Pie #31: Sophisticated Palate Pie (Pear Pie)

This weekend Perry and I participated in the Piecemaker's Annual Knotting Party.  (For a description of the Piecemakers, visit Pie #7.)  The knotting party is held to involve the congregants in the comforter-making process, and to raise funds for the Piecemaker's cause.  Last year the Piecemakers set (and accomplished!) a year-long goal to finish 100 comforters with the help of all the extra knotters!  This year we decided we wanted to increase our productivity, so we set a goal of 101!  During the scheduled sessions this weekend the gathered body was able to knot around 35 comforters, which puts our yearly tally just over 60!  We're well on our way to meeting our goal!

Typically the fundriaser part of the meal has involved homemade soup and cookies.  This year (much to my delight!) we decided to trade some of the cookies for homemade pies.  Everything was delicious!  Of course I contributed the pie of the week, which happened to be Perry's favorite (EVER).  I used Kathy's recipe with the hopes of Perry being delighted.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Pear Pie
Betty Crocker's Cookbook (circa 1969)

ingredients:
Pastry for 2-crust pie

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground mace (optional)
*4 cups sliced, peeled fresh pears, slightly underripe (about 7 medium)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine


Pie Algorithm:

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Stir together the sugar, flour and mace, if desired. Mix with the pears. Turn into a pastry-lined pie pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.

3. Cover with the top crust which has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover the edge with a 2- to 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, removing the foil the last 15 minutes of baking.

4. Bake 40-50 minutes or until crust is brown and the juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust.

*I actually used closer to 5-6 cups of pears, and could probably used another cup.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Everyone said that they really liked the pie.  Some people had not tasted pear pie before, but were pleasantly surprised.  Others simply liked the fact that the pie wasn't overly sweet.  As I'm sure you could have guessed though, the real test was going to rest with Perry's review!  After getting some grief about earlier pies "not being quite like Mom's," he was careful with his answer this time.  It turns out that his sense of taste is more refined than I thought; his response was that his "sophisticated palate detected something slightly different between this pie and his mother's pies."  He figured out what the difference was - his mom always uses Bartlett Pears, and I used Red D'Anjou Pears!  Even with this difference he really liked the pie.  It was another successful pie week!

Pie #30: Just Like Mom's Pie (Peanut Butter Pie)

After a short delay, I bring you Just Like Mom's Pie!  With the help and watchful eye of my MIL, I have finally succeeded with this recipe!  Every time I try this recipe on my own, I have failed miserably and am left with nasty, lumpy pudding!  Not any more though...I have the secrets to success in hand, and have Kathy to thank for a delicious pie!

I have loved this pie for years.  Kathy, knowing this, quite typically makes one when she knows we're coming home!  This weekend we celebrated Christmas with Perry's family - complete with parents, siblings, nephews and grandpa!

Each year we celebrate Christmas with a delicious meal on Marv and Kathy's beautiful sets of dishes.  I always try to locate myself at a setting of American Sweetheart - Monax.  These dishes are white, but when held up to the light, a light blue pattern shines through.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:
1 blind-baked pie crust (9-in)

peanut butter mix:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. peanut butter (smooth)

pudding:
2 c. milk
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
2 T. margarine
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs

topping: (doubled on 25 Jan 2013...this pie needed more whipped topping!)
1 c. whipping cream
4 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla


Pie Algorithm:
Peanut Butter Mix:
1. With a fork, mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar until mix turns into small crumbly pieces.  Put most of the mixture in the bottom of the pre-baked shell, saving just a bit for the top of the pie.

Filling:
1. Mix 1/3 c. sugar, the cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Beat eggs, set aside.  Prepare margarine and vanilla to use later.

2. Put milk and the other 1/3 c. sugar in a saucepan.  Heat until nearly boiling, whisking occasionally.  Just before boiling, scoop out approximately 1/4 c. of the warm milk mixture and stir into beaten eggs.  Beat egg mixture together with the sugar/cornstarch/salt mixture - mix until there are NO lumps!

3. As soon as the milk boils, whisk egg mixture into milk.  Whisk like crazy until the pudding heats enough to bubble.  Take away from heat immediately and whisk in margarine and vanilla until margarine melts completely.  Pour hot pudding into shell.  Let pie sit until pudding completely cool.

Topping:
1. Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until nearly stiff peaks form.  Spread on top of chilled pie.  Sprinkle the remaining peanut butter crumbs on whipped topping.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%



It was great to spend the weekend with the Leatherman clan.  Everyone loved the pie (it happens to be several family members' favorite)!  I am excited to try making this on my own soon!

Pie #29: Citrus Redemption Pie (Orange Chiffon Pie)

Several months ago my friend Sav suggested that I should try some sort of orange pie.  Now that citrus is in season, I decided it was time to use her suggestion!  I grabbed this Orange Chiffon Pie recipe from the taste of home's website.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Orange Chiffon Pie

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker crust (8 inches)

1 package (3 oz.) orange gelatin
1 T. sugar
3/4 c. boiling water
1/2 c. orange juice (approximately 2 oranges-worth)
1 t. grated orange peel
8 oz. whipped topping, thawed

Pie Algorithm:
1. In large bowl dissolve gelatin powder and sugar in water.  Add orange juice and peel.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or until thickened but not set.

2. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes or until foamy and thickened.  Fold in whipped topping until completely combined.  Pour into crust.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The pie is a complete turnaround from last week's pie; it was quite delightful!  The flavor reminded me of Orange Creamsicle, and the texture was like eating a light, fluffy cloud!  I look forward to eating more tomorrow!  I don't think there are supposed to be such large jello clumps - I think I let the mixture sit longer than it should have before I beat it.  Still, what we have here is a very tasty pie!

Pie #28: Left-Over Pie (Shaker Lemon Pie)

New Year's Day brought the extended Lantz family Christmas celebration.  Each year this is a gathering of a family that enjoys eating, laughing, and playing together.  I have a distinct childhood memory of this gathering.  All the adults were sitting around the dining room table talking after dinner.  I remember thinking that the adults were VERY funny, and I could hardly wait until I was old enough to be funny too!  The jokes this year did not disappoint, though many of them were directed at my poor pie.

This was the first time I have ever taken a pie to a dinner with a slice missing.  After tasting a bit of the filling to make sure it was finished baking, I realized that the pie may not be fit to serve my family.  Thus before we ate everyone was warned that the pie wasn't as delicious as it appeared!  This warning alone was enough to start the pie jokes; some of them included suggestions of names for the week's pie: A Pie of Resolution, Diet Pie, Pucker Pie, etc.  Though my family offered many great suggestions, my cousin Cody was the ultimate winner.

Cody came back to the table with his second plate of food, which included one fat slice of Lemon Pie.  He scooped up a large forkful, and declared, "Cheers!"  We all laughed, but that was Cody's last bite of this bitter pie.  Though he's a life-long member of the 'Clean-Plater Club', the pie prevented him from obtaining his award this year.

I selected this pie based on the beautiful picture of it in John Phillip Carroll's Pie, Pie, Pie: Easy Homemade Favorites. The picture called to me - I simply could not resist making it!  The initial flavor was delightfully tart - like fresh lemonade, but the after-taste was very bitter.  I'm not really sure what happened.  Perhaps it was the mini-lemons I used instead of the normal lemons; mini-lemons that yielded a higher skin to fruit ratio.  Perhaps the lemons were not sliced thinly enough; therefore they didn't have a chance to break down as they should have.  Perhaps the sugar and lemon mixture was not allowed to sit long enough.  Whatever the case, the pie's after-taste was terrible!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Shaker Lemon Pie

Ingredients:
9-inch double pie crust

3 lemons
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten

Pie Algorithm:
1. Wash lemons well, and then dry completely.  Cut off and discard ends of lemons.  Grate the lemons until you have 1-2 Tablespoons of zest.  Put the zest in a large bowl.

2. Slice 2.5 of the lemons as thinly as you can (at best you should be able to read through a slice), poking out the seeds as they appear.  Put the slices in the bowl with the zest.  Juice the remaining lemon half.  Add this juice along with the sugar to the bowl.  Toss to combine and coat lemon slices evenly.  Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3-5 hours.

3. Add eggs to lemon mixture and stir until evenly mixed.  Pour into bottom crust and then cover with top crust.  Brush top crust with milk and dust with sugar if desired.

4. Bake for 15 minutes at 450F, then for 30-40 minutes more at 375F.  Pie is ready when crust is lightly browned and a knife inserted comes out clean, or with just a translucent film of filling on it.  Cool to room temperature before serving.  Refrigerate any leftover pie.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Part of me thinks I should never try this pie again, but another part of me wants to perfect it.  Needless to say I was delighted when I ran across another recipe for this pie today.  It only called for 2 lemons and you were to blanch them, not grate their peel, and you were to allow them to macerate for a minimum of 9 hours (stirring after the first hour).  Maybe there will be another Shaker Lemon Pie on my table in 2013!