Pies

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that I love pies. They're one of my weaknesses, when it comes to desserts.

That said, here are six yummy pie recipes to get you through the day, including Chai-Spiced Pear Pie, a Peanut Butter Pie, and a Mango Pie. (I have a feeling one of my sons might be asking for that last one soon; he has a soft spot for mangos!) Enjoy!

APPLE PIE

I got the original recipe for this from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook, years ago. I've tweaked the recipe quite a bit; the original called for butter, which mine doesn't, while I add apple cider or apple juice, which isn't in the original. I also added several other changes to this, changing it to the way my family loves it. Here's the tweaked version of apple pie.





Ingredients

Crust for a 9-inch two-crust pie

3/4 + 1 tablespoon cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (do not use self-rising flour, but if you must use it, omit salt)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

dash salt

6 to 7 cups apples (6 to 8 apples), peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare crust and line pie pan with bottom crust.

Placed cut up apples in large bowl. Add sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and (lastly) apple cider or juice. Mix apples and additions with hands, then pour apples and additions into crust-lined pie pan.

Cover with top crust, cut slits into top crust, then seal edges of crusts. (Note: You can replace top crust with a lattice crust.) Cover top of pie with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking.

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

EXTRA-LEMONY MERINGUE PIE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. This yummy recipe begins, "Made with a buttery lemon curd and topped with swirls of lemon zest-infused meringue, this pie is tangier and creamier than many others of its kind. It features a soft, spoonable curd that’s softer than other lemon meringue pie fillings. You can make it with regular or Meyer lemons: The regular ones will be sharper and brighter; the Meyers, a little softer and fruitier. This pie is best served the day it’s baked, though you can make the dough and filling up to five days in advance. The meringue, however, needs to be whipped up just before the pie is baked. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature. (Watch the video of Melissa Clark making extra-lemony meringue pie here.)"

Time: About 2 hours; Yield: 8 servings

This was featured in "The Magic of Meringues", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022949-extra-lemony-meringue-pie. While you're at it, read the entire article ("The Magic of Meringues"). I hope you'll find it as interesting as I did. (Hint: There are a couple of other recipes at the end of the article, too.)

Note: Also, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter already, please do so. Lots of good recipes, hints, and just all 'round yumminess. (Yes, yumminess is the unofficial technical term.)

Ingredients

For the Crust

All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough

Dough for 1 (9-inch) pie

For the Lemon Filling

4 egg yolks (save whites for the meringue)

1 large egg

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 to 6 regular or Meyer lemons)

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For the Meringue

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 3 to 4 lemons), plus more for garnish

Preparation

Prepare the crust: On a lightly floured surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll pie dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish); fold the edges over and crimp them together. Prick crust all over with a fork and chill in freezer for 30 minutes until frozen. (Cover with plastic if freezing for longer than a few hours. Well wrapped, it will last in the freezer for up to a month.)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line chilled crust with foil, fill with pie weights or dried rice, then bake for 12 minutes. Remove foil, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until pale golden, 10 to 16 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool while you prepare the filling. (Leave the oven on if baking the pie immediately.)

In a heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, egg and sugar. Stir in lemon juice, zest and salt. Add pieces of butter and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 7 to 9 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees. Inspect the filling: If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

Pour filling into pie crust and return to the oven to bake until filling is set (it should jiggle only slightly in the center), about 18 to 40 minutes. (Pies prepared in glass and ceramic dishes can take much longer to bake than those prepared in metal dishes. Don't give up: The curd will eventually set; note that it continues to firm up after it is thoroughly chilled. It will still look liquidy in the center even when it's done. If the crust starts to brown too much before the filling is set, reduce heat to 325 degrees.) Remove pie from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees for baking the meringue.

As the filling bakes, make the meringue: Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Using a large metal bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt. Set the bowl with the egg white mixture into the pot above the water, and whisk constantly by hand until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (160 degrees on an instant thermometer) and has thickened and lightened in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.

Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-low speed and gradually increase speed to high, until mixture is thick and fluffy, and stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in lemon zest. Mix with care to not deflate meringue: A few strokes should do it. Spread the meringue over the hot filling, making sure it meets the edges of the crust. Using a knife or spatula, swirl in a design, if you like, and bake until lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Allow to cool completely and top with more lemon zest before serving.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

I’d driven cab for several years. One Friday afternoon, I got a call to pick up a single dad from the store. When I dropped him off, his son and daughter came out of the trailer to help bring in the groceries.

“Did you remember to get the stuff for the peanut butter pie?” his daughter asked. They were taking it to an early Thanksgiving gathering that weekend.

“Sure did,” he answered.

“Peanut butter pie?” I asked, as we finished unloading the groceries. “How do you make that?

“With peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, and a few other things,” came the answer.

The following week, I managed to pick the dad up again. This time, I managed to get the ingredients: pie crust, peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese and Cool Whip. It wasn’t until the third (and final) time I picked him up in as many weeks that I got the exact amounts. He used 1/3 cup each of peanut butter and sugar, both of which I upped to 1/2 cup each.

This is in my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking.



Ingredients

8-ounce tub of Cool Whip (see note)

8-ounce block of cream cheese (see note)

1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth is preferable)

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Pie crust (see note)

Directions

Put Cool Whip, cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With beaters, beat on high. Pour into pie crust, smooth out, and freeze for 1 hour.

Note: Cool whip (or store equivalent) can be fat-free. Cream cheese can be regular cream cheese or the 1/3 less fat kind, but do not use fat free, as the pie won't set up right. I usually use a store-bought graham cracker crust for the pie, which is what the man used to make this. However, you can also use an Oreo cookie crust.

MANGO PIE

This is from Kanta and Hrishikesh Kirway, and adapted by Samin Nosrat in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Samin wrote, "When Hrishikesh Hirway was a kid, his parents, who immigrated to the United States from Maharashtra, in western India, began hosting Thanksgiving. The meal soon evolved into a hybrid of a traditional Thanksgiving and an Indian potluck. “Out of that cultural mash-up, my mom started making this mango pie,” he said. She’d gotten the idea from other Indian aunties in the States, but their versions weren’t as good. “They weren’t making it with the best kind of mango,” Hirway explained. “The Alphonsos have a stronger, more intense flavor.” That Alphonso flavor shines as brilliantly as the pie’s bright filling, made tangy and rich with the addition of cream cheese and whipped cream. And the salty, crumbly graham cracker crust is the perfect foundation for the golden cloud of custard that sits atop it. It’s so satisfying that you'll catch yourself cutting sliver after mouthwatering sliver of pie."

Yield: 2 9-inch pies; Time: 50 minutes, plus 5 hours' chilling

This was featured in "A Very American Mango Pie, Inspired by Indian Aunties," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019974-mango-pie.

Note: I found the featured article very interesting, and hope you will, too. Please, take a look at it. Nothing like combining the old and new cultures and food!

While we're at it, check out Melissa Clark's guide titled "How to Make a Pie Crust." Helpful stuff there!

Ingredients

For the graham-cracker crust:

2-1/2 cups finely ground graham-cracker crumbs

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 large pinch sea salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the mango custard:

3/4 cup cold water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin (2-1/2 packages at 2-1/2 teaspoons per pack)

cup heavy whipping cream, chilled

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 30-ounce can Alphonso mango purée (3-1/4 cups)

1 large pinch sea salt

Preparation

Stir crumbs, sugar, cardamom and salt together in a medium bowl. Add butter, and stir with a fork until evenly combined.

Pour half the crumb mixture into a 9-inch round metal pie pan, and spread evenly. Press down with fingers, a metal measuring cup or a second pie pan to compact the crumbs as much as possible across the bottom and up the sides of the pan into an even crust. (The more compressed the crust, the less it will crumble.) Repeat to form the remaining crumb mixture into a crust in a second pan.

Heat oven to 325. Transfer both crusts to freezer, and chill for 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place 3/4 cup cold water in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar with the gelatin; sprinkle mixture evenly over the surface of the cold water. Let sit a few minutes to bloom.

In the meantime, whip the cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar together until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm 1 cup of the mango purée to body temperature (stir to make sure you are just warming it and not bringing it to a boil). Pour warmed mango purée over gelatin mixture, and whisk until well combined. Gelatin should dissolve into mango completely. Gradually whisk in remaining mango purée.

Use a rubber spatula to beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until it is soft and smooth, then add to mango mixture along with a large pinch of sea salt. Use an immersion blender to blend until completely smooth, tipping the bowl to make sure you’ve incorporated everything well. Gently tap the bowl on the counter once or twice to pop any air bubbles. Use the spatula to gently fold about 1/4 of the mango mixture into the whipped cream, then fold cream into the larger amount of mixture until no streaks remain.

Divide custard between cooled crusts. Use a rubber spatula to smooth out the filling. Refrigerate 5 hours or overnight until firm and chilled. Serve chilled.

Tip

You can find Alphonso mango purée — which is a variety, not a brand — at most Indian grocery stores. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a food processor or a countertop blender to blend the custard mixture.

CHAI-SPICED PEAR PIE

This is from Audra, otherwise known as The Baker Chick. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you might remember me posting quite a few recipes from Audra (although it’s been a while). Her blog rocks! If you haven’t checked it out, you really should. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

This recipe begins, “I can’t possibly let you enter Thanksgiving week without another pie recipe. As the person in charge of desserts in my family, I’m always looking to make something classic with a twist and this gorgeous pie is just that apples get all the attention in the fall, but baking with firm, sweet pears is in my opinion just as good but way more unique and impressive.

“This pear pie is tossed with warm chai spices like cardamon, cinnamon, ginger and even a crack of black pepper. The result is just a bit more kick than what you’re probably used to with apple pie, but that same warm, melt-in-your-mouth goodness just waiting for a scoop of vanilla.”

Yield: 1 9-inch pie

To view this online on Audra’s blog, click here.

Ingredients

2-3 single layers of Pie Crust (see note)

10 cups of peeled, thinly sliced pears (from about 8-10 pears depending on size, use something firm like bosc)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3-4 twists of freshly ground black pepper (1/8 teaspoon, optional)

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Keep crust chilling in the fridge while you prep the pears.

In a large pot or dutch oven, toss together the pears, brown sugar, flour, and spices. Stir in water and dot with the butter.

Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, tossing everything around to par-cook the pears a bit. Keep checking to see when a pear slice is "bendy" and slightly tender, but for me I cooked them for 10-15 minutes.

Allow pears to cool while you prep your dough. If you are doing a lattice or braided crust, roll some of the dough out now, form the braids, and freeze them until pie is ready to be assembled. If you are just doing a double crust- wait until the pears are mostly cool.

Roll out one layer of crust and drape over the bottom of a 9- inch pie pan leaving a bit of overhang. Pour the cooled pears into the crust and top with another sheet of pie crust, a lattice top, or the braids.

Trim and crimp edge of crust and pop the whole thing in the freezer for 10-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425.F. Place pie onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then reducing the heat to 350F and baking for another 45-50 minutes.. If the crust seems to be getting too dark you can drape some foil on top for the remainder of the baking.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

*If you want a little extra pie dough to work with for a decorative crust, I like to have a bit extra and usually make 3 batches of crust. If you are just doing a classic top, two single layers is fine!

HONEY PIE

I saved this pie recipe for the end, since there’s a lot to it. This is from Clarice Lam on the Spruce Eats. Clarice wrote, "When famed Brooklyn pie shop Four and Twenty Blackbirds opened its doors and our eyes to their salted honey pie in 2010, all of NYC lost their minds. This legendary pie has a silky honey filling encased in a buttery crust and is rounded out with a lightly caramelized top and flakes of Maldon salt.

"A Modern Twist on Chess Pie

"Although this pie one of Four and Twenty Blackbirds’ signature original creations, it has ties to more traditional southern custard-based pies like buttermilk and chess pie. Both pies contain dairy, eggs, butter, sugar, and a thickener with the main differences being the type of dairy and thickener used. Chess pies frequently use milk, cream, and cornmeal while buttermilk pies use (surprise!) buttermilk and flour or cornstarch.

"Bee Selective When Choosing Honey

"For my version of honey pie, I browned the butter for a rich, nutty depth of flavor. Since honey is the star of the show here, the type of honey used is important. I always try to use local honey since it supports your local farmers and is less processed. Any high quality raw honey will work as well.

"Different honeys have different flavors so keep that in mind when selecting the type of honey for this pie. You can go mild with a wildflower honey or choose something with a bold flavor profile, like buckwheat honey, for a more intense honey kick."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Cooling/Resting Time: 4 hours; Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes; Servings: 8 to 10 slices; Yield: 1 pie

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/honey-pie-recipe-6560702.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed

4 ounces (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

5 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling

5-1/2 ounces (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup raw honey, preferably local

1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the Honey Whipped Cream

1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream

2 tablespoons raw honey, preferably local

1 tablespoon lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

For the Crust

Gather the ingredients.

Combine the flour, cold butter, salt, and sugar in a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment.

Start the mixer on low speed for about 10 seconds then switch to medium speed. Continue to paddle, breaking up the butter until the chunks are the size of small peas, about 3 minutes.

With the mixer running, drizzle in the ice water until the dough comes together. Do not overmix. It should look like a shaggy mass but hold its shape when pressed together.

Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten it into a disc, wrap in plastic, and place in the fridge for 45 minutes to rest.

Once the dough has chilled and rested, remove it from the fridge and place the disc onto a floured work surface. Dust the top with more flour and roll out the dough to a 14-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick.

Carefully roll it up onto the rolling pin and drape it over your pie pan. Lightly lay the dough into the bottom of the pan and press it into the sides. There will be some overhang. Do not stretch your dough, this will cause it to shrink in the oven.

Fold the overhang under itself and crimp the edges however you desire. Place the pie pan into the freezer for at least an hour. It is important for the crust to be frozen when putting it in the oven so it retains its shape and doesn’t get soggy.

For the Filling

Gather the ingredients.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F.

Cut the butter into small chunks and place in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt.

Once the butter is completely melted, turn the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the butter until it turns a toasty amber color, about 8 minutes.

Remove the brown butter from the heat, pour into a heat-proof vessel, and set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the honey and buttermilk in a small pot over medium heat and bring just to a boil.

Slowly add the hot honey mixture to the egg mixture while whisking until completely homogeneous.

Add the browned butter, and lemon zest and juice. Whisk to combine.

Remove the pie crust from the freezer and pour the custard into the shell.

Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the top is a deep amber color and the crust is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes (start checking for doneness early). The center should still jiggle like a soft set jelly, it will continue to set as it cools.

Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours before placing it in the fridge.

For the Honey Whipped Cream

Gather the ingredients.

Combine the heavy cream, honey, brown sugar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment.

Whisk on medium-high speed until you get silky stiff peaks. No over whipping, we’re not trying to make butter here!

Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl, cover in plastic and place in the fridge to chill until ready to use.

The pie can be served at room temperature or cold with or without a dollop of honey whipped cream.

Recipe Tip

I prefer raw local honey, but if that’s not available regular store bought honey will work.

Recipe Variations

• If honey altogether is not your thing, try using maple or golden syrup.

• Too lazy to bake? Leave it to the experts to deliver a pie to your door!

How To Store or Freeze

The pie can be kept in an airtight container or wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days, and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Make Ahead

The pie crust can be made ahead of time and kept wrapped in plastic for up to 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. If freezing the dough make sure to thaw it in the fridge the night before you want to bake the pie.

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