Tuesday, March 13, 2012

3.14

March 14 marks a very important holiday. Pi Day! Just another day to have an excuse to eat something delectable!

The dear husband's work has invited its employees to bring pies to celebrate. You can bet that I have a couple of pies for him to take!

The first is a Peach Strawberry Pie, adapted from a recipe I have in my Taste of Home: Prize Winning cookbook for Peach Plum Pie. Pretty simple adaptations: plums weren't around the first time I wanted to make it (Christmas), so I bought strawberries instead. I also doubled everything that makes up the filling (except for the sugar). This is the third time that I have made this particular pie. It is seriously delicious, despite its innards spilling out all over the place. If you try this recipe, I HIGHLY recommend baking it with a cookie sheet covered with foil on the rack below it (not directly underneath it - as this causes a soggy bottom crust).

any tips to avoid such spillage is gladly received - I have never had a fruit pie NOT do this
Peach Strawberry Pie
**recipe adapted from tasteofhome.com**

Ingredients
4 cups chopped peeled fresh peaches or frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, thawed and drained
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the peaches, strawberries, lemon juice and extract. In another bowl, combine sugar, tapioca, lemon peel and salt. Add to fruit mixture and stir gently; let stand for 15 minutes. Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; add the filling. Dot with butter.
Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; cut slits in pastry. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cover the edges loosely with foil.
Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°. Remove foil; bake 35 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. 
Yield: 6-8 servings.

For the second pie I wanted to make Lemon Meringue. Then I thought of the impossible desirable humongous peaks... and how exactly would I cover that with plastic wrap so that Ryan can take it to work? Not easily, that's how. So I decided to make a Lemon Sour Cream Pie, which still has meringue on the top, but not with such a glorious height.

The lemon filling is a custard. I have made custard before, but burnt it to death along with the pan I was cooking it in. I have learned my lesson since then: low and slow is the way to go. This batch of custard ended up not burnt, so that was good! I tried desperately to get a good picture of the finished pie, but it had gotten a little too late in the afternoon for the right light. Oh well.

I have never made or tasted this Lemon Sour Cream Pie before. I may have to take a sample piece just to make sure that I'm not serving Ryan's coworkers something horrific...


Lemon Sour Cream Pie
**recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com**

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked
MERINGUE:
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
Lemon peel strips, optional

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in the milk. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Blend a small amount into egg yolks; mix well. Return all to pan; mix well. cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add butter, lemon juice and peel; mix well. Set aside.
For meringue, beat egg whites until foamy. Add vanilla and cream of tartar. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form; set aside. Fold sour cream into the lemon mixture; pour into pastry shell.
Cover with meringue, sealing to edges of pastry. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Garnish with lemon peel strips if desired. Cool completely. Store in the refrigerator. 
Yield: 6-8 servings.


Happy Pi Day!

2 comments:

Dad Duggins said...

You are.... amazing!!

I want to try that first pie especially!! (as for keeping the pie inside the crust, I am certainly no expert, but maybe putting less fillin' in the pie crust would do the trick...) :)

THE WILLIAMS FAMILY said...

YOW-ZAH... this pie looks AMAZING!!!!!