I got out the good china for this pie – it’s a light chocolate-flecked vanilla mousse in a chocolate cookie crumb crust. It’s the devil’s food because it is so light and tasty you can end up eating the whole dang thing if you’re not careful.
9″ chocolate cookie crust, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon unflavored gelain
1/2 cup sugar, divided
pinch salt
3 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/3 cup chocolate pailletés, or shaved chocolate
Combine gelatin, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Add egg yolks and milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the gelatin dissolves and the mixtures thickens slightly, just enough to coat a spoon. Chill to room temperature.
Beat heavy cream with vanilla and rum extracts until thick. Fold gently into the custard mixture.
Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites and chocolate pailletés into the custard and cream mixture gently until thoroughly combined.
Pour into prepared chocolate crust and chill until set, at least 4 hours.
Nothing tastes like summer more than peach pie. I did a cost-benefit analysis to determine if turning the oven on when it’s 99°F outside is worth the pie, and the pie won.
Double Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
1 stick cold butter (115g), cut into pieces
1/3 cup lard (70g), cup into pieces
1/3 cup ice water
Peach Filling:
5 cups sliced fresh peaches
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch salt
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract
cinnamon sugar for top ( 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, stirred to combine)
Combine flour, salt and sugar in food processor. Add butter and lard and pulse until the butter pieces are no larger than peas. Add ice water and pulse until dough just comes together, about 5 times.
Divide dough in half. Form each half into a disc. Roll out each disc between two pieces of wax paper, peeling the paper and flipping the crust over to make rolling easier and uniform.
Line pie plate with bottom crust. Keep top crust between two pieces of wax paper and refrigerate both until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Dip peaches in boiling water for a few seconds. Peel and slice into bite-sized pieces. Combine peaches with sugars, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice and almond extract.
Pour peaches into prepared pie crust. Top with second crust (either in a lattice pattern or leave plain) and crimp edges. Cut slits in top crust if not using a lattice top.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 450°F for 20 minutes. Place foil on the bottom rack of the oven to catch drips and reduce heat to 350°F. Bake for 45 minutes more until the filling is bubbling in the center of the pie. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Happy Pi Day! No one could talk me out of making this grasshopper pie – it’s light and tasty and goes down easy. Which is a good thing since I’ll have to make this about 20 more times now that I have this entire bottle of creme de menthe.
Combine chocolate cookie crumbs and melted butter. Pat into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to Cool.
Make Filling: Whisk together sugar, gelatin and creme de menthe in a small saucepan. Whisk in egg yolks. Whisk over medium heat until thickened – about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat just before the mixture starts to boil (bubbles around the sides of the pan are fine). Transfer to a bowl and let come to room temperature – stirring occasionally.
Beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add in 3 tablespoons of sugar. Beat until firm peaks. Set aside.
Whip heavy cream in another bowl. Combine cooled creme de menthe mixture with the whipped cream – folding until smooth.
Gently fold egg whites into the creme de menthe/whipped cream mixture until combined. Pour into cooled chocolate crust. You may have filling leftover. Chill.
Make Sweetened Whipped Cream: Beat cream and sugar together until stiff. Top the pie with whipped cream – by piping or spreading. Chill.
Make Ganache Drizzle: Heat heavy cream in a small liquid measuring cup in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Add chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the chilled pie. Chill until ready to serve.
I’ve always loved Lemon Meringue pie, but often been disappointed by the dry meringue and gelatinous lemon filling. Here is the lemon meringue pie I have been dreaming about – a creamy tart lemon filling (closer in texture to Key Lime pie) and marshmallowy Swiss meringue on top.
Cream Cheese Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 TBSP powdered sugar
6 TBSP cold butter
2 ounces cold cream cheese
1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 TBSP heavy cream
Lemon Filling:
1 cup sugar
Zest of 5 lemons
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 eggs
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
Swiss Meringue:
6 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
generous pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Make Crust: Combine flour, salt, baking powder and powdered sugar in food processor. Cut butter and cream cheese into tablespoon-size pieces and add to flour. Pulse food processor until butter and cream cheese are incorporated but the mixture is still dry.
Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in vinegar and heavy cream with a fork. Turn out onto work surface and smear the dough with the heel of your hand until the dough sticks together and you can form it into a ball.
Roll out between pieces of wax paper until it is large enough to line a 9″ pie plate. Line pie plate with dough, crimp, and poke holes in the bottom with a fork. Cover with wax paper and freeze for at least an hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line frozen crust with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely.
Make Filling: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together sugar and lemon zest. Whisk in eggs. Whisk in lemon juice. Place over medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens – don’t neglect the edges of the pan. Continue cooking until one bubble pops at the surface, then immediately remove from heat and strain the mixture into a blender, discarding lemon zest and any bits of scrambled egg.
Let the mixture rest in the blender for 5 minutes. Cut the butter into tablespoons. Turn the blender on high and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. After all the butter has been added scrape down the blender and continue to blend for another minute until the mixture is smooth and thick. Refrigerate until completely cool, at least 4 hours.
Whisk together lemon filling to loosen. Fill baked and cooled pie shell with the cooled lemon filling. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lemon filling and refrigerate until ready to serve. Make meringue and top pie as close to serving as you can manage.
Make Meringue: Fill a medium saucepan that will fit your mixer bowl in it without touching the bottom with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer.
Whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Nest the mixer bowl over the simmering water and whisk the egg white and sugar mixture until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to touch (test with your finger for temperature and for sugar granules) – about 5 minutes.
Transfer to stand mixer and mix on low until frothy. Increase speed to high and whip until light, cool and marshmallowy – about 7 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Immediately pipe or spread meringue on the chilled pie.
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Bake pie for 5 minutes, watching closely, to brown the meringue. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
This combination of cherries and raspberries is quite nice. And you can’t go wrong with a streusel topping.
Pie:
1 single pie crust
1 lb. sour cherries
1 pint fresh raspberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch
Streusel:
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
Drain cherries, reserving liquid – you should have about 3/4 cup.
Prepare pastry for single-crust pie. Flute the edge but do not prick the bottom Refrigerate.
Prepare Streusel: Whisk together flour, cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir in oats. Cut in butter. Using your fingers, pinch mixture together until clumps form and there are no dry patches.
Make Filling: Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Whisk in cherry liquid. Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. Stir in drained cherries and raspberries.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Sprinkle with streusel.
Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 350° and bake for 25-30 minutes more, until golden brown and bubbling.
bakers anonymous 