The reason I have been delinquent in posting for the last 4 months is that I am 4 months pregnant! :) After two miscarriages last year, we are so thrilled to share this news. We cannot wait to meet our little guy (or girl!?!) and have our lives forever changed. In the meantime, all those pregnancy hormones have messed with my love for food. All I seem to eat these days is cereal. Life cereal. Raisin Bran. Cheerios. Frosted mini-wheats. I have a whole arsenal of cereals to eat because so far cereal has been the one thing guaranteed to taste good any time of day or night. Everything else has been hit or miss, and new recipes are *never* exciting these days. It’s challenging to blog about the new foods that I’m eating when those new foods are simply a new brand of cereal!

My appetite still isn’t what it was, but I did manage to eat some fish today, so that’s promising! While things are on the up-and-up, I’m back with a tweak on one of my favorite recipes: apple pie. I love making apple pie, but I love even more the idea of a personalized apple pie. Here I take my favorite apple pie recipe and cook it in small pots for individual servings. The best part? Layer the tops with cute cookie cutter shapes to match the seasons!

Are you a Thanksgiving Traditionalist or a Thanksgiving Adventurer? I’m somewhere in the middle. I love the traditional Thanksgiving spread with its turkey and cranberry sauce and yams and pumpkin pie. Then again, I also love to try new recipes and some foods are only served on Thanksgiving Day, so if I am going to try them, I have to be willing to take a few risks. Pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving is no big surprise, but the layer of cheesecake in the middle takes this from a traditional pie to a delicious adventure!

The best part of this pie is that you can make it the day before and chill it overnight. That means there is one less thing for you to think about on the Big Day! Hooray!

Continue reading: pumpkin cheesecake pie

October slipped away so quickly that I completely forgot to share this pie with you! Oops! Here’s the Pie of the Month for November October!

I found this recipe in Nick Malgieri’s Modern Baker book but Nick got the recipe from Maida Heatter. You know recipes are great when they’ve come through TWO famous bakers before they get to your kitchen! My dad ate a slice two days after I baked it and declared the pie a masterpiece. I can’t imagine what he would have said if he had tasted it warm from the oven!

I only made a few modifications to this recipe. First, I added some cornstarch to the apple mixture because I like a thicker filling. I also reduced the sugar, and when making it again I’d reduce it even more. I really like the apple flavors to pop in my pies, and besides…. there’s plenty of sugar in the vanilla ice cream I load on top! I also like my apple pie to have crunchy apples, but I may stand alone in that camp, so while I’d cook the apples less in the future, I won’t include that change in this recipe because I’m sure some of you think I’m strange.

By the way, this pie does use 5 pounds of apples. Five pounds of apples takes a heck of a long time to peel unless you have a peeler and corer. If you do, then you’re in luck because you’ll save yourself an hour of peeling and slicing. Otherwise, get peeling! You’ve got a lot to do!

Also, note that this recipe calls for two kinds of apples. You want the Granny Smiths because they retain their shape and provide a bit of tartness. You want the Golden Delicious (or a similarly softer apple) because they will break down to form a thick, apply sauce. (Apply is a word by the way. I had no idea until I typed it and auto-correct didn’t yell at me to fix it. Who’da thought? Words with Friends, here I come!!!)

Enough chit chat. Let’s bake!

First, don’t you dare turn your nose up at this pie yet. You haven’t even tried it.

Second, I did try it. It’s good. And it doesn’t taste like jalapeños or jelly.

Third, I made this pie way back in August (remember that part, where it was summer and all?!) and then September ran away with me and tomorrow is the first day of October so September’s pie of the month almost turned into October’s pie!

Continue reading: pie of the month: pear and jalapeño jelly pie

Labor Day is almost here and many fellow bloggers are insinuating that maybe this means fall is here. This simply cannot be. I have not gorged on enough peaches, tomatoes, and strawberries to say adios to summer and give fall the hearty welcome it deserves. Fortunately, I live in California where the produce season extends longer than it does in many other areas of the country. I’ll be whipping up as many summer-fruit-filled treats as I can in the next few weeks so that when fall does officially arrive in my town, I’m ready to embrace it with open arms.

This pie tastes delicious and works well with early and late summer peaches. The idea of adding a hint of rosemary struck me as I was slicing the peaches. If you’re serving this to children, you may want to omit the rosemary. Most adults will appreciate the subtle savory flavor that it adds. A healthy scoop of homemade ice cream makes this a wonderful summer dessert to share with your friends and family.

lattice-top fresh peach pie with hints of rosemary
from America’s Test Kitchen

1 double crust pie dough, refrigerated
6-7 medium peaches (ripe, about 6 cups)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch table salt
3-4 tbsp minute tapioca (depending on how juicy your peaches are)
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp sugar

Set a large pot of water to boil.

Prepare the pie dough if you have not already done so. After it sits in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, divide into two pieces and roll one piece into a 13-inch circle and transfer to a deep dish 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate both the pie plate and the other half of the dough.

Preheat oven to 425.

Fill a large bowl with ice and cover with cold water. Set aside.

Use a sharp knife to mark an small “x” in the bottom of each peach. Drop two or three at a time into the boiling water. After 30 seconds, remove to the ice water and repeat with the remaining peaches. After peaches are chilled, remove skins and slice into 1/2-inch slices.

Combine peach slices, sugar, rosemary, spices, and tapioca in a bowl. Pour into refrigerated pie dough. Set aside.

Roll out second half of the pie dough. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut it into 3/4-inch strips. Follow these instructions to make a lattice top pie.

Brush milk over the pie crust and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25 minutes at 425 and then rotate the pie from front to back. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until pie crust is browned and the juices bubble thickly around the edges of the pie.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let sit for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

You’ve heard about the Pie of the Month Club, right? Well, it’s August, so that means…. MORE PIE!

This pie is *supposed* to have just apricots and mangoes in it but, unbeknownst to me, my mangoes were rotting at the back of the fridge before I could figure out a fun way to use them. Soooooo… my experience of this pie is actually an apricot-mango-strawberry combination and it was indeed delicious. I was unsure about this pie because I don’t like mangoes (I know, I know… we’ve been over this before) and I don’t adore coconut. Because of these two ingredients, the pie was billed as a tropical dessert, and I had visions of mangoes and coconut overwhelming the entire dish. That is not the case at all. I could barely taste the coconut. It just added a slightly nutty sweetness. This pie is perfect served with a scoop of delicious homemade vanilla ice cream.

My friend Courtnie jokingly called this “piebler” the night that we ate it together. She’s right! It really is a cobbler with a pie crust. Makes me wonder if I should just omit the pie crust altogether? Hmmm….

apricot mango pie

from Pie, by Ken Haedrich

1 single-crust pie dough

for the filling

• 4 cups pitted and sliced apricots, unpeeled
• 2 cups mango chunks
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp of sugar, divided
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

for the topping

•  2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/4-inch pieces

If you haven’t already, prepare pie dough and let sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the pastry into a 12-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Inver the pastry over a 9-inch standard pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the edge into an upstanding ridge. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Combine the apricots, mango, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the lemon juice, and the zest in a large bowl. Toss well, then set aside for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Meanwhile combine the remaining one tablespoon of sugar and cornstarch and mix into the fruit. Pour into the chilled pie crust and flatten gently with the back of a spoon. Bake the pie uncovered for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Combine the flour, sugar, coconut and salt in a food processor, pulsing to mix. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Empty the crumbs into a large bowl and rub gently between your fingers to make buttery, gravelly crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375F. Carefully dump the crumbs in the center of the pie and spread them evenly over the surface with your hands. Press down gently to compact them. Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward. Just in case, slide a large aluminum foil lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any spills. Continue to bake until the top is golden brown and juices bubble thickly at the edge, about 30 minutes. If necessary, cover with loosely tented aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent the pie from browning too much.

Remove the pie from the oven and transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

cherry custard pie
from the book Pie, by Ken Haedrich
1 single pie crust
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
large pinch salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups pitted cherries

Partially pre-bake your pie crust following these instructions.

Lower the oven temperature to 350F. While your pie crust is cooling, combine eggs, yolk, salt, and sugar in a mixer and whip together until airy. Add half-and-half, whipping cream, and vanilla and mix until blended. Pour over pie crust and drop in cherries in an even layer.

Bake pie at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, turning the pie 180 degrees after 20 minutes. If the top is browning too much, loosely tent the pie with foil for the last 5 minutes of baking. The pie is fully cooked when the custard in the middle jiggles only slightly when the pie is gently rocked. If the custard moves in waves, it is not cooked.

Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour and then transfer to fridge and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Serve this pie with ice cream as the pie is slightly tart (in a good way) and the ice cream is the perfect balance for that.

And please note that the tapioca balls that you use should be instant tapioca balls. I found some unlabeled tapioca in my spice rack and they were not instant and, well, let’s just say that there were rocks in my pie. Learn from me and just buy the instant kind.

strawberry rhubarb crumb pie
from Pie, by Ken Haedrich

1 recipe single pie crust

filling
3 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
grated zest of one lemon
4 cups hulled and halved (quartered if large) fresh strawberries
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
cornmeal crumb topping
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

If you haven’t already, prepare the pastry and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about1 hour.

On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2-inch deep pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the edge into an upstanding ridge. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the rhubarb, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a large bowl. Toss well to mix and set aside for 10 minutes.

Add the strawberries and tapioca to the bowl and toss well. Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell and smooth the top with your hands. Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse several times to mix. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Empty the crumbs into a medium-size bowl and rub between your fingers to make large, buttery crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375.

Carefully dump the crumbs in the middle of the pie, then spreadthem evenly over the surface with your hands. Tamp them down gently.

Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward. Just in case, slide a large aluminum foil lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any spills. Continue to bake until the juices bubble thickly around the edge, 30-40 minutes. If necessary, cover loosely with tented aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent the top from getting too dark.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serving suggestion: Serve with ice cream.

lemon meringue pie

1 recipe single crust pie pastry, refrigerated (you can use half of this recipe)

filling

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups water
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
4 large egg yolks
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

meringue

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
big pinch of salt
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

If you haven’t already, prepare the pastry and refrigerate it until firm enough to roll, about one hour.

On a lightly floured sheet of wax paper, roll the pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2-inch deep dish pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the edge so it is just slightly higher than the rim. Place in freezer for 15 minutes, then fully prebake and let cool.

Combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-size saucepan, preferably nonstick, whisking to mix. Add the water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add the egg yolks, whisking the mixture well. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking non-stop, until the mixture comes to a boil, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to cook, whisking nonstop, for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, one piece at a time. Immediately pour the filling into the cooled pie shell, jiggling the pan to settle it. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the filling, taking care not to leave any gaps or air pockets to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 1 day if you’re not adding the meringue right away.

Just before serving, preheat the broiler and make the meringue. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Beat in the cream of tartar and salt. Gradually add the superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the whites are very thick and glossy. Add the vanilla and beat briefly. Mound the meringue over the filling, spreading it so it is domed in the center and touching the crust all around the edge.

Place the pie on the center oven rack and briefly brown the meringue under the broiler. It will just take a very short time, so don’t walk away from the oven.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and serve right away. Or cover with loosely tented aluminum foil, making sure the meringue doesn’t come in contact with the foil, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

pie crust

2 1/2 cups of flour, divided (I store mine in the freezer to keep it as cold as possible)
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
8 oz (two sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces (best if you can freeze this for 30 minutes before adding to the other ingredients)
1/2 cup cold Crisco shortening (best if you can freeze this for 30 minutes before adding to the other ingredients)
1/4 cup cold water (I put a large glass of ice water in the freezer for 15 minutes before using so that the water is ice cold)
1/4 cup cold vodka (again, directly from the freezer is best)

In a food processor, pulse together 1 1/2 cups of flour, sugar, and salt.

Add cold butter and Crisco and pulse 5 or 6 times until mixed.

Add remaining 1 cup of flour and pulse 5 or 6 times until mixture resembles coarse pea-sized crumbs. Place mixture in a separate bowl. Add water and vodka and using a spatula, gently blend just until all the flour is mixed in. Do not over mix.

Spread out two pieces of plastic wrap and divide the dough between these two sheets. No need to make them pretty.

Fold the plastic wrap and press the dough into 4″ squares. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days. See my entry on rolling out pastry doughs.