Pie #44: Second Pie (Mango Pie)

For fear that my nephews might run out of pie this weekend, I decided to make a second for them!  This time Ben was the main eater, and he  proclaimed the pie to be delicious.

I decided to try a Rice Krispies crust from this Rice Krispies website.  The mango pie recipe came from this wiki.

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Mango Pie

Ingredients:

crust:
2.5 c. rice krispies
4.5 T. butter, melted

filling:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. cool whip, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water, tepid
1 mango, cut into chunks
1 packet no flavor gelatin

Pie Algorithm:
1. Mix melted butter with rice krispies; form into pie pan as crust.

2. In separate bowl, puree mango chunks.  With mixer or hand blender, mix together mango, cream cheese, cool whip, and sugar.

3. Dissolve gelatin in tepid water, then blend into filling.  Mixture should be consistent and smooth.

4. Pour into crust.  Chill for at least four hours.

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This pie was delightfully light and fluffy.  My only complaint was that the mango flavor could have been more prominent.  The recipe above produced a pie with only a subtle mango flavor with a light zing.  I would have loved to taste more mango, and will add 1/2 again as much fruit if I make this pie again.

Pie #43: Birthday Pie (Ice Cream Pie)

For Perry and I, this week held more adventure than most weeks.  Perry was surprised to find his friends at his favorite ice cream shop for his 30th birthday, I was granted access to the Supercomputer, and we hosted our nephews (and their parents!) for a few days.  Of course all of this was on top of the typical badminton night, mandolin playing, and thesis writing.  As we enter a season of transition, wrapping up commitments at church, saying goodbye to friends that will leave before us, sorting through (and hopefully donating much of!) our belongings, and then ultimately heading East, we are trying to enjoy life as it is before we move to the unknown.

To help celebrate Perry's birthday, we made an ice cream pie to share with our visitors.  I'm not sure this recipe is necessary; it's very simple.  At any rate...here it is...

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Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients:
1 crust (graham cracker, cookie, rice krispie)

2 complementary flavors of ice cream, softened
sauce (chocolate, caramel, jam)
whipped topping, optional

Pie Algorithm:
1. Fill the bottom half of the crust with one flavor of ice cream, and smooth until flat.

2. Pour thin layer of sauce over the first layer of ice cream.  (Perry's helpful tip: If using jam, the jam may need to be stirred in a separate bowl until it becomes liquid enough to pour.)

3. Fill the rest of the crust with another flavor of ice cream, again smooth until flat.

4. Drizzle extra sauce on top layer of ice cream, if desired.

5. Freeze pie until ice cream has again become hard.  If desired, top with whipped topping before serving.

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Perry chose strawberry and vanilla ice cream with strawberry jam and chocolate sauce.  Wade thought the pie was 'deliciously delicious', and ate 2 large slices.  (Though he says he wishes he could have eaten five!)  Not so bad, I guess! :)

Pie #42: Floppy Pie (Butterscotch Pie)

Last weekend provided several opportunities for which to make pie.  When I asked Perry about making butterscotch pie for a potluck at church on Sunday, I thought he was going to have to wipe the drool from his chin!  I don't care much for butterscotch, so I figured this a potluck was as good a time as any to make a butterscotch pie!  Unfortunately I was in such a hurry to get to the potluck, I forgot to take a picture of my handiwork.  Instead, you'll have to see the results (at left) in the leftover bowl.  Yes, the bowl is missing a spoonful; I have to try at least SOME of each pie! :)

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Butterscotch Pie
West Clinton Mennonite Cookbook
Esther Diener

Ingredients:
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
4 T. flour
2 T. butter
1/2 t. salt
2 c. milk
2 t. vanilla
1 pre-baked pie crust
whipped topping

Pie Algorithm:
Combine sugar, eggs, flour, butter and salt; mix well.  Add milk; cook until thickened.  Add vanilla.  Pour into baked crust.  Top with whipped topping, if desired.

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As I was heating the filling, I was waiting for it to get very thick like the vanilla pudding in the banana pie or the peanut butter pie.  After much waiting and much stirring, this filling got thicker, but not quite to the extent that I was hoping.  I was afraid the sugar was going to start crystallizing, so I decided to take it off the heat.  The flavor was fine and the sugar wasn't gritty; it was just the form of the pie that was the problem.  While in the potluck line, I saw someone's slice of pie flop over on itself.  I thought this was quite fitting - Floppy Pie.  Unlike at other potlucks, I didn't hear any delightful remarks from pie testers.  However, there wasn't any pie to take home...so I guess I tricked at least 8 people into trying some!

Pie #41: Lesson Pie (Salty Honey Pie)

During Grandma and Marvin's visit a few weeks back, Grandma suggested that I learn Great-Grandma Orpha's method for pie-crimping.  I found this suggestion to be timely, as Kirsty had recently sent a link with many interesting pie-crimping methods.  Being home for Easter last weekend, I took the opportunity to get a crimping lesson from Grandma.  She was a very patient teacher, but I definitely needed more practice.

Having promised two pies for a dessert reception at church this weekend, I decided to use this as an opportunity to practice my new technique.  I wasn't able to roll the edge as closely as Grandma did, but I'm pretty excited about my progress (see left)!  Experiencing such success, I decided to try one of the methods from the link Kirsty sent (right).

Now that the week's crust is completely documented, it's time to talk filling.  I made the pie for Easter, and it was so good Perry requested it for the reception this weekend!  The recipe came from a pie shop in Brooklyn: Four and Twenty Blackbirds' Salty Honey Pie.  The complex combination of salty and honey flavors complemented each other well.  Additionally, the cornmeal gave the filling a depth that is unmatched in many other pies.  This is definitely something I'll keep in my pie rotation!

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Salty Honey Pie
Four & Twenty Blackbirds

Ingredients:
pre-baked 9-inch pie crust
1/2 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. white sugar
2 T. white cornmeal
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. honey
3 eggs
1/2 c. cream
2 t. white vinegar
1 t. vanilla paste
1 or 2 T. flake sea salt for finishing

Pie Algorithm:
All of the mixing can be done by hand, or with an electric mixer.

1. Melt butter and combine with the sugar, salt and cornmeal to make a thick paste. Add the honey, vanilla and vinegar and mix together. Fold in the eggs, add the cream and blend.

2. Pour the filling into a pre-baked pie shell and bake at 350F for 45 to 60 minutes. The filling will puff up like a marshmallow and the center will be just slightly wobbly.

3. Once cooled (at least one hour), finish with a sprinkling of flake sea salt. Slice and serve with freshly whipped cream.

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