WHOLE LEMON PIE

photo: slw

What sounds more easy as pie than five ingredients, a blender, and a pie shell? A Whole Lemon Pie is exactly what is sounds like. That's right you use a whole lemon - peel, pith, and all. Blend and bake and you're rewarded with a sweet and tart custard-like pie bursting with lemon flavor.

Whole Lemon Pie
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 lemon, medium
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt)
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powered sugar for dusting

NOTE: I like to take the time to macerate my lemon(s), otherwise when baked the pie may taste slightly bitter. I also use two medium lemons instead of the one the recipe calls for. To avoid a "chewy" filling I zest the lemon, trim the ends, skin the white pith, then thinly sliced the lemon, removing all seeds. Repeat with second lemon. I put the lemon slices and zest in a bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, macerating at room temperature for at least 6 hours (or overnight). 

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. 
2. If you didn't macerate your lemon (see above) then trim the ends of the lemon. Cut into thin slices and remove the seeds. 
3. Add the lemon slices (or macerated lemon sugar mix), butter, salt, sugar (if you macerated the lemons, do not add more sugar), eggs, and vanilla extract into blender or food processor. Blend completely smooth and creamy. 
4. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell. 
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top starts to turn golden. You may need to cover the edges of the pie crust if it starts to brown before the pie is done. 
6. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before slicing. 
7. Dust with powered sugar. 
8. Store pie in the fridge. 

NOTE: Avoid using large lemons. They typically have a thicker pith which can make your pie too bitter. 

CHOCOLATE CHESS PIE

photo: slw

First of all, what is chess pie? You might not be familiar with it if you're not from the South. The simple filling is made from pantry staples of eggs, sugar, butter, and a small amount of flour or cornmeal (or even vinegar) to hold it together. You can change the flavor of this base filling by adding vanilla, lemon juice, nuts, spices, or even chocolate. The variations are limitless. If you're curious about the origin of the name, there's a bit of folklore around the name. Some believe the word "chess" is an Americanization of the English word "cheese," referring to English Lemon Curd pie (chess pie is a cheese-less cheesecake). Another explanation suggests that "chess" is just a drawn-out drawl for "chest," which is how the very sugary pie had to be stored to keep the flies away (pie chest). And then my favorite is the folklore a plantation cook was asked what she was baking that smelled so good, and she replied, "Jes pie." Whatever the truth, chess pie is a southern staple that must be tried by all. 

I baked chocolate chess pie that doesn't require a tablespoon of flour or cornmeal, probably because of the cocoa powder. For the crust I used the "stir and roll" Wesson oil recipe I blogged about yesterday. This is one of my favorite pies -- delicious. 

Chocolate Chess Pie
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
3 heaping Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch fine sea salt
1 (5-ounce can) evaporated milk
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. 
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the evaporated milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract, whisking well to combine. 
3. Pour the filling into an unbaked pie shell. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the filling is set around the edges but slightly jiggles in the center. 
4. Cool the pie on a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. 

STIR AND ROLL PIE CRUST

I've experimented with dozens of pie crust recipes over the years. My tried and true method consists of both butter (for flavor) and shortening (for flakiness) for a delicious and tender crust. However, it does take practice and a sure-hand, and even then you're not guaranteed perfect results. I've had years to refine my methods and making pie crust is second-nature to me but I was intrigued when I came across a recipe that was as simple as pour, stir, and roll. I collect old cookbooks so it wasn't the first time I'd heard of an oil-based crust but it was the first time I was tempted to try it. I didn't think it could possibly compete with traditional crust methods, but the idea of simply "stir and roll" was just too tempting to pass up. The results were mind-boggling; the crust turned out both tasty and flaky. Far from perfect there were downsides, the dough can be difficult to rollout and handle. It wasn't easy to keep in one piece as it kept breaking off. However, it was easily fixed by pressing bits of the dough into the pastry to cover holes in the pan, which you can't really do with traditional crusts, lest over-handle the dough. Also, there was the oiliness. But overall, it's an easy and quick pie crust recipe that doesn't require expensive ingredients, a lot of elbow grease, or rest period for the dough before rolling out. I'd definitely use it for single crust pie recipes.

Stir and Roll Single Pie Crust
(makes one 9" crust)
1 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt (adjusted, original recipe called for 1 tsp)
3/8 c. (1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp) Wesson Oil
3 Tbsp cold whole milk

1. FOR PAR-BAKED CRUST: Preheat oven to 475º F, a very hot oven. 
2. In a bowl, start by sifting the flour twice. Whisk in the salt and create a little well in the flour mixture. 
3. Pour oil and milk into one measuring cup, but do not stir. Pour into the well of the flour mixture; mix with fork until cleans side of bowl. 
4. Finish by gently kneading the dough together into ball, flatten slightly, and place between two pieces of wax paper. Roll out gently until circle reaches edges of paper.
5. Peel off top paper, then pick up pastry and bottom paper by one edge (they will cling together). Place, paper-side up, over pie pan. Then loosen pastry at edges and carefully peel off paper. Ease pastry snugly into place. Finish edge as desired. 
6. FOR PAR-BAKED CRUST: prick bottom and side thoroughly with fork. Bake on lower rack in pre-heated oven 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. 

Stir and Roll Double Pie Crust
(makes two 9" crusts)
2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt (adjusted, original called for 1 1/2 tsp)
1/2 c. Wesson oil
1/4 c. cold whole milk

1. Follow single crust directions for mixing. Round up dough. Divide in half, flatten slightly. 
2. Roll out halves between pieces of waxed paper (as above). 
3. Line pie pan with bottom crust, fill, cover with top crust. 
4. Seal by pressing edges gently with fork, or fluting. 
5. Snip 3 or 4 small slits near center.
6. Bake pies, such as apple, in pre-heated hot oven, 425º F, for 40-45 minutes. 

COOK'S COUNTRY OLD-FASHIONED PECAN PIE

ph: slw

Most pecan pie recipes call for Karo corn syrup which results in an overly sweet, artificial-tasting pie that bears little resemblance to their 19th-century inspiration. Cook's Country wanted to create a traditional pecan pie without using modern day, processed corn syrup and after much trial and error, experimenting with a host of traditional syrups (cane, sorghum), they discovered that a combination of maple syrup with brown sugar and molasses replicated the flavor profile of old-fashioned pecan pies. 

To ensure the bottom crust was crisp and golden brown, they started the pie at a high temperature then dropped it down to finish cooking. An addition of cream yielded a welcome custardy transformation to the filling. This also made the filling looser, a problem easily solved by adding extra egg yolks. 

To finish off the recipe, they found toasting the nuts before they went into the pie gave them enough crunch and flavor to hold their own in the filling. Here's the recipe.

Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie

1 cup maple syrup (grade A)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon molasses

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

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of toasted and chopped pecans

9-inch unbaked pie shell, chilled in pie plate for 30 minutes

1. Make Filling: adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450º F. Heat sugar, syrup, cream, and molasses in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Whisk butter and salt into syrup mixture until combined. Whisk in egg yolks until incorporated. 
2. Bake Pie: Scatter pecans in a pie shell. Carefully pour filling over. Place pie in hot oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 324º F. Bake until filling is set and center jiggles slightly when pie is shaken, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool pie on rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate until set, about 3 hours and up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

META GIVEN'S PUMPKIN PIE

ph: slw

It's Sunday and I'm baking pies for Pie Monday, something I initiated at work because, let's face it, everyone loathes Mondays. Yesterday, I baked a double-crust apple pie and an old-fashioned pecan pie. Today, I'm baking a pumpkin pie for the office potluck on Tuesday. 

This recipe calls for caramelizing the pumpkin puree which means that this is a pie whose flavor doesn't hide behind a bunch of spice. You don't have to blind bake the crust because you blast it at 400 degrees the whole time, and bakes in 25 minutes - less than half the time of your average back-of-the-can recipe. You use real milk and cream instead of evaporated milk, yielding better tasting results. Hands down the best pumpkin pie I've ever eaten, even if there are cracks in my custard.

Meta Given's Pumpkin Pie
1 3/4 cups (1 15 oz can) canned or fresh cooked pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 eggs
1 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
9-inch unbaked, non-pricked, chilled pie shell

1. Turn pumpkin into saucepan and stir over direct heat for 10 minutes until somewhat dry and slightly caramelized, stirring frequently. Remove from heat but keep hot. 
2. Mix thoroughly together the sugar, salt, and spices, and stir into hot pumpkin. 
3. Beat eggs, add cream and milk, and beat into pumpkin mixture until smooth. 
4. Pour immediately into non-pricked pastry-lined pie pan and bake in a moderately hot oven (400º F) for 25 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and only an inch circle of the center of the filling remains liquid. Cool throughly on cake rack before cutting.

Note: Perfectly baked pumpkin pie has no cracks on its surface. Baking hot and filling in a chilled crust at 400º F for 25 to 30 minutes produces a smooth and shiny good textured custard and a well-baked crust free from soaking. But if your pie dish is thicker glass or ceramic instead of metal, or you loathe an underdone bottom crust, you might still want to blind bake it a little. 

Recommendation: blind bake at 350º F lined with parchment paper and filled with baking beans or weights until sides are dry and firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove weights, then bake until completely dry and firm (including bottom crust) and starting to turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool thoroughly. Then watch the pie closely as it bakes -- it might be done early, since the cold raw crust isn't there to protect it. And if the edges are starting to look wrinkled while the middle is very jiggly, turn the heat down to 350º F. 

Recipe via Genius Recipes, which pulled it from Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking.

TOMATO AND ROASTED GARLIC PIE

ph: sonia winesett

I'm addicted to Instagram, constantly scrolling through gorgeous photos of pies and other culinary delights. I came across a post for a Tomato and Roasted Garlic Pie from @bonappetitmag and was immediately hooked. Today, I made a modified version of the savory pie and the above photo is the end result. One word - amazing! Here's the original recipe. I was short on time so I substituted the homemade cracker crust for a pre-made puff pastry. I couldn't find any Taleggio cheese in my local grocery stores so I used Sargento pre-shredded 4 Cheese Italian blend (Mozzarella, smoked provolone, Romano, and Asiago). I substituted the real mayonnaise for Smart Balance Light Mayonnaise. Instead of heirloom tomatoes I used what I had on hand which were tomatoes on the vine and a few campari tomatoes.

Tomato and Roasted Garlic Pie

1 sheet of ready-to-make puff pastry sheet, thawed

Flour for dusting to roll out puff pastry sheet

2.5 pounds tomatoes on the vine and camapri tomatoes, cored, sliced 1/4-inch thick

3 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more

6 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp butter

8 ounces Sargento 4 Cheese Italian, shredded

2.5 ounces finely crumbled Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 Tbsp chopped thyme, plus 1/2 teaspoon leaves

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 475°. Arrange tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, covering entire surface (it’s okay if they overlap). Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes begin to look dry on top, 25–30 minutes. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook garlic and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling often, until butter foams and milk solids turn golden, 5–8 minutes. Transfer garlic and toasty bits to a cutting board. Finely chop and set aside.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 375°. 
4. Dust the counter with flour and roll out puff pastry sheet to fit in a 10-inch tart pan. Flute edges. Place in freezer until ready to use.
5. Mix shredded 4 Cheese Italian blend, Parmesan, mayonnaise, chopped thyme, remaining ½ tsp. salt, remaining ¼ tsp. pepper, and reserved chopped garlic in a medium bowl. Gently dollop half of cheese mixture over bottom of crust, then spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Layer half of tomato slices over and press down to even out layers. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture and tomatoes. Brush remaining garlic butter over tomatoes. Top with shallot, then scatter thyme leaves over.
6. Bake pie until filling bubbles vigorously and crust is browned, 50-60 minutes. Let cool 1 hour before serving.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!