Pie #22: Thankful Pie (Pecan Pie)

This week Perry and I were able to head home to spend some time with our families for Thanksgiving.  Without getting too mushy I must say that I am very thankful for not only my family, but also for Perry's family.  It's always wonderful to be able to catch up with the people that are important to me - whether via skype, around the dinner table, or in the family room watching 'slides'.

Since many members of our extended families live close to each other, Perry and I often have two gatherings to attend on holidays.  This year we started with lunch at the Lantzes, followed by fellowship with the Kings.  My project seemed like a good excuse to bring pie to the gatherings, so that's what I did (along with Brussels sprouts, which were a MAJOR hit!)  I don't recall eating pecan pie before, and definitely had not made one.  However it seemed appropriate to have pecan pie at Thanksgiving dinner, so with Kathy's  help that's what I made.  We had a good time and she shared several helpful pie and general kitchen tips.  I chose to use Kathy's mom's recipe from the King Family Cookbook; this recipe is less sweet than some pecan pie recipes.

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Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
single pie crust (8 inch)

3 eggs
1/2 c. white sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. karo (scant)
2 T. melted oleo
1/8 t. salt
1 c. pecans (slightly heaping)

Pie Algorithm:

1. Beat all but pecans in mixer.  Add pecans.

2. Bake in slow oven.  Start at 375F, then 350F for 40-50 min, or until firm.

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The pie turned out well, but I learned I do not love pecan pie.  I didn't dislike it; I just thought it was a bit plain.  Other people seemed to like it though, and I was given quite a few compliments.  Marvin (Perry's dad) even stated that he thought the consistency of the filling was just right!  I figure with all the Kathy-made pies he's eaten over the years, he must know what he's talking about!

In addition to the pecan pie I made a second attempt at the Disaster Pie from last week - this time using fresh cranberries.  It was a success - very delicious!  I would definitely recommend it.

Pie #21: Disaster Pie (Cranberry Apple Pie)

Running the risk of being a bit over-dramatic, this week's pie is entitled 'Disaster Pie'.  I was hoping for a sweet/tart pie and was sadly disappointed.  After a long day of sending in job applications, my friend Katie and I headed to Giant Eagle to pick up some supper items.  This should have been a short trip; we only needed 5 things.  However after searching the produce section twice and finding it to be lacking cranberries I knew this trip was not going to go as planned.  I was sure I had seen the tart little berries occupying a whole produce display earlier in the week, so I finally gathered up the courage to ask the woman working nearby of their whereabouts.  She informed me that they had sold out.  It looked like my cranberry apple pie was going to be a disaster.  Katie and I went around the produce shelves debating the possibility of substituting each fruit in our pie.  In the end we simply decided to use dried cranberries.

If the absence of cranberries was the only issue, then this would not have been such a disaster.  But...there was more.  After running through all the needed pie tasks, Katie decided it would be safer for her to run the mandolin (slicer) than it would be for her to peel the apples.  She finished the first 1/2 apple without incident, and was well into her second when she exclaimed...."See, I am doing great!  Don't worry about me cutting myself, this is no problem!"  (Or something similar...remembering word-for-word details isn't one of my strengths...)  However, it was that second chunk of apple that bit her.  Well, I guess it wasn't the apple so much that bit her, as it was the slicer that bit her.  Now she exclaimed, "Uh, oh!  This is quickly turning out to be Disaster Pie!"  A bit of water and 3 band-aids later she was all doctored up, and had sliced the rest of the apples like a pro.  (I should note that the cut wasn't so bad that she needed 3 band-aids.  Rather, it was the wetness of the apples and the location of the cut that required so many!)

Now it's time for my confession - I haven't made a standard pie crust since Pie #15.  While I'm slightly ashamed about this, I also simply have not had time.  Some day I'll get back to it, but not today.  This brings me to the next disaster - we purchased shallow pie crusts.  There was no way that the 4 apples Katie sliced were all going to fit into the crust we purchased.  So, we did what any reasonable people would do...and make some cranberry apple crisp with the remainder!  (I guess this ended up being more of a crisis averted than a disaster...but hang with me, I'm trying to stick with the theme here!)

With all of this being said, I'm going to post the recipe I would have LIKED to have made.  The recipe ACTUALLY made used 1/2 c sweetened, dried (non-chopped) cranberries and 1/2 c sugar instead of what is listed below.  We also used a double crust instead of the crumble topping.

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Cranberry Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1 pie crust

1 1/2 c. cranberries, washed and coarsely chopped
3/4 - 1 c. sugar
4 apples (we used Cameo...they are delightful!)
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 T. dried orange peel
1 1/2 T cornstarch
3/8 t. cinnamon
dash nutmeg

crumb topping (see almond crumble topping from Pie #1, alternatively walnut would be good!)

Pie Algorithm:
1. Peel and thinly slice apples into large bowl holding lemon juice.  Add water until the apples are covered.  Set aside.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in separate small bowl.

3. Drain apples completely.  Mix apples, cranberries, and dry ingredients in bowl and let sit for 10ish minutes to juice.

4. Put apple mixture into pie crust.  Cover with crumb topping (or second crust if you prefer).

5. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes.  Turn heat down to 350F and bake for 45-55 min more.

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We ended up eating the crisp instead of the pie; it was delicious.   Katie and I both liked the orange flavor with the cranberries and apples as well as the walnuts we put in the topping.  However, I will say that I'm definitely looking forward to trying again when the store's stock of cranberries is replenished!

Pie #20: Perry Chai Pie (Chai-Pear Pie)

Several weeks ago I promised I would write more about Perry's band.  The week has finally come.  Per has been enjoying 'noodling around' on his mandolin with his friends Steve and Phil.  They play a folky-bluegrass mix and call themselves Sour Cherry Pie.  My sister thinks its very funny to call them Sour Perry Chai; of course I had to jump on that idea for the pie project!  Kirsty leaves tomorrow for her 2 year voluntary service term in France, so we went home to have dinner with her one final time and to say, "Bon voyage!"

After looking through many pear pie, chai pie, and chai tea recipes online I finally created the recipe that follows.

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Chai-Pear Pie

Ingredients:
double pie crust

3-4 pears
2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon (slightly heaping)
1/2 t. ground cardamom
1/4 t. cloves

milk
sugar

Pie Algorithm:
1. Peel and slice pears into large bowl.  Pour lemon juice on the pears.

2. Mix together dry ingredients in small bowl, then gently stir into pears.  When pears are covered, put into pie shell.  Cover with top crust, brush with milk, and dust with sugar.

3. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, then turn oven down to 325F and bake for 25-35 minutes longer or until juice is thick and bubbling.

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This sweet pie has a unique flavor; I think it tasted good, but it wouldn't be my first choice.  In my opinion, heaping the cinnamon would be a step in the right direction.  Wanda on the other hand, thinks "it was seasoned just right" (without the heaping).  Perry has volunteered to eat the remaining half of the pie.  Merci beaucoup, mon petit chou!

Pie #19: Cat-O'-Lantern Pie (Pumpkin Mousse Pie)

Fall is here.  Leaves are falling, fall flavors have hit the menus, and I need my mittens while I wait for the bus.  To celebrate, Perry and our friend Micah decided they wanted to have a fall party.  We ate delicious vegetable chili, drank freshly pressed and mulled apple cider, carved pumpkins (note Micah's fierce cat and Perry's shooting star!), and watched our toddler friend play with Ariel and Micah's black cat.  To top off the evening Ariel and Micah made pumpkin dessert - it was so delicious I decided to make it into a pie.

 The recipe this week originated from Kraft's website.




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Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Ingredients:

crust:
2 cups crushed Gingersnap Cookies
2.5 T butter, melted
2 T sugar

filling:
1 cup cold milk

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

3/4 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. ground ginger

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

1/8 t. ground allspice

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

topping:

1/2 c. heavy (whipping) cream, chilled

2 t. sugar
1/4 t. vanilla extract

Pie Algorithm:

1. Crust: Mix 3 crust ingredients.  Press into 9in pie pan.  Bake for 5 min at 325F.  Let cool.

2. Filling: Beat first 4 filling ingredients in a large bowl with whisk 2 min.  (Mixture will be thick.)  Stir in COOL WHIP.  Place in cooled pie shell.  Refrigerate 4 hours.

3. Topping: Whip 3 topping ingredients until stiff peaks form.  Spoon onto pie. 

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This is another tasty pie week.  The recipe is easy to make and has the familiar flavor of pumpkin pie - it just has a different texture.  The pie is also easily altered; you could try a graham cracker or vanilla wafer crust, or a pecan praline topping instead of the gingersnap crust and whipped topping suggested above.  With all this talk about altering the recipe, I actually need to confess.  I made this pie to take to our Fall Potluck at church, and accidentally forgot to mix in the cool whip and ended up with pumpkin pudding pie instead of pumpkin mousse pie.  Of course I remembered this step just after I had smoothed out all the pumpkin in the crust - one step too late to do anything about it.  Even with this little problem I left church with an empty tin and the compliment of my friends Grace and Matthew!  As the picture shows, there was plenty of extra filling without the cool whip.  The extra filling could be put into a second pie or could be put into small dessert glasses.