring, you may recognize this as the Gingerbread Raspberry Snowflake Tart featured on page 276.  What you will not recognize on my tart are any snowflakes, as 1" snowflake cookie cutters seem to be non-existent in the DC area. So you get a Gingerbread Raspberry Daisy Tart, I hope that's ok.

Ever since the arrival and immediate cracking open of my copy of this cookbook, the Gingerbread Raspberry Tart stood out to me as visually striking, and quickly became one of the recipes at the top of my to-do list.  This is an excellent winter or holiday tart, not only because of the snowflakes (er, snow daisies?) but also because of the interesting gingerbread twist on the classic holiday linzertort.

I have to admit however, although the tart is visually appealing, I and some of my coworkers thought the flavors in the gingerbread were off.  Personally, I found it much too salty and next time would maybe add nutmeg and increase the brown sugar.  If you're a big fan of molasses however, you may like the recipe just as it is.  Either way, the tart was still good, just not quite what I expected.

A couple of notes: When rolled out, the gingerbread dough cracks and breaks very easily, I recommend using a knife or bench scraper to loosen it from the countertop before transfering it to the tart pan or baking sheet.

For my tart I just used store-bought raspberry jam because I didn't feel like spending $20 on raspberries to make my own.  If they happen to be on sale in your neck of the woods, I've included Martha's jam recipe below and it's very easy.

Gingerbread Raspberry Snowflake Tart
  makes one 10-inch tart

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 egg yolks (1 egg white reserved for egg wash)
1 1/4 cups seeded raspberry jam (jarred, or recipe below)

1. Sift flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt into a bowl.  Add sugar; mix on medium-low speed until combined.  Add butter; mix until combined, about 2 minutes.  Add molasses and egg yolks; mix until dough just comes together, about 30 seconds.

2.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out two-thirds of dough to a 12-inch round, 1/4 inch thick.  Fit into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Spread jam over shell; refrigerate about 30 minutes.

3. Roll out remaining dough to a 10-inch round, 1/4 inch thick.  Transfer round to a parchment-lined baking sheet; refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.  From round, cut out dot shapes with metal pastry tips, and snowflake shapes with cookie cutters (if desired, reserve snowflake cutouts and sprinkle tops with sugar.  Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees).  Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Lightly beat egg white; brush rim of tart shell.  carefully slide dough round over shell; press edges to adhere.  Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

5. Preheat over to 375 degrees.  transfer tart to a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 50 minutes to 1 hour.  let cool completely on a wire rack.

Raspberry Jam
  Makes about 2 cups
18 ounces (4 cups) fresh raspberries
2 cups sugar

1. Stir together 3 cups raspberries and the sugar in a medium sauce pan (off heat).  Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until berries begin to give off their juices.

2. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Skim off foam.  reduce heat; simmer, skimming foam occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in remaining raspberries; simmer just until berries break up, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Let cool completely. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours, or up to 1 week.

Tweet

Brown Sugar Cardamom Sweet Potato Pie

Whereas in my last post I went out on a limb to try Eggnog Scones, a treat that brought together a couple of the flavors that I usually dislike, this recipe incorporates two of the ingredients that I've gone completely nuts for in the past year: cardamom and sweet potatoes.  When I saw this recipe from Baking Bites last month I couldn't wait to try it--two of my favorite flavors combined in one dessert! It's like she knows me!--and, honestly, I can't believe I didn't think of it myself since I'm pretty much a cardamom fanatic at this point and add it to anything and everything possible.

I was actually completely unaware of cardamom until relatively recently when I ate at one of my now-favorite DC restaurants, Rasika.  The delicious gulab jamun I had for dessert there were unlike anything I'd tasted and I HAD to know what spice was at work in the dish. And the rest is cardamom-scented history :)

If you haven't worked with cardamom before, it's very aromatic and has a slight citrusy taste that you'll probably recognize if you've ever had chai.  It can be purchased as whole pods (often crushed and used for infusing flavor before being removed) as well as ground, which looks like a cross between cinnamon and nutmeg.  If you're a big cardamom fan like me, you might also want to check out this recipe for Cardamom Panna Cotta, which showcases the flavor beautifully.

Even though Thanksgiving has come and gone, this would also be a great alternative for next year's pumpkin pie if you're not a pumpkin fan, or just looking for something different--although sweet potatoes have more calories from sugar than pumpkin, they are significantly higher in fiber, vitamins A and C, as well as calcium and iron.  So go ahead and have a second slice ; )

*A Few Notes: I've included the Martha Stewart graham cracker crust recipe I used but, if you don't feel like making the crust from scratch you honestly don't lose anything to taste in the recipe by buying a pre-made crust.  If you do make the crust, you should be more adventurous than I was and try it using cinnamon or gingerbread graham crackers (but in that case you might want to omit the added 3 Tbs sugar).  You can also cut sugar by skipping the caramelized brown sugar layer added to the crust before pouring in the filling.

Brown Sugar Cardamom Sweet Potato Pie
     from Baking Bites
1 9 or 10-inch graham cracker pie crust, prebaked or store bought
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1 1/4 cup cooked, pureed sweet potato or canned
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Place graham cracker crust onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the crust. Bake sugar-lined crust for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

3. Press sweet potato puree through a wire strainer to make it as smooth as possible, adding a tablespoon or two of water if you are working with leftover potatoes to make them a bit more pliable.

4. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a food processor), whisk together all ingredients except the flour. Whisk until very smooth. Sift flour over the sweet potato mixture, and whisk until fully incorporated.

5. Slide brown sugar-filled crust out of the oven and pour filling into pie crust (do not overfill crust if your pie is slightly shallow, just discard excess filling), then return pie to oven.

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until pie is set and jiggles only slightly when the pan is bumped.

7. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before serving.

Graham Cracker Crust
     makes 1 9-inch crust
12 graham crackers finely ground
6 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbs sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in a food processor until combined.

2.  Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish.  Bake until edges are golden, 12-14 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Tweet

Martha Monday: Strawberry-Lemonade Icebox Pie

Even though summer won't officially be here for another week, it's been hotter than hot recently here in DC and that calls for chilled desserts that don't require too much prep work in a hot kitchen--plus, what could be more summery than strawberry lemonade?  I came across this recipe in last month's Martha Stewart Living and knew it would be a perfect and not-too-sweet compliment to a sticky DC summer day.      

While this pie isn't strictly "icebox" and does require a little bit of baking to set the filling, the result is still an quick and easy cool summer dessert perfect for backyard BBQs.  You can cut down even more on bake time if you substitute a pre-made graham crust, which I often find to be easier for transport and clean up when you're bringing dessert for a party anyways.   

Strawberry-Lemonade Icebox Pie

Crust

9 to 10 graham crackers, broken into pieces

1/4 cup sugar

Coarse salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons)

2 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue), plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Coarse salt

Topping

12 ounces strawberries, sliced (2 cups)

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 large egg whites, room temperature (2 reserved from filling)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the crust: Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Pulse crackers in a food processor until finely ground; measure 1 1/3 cups, and discard excess. Pulse cracker crumbs, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in food processor to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is moist and holds together when pressed between 2 fingers.

2.  Press crust evenly into bottom and up sides of pie plate using the bottom of a dry measuring cup. (Make sure the sides and rim of the crust are firmly pressed so they don't crumble when pie gets cut.) Freeze for 30 minutes.

3.  Bake crust until firm and turning darker around edges, 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

4.  Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk together condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks and egg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

5.  Pour filling into warm piecrust. Bake until center is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

6.  Make the topping: Sprinkle berries with 2 tablespoons sugar and the lemon juice. Let stand for 30 minutes.

7.  Meanwhile, heat egg whites and remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to mixer, and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, 8 to 9 minutes.

8.  Spoon berries over pie. Spoon meringue over top. Place pie under broiler, with rack in lowest position, until meringue is just browned. Alternatively, use a kitchen torch to brown the top.

Tweet

Blackberry-Lemon Pie

I think my recent trip to the Dangerously Delicious pie truck may have subliminally influenced me more than I realized, because I was definitely craving pie last week.  And even though "easy as pie" may be one of those overused clichés, this seriously has to be one of the easiest pies I've ever made.  And, more importantly, it is by far the best pie I've ever made...if I do say so myself : ) I can't take too much credit though, because it was mostly due to the secret ingredient...

Blackberry is always my go-to pie because, well, it's my favorite.  But it's also an easy option because the fruit doesn't really take much prep work before going straight into the pie.  I know blackberries aren't exactly in season right now, but rhubarb is really the only pie-worthy ingredient in season right now, and I have to confess that I'm not a fan (don't hate me because I'm anti-rhubarb).  Anyways, I know a lot of us are often too busy to even cook dinner after work, let alone bake, but just pair a few pints of blackberries with a couple of refrigerated or frozen pre-made crusts and you've got a recipe for a super quick and delicious homecooked pie on a weeknight.

As for that secret ingredient...this was my first time using quick-cook tapioca in a pie.  I know, I know, it's nothing revolutionary, but I've never used anything other than flour or cornstarch to thicken a pie and this made all the difference.  The tapioca helps the fruit juices to congeal, forming a pie with more structure and, thus, seemingly more satisfying slices.  That being said, be careful not to go overboard on the tapioca, you don't want to end up with Jell-o pie. Or maybe you do, but that's up to you.

Blackberry Lemon Pie
2 store bought crusts, or your favorite recipe
4 cups blackberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp almond extract
1 Tbs lemon zest
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup Quick-cook Tapioca

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss berries with sugar, cinnamon, almond extract, lemon juice, zest and tapioca in a large bowl and set aside for 15 minutes.

2.  Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the pie crusts and fill with fruit mixture.  Cover with the remaining pie crust, flute and crimp edges to seal, and cut slits in top crust for steam to escape. If desired, place pie plate on a baking sheet to catch any juices that may overflow.

3.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until browned and juices for bubbles that burst slowly.

Tweet

Dangerously Delicious

I won't say I was the first person to claim pie could be "the next cupcake," but let's just say I was one of the first :) Similar to cupcakes in individual serveability, ease of portability, nostalgia factor and seemingly endless range of flavor possibilities, pie has all the makings of the next big "it" dessert.  By now this is nothing new, and Rodney Henry, owner of  Dangerously Delicious Pies, was WAY ahead of the curve, opening his first shop in Baltimore roughly 10 years ago.

And these are more than just your run-of-the-mill pies; voted Best Pie in DC for 2011 and featured on such programs as The Food Network's Paula Deen's Best Dishes and Throwdown with Bobby Flay, you know they must be on to something.  The first thing you'll notice about Dangerously Delicious is their rock n' roll attitude; the pie-and-crossbones logo lets you know this isn't your grandma's pie (though just as lovingly handcrafted), next you'll notice the flavors--more than you can shake a rolling pin at. Featuring both sweet and savory pies, Dangerously Delicious offers over 35 varieties of fruit, cream, custard, meat and vegetable pies...and that doesn't even include the quiches!!

So, When I heard that a branch of Dangerously Delicious was coming to D.C., I was excited.  I was more than excited.  I was eagerly waiting for several months of anticipation while the DC opening was slightly delayed and I was out of the country and unable to enjoy pie glory.  Until now.  Luckily for us, Dangerously Delicious has joined the fray of food trucks taking to the streets of downtown DC and I was recently blessed with a day off and unseasonably warm weather to finally try out a slice.

I got there around 1:30pm and the truck had almost been swept clean.  Luckily I got the last slice of apple crumb and was gifted a with a little extra too to finish off the pan.  The pie had plenty of fruit filling and was loaded with crumb topping and I have to say that the pie totally lived up to the hype, but maybe not the price--$6.50 for sweet pie and $7.50 for a savory is a little steep for me, but where else can you get a warm slice of homemade pie to finish of your lunch?  Luckily I don't work downtown or these delicious pies really could be dangerous :) 

If you go:

1339 H St NE

Washington, DC 20009

2839 O'Donnell St

Baltimore, MD 21224

Twitter:

DangerousPiesDC

DCPieTruck

Tweet

Apple-Cranberry Streusel Pie

I'm a big fan of pie. Homey and unpretentious, pie is difficult to mess up and always comforting. In terms of flavor choices and individual servability, I'd even be willing to give it my vote as the next "it" dessert. Local pie rebel Dangerously Delicious is clearly ahead of the curve on this one.

I made this pie a few weeks ago, on Columbus Day, when I happened to find myself with a blissful 4-day weekend and unseasonably warm temps. After the requisite three days of sitting around doing nothing, I finally managed to motivate not only to make this pie, but to actually drive out to Stribling Orchard in Markham, Virginia and pick the apples myself. How quaint.

Blue Ridge views from Stribling Orchard

There is definitely something rewarding about using local produce, and I may have even gone a little local-overboard by buying about 2 pounds of Stribling's homemade honey. Oops. In other words...stay tuned for honey-based recipes :)

I also made pie crust from scratch for this one, but it honestly wasn't that great (I found it too tough, though that can be a plus for juicy fruit pies) so I won't include the recipe here, but feel free to substitute your own favorite or store-bought crust. The streusel topping, however, was easy and amazing. If you don't have a pastry cutter for this step, you can just use two knives to cut the butter into the flour--not as effective, but much more ninja-like.

Ninja Pie

Apple-Cranberry Pie

FILLING

Juice of 1 orange

Zest of 1 orange

5 cups of peeled, sliced apples (approximately 5 medium apples)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (if frozen, do not thaw)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

TOPPING

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons oats

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Make or purchase one recipe of your favorite pie crust.  Preheat oven to 400. Roll pie dough out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in the pie pan and refrigerate while you make the filling and topping.

2. To make filling, mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. To make topping, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. The topping mixture should clump when pressed together.

3. Add filling to cold pie crust and scatter topping all over the filling. Bake at 400 degrees until the juice in the center of the pie is bubbling, about 1 hour. If the crust or topping becomes too dark, cover the pie loosely with foil.

4. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely before serving.

Easy as pie!!

Tweet

Pie in the Sky

Sometimes I get carried away. I'll be the first to admit that this pie is pretty much over the top. But in honor of National Pie Day (January 23rd!), I mean, why not go all out? Like five layers of flaky pie crust, sweet banana, dulce de leche, mile-high meringue madness. I've been wanting to make dulce de leche for awhile now, especially since I discovered that it can also be made in the oven rather than the typically prescribed method of boiling unopened cans of condensed milk in a pot of water for 3 hours. Because it can explode. I'm serious.

But, in just one hour, you can have your very own delicious vat of creamy, caramely goodness without the risk to your health or kitchen. It's great to have a jar of this stuff on hand for other uses like ice cream topping, fruit dip, eating by the spoonful out of the jar, you know, whatever.
Next time I make this pie I might try it with a graham cracker crust and possibly whipped cream instead of meringue. If you do go with the meringue, only whip it to you desired thickness. I like my meringue thick and, like, borderline marshmallow consistency so, if you don't prefer to feel like you're biting into a sponge, only beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Also feel free to use more banana and slice into coins rather than lengthwise if you prefer a bigger banana flavor. Ahem.

Dulce de Leche Banana Meringue Pie
1 recipe of your favorite pie crust or one refrigerated crust
2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
3-5 ripe bananas
3 egg whites
3 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour condensed milk into a glass pie plate or baking dish (stir in a little fleur de sel if you have it) cover tightly with foil and place into a larger baking pan. Fill with warm water half way up the pie plate and bake 1 hour or until browned (will resemble a dark butterscotch color).

2. Cool to room temperature. In the meantime prepare and bake desired pie crust.

3. Once dulce de leche has cooled, whisk or stir until smooth. Slice bananas as desired, using some to line the bottom of the pie crust. Pour dulce de leche over the bananas and top with remaining bananas.

4. For the meringue, whip egg whites until very foamy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add salt and vanilla and whip to desired thickness. Top pie with meringue and, if desired, toast with a kitchen torch or under your oven's broiler.

Tweet

Snickerdoodle Dandy

So I've decided to ease into my "spicy" fall recipe extravaganza slowly by starting with a recipe that highlights just a single spice: cinnamon. I was instantly intrigued when I came across this recipe for Snickerdoodle Pie from Better Home & Gardens because it seems simple and homey yet comforting in the way that fall food always is. And, I mean, who doesn't love Snickerdoodles?
Even though it's assembled like a pie, this dessert puffs up just like its cookie namesake.

I also decided to pair this pie with a jarred caramel sauce and a quick cinnamon whipped cream. I'm totally pushing the cinnamon whipped cream this fall because it pairs with everything and is possibly the easiest way ever to impress your friends :) Also a note, the cinnamon syrup that tops this pie is delicious on its own and you may want to make up a couple of extra batches just to put on apple pie or vanilla ice cream or just about anything else you have in the house. It's that good.

Oh, and on a personal note...This is my 50th blog post! Hurray for me and a HUGE thanks to all of my readers out there!

Snickerdoodle Pie
1 recipe of your favorite pie crust
or 1 rolled, refrigerated unbaked pie crust
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 plus 1/4 tsp cinnamon, divided
2 tsp butter, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbs water
2 Tbs light corn syrup
1/2 plus 1 tsp vanilla, divided
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pie crust and line 9-in pie plate. In a bowl combine 1 Tbs. sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Brush melted butter over pie crust and sprinkle with 1 tsp of cinnamon sugar mix, set aside. (Reserve remaining cinnamon sugar).

2. For syrup, in a small saucepan combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, water, corn syrup and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla and set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat 1/4 cup softened butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar until well combined. Beat in egg and 1 tsp vanilla. Gradually beat in the milk until combined. Beat in flour. Spread evenly in crust-lined plate.

4. Slowly pour syrup over the filling in the pie plate, sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Cover edges of the pie with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 20 minutes more or until top is puffed and golden brown. Cool 30 minutes on a wire rack and serve warm.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream
8 oz whipping cream
1/8 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon depending on taste

1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream at medium speed until fluffy and thick, about 2 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients to taste and mix until combined.

That's it!! I told you it was easy.

Tweet