Praiseworthy pies deserve baking
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BY ERIN SIMPSON / Better Homes and Gardens
No matter the time of year or the occasion, Better Homes and Gardens readers love playing in the dough. So the magazine sent out a call asking readers to share their flakiest homespun favorites.
The result, published in the September 2008 issue: a collection of praiseworthy pies as pleasing to make as they are to eat. Take it from apple pie innovator Catherine Wilkinson: “What’s better to make than pie?’’
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Single-Crust Pie Pastry
With this sure-fire recipe you can have a homemade crust in just 10 minutes.
Prep: 10 minutes
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
Cold water
In medium bowl, stir together all-purpose flour and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork to mix. Push moistened pastry to side of bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon of water at a time until all of the flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into ball.
On lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten pastry. Roll pastry from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter, lightly dusting with flour as needed.
Food-processor method: In food processor, combine flour, salt and shortening. Pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal but a few larger pieces remain. With processor running, quickly add 3 tablespoons water through feed tube. Stop processor as soon as all water is added; scrape down sides. Process with two pulses (mixture may not look completely moistened). Remove pastry and form into a ball. Proceed as above.
To line pie plate: Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll into a 9-inch pie plate or pan. Ease into pie plate without stretching the dough. Trim edges of crust to ½ inch beyond pie plate. Flute edges as desired.
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Rosemary Apple Pie
“My mother has Alzheimer’s disease and can no longer bake. Each week when I visit I bring a different pie for my father to ‘test.’ It is sort of like a challenge. This was one I came up with when I had a lot of rosemary in the garden.’’ —Catherine Wilkinson
Prep: 1 hour
Bake: 55 minutes
Oven: 375 degrees F.
Stand: 30 minutes
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
2 large sprigs fresh rosemary plus
1 teaspoon finely snipped fresh rosemary
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
6 cups cored, peeled and sliced
Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup butter
1 Recipe Rosemary Pastry, below
1 egg white, beaten
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
For rosemary syrup, in small microwave-safe bowl combine ¼ cup granulated sugar, the water and 2 sprigs rosemary.
Microcook, uncovered, on 100 percent power (high) for 2 minutes. Let stand 30 minutes; remove rosemary sprigs and discard.
In small bowl combine brown sugar, flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon finely snipped rosemary; set aside. In very large bowl toss apples with lemon juice. Add brown sugar mixture; toss to coat. Add whipping cream, vanilla, and rosemary syrup.
In large skillet melt butter over medium heat; add apple mixture. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On lightly floured surface, slightly flatten one Rosemary Pastry ball. Roll it from center to edges into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry circle around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into 9-inch pie pan or plate. Trim pastry even with rim of pie pan; spoon in apple mixture.
Roll remaining ball of pastry into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Cut large slits in pastry. Place pastry circle on apple filling; trim to ½ inch beyond edge of pan. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar.
To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on wire rack; serve slightly warm. Makes 10 servings.
Rosemary Pastry
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon finely snipped fresh rosemary leaves
1 cup shortening, chilled
1/3 cup ice water
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vinegar
In large bowl combine flour, salt, sugar, and rosemary; cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal.
In small bowl combine ice water, egg yolk and vinegar. Add liquid mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, to flour mixture using a fork to mix, until flour mixture is moistened. Divide in half; form into balls.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.
Food processor method: In food processor combine flour, salt, sugar, and rosemary leaves. Add shortening. Pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add liquid mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until moistened.
Proceed as above.
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Maple-Nut Pie
“This recipe was created in honor of my father, who passed away when I was a little girl. We shared a love of maple walnut ice cream.’’ —Robin Haas
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 13 minutes/35 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Oven: 450 degrees F/350 degrees F
1 Recipe Single-Crust Pie Pastry, or 1 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (½ of a 15-ounce package)
1½ cups pure maple syrup
3 eggs
6 tablespoon butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons light rum (optional)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Rum raisin or vanilla ice cream
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare pastry and line 9-inch pie plate. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with fork. Line pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5 minutes more or until crust is lightly browned; cool. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
In saucepan bring maple syrup to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup.
In medium bowl beat eggs with electric mixer on medium to high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes.
In large bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat to combine. Beat in reduced syrup and eggs. Fold in walnuts, vanilla, rum, and nutmeg. Pour into prebaked crust.
Bake pie on baking sheet in lower third of oven 35 minutes or until set around edges; cool. Serve with ice cream. Makes 10 servings.“My grandmother used to make a ‘funny cake,’ which is like a cake baked in a pie shell. This is a variation on that recipe.’’ —Suzanne Conrad
Snickerdoodle Pie
Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes
Cool: 30 minutes
Oven: 350 degrees F
1 Recipe Single-Crust Pie Pastry, or 1 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (½ of a 15-ounce package)
1 tablespoon raw sugar or coarse sugar
½ plus ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
2 teaspoons butter, melted
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
½ teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 egg
½ cup milk
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pastry and line 9-inch pie plate. In bowl combine raw sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Brush melted butter over crust. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set aside.
For syrup, in saucepan combine brown sugar, ¼ cup butter, the water, corn syrup, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil gently 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla. Set aside.
In mixing bowl beat ¼ cup softened butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar until well combined. Beat in egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in milk until combined. Beat in flour. Spread evenly in crust-lined pie plate.
Slowly pour syrup over filling in pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover edges of pie with foil.
Bake pie 25 minutes; carefully remove foil. Bake 20 minutes more or until top is puffed and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes on wire rack. Serve warm. Makes 10 servings.
Buttermilk Pie
“People who have tasted this say it reminds them of when they were kids, of something their grandmothers made.’’—Hillary Barzilla
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 12 minutes/45 minutes
Chill: 4 hours
Oven: 450 degrees F/350 degrees F
1 Recipe Single-Crust Pie Pastry, or 1 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (½ of a 15-ounce package)
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare pastry and line 9-inch pie plate. Line pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes.
Remove foil. Bake 4 to 6 minutes more or until crust is lightly browned; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
In saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in sugar and flour. Remove from heat; set aside. In mixing bowl beat eggs with electric mixer on medium speed just until fluffy (about 1 minute). Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Gradually whisk buttermilk mixture into butter mixture until smooth. Pour into prebaked crust.
Place pie on oven rack; carefully tent whole pie with foil. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until center is set when gently shaken.
Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Makes 8 servings.
Blackberry Swirl Pie “With four small children I don’t have time to do much baking. This pie is something I can make that is simple and guaranteed to taste great.’’ —Krista Merriman
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 12 minutes/45 minutes
Oven: 450 degrees F/350 degrees F
1 Recipe Single-Crust Pie Pastry, or 1 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (½ of a 15-ounce package)
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh blackberries or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen blackberries
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Let frozen berries stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare pastry and line 9-inch pie plate. Line pastry with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 4 minutes more or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
In bowl combine sour cream, sugar, flour and salt. Add blackberries and gently stir to combine. Spoon into prebaked crust. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake 25 minutes (50 minutes for frozen berries). Remove foil. Bake 20 minutes more or until filling is bubbly and appears set.
Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve or cover and refrigerate. Makes 8 servings.
Sweet Potato Pie
“This recipe comes from my aunt Lucille. When she made sweet potato pie she always used lemon to flavor it instead of vanilla.’’ —Betsy Austin
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Oven: 350 degrees F
1 Recipe Single-Crust Pie Pastry, or 1 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (½ of a 15-ounce package)
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
Dash ground nutmeg
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled, cooked and mashed (1 1/3 cups)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pastry and line 9-inch pie plate.
In bowl beat eggs with whisk. Whisk in sugar, evaporated milk, butter, lemon peel and nutmeg. Whisk in sweet potatoes until combined. Pour into crust-lined pie plate.
To prevent overbrowning, cover edges of crust with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover edges and bake 20 to 30 minutes more or until filling is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours after it cools. Makes 8 servings.
Peach-Blueberry Pie
“My mom was a baker and always made fresh peach pie when peaches were in season.’’ —Diane Disbrow
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes
Oven: 375 degrees F
2 Recipes Single-Crust Pie Pastry, or 2 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrusts (15-ounce package)
5 cups peeled, sliced fresh peaches or frozen peach slices, thawed
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare pastries. Line 9-inch pie plate with one crust. Trim edge of crust to ½ inch beyond pie plate. Set aside.
In large bowl combine peaches, blueberries, 1/3 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, bourbon and cinnamon. Place filling in prepared crust. On lightly floured surface, roll remaining crust to circle 12 inches in diameter. Cut in 1-inch-wide strips. Weave strips over filling in lattice pattern. Press strip ends into bottom pastry. Fold bottom pastry over strips’ ends; seal and crimp. Sprinkle lattice with 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
Cover edges with foil. Bake on baking sheet 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 25 minutes more or until filling is thickened and crust is golden. Cool on rack. Makes 8 servings.
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Cranberry-Chocolate Nut Pie
“I like to serve this pie on the first really chilly fall day, still warm from the oven.’’ —Rebecca Walch
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 65 minutes
Chill: 1 hour
Oven: 325 degrees F
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup brandy or orange juice
1 Recipe Single-Crust Pie Pastry, or 1 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (½ of a 15-oz. pkg.)
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 ounces white baking bars, chopped
Sweetened Whipped Cream (Recipe below; optional)
In small bowl combine dried cranberries and brandy. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Drain and reserve 1 tablespoon of the brandy.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare pastry and line 9-inch pie plate.
In medium bowl whisk together butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Stir in walnuts, flour, and chopped baking bars until just combined. Stir in drained cranberries and 1 tablespoon of the reserved brandy mixture.
Spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Bake for 65 minutes, loosely covering the pie with foil the last 30 minutes of baking. Cool on rack. Makes 10 servings.
Top with Sweetened Whipped Cream.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
In chilled mixing bowl add 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
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Lemon Sponge Pie
“My aunt gave me this recipe when I was 16 years old. I make my piecrusts by hand — without measuring but by feel. I often use a giant spatula to transfer the dough to my pie plate.’’ —Victoria Malaney
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes
Oven: 450 degrees F/425 degrees F/ 350 degrees F
1 Recipe Single-Crust Pie Pastry, or 1 rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (½ of a 15-ounce package)
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Recipe Candied Lemon Slices (recipe below, optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare pastry and line 9-inch pie plate. Line with double thickness of foil. Bake for 8 minutes; remove foil. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes more or until lightly browned. Cool on rack. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Separate egg yolks from whites; place whites in medium bowl and set aside. In large bowl beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in sugar until combined.
Beat in egg yolks, lemon peel, lemon juice, flour and salt until just combined. Add milk; beat until just combined (mixture will be thin and appear curdled).
Thoroughly wash beaters. In the medium bowl beat egg whites with mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold egg whites into beaten mixture. Transfer mixture to prebaked crust.
Loosely tent top of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning, making sure the foil does not touch filling. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until set in the center.
Cool 1 hour on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours. To serve, top with Candied Lemon Slices. Makes 8 servings.
Candied Lemon Slices
In small saucepan, combine ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water; bring to boiling. Add 1 lemon, very thinly sliced. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until syrupy. Transfer slices to waxed paper. Discard remaining syrup.
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