Pie Love, page 6
There is nothing better than bringing an apple pie to a table full of guests for dessert. Everyone sits in anticipation of something they know well and most look forward to. I love apple pie. It’s one of those desserts that just makes me forget everything else and focus on what’s on my plate.
Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut horizontally into ¼-inch slices
7 ½ cups (2 pounds)
Superfine granulated sugar
1 cup (8 ounces), plus additional for sprinkling
Sea salt
¼ teaspoon
Unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons
Cornstarch
3 tablespoons
Cinnamon
¾ teaspoon, plus additional for sprinkling
Nutmeg, freshly grated
½ teaspoon
Allspice
¼ teaspoon
Unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (½ stick)
Flaky Butter Crust
1 recipe, bottom crust blind baked
Egg
1
Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon
MAKES ONE 9- TO 10-INCH PIE
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the apple slices in a 6-quart pot.
3. Mix the sugar, salt, flour, cornstarch, and spices in a bowl. Combine the mixture with the apples, add the butter, and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the juices bubble and thicken.
4. Set the filling aside to cool a bit.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of the apple liquid into a small bowl and set it aside. Scoop the filling into the cooled crust.
6. Cover the pie with the top crust of your choice and style. Whisk together the reserved apple liquid, the egg, and vanilla to make an egg wash. Brush the crust with the wash and lightly sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar and cinnamon.
7. Bake the pie for 45 to 50 minutes. When finished, the juices should simmer around the edges and the top crust should be golden brown.
8. Allow the pie to cool for 1 hour to let the filling set before slicing.
Lemon Apple Pie—I love the way lemon zest imparts a brilliant bouquet of flavor that surrounds each bite of apple. Just add the zest of 2 lemons (organic, please)—about 1 ½ tablespoons—to the filling of Mom’s Apple Pie.
Dried Cranberry Apple Pie—There’s nothing better than getting a nice bite of crust filled with apples and sweetened dried cranberries. The berries add great color and texture, along with a sweetness that’s distinct. Add ¾ cup dried cranberries along with the apple slices.
Apple Cheddar Pie—Unusual but delicious, especially when served hot so the cheese is melted and stringy. Slice 8 to 12 ounces of extra-sharp cheddar cheese into 1-inch slices and spread them throughout the apple filling while assembling the pie. I prefer a yellow cheddar, so that it’s easily distinguished from the apples.
This is my go-to apple pie. It’s simple, classic, and easy to make all year long. If heirloom apples aren’t available, just substitute Granny Smiths, which work well in baking and have a consistent flavor year-round. My colleague at CakeLove suggested prepping the apples as cubes, which seemed weird, but in the end, I really like them that way. Assembling the pie is much faster, the apple cubes retain a nicer texture after baking than slices, and I love the way they spill out of the slice when it’s served.
My goal with this filling was just a touch of sweetness in the syrup; the natural sugars of the apples should be center stage. You’ll notice a bit of juice pooling on top of the crust at the edges toward the end of the baking time, but this recedes and blends back into the pie once it cools. I like the Cinnamon-Butter Piecrust, with its nuance of spice, for this pie and extra dough cookies across the top crust (see Note).
Heirloom apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-and ¼-inch cubes
7 ½ cups (2 pounds)
Superfine granulated sugar
½ cup (4 ounces), plus additional for sprinkling
Light brown sugar
2 tablespoons, packed
Sea salt
¼ teaspoon
Unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons
Cornstarch
2 tablespoons
Cinnamon
½ teaspoon, plus additional for sprinkling
Nutmeg, freshly grated
½ teaspoon
Allspice (optional)
¼ teaspoon
Unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (½ stick)
Honey
1 tablespoon
Cinnamon-Butter Piecrust, Flaky Butter Crust, or Whole Wheat Piecrust
1 recipe, bottom crust blind baked
Egg (optional)
1
Vanilla extract (optional)
¼ teaspoon
MAKES ONE 9- TO 10-INCH PIE
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the apple cubes in a 6-quart pot.
3. Mix both sugars, the salt, flour, cornstarch, and spices in a bowl. Combine this mixture with the apples, add the butter, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the juices bubble and thicken.
4. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the honey, and allow the filling to cool a bit.
5. Scoop the filling into the cooled crust.
6. Cover with the top crust of your choice and style. If desired, whisk together the egg and vanilla to make an egg wash. Brush the crust with the wash and lightly sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar and cinnamon.
7. Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes. When finished, the juices should simmer around the edges and the top crust should be golden brown.
8. Allow the pie to cool for 1 hour to let the filling set before slicing.
Note: Crust cookies are especially festive pie decorations. To make them, ball up any extra dough and roll it in granulated sugar. Roll the dough out to ⅛ inch thick and cut it with cookie cutters into the desired shapes. Press the cookies onto the top crust of the pie in a decorative pattern and brush with egg wash, then bake as directed in step 7.
Apple may have been my first pie, but once I tasted blueberry pie, it became and remains my favorite over any other flavor. My oldest sister, Lenora, makes an ingenious version of blueberry pie sweetened exclusively with maple syrup. Packed with wild berries between a flaky, buttery crust, she combined two of my favorite foods into my favorite form of dessert and now has a fan for life! This isn’t her exact recipe, but it’s close. (Okay, full disclosure: She couldn’t bear to part with her recipe, so I had to improvise!)
I prefer using wild blueberries because they’re smaller and much more flavorful. They also don’t seem to leak out as much liquid, which can be a serious problem with blueberry pie. I also recommend using organic berries to reduce your exposure to pesticides, which are used in fairly large quantities on conventional blueberries.
Organic frozen wild blueberries, thawed
2 ½ pounds (2 ½ packages, such as Trader Joe’s Wild Blueberries; about 8 cups)
Grade-A maple syrup, cold
1 cup
Cornstarch
¼ cup
Cinnamon
½ teaspoon, plus additional for sprinkling
Nutmeg, freshly grated
½ teaspoon
Sea salt
¼ teaspoon
Unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (½ stick)
Cinnamon-Butter Piecrust
1 recipe, bottom crust blind baked
Egg
1
Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon
Superfine granulated sugar
for sprinkling
MAKES ONE 9- TO 10-INCH PIE
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the fully thawed blueberries in a colander to drain for 15 minutes, and discard the liquid.
3. Pour the berries into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and stir in the maple syrup.
4. Stir together the cornstarch, spices, and salt, then stir the mixture into the berries with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon.
5. Add the butter.
6. Turn on the heat to medium. Cook, stirring slowly but continuously, until the juices bubble slowly and thicken, 5 to 8 minutes. Allow the filling to cool slightly.
7. Scoop the filling into the prepared piecrust. Cover the pie as desired (see this page).
8. If using a top crust, whisk the egg and vanilla together and brush this wash over the pie; lightly sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
9. Bake the pie for about 30 minutes, until the berries begin to lightly bubble and the crust has a golden color. Allow the pie to cool for 1 hour to let the filling set before slicing.
Fresh peaches make a fabulous pie. When they’re ripe, it’s time to bake. But if you’re stuck or just want to make peach pie off-season, frozen organic peaches can look and taste just as good as fresh ones.
I like using honey with peach pie because it brings out the best flavors of the peaches. Honey, whether creamed or a filtered specialty variety or ordinary clover, lends sweetness that lingers. Add honey only after cooking down the fruit, or what was sweet can turn bitter. I stay away from waxy, raw honey altogether for peach pies.
Fresh or thawed, well-drained frozen peaches
3 pounds, peeled and quartered
Superfine granulated sugar
¾ cup (6 ounces)
Cornstarch
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly grated
1 teaspoon, plus additional for sprinkling
Sea salt
¼ teaspoon, plus additional for sprinkling
Unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (½ stick)
Honey
2 tablespoons
Cinnamon-Butter Piecrust or Ginger Crust
1 recipe, bottom crust blind baked
Egg
1
Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon
Cinnamon
for sprinkling
MAKES ONE 9- TO 10-INCH PIE
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and position one rack in the middle of the oven and one rack at the top.
2. Put the peaches in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, and salt. Stir the mixture into the peaches.
3. Add the butter and cook the peaches over medium heat, stirring slowly but continuously, until the juices lightly simmer.
4. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the honey, and allow the filling to cool slightly. Scoop it into the cooled piecrust.
5. Cover with the crust of your choice (see this page). Whisk together the egg and vanilla and brush this wash over the pie.
6. Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt across the top. Place an empty sheet pan on the top oven rack to prevent excessive browning.
8. Bake the pie on the middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes, until the juices on the edges simmer rapidly and the crust turns golden brown. Let the pie cool completely before serving.
The success of a cherry pie depends on the quality of the cherries—and it might take a few tries until you get it right. Most people recommend using sour cherries for a pie, but I like to use juicy sweet Bings or a combination of sweet and sour. No matter which type you choose, there’s no question of what to do when you get your hands on two pounds of ripe, juicy cherries—make a pie! Once you work through pitting them, the rest is easy.
Pitted fresh or frozen cherries
2 pounds (6 cups)
Molasses
½ teaspoon
Lemon juice
1 tablespoon
Sea salt
⅛ teaspoon
Superfine granulated sugar
¾ cup (6 ounces), plus additional for sprinkling
Cornstarch
3 tablespoons
60/40 Crust, Flaky Butter Crust, or Cinnamon-Butter Piecrust
1 recipe, blind baked
Egg
1
Vanilla extract
½ teaspoon
Cinnamon
for sprinkling
MAKES ONE 9- TO 10-INCH PIE
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the cherries in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and add the molasses, lemon juice, and salt.
3. Combine the sugar and cornstarch and then stir the mixture into the cherries. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the juices thicken and lightly simmer. Stir slowly but continuously.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the filling to cool a bit. Scoop it into the cooled crust, scraping all the juices out of the pan.
5. Whisk together the egg and vanilla to make an egg wash. Lay the dough round for the top crust over the pie, crimp the edges, and brush it with the egg wash. Sprinkle sugar and a touch of cinnamon on top.
6. Bake the pie for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the juices bubble and the top crust is golden brown.
7. Allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.
There’s a wonderful new direction in which we can take cherry pie just by adding a touch of herbs and spices. I like fresh mint combined with aniseed hand-crushed in a mortar and pestle. Together, they make a more adventurous cherry pie.
Sour cherries, pitted
1 pound (3 cups)
Sweet cherries, pitted
1 pound (3 cups)
Light brown sugar
½ cup, packed (4 ounces)
Cornstarch
¼ cup
Fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon, minced
Lemon juice
1 tablespoon
Sea salt
⅛ teaspoon
Aniseed
½ teaspoon, crushed, plus additional for sprinkling
Honey
1 tablespoon
60/40 or Flaky Butter Crust
1 recipe, bottom crust blind baked
Egg
1
Cherry liqueur (optional)
¼ teaspoon
Milk
splash
Superfine granulated sugar
for sprinkling
Cinnamon
for sprinkling
MAKES ONE 9- TO 10-INCH PIE
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the cherries in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
3. Combine the brown sugar and cornstarch, then stir the mixture into the cherries and add the mint, lemon juice, salt, and aniseed. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the juices thicken and lightly simmer. Stir slowly but continuously.
4. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the honey, and allow the filling to cool a bit. Scoop the filling, including all of the thickened juices, into the cooled crust. Cover the pie with the rolled-out top crust and crimp the edges.
5. Whisk together the egg, liqueur if using, and milk and apply this wash generously with a pastry brush. Sprinkle some superfine sugar and a pinch of crushed aniseed and cinnamon over the top of the crust.
6. Bake the pie for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the juices bubble and the top crust is golden brown.
7. Allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.
Note: For an extra-special touch, before adding the crust to the pan, sprinkle a sugar-and-spice blend onto the pie pan. Combine 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar with ½ teaspoon crushed aniseed, ¼ teaspoon crushed sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Use about 1 ½ tablespoons of this for the pie pan, and sprinkle the remainder on top of the assembled pie before baking.
Blackberries make a delicious pie filling that shouldn’t be missed, especially if you have access to them locally and in season. They’re sweeter than raspberries, but have more of a bite than blueberries. Let the berries do all the work here—they’re special enough to stand alone.
Fresh blackberries
1 ½ pounds (6 cups)
Superfine granulated sugar
¾ cup
Cornstarch
¼ cup
Unsalted butter, cold
3 tablespoons
Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons
Flaky Butter Crust
¾ recipe, rolled into a bottom crust and blind baked
Dutch Crumb Topping
1 recipe
MAKES ONE 9- TO 10-INCH PIE
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Rinse and drip-dry the berries to remove any excess water. Place them in a large bowl.
3. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the berries and gently fold it in.
4. Transfer the berries to a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add the butter, and cook over low to medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the juices lightly simmer and thicken. Add the vanilla.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the filling to cool a bit, then scoop it into the cooled piecrust.
6. Cover the filling with the Dutch Crumb Topping.
