By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
There is nothing fancy about this pie: it's just rhubarb, sugar and flour in a superb crust. And I made one for a silent auction yesterday that sold for $75!!
In the last year, I have been chilling my crust before rolling it out. This makes it easy to roll out and the chilled shortening--and I have been using 1/3 c shortening with 1/3 c lard--explodes when it hits the oven's heat which makes it flaky. I made this crust the night before, rolled it out and put it in the pie plate and added to it:
6 c chopped rhubarb
1/3 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
The top crust was rolled and placed on top of the fruit. I baked it at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes and then at 355 degrees F for 40 minutes. When I took it to the fund raiser, it was still hot and smelled heavenly!
Showing posts with label Pies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pies. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Rhubarb Cream Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Today was gorgeous and it was made even more so by the large handful of rhubarb I pulled from our neighbor's garden and my garden. Tonight's dessert: rhubarb cream pie!
This is a family recipe given to me by my aunt Mary Bernhardt Gottliebsen years ago. A couple of summers ago when second cousin Amy was summering with us (that's Northern Michigan speak for spending the summer), I made this pie for her because the recipe came from her Grandma. She hadn't had it before. So for Amy's Mom, Carol, who has nothing to do now since Amy got married last week--it's rhubarb season!
Cream pies are a bit more work than fruit pies. Instead of just mixing 4-6 c of fruit with sugar and flour and pouring into a pie crust, a cream pie requires first baking the crust and cooling, making the cream filling and cooling, and then making meringue and baking. It is worth it!
Just roll out your pie dough, put in a pie pan, pierce with a fork about a dozen times, line with foil, top with a cup of dried beans (don't worry, you won't eat them), and bake at 375 until the crust is lightly brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Yes, you can use the beans for real bean recipes. Let the crust cool.
While the crust is in the oven, cook over medium heat and until tender:
4 c chopped rhubarb
1 sugar
While the rhubarb is simmering, mix together:
2 eggs yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 c cream
1/8 t salt
2 T cornstarch
1/4 c sugar
When the rhubarb is tender, slowly add the egg mixture, stirring constantly, and 1 T butter. Continue stirring until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Cool, stirring occasionally.
This recipe then calls for the 2 egg whites beaten with 1/4 c sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar to make a meringue. But I usually use 4 egg whites so that the meringue is thicker. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Pour the fruit mixture into the pie crust, top with the meringue and bake at 350 degrees F until the meringue is browned, about 10-15 minutes. Let it cool completely before cutting. And then just try to not eat the whole pie in one sitting!
Today was gorgeous and it was made even more so by the large handful of rhubarb I pulled from our neighbor's garden and my garden. Tonight's dessert: rhubarb cream pie!
This is a family recipe given to me by my aunt Mary Bernhardt Gottliebsen years ago. A couple of summers ago when second cousin Amy was summering with us (that's Northern Michigan speak for spending the summer), I made this pie for her because the recipe came from her Grandma. She hadn't had it before. So for Amy's Mom, Carol, who has nothing to do now since Amy got married last week--it's rhubarb season!
Cream pies are a bit more work than fruit pies. Instead of just mixing 4-6 c of fruit with sugar and flour and pouring into a pie crust, a cream pie requires first baking the crust and cooling, making the cream filling and cooling, and then making meringue and baking. It is worth it!
Just roll out your pie dough, put in a pie pan, pierce with a fork about a dozen times, line with foil, top with a cup of dried beans (don't worry, you won't eat them), and bake at 375 until the crust is lightly brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Yes, you can use the beans for real bean recipes. Let the crust cool.
While the crust is in the oven, cook over medium heat and until tender:
4 c chopped rhubarb
1 sugar
While the rhubarb is simmering, mix together:
2 eggs yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 c cream
1/8 t salt
2 T cornstarch
1/4 c sugar
When the rhubarb is tender, slowly add the egg mixture, stirring constantly, and 1 T butter. Continue stirring until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Cool, stirring occasionally.
This recipe then calls for the 2 egg whites beaten with 1/4 c sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar to make a meringue. But I usually use 4 egg whites so that the meringue is thicker. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Pour the fruit mixture into the pie crust, top with the meringue and bake at 350 degrees F until the meringue is browned, about 10-15 minutes. Let it cool completely before cutting. And then just try to not eat the whole pie in one sitting!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Chess Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Today is the one year birthday of Three Siblings in the Kitchen. In this past year, we--well, mostly me--have posted many times about the foods we create in our kitchens. During this new year, I hope my brothers will appear more often on the blog so I don't have to carry it solo! Perry and David are fabulous cooks. This morning, Marty made a wonderful breakfast of roast beef hash using leftover roast beef and he asked how many people that we know who would go to the effort to create this from scratch. I named off Perry and Dave and our friend Bev right away.
Our Mom was a fabulous pie baker. The tradition goes on in our family as pies are a favorite and a specialty. This is our Mom's, Rose Bond Washburn's, chess pie recipe that she clipped from the Chicago Tribune on June 24, 1962. It's easy and sweet and silky and a surprise when it hits your mouth. Chess pies are really like a sugar pie with eggs and butter. Definitely not low cal!
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 t flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 T milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
unbaked pie shell
Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla and stir until blended. Add butter and mix thoroughly. Turn into pie shell and bake at 325 degree from 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Here is a post from a year ago with Mom's pie crust recipe: http://threesiblingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/01/pie-crust-homemade-of-course.html
Today is the one year birthday of Three Siblings in the Kitchen. In this past year, we--well, mostly me--have posted many times about the foods we create in our kitchens. During this new year, I hope my brothers will appear more often on the blog so I don't have to carry it solo! Perry and David are fabulous cooks. This morning, Marty made a wonderful breakfast of roast beef hash using leftover roast beef and he asked how many people that we know who would go to the effort to create this from scratch. I named off Perry and Dave and our friend Bev right away.
Our Mom was a fabulous pie baker. The tradition goes on in our family as pies are a favorite and a specialty. This is our Mom's, Rose Bond Washburn's, chess pie recipe that she clipped from the Chicago Tribune on June 24, 1962. It's easy and sweet and silky and a surprise when it hits your mouth. Chess pies are really like a sugar pie with eggs and butter. Definitely not low cal!
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 t flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 T milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
unbaked pie shell
Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla and stir until blended. Add butter and mix thoroughly. Turn into pie shell and bake at 325 degree from 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Here is a post from a year ago with Mom's pie crust recipe: http://threesiblingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/01/pie-crust-homemade-of-course.html
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Orange Meringue Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
This pie was a first for me. I love pies and love baking/making them. But I tend to favor fruit pies where I can highlight whatever fruit is in season. I am not a fan of "foofy" pies-those with lots of ingredients that are like a dessert in a crust. Justin Rashid, founder of American Spoon Foods, once said of my pies that in them, you can taste the pure fruit.
But I tried something new today. And, oh, was it good. And will be repeated. This is citrus season so I used navel oranges for this delicious pie. While I have made various cream pies, this is the first orange one for me. The orange flavor was very subtle. This is a thick and creamy pie.
What you'll need:
1 baked pie crust, cooled
For the filling:
2 c sugar
3/4 c corn starch
1/2 t salt
2 T freshly grated orange zest
3 1/2 c fresh orange juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T butter, softened
5 large eggs, beaten lightly
Mix together the dry ingredients in a saucepan then whisk in the zest and 1/2 of the orange juice and the lemon juice and cook over medium heat, whisking, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until it is melted. Add the remaining orange juice and eggs and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fairly thick--you should still be able to move the mixture with the whisk. Force the mixture through a sieve into a bowl--quickly as this will thicken during this process. The difference between the mixture before and after going through the sieve will be very dramatic: the results will be creamy and shiny. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and cool completely.
For the meringue:
3 egg whites at room temperature
1 t cream of tartar
1/3 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla
Beat the egg whites on low speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and increase the speed to high and beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Spread the meringue on the pie mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Chill completely for several hours.
This pie was a first for me. I love pies and love baking/making them. But I tend to favor fruit pies where I can highlight whatever fruit is in season. I am not a fan of "foofy" pies-those with lots of ingredients that are like a dessert in a crust. Justin Rashid, founder of American Spoon Foods, once said of my pies that in them, you can taste the pure fruit.
But I tried something new today. And, oh, was it good. And will be repeated. This is citrus season so I used navel oranges for this delicious pie. While I have made various cream pies, this is the first orange one for me. The orange flavor was very subtle. This is a thick and creamy pie.
What you'll need:
1 baked pie crust, cooled
For the filling:
2 c sugar
3/4 c corn starch
1/2 t salt
2 T freshly grated orange zest
3 1/2 c fresh orange juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T butter, softened
5 large eggs, beaten lightly
Mix together the dry ingredients in a saucepan then whisk in the zest and 1/2 of the orange juice and the lemon juice and cook over medium heat, whisking, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until it is melted. Add the remaining orange juice and eggs and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fairly thick--you should still be able to move the mixture with the whisk. Force the mixture through a sieve into a bowl--quickly as this will thicken during this process. The difference between the mixture before and after going through the sieve will be very dramatic: the results will be creamy and shiny. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and cool completely.
For the meringue:
3 egg whites at room temperature
1 t cream of tartar
1/3 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla
Beat the egg whites on low speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and increase the speed to high and beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Spread the meringue on the pie mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Chill completely for several hours.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Cranberry Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
This time of year, cranberry season, this recipe comes out of the recipe box. I cut it out of Redbook magazine years ago and still have it glued to a recipe card. This is an unusual "pie". It's made in a pie plate and has a crust on top but no bottom crust. The introduction that appears on my recipe card says "An out-of-the-ordinary pie, this easy, tasty, nut and berry dessert has a cakelike crust."
Do you ever see a recipe that looks a bit unusual and you make it and not only are surprised at the taste but surprised you were captivated by it because it is a bit different? Growing up with a traditional pie baker in the house, I don't know what drew me to this but I'm glad I found it.
This is an interesting dessert: the cranberries are bright in color and tart while the thin crust is crisp on the top and sweet. Interesting blend of textures and flavors. This is really easy to make, about 5 minutes of preparation time!
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3.4 c chopped walnuts
3/4 c sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c flour
1/3 c melted butter
Grease a 9 inch pie plate or fluted quiche dish. Add cranberries and sprinkle with nuts and 1/3 sugar. Beat the egg with the remaining 1/4 c sugar and then add the flour and butter and beat until no lumps remain. Pour the batter over the berry mixture and bake 45 min at 325 degrees F until the crust is a light golden brown.
The recipe says to serve with a spoon. Once this completely cools, it can be cut into pie shaped slices. But it usually doesn't last long enough to cool!
This time of year, cranberry season, this recipe comes out of the recipe box. I cut it out of Redbook magazine years ago and still have it glued to a recipe card. This is an unusual "pie". It's made in a pie plate and has a crust on top but no bottom crust. The introduction that appears on my recipe card says "An out-of-the-ordinary pie, this easy, tasty, nut and berry dessert has a cakelike crust."
Do you ever see a recipe that looks a bit unusual and you make it and not only are surprised at the taste but surprised you were captivated by it because it is a bit different? Growing up with a traditional pie baker in the house, I don't know what drew me to this but I'm glad I found it.
This is an interesting dessert: the cranberries are bright in color and tart while the thin crust is crisp on the top and sweet. Interesting blend of textures and flavors. This is really easy to make, about 5 minutes of preparation time!
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3.4 c chopped walnuts
3/4 c sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c flour
1/3 c melted butter
Grease a 9 inch pie plate or fluted quiche dish. Add cranberries and sprinkle with nuts and 1/3 sugar. Beat the egg with the remaining 1/4 c sugar and then add the flour and butter and beat until no lumps remain. Pour the batter over the berry mixture and bake 45 min at 325 degrees F until the crust is a light golden brown.
The recipe says to serve with a spoon. Once this completely cools, it can be cut into pie shaped slices. But it usually doesn't last long enough to cool!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tomato Basil Tart
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
I made this tart last night with my last trip to the garden for the year to harvest tomatoes and basil. I covered the basil but it was 29 degrees this am so I'm afraid to check. Bushels of tomatoes got picked and moved to the garden shed for protection.
So it was necessary to use tomatoes and basil in last night's dinner dish and this tart fit the bill. I have played with various versions over the summer and this one got it right--ricotta cheese, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, eggs, basil, garlic, tomatoes and a pie crust. Simple ingredients that turned into a perfect meal.
I first made a pie crust, single layer, and baked it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees just to set the crust. When I took it out of the oven, I immediately added 1/2 c of shredded mozzarella and let it sit for 5 minutes so that the cheese melted. These two steps--short prebake and the addition of the mozzarella cheese while the crust is hot--sets the bottom of the crust so that the tart doesn't sink until it resulting in a very flaky bottom crust.
Next, take 2 tomatoes--I used an orange and a red, slice thinly, salt, and place on paper towels to drain while the crust is in the oven.
In the food processor, I added and pureed:
1/2 c ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 clove garlic
3/4 c fresh basil
salt and pepper
Place the tomatoes on top of the melted mozzarella in the pie crust and add the cheese puree.
Top with:
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake the tart in the 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown.
The great thing about this tart for us is that it was not only dinner last night, but lunch today. It's excellent cold. Enjoy!
I made this tart last night with my last trip to the garden for the year to harvest tomatoes and basil. I covered the basil but it was 29 degrees this am so I'm afraid to check. Bushels of tomatoes got picked and moved to the garden shed for protection.
So it was necessary to use tomatoes and basil in last night's dinner dish and this tart fit the bill. I have played with various versions over the summer and this one got it right--ricotta cheese, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, eggs, basil, garlic, tomatoes and a pie crust. Simple ingredients that turned into a perfect meal.
I first made a pie crust, single layer, and baked it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees just to set the crust. When I took it out of the oven, I immediately added 1/2 c of shredded mozzarella and let it sit for 5 minutes so that the cheese melted. These two steps--short prebake and the addition of the mozzarella cheese while the crust is hot--sets the bottom of the crust so that the tart doesn't sink until it resulting in a very flaky bottom crust.
Next, take 2 tomatoes--I used an orange and a red, slice thinly, salt, and place on paper towels to drain while the crust is in the oven.
In the food processor, I added and pureed:
1/2 c ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 clove garlic
3/4 c fresh basil
salt and pepper
Place the tomatoes on top of the melted mozzarella in the pie crust and add the cheese puree.
Top with:
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake the tart in the 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown.
The great thing about this tart for us is that it was not only dinner last night, but lunch today. It's excellent cold. Enjoy!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Can you bake a Cherry Pie?
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
One of the positives of this cool summer we're having is that tart cherries are still in season. Typically, they last only about 2 weeks. Fresh tart cherries have a very short shelf life, maybe 48 hours, which is why you never see tart cherries in the grocery stores.
I brought back tart cherries from Southern Michigan in mid July and was stunned to find them at the farmer's market on Friday. Never have we had four weeks of fresh tart cherry pies.
So here's the deal on a fresh cherry pie. In my mind, the only fresh one is one made from fresh cherries that I have pitted myself. I even have a cherry pitter that I use for these few special weeks of the year. And so for these few weeks each summer, we have fresh cherry pies.
The rest of the year, a cherry pie even if made from scratch just isn't a fresh one because the cherries aren't fresh. We are lucky to get flash frozen cherries and the pies from those are maybe 90% of a fresh one. Never have I used canned cherries or for that matter, any kind of canned pie filling. I don't have to when we have the wonderful frozen ones in our grocery stores.
For this pie, use the double crest recipe listed on the blog, Mom's recipe, so on the right side of this page scroll down to pies for the recipe.
Pit 6 c of fresh cherries
Mix with 1/4 tapioca
1 c sugar
1/2 t almond extract
Let the fruit mix stand for at least 20 min. New for me this summer in crust making is to chill the crust for at least 1 hr before I roll it out. Then I roll out the bottom crust and stick it in the freezer for 10 min. Into the bottom crust, I pour the cherry mix, top with the remaining crust, make several slits in the pie crust, brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. I cover the edges of the pie with a crust cover (or aluminum foil) and bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes and 50 minutes at 360 degrees F.
I also put a baking sheet covered in a Silpat sheet under the pie to catch the juices!
When the tart cherries are no longer in season, it's a sad day in our house. But then in just a few weeks, it's fresh cherry pie season!
One of the positives of this cool summer we're having is that tart cherries are still in season. Typically, they last only about 2 weeks. Fresh tart cherries have a very short shelf life, maybe 48 hours, which is why you never see tart cherries in the grocery stores.
I brought back tart cherries from Southern Michigan in mid July and was stunned to find them at the farmer's market on Friday. Never have we had four weeks of fresh tart cherry pies.
So here's the deal on a fresh cherry pie. In my mind, the only fresh one is one made from fresh cherries that I have pitted myself. I even have a cherry pitter that I use for these few special weeks of the year. And so for these few weeks each summer, we have fresh cherry pies.
The rest of the year, a cherry pie even if made from scratch just isn't a fresh one because the cherries aren't fresh. We are lucky to get flash frozen cherries and the pies from those are maybe 90% of a fresh one. Never have I used canned cherries or for that matter, any kind of canned pie filling. I don't have to when we have the wonderful frozen ones in our grocery stores.
For this pie, use the double crest recipe listed on the blog, Mom's recipe, so on the right side of this page scroll down to pies for the recipe.
Pit 6 c of fresh cherries
Mix with 1/4 tapioca
1 c sugar
1/2 t almond extract
Let the fruit mix stand for at least 20 min. New for me this summer in crust making is to chill the crust for at least 1 hr before I roll it out. Then I roll out the bottom crust and stick it in the freezer for 10 min. Into the bottom crust, I pour the cherry mix, top with the remaining crust, make several slits in the pie crust, brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. I cover the edges of the pie with a crust cover (or aluminum foil) and bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes and 50 minutes at 360 degrees F.
I also put a baking sheet covered in a Silpat sheet under the pie to catch the juices!
When the tart cherries are no longer in season, it's a sad day in our house. But then in just a few weeks, it's fresh cherry pie season!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Aunt Dottie's Pot Pie Crust
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
I recently visited our Aunt Dottie and she had read my post on Turkey Pot Pie. Many years ago, Dottie clipped this pot pie crust recipe out of a newspaper. She shared it with me and this week when using leftover roasted chicken to make a pot pie, I tried the crust. Very tasty and super easy.
Make the pot pie filling--chicken or turkey, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, peas, whatever looks/tastes good. Then make this pie crust, roll out and place on top of the pie. I brought the pot pie filling to a simmer on top of the stove and then placed in an oven proof pan, topped with Dottie's crust and popped in the oven.
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/3 c shortening
1/4 c hot water
2 t lemon juice
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten,
Blend dry ingredients. Mix shortening, water, lemon juice, and 1/2 of egg yolk. Stir into flour mixture. Blend into ball and chill. Roll out, place on top of pot pie filling, brush with remaining egg yolk. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
Thanks, Dottie!
Here's the link for the previous Pot Pie Post:
www.threesiblingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/Turkey
I recently visited our Aunt Dottie and she had read my post on Turkey Pot Pie. Many years ago, Dottie clipped this pot pie crust recipe out of a newspaper. She shared it with me and this week when using leftover roasted chicken to make a pot pie, I tried the crust. Very tasty and super easy.
Make the pot pie filling--chicken or turkey, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, peas, whatever looks/tastes good. Then make this pie crust, roll out and place on top of the pie. I brought the pot pie filling to a simmer on top of the stove and then placed in an oven proof pan, topped with Dottie's crust and popped in the oven.
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/3 c shortening
1/4 c hot water
2 t lemon juice
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten,
Blend dry ingredients. Mix shortening, water, lemon juice, and 1/2 of egg yolk. Stir into flour mixture. Blend into ball and chill. Roll out, place on top of pot pie filling, brush with remaining egg yolk. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
Thanks, Dottie!
Here's the link for the previous Pot Pie Post:
www.threesiblingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/Turkey
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Pie Crust--Homemade, Of Course
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
We Washburns were lucky to grow up with a Mom who loved baking pies. And she has passed that love onto us. I often serve pies for desserts to guests and the pies are a surprise to many; great pies are really a wonderful dessert. There are too many bad pie crusts out there and they have given pies a bad reputation.
Everyone in Mom's family made pies including our Grandma Bond who owned a restaurant, and Mom's sister, Phyllis, who also owned a restaurant. We love good pies!
Mom's pie crust recipe is simple. This is for a two crust pie.
2 cups flour
2/3 cup Crisco shortening (Mom only used Crisco)
1 t salt
a scant 1/2 cup of ice water
Making a pie crust is really easy. Cut in the shortening to the flour and salt with a fork or pastry blender until pea size clumps of flour/shortening form. This should take about 30 seconds. Drizzle small quantities of the ice water into the mixture blending just until the mixture comes together. There will be small grains of flour mixture left in the bowl but the bulk of the mixture will be in one mass.
The trick with pie dough is always the amount of water. Too much and the pie crust is tough, too little and it is difficult to roll out. That's why instructions usually say that the dough should just come together and not be in loose pieces or be wet.
In the last year or so, I have been chilling the dough before rolling it out. I wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes and this makes the dough easier to roll out. Flaky pie dough comes from the explosion of the shortening fragments in the hot oven. So the colder these fragments, the better the explosion! I also chill the dough after I roll it out and put in a pie pan, usually 30 minutes in the refrigerator or 10-15 minutes in the freezer. Last summer, I tried chilling all the ingredients before assembling. I didn't like the result; it takes more water to make the flour come together when the flour is cold and thus, the crusts were too tough for my Washburn taste.
It takes very little time to make pie crust. I spend more time cleaning off the cutting board that I roll the dough out on then I do with making the crust. I read recipes for the perfect pie crust which may include using a food processor and include other ingredients like sugar, butter, egg, lard, vinegar, or vodka; but this one is the tried and true.
Follow specific pie recipes for baking times. For some pies like cream pies, the crust is baked without filling for a short time before adding the filling. I typically bake fruit pies for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F and then turn the heat to 350 for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble. Baking times will vary based on individual ovens and the temperature of the filling--frozen fruit added to a pie will take longer.
We Washburns were lucky to grow up with a Mom who loved baking pies. And she has passed that love onto us. I often serve pies for desserts to guests and the pies are a surprise to many; great pies are really a wonderful dessert. There are too many bad pie crusts out there and they have given pies a bad reputation.
Everyone in Mom's family made pies including our Grandma Bond who owned a restaurant, and Mom's sister, Phyllis, who also owned a restaurant. We love good pies!
Mom's pie crust recipe is simple. This is for a two crust pie.
2 cups flour
2/3 cup Crisco shortening (Mom only used Crisco)
1 t salt
a scant 1/2 cup of ice water
Making a pie crust is really easy. Cut in the shortening to the flour and salt with a fork or pastry blender until pea size clumps of flour/shortening form. This should take about 30 seconds. Drizzle small quantities of the ice water into the mixture blending just until the mixture comes together. There will be small grains of flour mixture left in the bowl but the bulk of the mixture will be in one mass.
The trick with pie dough is always the amount of water. Too much and the pie crust is tough, too little and it is difficult to roll out. That's why instructions usually say that the dough should just come together and not be in loose pieces or be wet.
In the last year or so, I have been chilling the dough before rolling it out. I wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes and this makes the dough easier to roll out. Flaky pie dough comes from the explosion of the shortening fragments in the hot oven. So the colder these fragments, the better the explosion! I also chill the dough after I roll it out and put in a pie pan, usually 30 minutes in the refrigerator or 10-15 minutes in the freezer. Last summer, I tried chilling all the ingredients before assembling. I didn't like the result; it takes more water to make the flour come together when the flour is cold and thus, the crusts were too tough for my Washburn taste.
It takes very little time to make pie crust. I spend more time cleaning off the cutting board that I roll the dough out on then I do with making the crust. I read recipes for the perfect pie crust which may include using a food processor and include other ingredients like sugar, butter, egg, lard, vinegar, or vodka; but this one is the tried and true.
Follow specific pie recipes for baking times. For some pies like cream pies, the crust is baked without filling for a short time before adding the filling. I typically bake fruit pies for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F and then turn the heat to 350 for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble. Baking times will vary based on individual ovens and the temperature of the filling--frozen fruit added to a pie will take longer.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Turkey Pot Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
My friend Carolyn is the pot pie queen. If you have a craving for really wonderful pot pies, visit Carolyn's website, www.goodhartstore.com, where you can order her chicken pot pies. So in trying to live up to her standards, I made a turkey pot pie tonight. It scored an A+.
We had leftover turkey, about 2 cups of bite size pieces, that I tossed with:
4 cubed potatoes
1 c chopped carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped onion.
We also had leftover turkey gravy; but I've done this before without the gravy and just made a roux of flour and oil and then stirred in seasonings and chicken stock to make a thick stock. I thinned the gravy with milk, about 2/3 gravy to 1/3 milk, tossed this with all of the ingredients using enough gravy to just coat all of the ingredients and poured into a large pie plate. I used about 1 1/2 cups of gravy/milk mixture. Because the gravy was already seasoned, I didn't need to add additional salt or pepper.
Then, of course, came Mom's pie crust recipe. Since I was also making pumpkin pecan pie tonight, I made a double crust and used one for the dessert pie and the other for this pie. I topped the turkey mixture with the pie crust, cut 6 small slits in the crust, and baked at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. There is not a bite left for leftovers!
My friend Carolyn is the pot pie queen. If you have a craving for really wonderful pot pies, visit Carolyn's website, www.goodhartstore.com, where you can order her chicken pot pies. So in trying to live up to her standards, I made a turkey pot pie tonight. It scored an A+.
We had leftover turkey, about 2 cups of bite size pieces, that I tossed with:
4 cubed potatoes
1 c chopped carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped onion.
We also had leftover turkey gravy; but I've done this before without the gravy and just made a roux of flour and oil and then stirred in seasonings and chicken stock to make a thick stock. I thinned the gravy with milk, about 2/3 gravy to 1/3 milk, tossed this with all of the ingredients using enough gravy to just coat all of the ingredients and poured into a large pie plate. I used about 1 1/2 cups of gravy/milk mixture. Because the gravy was already seasoned, I didn't need to add additional salt or pepper.
Then, of course, came Mom's pie crust recipe. Since I was also making pumpkin pecan pie tonight, I made a double crust and used one for the dessert pie and the other for this pie. I topped the turkey mixture with the pie crust, cut 6 small slits in the crust, and baked at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. There is not a bite left for leftovers!
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Perry is right about Penzey's; a wonderful place for herbs and spices. Perry is lucky because there is a Penzey's in Des Moines where he lives. Dave and I have to settle for online ordering.
This recipe for Pumpkin Pecan Pie came from Penzey's (www.penzeys.com) in 2007 and it is now a holiday favorite for our family and of course, I use only Penzey's spices in this recipe! The Washburns are Pie People. Our Mom was a champion pie baker. So you'll often see pies on the table in are our homes. I think I'll make this pie tonight!
One 9" unbaked pie shell
1 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
3/4 t powdered ginger
1/8 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 eggs, beaten well
1/2 c milk
Topping:
1/4 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 coarsely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the pie shell--in the Washburn family, this means using Mom's tried and true recipe with Crisco--no store bought shells for us. We seriously frown on those who use anything but home made pie crust.
Combine all of the pie filling ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 for 40 min. Meanwhile, mix the topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle the topping on the pie and bake an additional 25 min. Cool and then refrigerate at least a few hours for easiest slicing.
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