Like coconuts, lemons aren’t exactly seasonal here. But sometimes, when the weather outside is frightful, indulging in tropical imports is exactly what I need. This pie is delightfully tart, with a light flavor that belies its richness.
Ingredients
3-4 lemons, or enough for:
–1 teaspoon lemon zest
–1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/3 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar
1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold water
3 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup boiling water
4 tablespoons butter
1 prebaked pie crust
Grate and extract juice from lemons. Take one lemon, peel with a knife and remove pith and membrane. Chop the pulp, discarding the peel, seeds and pith. Reserve all juice, zest and pulp.
Sift 1 1/3 cups sugar, cornstarch and salt into a saucepan. Slowly work in the cold water, stirring constantly to dissolve the cornstarch. Add egg yolks, zest, juice and pulp. Keep stirring and add boiling water. Cook over low heat for about 4 or 5 minutes after the boiling point is reached.
Stir constantly until mixture has thickened. Beat in the butter.
Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit, stirring occassionally.
Beat egg whites with 6 T sugar to firm peaks.
Pour lemon filling into the pie shell.
Spread meringue on top, giving it some nice texture.
Brown in an oven preheated to 350 for about 10-15 minutes.
I am not really sure why Mr. R put coconut pie on our list. Perhaps he likes a challenge? And I must admit, the creation process was kind of fun — it’s not often that I make recipes that recommend use of a machete and/or hammer. But I suppose this series wouldn’t be complete without at least one disaster. And here it is.
We were insistent on using fresh coconut, as the pre-shredded kind can be laden with all sorts of preservatives and “enhancers.” At the grocery store, we searched unsuccessfully for the hard, brown coconuts one usually imagines. But I did notice these weird, conical, white things labeled as coconuts, and added one to our cart. What I didn’t know at the time was that this was actually a young coconut — a coconut harvested before it is ripe, primarily for its water, which allegedly holds all sorts of homeopathic health benefits. As the coconut ripens, this water will transform to the meat we all recognize, but young coconuts have only a small amount of meat that is more gelatinous in texture.
So this is what I had to work with. And it first begs the question: how the heck do you open this thing?
A little bit of googling later, it was determined that the best approach would be to hack off the top using a chef’s knife and a hammer, and then carefully pour out the water.
Keep cutting away until you are able to wedge out the top. Drain the water. You can drink it if you want to…but I thought it was kind of gross! Probably should have recognized this as a sign…
And keep working at it until you can sort of pull it apart.
With young coconuts, the meat came out very easily with a spoon. I am guessing it is a bit more difficult with a mature coconut? You may need to use a knife or a vegetable peeler.
We ended up with…not quite one cup as required by the recipe. But the middle of a snowstorm in Maryland is NOT the time to make a quick emergency run to the grocery store. Oh well…
Grate the coconut…or mince it finely in a food processor as we did.
We followed the following recipe, again adapted from Bill Neal’s Biscuits, Spoonbread and Sweet Potato Pie.
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup fresh grated cocnut
2 tablespoons white rum
1 partially baked pie shell
Combine all the ingredients for the filling and beat well by hand. Pour into a partially baked shell and bake for about 40-50 minutes, until center is set. Do not allow it to puff up excessively.
When this first came out of the oven, I was already hesitant. It had an unappealing gelatinous texture. And let’s just say it did not smell even vaguely of what I think of as coconut.
We had been planning to bring it to a party, but wasn’t sure I was willing to subject others to this, uh, “pie.” A few of us sliced some samples.
I took one bite and almost had to spit it out.
One member of the family, however enjoyed it: the dog. She somehow managed to pull it off the counter in the middle of the night and ate every last bit of the filling, leaving the crust intact. Luckily, she hasn’t gotten sick and I guess we don’t have to worry about what we are going to do with this monstrosity!
I am sure that our use of young coconut had a lot to do with the failure of this recipe. Maybe I would try it again with real coconuts. But I am not in any rush. Thankfully there is no shortage of delicious pie in our household right now!
I have to say, I don’t eat sweet potatoes that often, and it’s even rarer that I indulge in sweet potato pie. I don’t even recall the last time I had it, if ever! Before tonight, that is.
But I am definitely adding this recipe into my repertoire.
Sweet potatoes are actually a species of morning glory and are only distantly related to “regular” potatoes. They are native to South America and were an important component in Native American diets, as well as European settlers. They are sometimes referred to as yams, perhaps so named by slaves brought to America who recognized its striking resemblance to the similar yet unrelated African tuber. Their consumption in recent years has declined, but sweet potatoes are a deeply ingrained part of southern American diet and culture. Bill Neal quotes Sir Francis Drake in Biscuits, Spoonbread and Sweet Potato Pie:
“These potatoes be the most delicate rootes that may be eaten, and doe farre exeed our passeneps or carets. Their pines be of the bignes of two fists, the outside whereof is the making of a pine-apple, but it is soft like the rinde of a cocomber, and the inside eateth like an apple but is more delicious than any sweet apple sugred.”
Now I am sorry it has taken me so long to appreciate this most delicate roote!
Sweet potatoes are also a bit more healthful than their colorless relatives: as with any orange-colored vegetable, they are rich in beta-carotene. Of course, serving them in pie form probably negates their nutritious qualities, but they really lend well to this pie. With its subtly sweet flavor and meringue-y texture, this recipe is sure to please anyone.
Well I am out of town today, and though I have a computer and my camera, I am without means to connect the two. So tomorrow I will update this post with photos, but I do want to make sure I keep my word on posting a new pie recipe every day!
Mr. R and I have been in the kitchen all afternoon making a huge batch of pie crusts. Let me tell you, rolling out fresh pie dough is SO much easier than one that has been frozen or chilled overnight! So we had the genious idea to roll them out right away and freeze them right in the pans — much better! I’ll also update the pie crust post with photos that look a little less laborious and intimidating.
Anyway. Back to today’s pie. Pumpkin. I must admit that pumpkin ranks among my most favorite pies. Perhaps even tied for #1 with key lime. Maybe it’s because it is so closely associated with the holiday season, celebrations, and lots of good food. Either way, there’s just something so inviting about that special blend of spices and its silky, custardy texture.
This time of year you see a lot of pre-made pumpkin pies pop up in supermarket bakeries — but I find that, for whatever reason, they are not even comparable to the real thing. Pumpkin pie is a pretty fool-proof recipe anyway, so I encourage you to make it yourself!
The following has been adapted from various recipes over the years.
Ingredients
2 cups pumpkin puree (or one can)
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each of: ground ginger, ground cloves, freshly ground nutmeg
(feel free to adjust the spice amounts as desired)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 9-inch pie crust (instructions)
Optional: heavy whipping cream
Method
Mix pumpkin puree, half and half, salt and spices in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. If using fresh pumpkin, make sure all water is evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool no less than 10 minutes.
While puree mixture is cooling, whisk together brown sugar with eggs and egg yolk. When the pumpkin is cooled (so as not to cook the eggs), mix that in too.
Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust and place in an oven preheated to 450. After 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 and bake approximately 40-50 minutes more, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool for a minimum of two hours. Beat heavy cream with your choice of sweetener (I like maple syrup when serving with pumpkin pie) until it peaks.
For the first installment of the Twelve Days of Pie, we have made a classic southern dessert: pecan pie!
I am from Maryland, and though it is below the Mason-Dixon line, whether it qualifies as a truly southern state depends on whom you ask. My husband, however, is most definitely from the south, and pecan pie is one of his favorites.
Pecan trees are a species of hickory native to the southeastern United States. Though packed with healthy unsaturated fats and antioxidants, they are traditionally mixed with brown sugar and served in various desserts, which obviously lessens their nutritional value. Pecan pie is perhaps the most quintessential of these desserts.
5 Tablespoons butter
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2/3 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup toasted pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon dark rum
Pie dough for one 9-inch pie (see recipe and tutorial here)
Method
Position rack into the lower portion of your oven and preheat to 450.
Dry toast the pecans in a skillet until fragrant and just starting to brown.
In the meantime…
Cream the butter with an electric mixer and gradually add in sugars.
When sugars are fully combined, beat in flour and salt.
Add beaten eggs.
When fully combined, mix in the pecans, vanilla and rum.
Roll out pie dough and fit into pie pan, trimming off excess and crimping edges as necessary and/or desired.
Pour pecan mixture into pan.
Place pie in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 325. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, until center of pie is set.
Finally, try your best not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.
I have these recipes bookmarked to try but haven’t gotten around to it yet. I will report back when I do. But you really can’t beat the classic version, with its creamy center and caramelized surface. SO GOOD.
My husband has become something of a pie connoisseur over the past few years. While it is no secret that baking is not my forte, I have happily enjoyed the results of Mr. R’s culinary pursuits in the art of pastry.
And so as a tribute to his passion for pie-making, and in conjunction with the holidays (and the completion of his third semester of law school) we have decided in these last two weeks before Christmas to conduct the Twelve Days of Pie. That’s right, beginning tomorrow, we will bake a pie daily until Christmas spanning everything from classic favorites to new twists on traditional recipes, from healthy, savory pies to completely decadent, buttery treats. And then post about it here.
So get ready!
But first, a primer on the most important and defining aspect of pie: the crust.
Pies have been a part of our diets at least as far back as we have written record of what human civilizations have consumed. There is evidence that the ancient Egyptians ate a primitive sort of pie involving items mixed into a dough, and the ancient Romans are believed to have created the more recognizable form of pie crust known today. In the days before kitchen utensils and cooking wares, dough was used as the primary vessel in which food was cooked and served. It fulfilled a highly functional purpose and was likely not terribly tasty. But after several centuries, numerous cultural interpretations, and the advent of the modern kitchen, the creation of a pie crust has become something of an art form.
When baking a pie, despite whatever filling you choose, the crust is always the common denominator. It can truly make or break a recipe and elevate an otherwise forgettable pie to something of the divine. So allow me to begin by imploring you to resist the temptation to use pre-made pie crusts.
Actually, let me say that again.
Do not ever use a pre-made pie crust!
Yes, making pie dough from scratch and rolling it out into perfection is intimidating and takes a bit of practice. Do not expect your first attempt to look particularly attractive. But I promise you it will taste 100 times better than whatever kind of crap they stock in the freezer of your local supermarket.
Just as a reference, here are the ingredients in a Pillsbury frozen pie crust:
Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Partially Hydrogenated Lard (Adds a Trivial Amount of Trans Fat) with BHA and BHT Added to Protect Flavor, Water, Sugar, Whey, Salt, Baking Soda, Sodium Metabisulfite (Preservative), Colored with Yellow 5 and Yellow 6.
Um, gross.
Even the most organic, natural, highest-rated pre-made pie crust I could find contains palm oil. Palm oil! Not going to get into that issue right now, but I think I’d rather have butter myself…
Really, the results of making your own crust from scratch will be worth the effort.
The following instructions are adapted primarily from the book Biscuits, Spoonbread and Sweet Potato Pie by Bill Neal. This book is Mr. R’s go-to resource for many of the pastry recipes he makes and you are likely find it open on our counter on any given day of the week.
Alton Brown also has a good tutorial on making pie crust (though his ingredients differ significantly):
Pie crust
yields two single or one double crust
Ingredients
3 Cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, chilled
4 Tablespoons shortening
7 Tablespoons cold water
Instructions
Preparing the dough
Sift together flour and salt. Cut chilled butter and shortening into pieces and mix into flour by hand until fully combined (Alton Brown uses a food processor for this part). Texture will still be coarse and only slightly less dry. Avoid overworking; you want the butter to remain cold (re-chill in refrigerator if this happens).
Keep a bowl of icewater next to you and work it in, tablespoon-by-tablespoon.
When dough is complete, divide into two pieces, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Dough can also be chilled overnight or even frozen, but will be a bit harder to work with.
Rolling out the dough
Remove one piece of dough from fridge and turn out one piece onto a lightly floured surface. You want to avoid using too much flour, which will dry out the dough, but do use enough to prevent sticking.
We have a silicone mat for this purpose which helps prevent sticking and over-flouring.
If dough is very hard (such as after freezing) you may need to knead the edges a bit to get it going. When it is soft enough to roll out, sprinkle with a bit of flour, and press outward, not down.
Dough can be quite finicky; sometimes, as in the above picture, it is easy to work with, and other times, as below, it is difficult. It depends on a multitude of factors, such as how long you knead it, how long it has chilled, or even the ambient temperature and humidity. Don’t get discouraged if your dough looks more like the second picture — this crust had been frozen, which exacerbates the cracking — no one can tell the difference once the pie is assembled.
You may wish to shift the dough around or turn over, to prevent sticking and ensure even rolling.
Roll out until it is roughly a circle with a 13.5 inch diameter.
Again, do not worry about aesthetics. The results will be the same whether you have a beautifully crimped crust or one that took a little finagling.
Assembling the pie
Fold the crust in half, and then into quarters, so that you can easily center it over a pie pan.
Press the pie into the pan. If pieces have torn or broken off, don’t fret — just stick them back together.
Trim the edges as necessary and use them to patch up any holes or cracks. For a decorative look, crimp with a fork or with your fingers like so:
For most pies, simply pour the filling into the pan and bake per the instructions of the recipe.
Some recipes, however, do call for a partially or completely pre-baked crust. To pre-bake a crust, just line the bottom with a piece of foil and add some dried beans or rice to weigh it down. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes, remove, and prick bottom all over with a fork. Return to oven for another 8 minutes and remove for a partially baked shell. If the recipe calls for a fully baked crust, first check if any more pricks are needed (crust is puffing up excessively), and then bake for a final 8 minutes.
See? It’s not so bad. One bite into that pie and you will be so thankful you took the time to make the crust yourself.
Now is the time to start amassing your Christmas cookie spread. I’ve just spent the past five hours laboring over these Christmas tree sugar cookies below, so it’s never too early to get a head start!
Once the icing on these sets, into the freezer they will go, to emerge on Christmas Eve.
(Here is a good tutorial on decorated sugar cookies if you’re interested).
I’m planning to make some snowflake-shaped sugar cookies in addition to these. And we usually make some white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies as well. But beyond that, Mr. R and I are still considering the options. The Washington Post Food Section comes out with a cookie issue each year, and we’ve had success with their recipes in the past — I can’t wait for this year’s to come out next week. In the meantime, I’ll keep researching…anyone have any favorite Christmas cookie recipes?
If you have leftover pumpkin from Thanksgiving, here is a dessert recipe that transitions it right into the winter holiday season. I made it for a certain-someone’s birthday yesterday, but it would look lovely on your Christmas table as well.
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1.5 t cinnamon
1/ t ginger
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t nutmeg
3/4 cup unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 pound butter
1.5 t vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 lb pumpkin puree
optional: 1.5 cups walnuts
For the ganache:
6 T heavy cream
6 oz semisweet chocolate
Instructions
Place oven rack one-third up from the bottom and preheat oven to 325
Coat inside of bundt pan with butter (take very-soft-but-not-quite-melted butter and brush on thoroughly).
Dust very fine breadcrumbs (pulse through a food processor as necessary) on inside of buttered pan, shaking out excess. Set aside
Using a sifter or mesh strainer, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter, then beat in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time.
On low speed, add half the dry ingredients. Then mix in the pumpkin.
When the pumpkin is incorporated add the remaining dry ingredients.
Mix in the walnuts at this point if you would like. I did not do this myself.
Carefully turn the batter into the bundt pan, smoothing the top.
Let bake for 1.5 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
When it is done, let the cake cool in the pan a good 30+ minutes before carefully turning over onto a cooling rack. Let cool several more hours before serving.
The original recipe does not call for icing but instead a dusting of confectioner’s sugar. In my opinion, however, icing is the best part of cake! So I made a simple ganache to drizzle over the top.
Ganache icing
Melt 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate with 6 tablespoons of heavy cream in a double boiler or a metal bowl placed over a pot of boiling water.
Stir continuously until chocolate is completely melted and incorporated into cream.
At this stage the icing will be very runny. If you want a very drizzly look you could apply it to the cake now. Otherwise let cool for about 15-20 minutes.
I just spooned it on top of the cake and sort of eased it over the sides at the indentations. I left the cake on the cooling rack over a lined baking sheet for easier cleanup.
I wasn’t sure how the combination of chocolate and pumpkin spices would taste, but — it worked! I also whipped up the remaining heavy cream with some maple syrup to serve on the side. This cake was delicious and enjoyed by all.
Alton Brown also has a good tutorial on making pie crust (though his ingredients differ significantly):
