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Archive for the ‘Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles’ Category

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , on June 21, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

This is the perfect summer pie. Fresh, ripe strawberries are so good on their own, but making them into a pie is a wonderful way to highlight those strawberries. For this pie, you really need to use perfectly ripe strawberries to get the best flavor. I used organic strawberries that I bought at the farmer’s market, and I recommend you do the same if at all possible.

While most fruit pies call for baking the fruit in the pie shell, strawberries don’t bake up all that well so we keep them fresh and unbaked in this pie. Instead, a few strawberries are pureed and cooked on the stove with some sugar and gelatin to make a sweet glaze. The glaze is gently tossed with the rest of the fresh strawberries to create a sweet, fresh strawberry filling. I put the filling into my favorite homemade pie crust (which I blind baked first), and served generous slices of pie with some freshly whipped cream.

This fresh strawberry pie is a dessert that is on the lighter side, but so completely satisfying. I just know it’s going to make many more appearances on my table this summer, and in the summers to come.

One year ago:  Pasta Shells with Sausage and Roasted Peppers

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Printable Recipe

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the filling:

  • 4 pints (about 3 lbs.) fresh strawberries, gently rinsed and dried, hulled*
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Sure-Jell for low-sugar recipes**
  • Generous pinch of table salt
  • 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 baked 9-inch pie shell***

For the whipped cream:

  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

  1. To make the filling, select 6 oz. of the most unattractive berries, halving those that are large; you should have about 1 1/2 cups. In a food processor, puree the berries until smooth. You should have about 3/4 cup puree. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, Sure-Jell, and salt; whisk to combine. Stir in the berry puree. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and bring to a full boil. Boil for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature.
  2. Meanwhile, pick over the remaining berries and measure out 2 pounds of the most attractive ones; halve only extra-large berries. Add the strawberries to the bowl with the glaze and fold gently with a spatula until the berries are evenly coated. Scoop the berries into the baked pie shell, piling into a mound. If any cut sides face up on the top, turn them face down. Refrigerate the pie until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve within 5 hours of chilling.
  3. Make the whipped cream just before serving. Whip the cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed and continue beating until medium peaks form; mix in the sugar until combined. Cut the pie into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

*This is more berries than you will actually need for the pie, to account for any imperfect strawberries.

**Be sure to use Sure-Jell for low- or no-sugar recipes (pink box) and not regular Sure-Jell (yellow box), or the glaze will not set properly. Look for Sure-Jell either in the baking section, canning section, or Jello section of your grocery store.

***To pre-bake the pie crust, roll the pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough. Crimp the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and adjust an oven rack to low-middle position. Line the chilled pie shell with foil so that it lays over the edges of the dough. Fill with pie weights and bake until the surface of the dough no longer looks wet, 20-25 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil and return the crust to the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10-12 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated via Annie’s Eats.

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Lemon Tart

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , , , on May 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Citrus desserts like this lemon tart are just right for enjoying in the springtime. I offered to bring dessert to my family’s Mother’s Day dinner, and since both my mom and I were craving something along the lines of lemon cream pie, I had an easy time deciding on this lemon tart. This was the first time I’ve made this recipe, but it surely will not be the last. A sweet pastry shell is filled with a tart lemon curd filling and topped with sweet, freshly whipped cream. What more is there to say? It was love at first bite.

One year ago:  Restaurant Style Salsa

Lemon Tart

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

For the Sweet Tart Pastry Shell:

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
  • 2/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 8 tbsp. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the tart filling:

  • 7 large egg yolks, plus 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar (7 7/8 ounces)
  • 2/3 cup juice plus 1/4 cup finely grated zest from 4 to 5 medium lemons
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 3 tbsp. heavy cream

For serving:

  • Freshly whipped cream

Directions:

  1. Prepare and bake the tart shell: Whisk together the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside. Place the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a food processor and process briefly to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
  2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Unwrap and roll out between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper to a 13-inch round. (If the dough is soft and sticky, slip it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until workable, 20 to 30 minutes.) Transfer the dough to a tart pan by rolling the dough loosely around the rolling pin and unrolling over a 9- to 9 1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Working around the edge of the pan, ease the dough onto the pan corners by gently lifting the edge with one hand while pressing it into the corners with the other hand. Press the dough against the fluted sides of the pan. (If some sections of the edge are too thin, reinforce them by folding the excess dough back on itself.) Run the rolling pin over the top of the tart pan to remove the excess dough. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze 30 minutes. (The dough-lined tart pan can be sealed in a gallon-size ziploc bag and frozen up to 1 month.)
  3. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen tart shell and over the edge, and fill with metal or ceramic pie weights. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and pie weights. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes more. Set the baking sheet with the tart shell on a wire rack.
  4. Prepare the tart filling: Keep the oven temperature at 375 degrees F. In a medium nonreactive bowl*, whisk together the yolks and whole eggs until combined, about 5 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk until just combined, about 5 seconds. Add the lemon juice, zest, and salt; whisk until combined, about 5 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a medium non-reactive saucepan, add the butter pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until the curd thickens to a thin sauce-like consistency and registers 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour the curd through a fine-mesh stainless steel strainer set over a clean nonreactive bowl. Stir in the heavy cream; immediately pour the curd into the warm tart shell.
  5. Return the baking sheet with the filled tart shell to the middle rack of the oven. (If the crust is already browned, be sure to cover it with foil or a pie crust shield to prevent over-browning.) Bake until the filling is shiny and opaque and the center 3 inches jiggle slightly when shaken, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Remove the outer ring, slide a thin metal spatula between the bottom crust and the tart pan bottom to release, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Serve the tart within several hours, with freshly whipped cream.

*To prevent the lemon curd from having a metallic taste, only use nonreactive stainless steel or glass utensils when preparing the lemon curd.

Source: Baking Illustrated

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Rustic Cinnamon Pear Tart

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , , on December 12, 2011 | 16 Comments »

Rustic Cinnamon Pear Tart

This month I was assigned the blog Permanent Posies for The Secret Recipe Club. This blog is created by Susan and has everything from food to crafts and decorating to creative writing and more. Since it’s the holiday season and a time when I especially love to bake, I decided to try a dessert recipe and chose the Cinnamon Pear Tart.

I’ve made many, many pies and tarts over the years but have never made a rustic tart, or galette, as they are sometimes called. I loved how easy it was to roll out and shape the crust, and the result is so pretty that I see myself making many more rustic tarts in the future. I decided to make my own dough for the crust, and it was super simple to make. I really enjoyed the added flavor from the cornmeal in the dough, and a sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon before baking also added to the texture and flavor.

Susan cooked her pears in a little cinnamon and water before baking them in the tart. I decided to skip this step for ease of preparation and was very happy with the result. The pears softened up some while baking, but still retained a little bit of their crispness.

This tart is quick and easy to prepare and tastes delicious. The elegant simplicity of this rustic pear tart makes it a perfect dessert to share at a holiday gathering.

One year ago:  Cranberry Scones

Rustic Cinnamon Pear Tart

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

For the crust:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/3 cup milk

For the filling:

  • 3-4 small pears
  • about 1/4 cup sugar
  • cinnamon

Directions:

  1. To make the crust, combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2-3 times to combine. Add butter and pulse 4-5 times, or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. Remove dough ball, flatten into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before rolling out.
  2. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Roll out the crust to a round of about 1/4 inch thickness and transfer to parchment on baking sheet. Arrange pear slices in concentric circles on the dough, leaving a border of about 1-1 1/2 inches of dough around the outside. Sprinkle each layer of pears generously with sugar and cinnamon. Fold the crust edges up over the fruit. Sprinkle outside edge of crust with a little sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Bake for about 40 minutes or until crust is browned. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Permanent Posies; crust recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod.


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Mississippi Mud Pie

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , , , , , on July 5, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Mississippi Mud Pie

Cool and creamy,  ice cream pie is the perfect dessert to enjoy sitting outside on a warm summer evening. This mud pie is a combination of a chocolate cookie crust, coffee ice cream, rich chocolate ganache, and Heath bar toffee bits. (In addition to the ganache and toffee bits that you see on top of the pie, there’s also a hidden layer of ganache and toffee beneath the ice cream- a sweet surprise!)

This pie is really easy to put together, but you do need to start the process at least five hours before you plan to serve it. There are a few different simple steps, and between each one you’ll need to chill the pie in the freezer.

One of the best things about making ice cream pie is that there are endless flavor possibilities. You can switch up the ice cream flavors and types of candy for a unique dessert every time. I think Reese’s peanut butter cups, Reese’s Pieces, M & M’s, chopped Snickers bars, or even mini chocolate chips would all be delicious. You could even use two different flavors of ice cream, just spread one flavor in the crust and freeze to set before adding the second. Now that I’ve made this mud pie, I’m already thinking of other ice cream pies that I can make this summer!

Mississippi Mud Pie

Printable Recipe

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients:

For the crust:

  • 1 1/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs or other chocolate cookie crumbs, such as Oreo (I used chocolate graham crackers and processed them in the food processor to make the crumbs)
  • 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp. sugar

For the ganache:

  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the filling and garnish:

  • 1/2 cup Heath bar, chopped, divided (or other candy, chopped into small bits)
  • 3-4 cups coffee ice cream, softened

Directions:

  1. To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Toss with a fork until well combined and all the crumbs are moistened. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool while you make the ganache.
  2. To make the ganache, transfer the chopped chocolate to a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 1 minute. Whisk the mixture in small circular motions until the ganache forms. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated.
  3. Spread a thin layer of ganache over the bottom of the pie crust, just enough to cover it completely (about 1/3 cup). Sprinkle half of the candy bits over the ganache. Transfer the pie plate to the freezer and chill for about 30-60 minutes, until the ganache is set. Leave the remaining ganache at room temperature, whisking occasionally.
  4. Stir the ice cream with a spoon or spatula to be sure it is evenly softened and spreadable. Mound the ice cream into the pie shell and smooth the top. Return to the freezer and chill until the ice cream is set, about 2 hours.
  5. If the ganache has firmed up while the pie was chilling, soften it again by heating it in a double boiler or microwaving it in 15-second intervals, just until it is spreadable but not hot. Spread a thin layer of ganache over the ice cream, or drizzle it over the ice cream with a spoon. Sprinkle the remaining toffee bits on top. (Work efficiently, as the ganache will harden quickly after making contact with the ice cream.) Return to the freezer and chill for 1-2 hours. Reserve any remaining ganache and let cool until thickened. Transfer to a pastry bag and pipe on decorative swirls, if desired. Chill until set.
  6. Let the pie stand at room temperature for several minutes before slicing. Use a warm, dry knife to slice and serve.

Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally adapted from Williams Sonoma

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Peach and Raspberry Crumble

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , , on June 30, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Peach and Raspberry Crumble

In the summer I like to enjoy desserts that highlight the abundance of fresh fruit that is available. This peach and raspberry crumble is a delicious way to do this, and it can easily be adapted to include other summer fruits such as blueberries, nectarines, plums, or blackberries.

The crumble takes minimal preparation time and effort. Peel and slice your peaches, mix up your oaty topping, and throw it in a baking dish (a pretty one if you have it- I need to work on acquiring one more interesting than my glass Pyrex). Some of the crumble topping is mixed in with the peach raspberry filling, which is a deliciously wonderful idea. The fruit bakes up all juicy, sweet, and bubbly, as you can see in the photo. Top a generous spoonful with some vanilla ice cream and you’ll have a perfect summer dessert.

One year ago:  Apricot Ice Cream

Peach and Raspberry Crumble

Printable Recipe

Makes 1 8×8 square baking dish

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 medium ripe peaches, peeled (if desired) and sliced (I used a combination of white and yellow peaches)
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries (if using frozen, just thaw and drain)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

Directions:

  1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place sliced peaches and raspberries in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, oats, spices, and salt. Add the butter and toss the mixture together with your hands. Using your fingers, break the butter up into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of small pebbles and oat flakes.
  3. Toss a generous handful (about 1 cup) of the crumble topping into the peach and raspberry mixture. Toss loosely with your hands. Spread the fruit evenly in the baking dish and top with the remaining crumble mixture. Bake until fruit is juicy and bubbling, and the top of the crumble is slightly browned and crisp, about 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve with vanilla ice cream. Crumble is delicious warm and can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator and reheated in the oven or microwave for serving.

Recipe from Joy the Baker

This post is linked to Sweets for a Saturday

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Cinnamon Apple Pie with Raisins and Crumb Topping

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 6, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Cinnamon Apple Pie with Raisins and Crumb Topping

If you’re planning to bake a pie (or two) for an upcoming holiday celebration, I recommend this apple pie. I’ve made this pie a number of times, most recently for my family’s Thanksgiving celebration. I’m a big fan of crumb topping on my apple pie, and this pie has plenty of it. I also love how the cinnamon enhances the flavor of the sweet apple-raisin filling. (If you don’t like raisins, you can easily leave them out.)

Since I was also making this pumpkin pie for our family get-together, I decided to make the apple pie a day ahead and it worked just fine. After cooling the pie, I refrigerated it overnight and it tasted great the next day.

Cinnamon Apple Pie with Raisins and Crumb Topping

Ingredients:

One recipe flaky pie dough

Filling

  • 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 3/4 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 6 medium), peeled, cored, cut into chunks
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For Crust:

Roll out pie dough to a 14-inch circle. Transfer to a pie dish by gently wrapping the dough around a rolling pin and then carefully unrolling it. Gently press dough down into pie dish and trim excess dough around edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Fold the edges under and crimp to make a decorative edge. Chill unbaked crust in freezer for 20 minutes.

For Filling:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Mix brown sugar, flour, lemon peel, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add apple chunks, raisins, and vanilla; toss until well coated. Transfer filling to unbaked crust, mounding filling slightly in center. Bake pie until apples begin to soften, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare crumb topping:

Whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture begins to clump together.

Sprinkle topping evenly over hot pie. Continue to bake pie until apples are tender and topping is browned and crisp, tenting pie with sheet of foil if browning too quickly, about 50 minutes. Cool pie on rack at least 2 hours.

Do ahead: If serving pie the same day, let stand at room temperature up to 8 hours. If serving pie the next day, refrigerate overnight. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, October 2007

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Pumpkin Pie

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , , , , on November 28, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Pumpkin Pie

I was responsible for making the pies for my family’s Thanksgiving celebration this year. I made a cinnamon apple pie with raisins and a crumb topping, which you will see here on the blog soon, as well as this pumpkin pie. I searched for quite a while before deciding upon this recipe. I ended up modifying the recipe just a bit, to make it just a little healthier (but it’s still pie, so it’s still plenty indulgent). I substituted whole milk for part of the heavy whipping cream, and decreased the amount of sugar.

I was so pleased with the results, that this will now be my go-to pumpkin pie recipe. The pie had a wonderfully smooth texture with the perfect amount of pumpkin and spice flavors. If you are planning to make pie for an upcoming holiday celebration, I highly recommend this recipe. Or, you can always save it for next Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie

Makes one pie

Ingredients:

  • One recipe flaky pie dough
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • One 15-oz. can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

Directions:

  1. Roll out pie dough to a 14- to 15-inch circle. Transfer to a pie dish by gently wrapping the dough around a rolling pin and then carefully unrolling it. Gently press dough down into pie dish and trim excess dough around edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Fold the edges under and crimp to make a decorative edge. Chill unbaked crust in freezer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and position oven rack in bottom third of oven.
  2. Line the chilled pie shell with foil, pressing the foil firmly and smoothly into the crevices of the pan. Fill the foil with pie weights or uncooked rice, making sure the weights reach up the sides of the pan (the center does not need to be quite as full). Bake for 20 minutes, until the foil comes away from the dough easily. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking the empty pie shell for 6-10 more minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer to a rack and cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
  3. While the pie crust is baking, prepare the filling. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl to break them up. Add the cinnamon,  nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt and whisk to blend evenly. Whisk in cream, milk, and both sugars. Strain the mixture through a strainer into a medium saucepan. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until custard mixture is thoroughly blended.
  4. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula to prevent the eggs from scrambling, about 7-9 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly and registers 150 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat.
  5. Pour the hot custard into the warm pre-baked pie shell. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the custard is set. You will know it’s done when the center of the pan looks firm and moves in one piece if you gently tap the sides of the pan. Transfer the pie to a rack and cool completely, about 2 hours.

Recipe adapted from Sur la Table

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Flaky Pie Crust

Posted in Desserts, DIY, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , on November 27, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Flaky Pie Crust

Look at that flaky deliciousness!

The secret to a flaky pie crust? Keeping the ingredients really cold, and working in the butter just enough so that there are still visible pieces of butter in the dough. When you use really cold butter and ice cold water in the dough, it keeps the butter from “melting” into the dough. Then, when you bake your pie, those visible pieces of butter melt and release steam to create tiny pockets of air in the dough, which creates those wonderful flaky layers of pie crust.

Until very recently I always used my food processor to make pie dough. I loved how fast and easy it was, letting the processor do all of the work. Those pie crusts certainly tasted good, but they were definitely not as flaky as when I do the work by hand, using my pastry blender. Another perk of using the pastry blender is that it is so much easier to wash than the food processor (isn’t it terribly annoying washing all of those parts, and the dough gets stuck in the crevices…).

Below I’ll show you step by step how to make a delicious, flaky pie crust using a pastry blender and your own two hands. If you want to know how to make a delicious (but not as flaky) pie crust using your food processor, click here. But, I promise that it is incredibly satisfying to make pie dough by hand, and it only takes a minute or two longer (especially if you account for the time you’ll save by not washing that food processor!).

Flaky Pie Crust

Makes enough dough for a single crust pie. If you are making a double crust pie, double this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • Ice-cold water

Directions:

1.  Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.  Also make sure that you have ice cold water ready, by placing a few ice cubes in a small cup of water, and placing the cup in the refrigerator.

2.  Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl to combine.
3.  Use a pastry blender to work the butter into the dough.  You want to end up with approximately pea-sized pieces of butter, but don’t worry if the pieces are not all the same size.  You want to be careful not to work the butter in too much, so that you’ll get those nice steam pockets when the pieces of butter melt as the pie bakes.

This is what the dough should look like after you've worked in the butter using your pastry blender. See how the butter pieces are approximately pea-sized, but vary in size and shape?

4.  Add 3 Tablespoons of ice cold water to the dough, and use a fork or spatula to mix the water in.  Continue adding water, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough begins to clump together.  Your goal is to gather all of the dough together into a ball.  Use your hands at the end to clump the dough together into a ball.

As you gradually add the cold water, mix with a fork to pull the dough together.

When the dough is almost all clumped together, use your hands to finish clumping together all of the bits of dough.

5.  Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.

See those pieces of butter in the dough?

6.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out the dough to make the pie crust.

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Apple Hand Pies

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , , on October 12, 2010 | 4 Comments »

Apple Hand Pies

Recently my sister, Karen, was visiting for the day and we decided that we needed a baking project to keep us busy. Since we had so much fun making homemade caramel sauce together during her last visit, we thought we should find a new recipe to try out together. In the days before her visit, we each searched our cookbooks and blogs for potential recipes. Apple hand pies were the winner because we had both been wanting to try making hand pies at home. It was so nice to have an extra set of hands for taking photos during the baking process!

Karen and I were really happy with the way the hand pies turned out. We made some triangle-shaped pies by hand, and some heart-shaped ones using a Williams-Sonoma pocket pie mold. We were surprised at how much easier it was to make the pies using the heart mold. The heart pies looked much prettier too.

This is a great crust recipe- the crust was flaky and tender, with just a hint of lemon flavor from the lemon zest. The apple filling was tasty, too. Next time I might also try a peach, blueberry, or blackberry filling.

Apple pocket pies are just as easy to make as a regular pie, but are so much more fun to eat. I’m not sure why, but desserts that you can pick up with your hand (think cupcakes, brownies, cookies…) just have a way of making you feel more relaxed and happy. Maybe they make you remember what it’s like to be a kid again. Whatever the reason, these hand pies are delicious and fun. Enjoy!

Here are some pictures of the process using the pie molds.  If you don’t have the molds, we’ve also included directions for making free form triangle shaped pies below.

 

Cut out two pie dough shapes for the top and bottom crust of each hand pie.

 

 

The top crust has a decorative cutout to allow steam to escape during baking.

 

 

Place one dough shape into the pie mold, fill with apple filling, and brush with egg wash.

 

 

Place the top dough shape (with the cutout) on top of the filling, close the mold, and press to seal.

 

 

Freeze the assembled pies for 30 minutes, bake, and enjoy!

 

To read Karen’s recap of this recipe, click here.

Apple Hand Pies

Makes 8 hand pies

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 6-8 Tablespoons cold milk (cold water can be substituted)
  • Apple Pie Filling (recipe below)
  • Egg wash (recipe below)

Directions

  1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, and sugar until combined, about 5 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses.
  2. Add 6 Tbsp. cold milk (or ice water) and pulse twice. The dough should hold together when squeezed with your fingers but should not be sticky. If it is crumbly, add more milk (or water), 1 teaspoon at a time, pulsing twice after each addition.
  3. Divide the dough in half, wrap with plastic wrap, and press each into a disk. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
  4. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
  5. On a floured surface, roll out 1 dough disk into a round 1/16 to 1/8 inch (2-3 cm) thick. Brush off the excess flour.
    1. If using the pocket pie mold, cut out 4 of each shape (4 with decorative cutout & 4 without cutout- the cutout will serve as a steam vent during baking). Re-roll the dough scraps if necessary, and cut out more shapes. Repeat with the remaining dough disk. Next, place a solid dough shape in the bottom half of the pocket pie mold and gently press the dough into the mold. Fill the center with 1-2 Tbsp. pie filling and brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Top with the decorative cutout shape. Press the top half of the cutter down to seal and crimp the edges of the pie. Remove the pie from the mold. Repeat with the remaining dough.
    2. To make triangle shaped pies: Cut the dough into 6 inch squares. Re-roll the dough scraps, and cut out more squares until all the dough has been used. Place 2 Tbsp. pie filling in the center of each square and brush the 2 edges (the corner edges) of the dough with the egg wash. Fold the dry edges over to make a triangle. Press the edges of the dough together and crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Using a small knife, make a couple ½-inch slits in the top of the dough so that steam can escape.

Place the pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze the pies for 30 minutes.

  1. To Bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the pies with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is gently bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Dough recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma


Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients

  • 2 large baking apples (such as Granny Smith)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

  1. Peel and chop the apples into small pieces. Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and stir to mix.

Topping

  • Egg wash: 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
  • Turbinado sugar

Filling recipe: original source unknown

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Ginger-Apricot Pie

Posted in Desserts, Pies, Tarts, Crisps, and Crumbles, tagged , , on August 3, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Ginger-Apricot Pie

Every summer I bake at least one apricot pie, using fresh apricots from the tree in my parents’ backyard. The pie is then shared at a family gathering, often our Fourth of July celebration. I have tried a few different recipes, and I love the warm spice notes from the cinnamon and ginger in this recipe. Sweet apricots, a little sugar, and some spices in a tender, flaky crust- yum!

Ginger-Apricot Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients:

  • 2 rolled-out Basic Pie Dough rounds (see recipe below)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pounds apricots, pitted and sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 5 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest

Directions:

  1. Fold 1 dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, patting it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the edge of the dough, leaving 3/4 inch of overhang. Set the dough-lined pan aside, along with the second dough round, in a cool place until ready to use.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Place the apricots in a large bowl, sprinkle with the orange or lemon zest and sugar mixture, and toss to distribute evenly. Immediately transfer to the dough-lined pan.
  3. Fold the reserved dough round in half and carefully position over half of the filled pie. Unfold and trim the edge neatly, leaving 1 inch of overhang. Fold the edge of the top round under the edge of the bottom round and crimp the edges to seal. Using a small, sharp knife, cut 4 or 5 holes or slits in the top to allow steam to escape during baking.
  4. Refrigerate the pie until the dough is firm, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
  5. Bake the pie until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling, 50-60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely to set. Serve at room temperature or rewarm in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes just before serving.

Basic Pie Dough

(Double the recipe to make 2 dough-rounds for a double-crust pie.)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3 tablespoons very cold water

Directions:

Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add in the butter, pulse a few times until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Gather the dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured work surface. Flatten into a disk and roll to a round about 12 inches in diameter.

Recipes adapted from Williams-Sonoma: Pie and Tart

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