The Crust Edition - Week 5 Bonus Pie Fries

My favorite part of the pie is the crust! And I always love when there is extra crust to sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on to bake up to make some pie fries.

When I would tell people about the Pie Challenge, the most common question was "Are you going to make your own crust?" Since this is a Pie Challenge, I've committed myself to making homemade crust for every pie this year. In the past, I have been known to use a frozen crust and will continue to occasionally do so after this year. In fact, I will encourage you to use a frozen crust if it means the difference between making a pie or not making a pie. 

Years ago, I was a fan of the Crisco pie crust; however as I've matured, my tastes have changed. It may be the fact that after years of cooking for quantity; I'm finally ready to move on to quality. First, I tried a lard crust, and it was just okay with the lard that was available in the store. I've been told that a high-quality lard makes a better crust; so I will keep my eye out for that because I'm not planning on rendering my own lard to produce a fine lard. Then I made the all butter recipe, and it was good.  And, I still have a few other recipes that I plan on trying, but this recipe is "the one" for now with a blend of Crisco and butter.

The key to a good flaky crust is to keep the fat in small intact pieces. To achieve this, you'll want to use super cold ingredients. I actually stick my Crisco in the freezer a couple hours ahead of time and place ice cubes in my water and get a tablespoon out of my glass as I need it.  Also, the key is to work quickly; so your dough doesn't get overworked.

I used some Kansas flour, Hudson Cream, which is located just south of me. Yes, that is a big 25 lb. bag; I can't imagine that people used to buy it in 100 lb. bags. I also prefer the salted butter; however, I know that many bakers prefer unsalted butter. So, keep that in mind when you're deciding between salted and unsalted; and then adding salt to your dough.










Never Fail Crust (Yield 1 Double Crust or 2 Single Crusts)

Ingredients:
2 cups Flour
1 t. Salt (less if using salted butter)
1/2 cup Butter, cubed and cold
1/2 cup Crisco, cold
1 Egg, beaten
1 t. Vinegar
5 T. Ice Cold Water

Directions:

Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter and Crisco until it resembles coarse sand. Lightly toss egg, vinegar, and 2 T. water into the flour mixture. Add 1 T. water at a time just until dough is held together, but not sticky. Divide dough into two. Shape each dough into a flat disk with your hands. Roll out on flour-covered surface quickly with as little contact as possible. 

You may prepare these ahead of time and store each disk tightly wrapped in refrigerator for a few hours or day; or in the freezer for a little longer.

I actually quadrupled this recipe to see what happens when you freeze the dough. I found out even in this frigid weather that if you set it out an hour ahead of time, it is a perfect consistency to roll out for your crust. It is so nice to be able to pull out a disk of dough out of the freezer and not have to make the crust from the beginning. I'll be disappointed when my stash is gone.



Many people roll their dough out on waxed paper, but I found that my kitchen table sprinkled with flour is my preference. I have multiple rolling pins (wood, teflon-covered metal, and marble); the marble is my hands-down favorite. I found that a kitchen stainless steel scraper works great to get under the crust to help lift it and transfer the pastry into the pie plate. I usually leave about an inch of crust overhang and crimp the crust with the thumb & forefinger of one hand and push with my forefinger of my other hand working around the pie to make a standard crimped edge.

And the best part of making your own crust is the leftovers! I actually made a batch just for my pie fries, and it was a treat. I used a fluted pastry cutter to get that fancy shape, but typically it gets thrown onto a baking sheet just the way it gets trimmed off of the pie crust.





What is your favorite crust? And your favorite tip and trick?

Vinegar Pie - Week 5

"When the cares o' day are done, on the plains o' Kansas, 

And the kids begin to yawn, sleepy like in Kansas, 

Farmer wipes his glasses blurred, 

Reads a chapter o' the Word, 

Then kneels down and thanks the Lord that he lives in Kansas.

 -LITTLE RIVER MONITOR, November 1, 1906

As the years go by, I love the state of Kansas more and more. We have some great people living here, communities to grow a family, and many opportunities available.

I remember every year while I was a student, we would celebrate Kansas Day on January 29th by learning history, making crafts, and learning the statistics of our state. I enjoyed it when someone would bring their family's heirlooms and share stories of hard work but a simpler time. 

As a girl, I read the Little House on the Prairie book series, and enjoyed every little bit.  Laura Ingalls Wilder's family would have been in Kansas in 1869-1870 when the state was just a few years old.  I remember that food and meals were a large part of the stories that were told. When I found the book that featured frontier foods from the book series, I was excited to find some pie recipes.  I chose a vinegar pie to fix because I can just imagine that at the end of January their supplies were starting to dwindle and that this would have been a real treat for the typical family in the pre-1900's Kansas family.  

The vinegar pie was used as substitute for a lemon pie, and sometimes referred to as the "Poor Man's Pie" because lemons were considered a luxury for people on the prairie.  

When Daniel saw me put this pie on the Pie Board, he begged me not to make it. However, he warmed up to the idea and by the time I made it, he was ready to try it with an open mind.  We decided that it is actually very good. The first taste does taste vinegary, but with the second taste it starts to grow on you, but then after the third bite, you start to taste the apples. While you are finishing up the slice, you can just imagine that you are eating a pie that is made from fresh fruit. It is an experience that everyone should experience and encourage you to try it out! It is definitely an economical way to enjoy a slice of pie with a fruity taste without using actual fruit.

Ingredients:

1 Pastry Pie Crust

1/4 cup Butter

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose Flour

1/2 t. Nutmeg

3 T. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup water

Directions:

Melt butter. Beat eggs in small bowl. In large bowl blend both sugars, flour, and nutmeg with fingers until no lumps remain. Stir in vinegar, eggs, butter, and water until well mixed. Pour into pie shell and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove and cool until the filling is firm enough for cutting.

You may be able to tell that I didn't get the eggs mixed the best; so I did have some spots in the pie that looked egg-y, but I don't feel that it affected the taste.  I had also found some recipes that called for a teaspoon of lemon extract, and that would be good too. (edit: You may blind bake the crust if you want to ensure a crisp crust)

I also found another series of books entitled the Butter in the Well at the public library featuring stories of a Swedish immigrant to the Assaria written by Linda Hubalek.  She also had a book, Egg Gravy, that featured recipes from the same time period. One of the pie recipes, "Oh-So-Good Pie", is basically a variant of the vinegar pie with an addition of 1 cup of raisins.  One of the facts that Linda points out, recipes from this era are typically non-existent because they were in the cook's head, or the instructions too vague that the recipes don't turn out with our modern equipment.

Butterscotch Pie - Week 4

In honor of National Pie Day, I wanted to choose a pie that was traditional, but yet something that would be a treat. This pie does not disappoint.  

I remember sometime in my childhood having this pie, but I know that it must be 25 years since I've tasted homemade butterscotch w/meringue.  So, I looked in one of my grandma's cookbooks to find an original recipe for the classic homemade butterscotch pie. Then, since I was inexperienced with meringue, I chose a recipe with a name that promised that it couldn't fail.

Ingredients - Butterscotch Filling:
1 Pastry Pie Crust, baked
¾ cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
2 c. Scalded Milk
1/8 t. Salt
3 Egg Yolks, beaten
1 ½ T. Butter
1 t. Vanilla
Meringue

Directions:

In double boiler, combine sugars, flour and add hot milk (1). Add salt. Stirring constantly to make a smooth mixture. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened (2). Pour part of hot mixture slowly onto egg yolks, stirring constantly (3). Pour back into double mixture. Mix well and cook no more than 3 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Add butter, stir until melted. Cool (4). Add vanilla, and pour into shell. Cover with meringue and proceed as directed.

(Scalded Milk Note: You may heat the milk for 3-4 minutes in a glass container in a microwave with a bamboo or chopstick breaking through the surface.  This prevents the milk from super-heating and scorching)

Ingredients – Never Fail Meringue:

2 T. Sugar

1 T. Corn Starch
1/2 cup water

3 Egg whites

1/8 t. salt

1 t. Vanilla

1/3 c. Sugar

Directions – Meringue:

In small sauce pan, combine sugar and corn starch. Add water; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and clear. Cool. In mixer bowl, combine egg whites, salt and vanilla. Beat at high speed until foamy. Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Add cornstarch mixture. Continue beating until meringue stands in stiff peaks. Place on top of filling sealing to edges of baked pastry. Bake 12-15 minute at 350 degrees until browned.

I actually made two pies as I wanted to compare the homemade to a cheater instant pudding pie. Here are the prep ingredients:

And then compared the two, slice by slice:

And, the comparison is a difficult task because they're just not the same.  It is like comparing a Nacho plate complete with meat, salsa, and melted cheese to Nacho flavored Doritos. The homemade is so good with it's creamy goodness. This was my 11-year old son's first experience with homemade butterscotch and meringue. Afterwards, he just couldn't stop thinking about it. However, we still admitted that we enjoyed the cheater pie. Yes, it has a definite manufactured taste (similar to those Doritos), but it is still enjoyable. 

How did you celebrate National Pie Day?

And how do you like your Butterscotch Pie? 

Have you indulged in a cheater pie recently?

Beef Pot Pie with Sage Parmesan Biscuit Topping - Week 3 Bonus Pie

Hearty meal to warm up your family dinner table with real chunks of meat, potatoes and vegetables topped with tasty biscuits.

This pie breaks the round dish rule, and has a fluffy biscuit topping rather than a pie crust. 

Ingredients – Filling

2 lbs. Beef Stew meat, 1” chunks

1 T. Olive Oil

1 t. salt

½ t. pepper

2 cloves garlic, mashed

3 c. beef broth

1 t. dried sage

1 c. onions, diced

1 c. carrots, chunked 1/2”

2 c. potatoes; chunked 1/2”

1 c. frozen corn, defrosted

1 c. frozen peas, defrosted

2 T. flour

½ c. milk

Directions – Filling:

Brown beef in skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic for 6-8 minutes. Add broth, sage, onions, carrots, and potatoes. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Mix 2 T. flour with ½ cup milk in small bowl. Add milk mixture, corn and peas to beef and cook for additional 10-15 minutes. Spread in 3 quart casserole dish.

Ingredients – Biscuit Topping:

2 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

½ t. salt

1/3 c. shortening

½ c. Parmesan cheese

2/3 c. milk

1 t. sage

Blood Orange Curd Pie - Week 3

Blood Oranges to brighten your January in a pie produces a different result.

Did you know that blood oranges are in season?

Blood oranges w/a lemon on the
lower left and a handy-dandy squeezer. 

The availability is from January to March and they keep best refrigerated rather than in the fruit bowl. Pick ones that are firm and not spongy to the touch. They are smaller than a a typical orange and have a tart, almost berry taste.

I wanted the pie selection for each week to match what was in season, and when I saw an older recipe for orange pie, which I never recall having, I decided that would be a perfect way to brighten the month of January.

However, even with the best intentions this uncommon pie just turned out unusual. I do feel that it does have some redeeming qualities; so follow through with me.

The crust was definitely our favorite part of this pie. It is a simple shortbread crust that would fit well with other pie filling. I'm definitely going to hang on to it for another time. It is even a pat-in crust that may be a good fit for bakers that don't care to use a rolling pin. 


Ingredients – Shortbread Crust:

1 cup Flour

1/3 cup Powdered sugar

½ t. Salt

½ cup Butter

½ t. Almond Flavoring

1 Egg Yolk

Directions – Shortbread Crust:

Mix ingredients well and press into pie plate. Bake empty shell 8 minutes at 375 degrees just until puffed slightly. Let cool while making curd.

When you are patting it in, it tends to be extremely sticky; so I used a little bit of cooking spray on my fingertips to help with that. After that you will want to stick it in a freezer for a few minutes to have it set up nice before baking it.

Ingredients – Orange Curd:
2 t. blood orange zest
1 cup Fresh Blood Orange juice, (about 4 oranges)
1/4 cup Lemon juice
1 cup sugar

4 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup Butter,

cut into 1/2” cubes

Directions – Orange Curd:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high to high heat, whisk together the orange zest, blood orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and egg yolk. Cook the curd, stirring constantly with spatula, for about 10 minutes until it starts to thicken and coats the spatula being careful for it not to curdle. If it does curdle, you can remove the curdled bits after wards if needed. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour the cooled curd into the shell, and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until filling is set on edges, but inside filling is not. Let cool and then refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

I had some difficulty with the filling. In fact, it was not at all like I thought it would turn out the first time; so I tried it a second time. And, it produced 2 completely different results.

The first try, I was too cautious about burning or curdling my filling; so I took my time and cooked it over medium-low heat, and it would never set up. But, I figured it would finish in the oven and it remained soupy and I kept on baking it and eventually burnt the crust and it was still runny. However after a night in the fridge it was setup the next day. With the overbaked (burnt) crust, it was a disappointment.

The second attempt, I made in a personal size pie dish and halved the recipe; so that is why it looks like a miniature piece of pie.

I wanted to make sure I did not have a runny filling; so I cranked up the heat to high (I used a double-boiler, since my saucepans are very thin and not the heavy saucepan as the recipe recommends.) And I made sure I cooked it for the full 10 minutes. This time, it was almost too set, and was hard to spread in my crust. It had the curd look and taste that the first attempt did not have.

Braided Star Nutella Bread - Bonus Pie-Spired Week 2

This recipe was easy as pie! Round sweet dish served in triangular slices.... but not pie. Throughout this next year, I plan on sharing a variety of pie-spired recipes in addition to my regular weekly sweet pies.  This is just the first of many.

The ingredient list is super short. And this is a great beginner recipe if you've never made your own homemade bread before.  I did purchase fresh yeast as it had been awhile since yeast had been used in our house. It is a good idea to make sure that your yeast is fresh as it loses its effectiveness when it expires. 

Chocolate Chess Pie - Week 2

Chocolate!!
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt! Charles M. Schulz

Chocolate is definitely known as a feel good food. It even contains phenylethylamine, the same chemical that our brain produces when we feel happy or in love. In it darkest forms (basically with little sugar, cream or oils), it has health benefits; however Chocolate Chess Pie is not one of the forms that would be considered healthy.

Bacon Apple Pie- Week 1

It's the first day of the new year and I've baked the first pie for my Easy as Pie Challenge: The Bacon Apple Pie! I actually found the idea from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, TN. They actually had a recipe provided, but after some research, I modified it to fit my needs.

Even though this may not be everyone's favorite. I knew this would be a strong contender in our home....because Bacon makes everything better! The list of things that are better with bacon is long; think: cheeseburgers, sandwiches, broccoli salad, footloose, and now, PIE!

For this pie, I used Jonagold; and some high-quality bacon from Ellinwood Packing. I had sent my husband to get the bacon, and he brought home 2 1/2 pounds of bacon instead of the pound that I requested. Did I tell you that he thinks bacon is awesome? He actually makes a very good Bacon Chili.

I've always enjoyed the woven top pie crusts, and bacon is a super way to achieve that woven top.

This is is a glimpse of the pie looked before it baked in the oven.

We thought the pie was great. A nice blend of salty and savory with the sweetness of the apples.  We also indulged before dinner and it was very filling. Beforehand, I was concerned that it would be too greasy, but it wasn't. And I even was able to swab some of the oil with a paper towel right after it came out of the oven. It would be a perfect complement to homemade ice cream. 

Ingredients:

1 deep dish Pastry Pie Crust

6 c apples,, peeled, cored & sliced

¾ c. brown sugar

¾ c. flour

2 t. pumpkin pie spice

12 slices bacon (lean)

Directions:

Mix sugar, flour, spices in small bowl. Toss with apples and place in unbaked shell. Starting at center of pie, spread uncooked bacon slices and weave 6 horizontal and 5 vertical. Trim bacon slices to outer edge, and gently roll ends into crust for bacon shrinkage.Place foil underneath pie plate in oven for overflow.
Bake 55 minutes at 350 degrees covered with foil.
Bake another 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees uncovered.
May use a paper towel to absorb extra grease after baking.

You can get a printable copy of the recipe here. Happy New Year and Happy Baking!