Strawberry Parfait Pie

I made this pie by creating a cream cheese/powdered sugar/cool whip/lime juice mixture and layering that with bananas and strawberries. I sprinkled powdered sugar and lime peel on top to make it all look frosty. I wish I had written down the amounts so I could share a recipe with you, sorry 'bout that! Try it anyway and let me know what you come up with.

Thank you Sweetology

Coconut Pistachio Pie

from Sweetology

We invited some new friends over for dinner on a hot day. For a cool and refreshing dessert, I served this delicious pie. This is one of the few pies that requires absolutely no cooking to prepare and it still tastes yummy. To improve the recipe and temper the strong pistachio flavor I might mix the pudding with some homemade vanilla custard though. I loved the coconut crust and will definitely try it again.

Perfect Pie Crust Tutorial

Mix together 2 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp salt in a metal or glass bowl.

Add 2/3 cup of Crisco shortening.

Using a pastry blender, cut shortening into flour until well distributed.

Shortening balls should be no larger than small pea size. Fill the 2/3 cup with ice and then water. Let water chill for 1 minute.

Drizzle 1/2 the water over the flour.

Toss the contents with a fork to distribute water.
Continue adding water and tossing with a fork until all flour has been absorbed and dough begins to ball together.

Press half the dough together in a handful to make a ball. Try not to work dough very much. Use a few kneading motions to bring the dough together. This is the most important step to getting a flaky tender crust. You mustn't handle the dough too much.

Handling carefully, make a disc out of the ball.

Make a disc with the remaining dough. Add a bit of water if necessary. Total water should be about 1/2 cup. At this point you can wrap the disc in platic wrap and chill for 1/2 hour or more. I have not found it necessary.

Lay dough on floured surface and press flat, keeping sides composed.

Roll carefully, flipping dough as necessary to add flour to the surface. Create a circle.

Your dough should look marbled.

Make the dough large enough to expand a couple of inches beyond your pie dish. It should be about 1/8" thick.

Fold the dough in half and bring it to the pie plate. Place the fold at the center line.

Gently manipulate the dough so it fits down into the pie dish, leaving a little to hang over the sides. If you are making a double crust pie, continue reading. If you need a prebaked crust, flute the edges, trim and poke with a fork to allow for steam. Check out the post of creative crusts for further instructions.

This is a mixure of 6 cups apple slices, 1/4 c flour, 3/4 c sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon.

Pour the apples into the pie plate and arrange them so they are well contained and laying flat.

Repeat preparation with the remaining dough disc. Lay it over the apples.

Lift the bottom crust and tuck the top crust under. Press together well to make a thick ring around the edge.

Pinch/twish the dough at an angle to make a pretty edge

Use a butter knife to slice away the edges and make a clean finish.

Brush the crust with a tablespoon or so of cream or milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Make small slices into the dough for venting. Bake on a baking sheet (to catch spills) at 375 for 45-60 minute. The pie is almost done when the filling is bubbling and steam is coming out of the vents. Let it cook 5-10 minutes more depending on the variety of apple you used and your desired tenderness for the apples. You can stab an apple slice through a vent hole to check for doneness. Let cool 30-60 minutes to allow filling to set.

OOPS! This pie was so flaky and tempting we couldn't even wait to take a picture.

Good Luck making a wonderful, flaky, tender, beautiful pie crust.

Jongewaard's Bake N Broil

Today we feature a guest post from Amanda who was fortunate enough to have a pie experience worthy of this blog. To read about other things she ponders check out The Flip Side of My Pillow.

The first stop after the airport and a long arduous journey home was Jongewaard's Bake N Broil. To get a pie. Because we were in Long Beach anyway so why would we not stop by? Would I have expected anything else? No. Every time I called home during the summer, and even to this day, I hear the mixer, spoons scraping the bottom the of pan, apple peelers, and timers going off in the background then am overcome with my mother's sensory detail and description the newest pie experiment. Oh how I reveled in finally being the beneficiary of this new hobby.

Now I know what you are thinking. Any restaurant that uses an "N" instead of "and" had better follow it up with some darn good food and atmosphere because we don't just accept broken grammar rules like that. Well, they did. Not only did they have an orange door to legitimize their name but they also sported a quaint dining area with a hometown diner feel. Maybe we'll even return there for regular breakfast food and not just pie. What a world that would be.

As for the pie, I thought it looked a little bland. Butter crust, learned what that was. Very crumbly and full. Not very decorated. Luckily we have learned to give every pie a fair chance and cut into it to reveal a beautiful filling that matched its looks with a rich taste.

As for me, I say we're going back. I have not have enough of Jongewaard's name or their pie. There is still much to explore. In fact, let's make this a real pie parade and line 'em up!

-Amanda

Creative Crusts

After you've laid out your crust into your pie dish and poked plenty of holes with a fork, it's time to make it beautiful and appealing. These are the 4 ways I flute or decorate my edges. It takes so little effort to make a plain dessert something beautiful to behold and oh so appetizing. Of course you can go to a lot of effort and create something spectacular as well. Do you have a different method I could try?

1. Use a fork to create lines around the edge.

2. Pinch and twist the edge between your thumb and the side of your pointer finger. Make sure you have extra bulk with this method.

3. Scallop the edges by pushing the dough up between the end of your thumb on one hand and the end of your thumb and pointer of the other hand.

4. This one takes time! Roll out your dough and cut long strips. I actually used my quilting template and and old rotary cutter to get perfect strips. Working on the countertop seal three strips together at one end and braid them together. I worked with shorter lengths and then pasted them together. I laid the long braid all out onto the bottom crust, moistening them slightly so they would adhere better and pasting the two ends together carefully. Watch super carefully as it bakes to not let your fancy braids over-brown.

Mysterious Pie

I have this picture in my archives, but for the life of me, I can't remember what kind of pie it is or for what occasion I made it. I suppose it could be a banana cream. Maybe its a lemon cream. Perhaps it's from my buttermilk series. It sure looks yummy! I'll bet it was delicious.

Double Chocolate Cream Pie (Again)

I made this recipe again because it's so easy and delicious. This time I sprinkled chopped up chocolate chips on top instead of mixing them into the warm filling. It had a pretty effect and added some fun crunch.

Wedding Pies

I went to a friend's wedding in Logan, Utah. She had her reception the night before, so right after the ceremony they had a luncheon for the wedding guests. Guess what she served for dessert? Okay, so the pictures gave it away.

Yep, she served pies. All kinds. Cherry, banana cream, chocolate, apple, German chocolate, strawberry, lemon meringue -- basically there was something for everyone. And don't you love the cute little cake pie topper? Her family made it.

The only complaint I had (besides not having a little vanilla ice cream to go with the fruit pies), is that it was self serve, and when you cut the pie, because they were on stands and had no solid foundation, the knife went right through the pie tin. But hey, I'm up for trying tin cream as well.

-Elissa

Pie-zaster! Recipes that didn't work

Mango Cream Pie

Vanilla Roasted Peach Pie

Last week I had company coming for dinner and thought it was a great chance to try a couple of new recipes. I made the Mango Cream pie from MyRecipes.com and the Vanilla Roasted Peach Pie from Health.com. Both pies look so beautiful and inviting! I couldn't wait to dig in! Maybe I shouldn't have waited. . .

The Mango pie called for mango nectar which I didn't have so I used fresh crushed mango instead. The pie had very little flavor and didn't set up at all. Thank goodness for the fresh mango garnish on top.

The peach pie was made with unflavored gelatin, almond milk and Greek yogurt. The custard tasted like milk jello--not very appetizing. The peaches were prepared by roasting them with sugar and lemon juice. They had strong, sweet flavor and I might try cooking them that way again.

I probably won't try these recipes again unless I make some major changes. Fortunately in this wonderful day and age, there are plenty more new recipes to try.

Corkey's Kitchen and Bakery

Where do you take your sister for lunch on her birthday? Someplace that serves pie, that's where! Corkey's in Rancho Cucamonga, CA has a 24 hour menu and is a busy place all day and night. They have some great omelets, sandwiches and home style dinners. My sister and I enjoyed the combo which included a salad, 1/2 sandwich and a slice of pie for $9.49. They were quick and friendly too. I tried the Coconut Cream pie and she chose the Snickers pie. We asked the waitress about the double crust pies because a fresh peach pie sure sounded like a winner. But she said the fillings of their pies come from cans so I opted for a cream. It was a real treat on a hot afternoon! They do a butter crust which is always a disappointment to me but otherwise I thought it was yummy. The snickers pie was a dream. I've got to find a recipe and try it out for myself. Let me know if you've been to Corky's.

Just Can't Get Enough Peaches

I don't have much of a peach tree, but I got just enough to make one recipe. I chose to try out the Barefoot Contessa's Peach and Raspberry Crisp. Don't judge me for not making a pie! A crisp fills the same hole a pie does, and sometimes that's just what sounds good. Just wait till you read my post about the worst peach pie I've ever made, then you'll understand that not all pie is created equal. This crisp was so delicious I could have eaten it every night for a month! Too bad I ran out of my home grown peaches.

Peach and Raspberry Crisp

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 pounds firm, ripe peaches (10 to 12 large peaches)
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pint raspberries
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. Peel the peaches and slice them into thick wedges and place them into a large bowl. Add the orange zest, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the raspberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Pour the peaches into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches and raspberries. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator and reheat in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until warm.

Passing on Pie

This past summer at our family reunion in Oceanside, CA, my nieces helped me make 9 chocolate pies. I couldn't have done it without them. Jessica and Darcy were great to measure and stir (and stir and stir and stir) and poor and scrape and lick and then start all over again. The pie was the perfect end to our meal of chicken fajita enchiladas, green salad, tortilla chips with freshly made salsa, and refried beans. We served about 50 happy people. I hope the girls learn to love making pies as much as I do.

Double Chocolate Cream Pie

(Cooking Light magazine)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups low fat milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping

To prepare filling, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, salt and milk in a medium saucepan; stir well with a whisk. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until mixture comes to a full boil. Gradually add 1/3 cup hot milk mixture to beaten egg; stir well. Return egg mixture to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add grated chocolate, stirring until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Spoon mixture into pastry crust. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Chill until set, (about 2 hours). Remove plastic wrap; spread whipped topping evenly over filling.

Guest Post: Mom's for pie in Salina, UT

Thanks to my 2 sisters and my neice for checking out pie in the little town of Salina UT. Aren't they sweet to share the love?

Just had DELICIOUS pie at Mama's Cafe in Salina, Ut. Salina is a little off the beaten path, but Mama's is right in the middle of town! We ordered slices of German Chocolate and Blueberry Cream cheese. The menu touted "homemeade" and judging by the variation in crust thickness, they were definitely not factory produced. The pie fillings were scrumptious, but the crust was on the tough side.

Love,

Sabrina, Vanessa and Hallie