the best pie

Ok, this really is maybe the best pie ever. It's a chocolate chess pie and was totally worth saving up all of my sugar during the week for a slice. It poofs up like a soufflé in the oven, but then deflates as it cools. After chilling it in the fridge overnight, I served it with freshly whipped cream after Sunday dinner. It is rich and dense and so delicious.

Two notes: I halved the recipe and only made one pie. While I regret this, I am glad that I don't have a whole other pie to avoid as I am back to not eating sweets during the week. And I left out the coffee extract and I can't imagine that its omission lessened the deliciousness.

I don't think I am overstating things when I say that I might never make another kind of pie again.

happy weekend

We have reached the point in our summer vacation where I don't know what day it is anymore. All of our days pretty much look like this ^^^. Lots of swimming. Lots of reading. Lots of sleeping in. It has been wonderful.

We have some fun things planned for this weekend, like a neighborhood carnival to help support our friend, Jeff, who was just diagnosed with colon cancer! If you are local, please come on Saturday night. There will be carnival games, food trucks, a humongous silent auction, and more. Here is the Facebook page and the Instagram account for more information. It is going to be a great night for a really good cause.

This is the kind of neighborhood effort that makes me really grateful to live where we do.

I felt so good last summer/fall when I was limiting my sugar, so I am trying to do it again, but it is so hard. And this pie has been calling my name. I think I'll make it for Sunday dinner. If I can get back to having one treat a week at Sunday dinner, I think I'll feel better. I've been feeling sluggish lately and it's time to make a change. More sleep and less sugar. That's the plan.

Stay cool out there and have a happy weekend!

a summer pie

It is our last week of school, so we are just about in summer mode over here. Hooray! I made this very summer-y pie last night to celebrate and thought the recipe was worthy of a share.

Raspberry, Lime, and Coconut Pie

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
6 tablespoons, plus 1/2 cup butter
1 sleeve (or 9 rectangles) graham crackers
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
a pinch of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of lime zest, divided
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup lime juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 cups raspberries

While your oven is heating up to 375 degrees, toast the coconut on a baking sheet until golden brown (3-7 minutes). Grease a 9 inch pie plate and set aside. Put 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top to soften; set aside. Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter.

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the toasted coconut, then pulse the remaining in a food processor with the graham crackers, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt. Once fine crumbs have formed, drizzle in the melted butter until combined. Pour it into the pie plate, using a flat bottomed measuring cup to compact it evenly on the bottom and up the sides.

Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely.

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of the lime zest, the eggs and yolk, and the gelatin until well blended. Then whisk in the lime juice. Set the bowl over a saucepan with an inch of simmering water in it. You don't want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture very thickly coats a metal spoon or until it reaches 190 degrees. This should take 8-16 minutes. Don't let it boil. If it's not thickening up, reduce the temperature and continue to cook, whisking, for a few more minutes. (Mine thickened up after about 10 minutes.)

Once it's thick, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of butter, one tablespoon at a time until melted and well blended. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water until cold, stirring occasionally (10-20 minutes).

Spread the lime curd in the crust and chill uncovered for about two hours. Then whip your cream and spread over the curd. Top with the raspberries and the remaining toasted coconut and lime zest.


What I wish I'd done differently: I wish I had packed the graham cracker crust better. Mine ended up feeling dry and crumbly and overwhelmed the filling. Also, the recipe doesn't call for sweetening the whipping cream, but I wish I had added just a tablespoon or so of sugar as I was whipping it. I would totally make this again, though. The lime curd is so bright and creamy and delicious.

Are you counting down the days until summer vacation, too? We're at 4!

plenty

Yesterday I went to the grocery store to stock up my pantry and to get Thanksgiving supplies. This morning I put my turkey in the brine, and this afternoon I will bake a pie. This is the season of plenty, and I am thankful that my family and I have enough. Too many people in this world don't, and I feel very fortunate that I am able to feed and dress and house my children as comfortably as I can. Comfort is a luxury, and I am thankful for ours. I hope acknowledging this will help me be more generous, especially this holiday season. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

pie for pi day

Yesterday was March 14th--Pi day for all the nerds out there! So Mabel and I baked a pie. I know apple pie isn't very springy, but it sure hit the spot.

We used the very highly rated and extremely popular Grandma Ople's Apple Pie recipe from allrecipes.com.

You'll need:

enough dough for a 9 inch deep dish double crust pie (I try to keep frozen pie crust in my chest freezer at all times. I decided long ago that homemade pie crust wasn't my thing, and frozen crust is such a snap.)

1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water

6-8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Stir in the flour to form a paste. Add the sugars and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, get your bottom crust in the dish and ready your apples. Toss the apples with the cinnamon, then pile in the pie. Lattice the top crust.

Very slowly and carefully pour the sugar and butter liquid over the top of the pie. You don't want it to run off. It should coat the top of the pie, but also drip into all of the holes in the lattice, as well.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35-45 more minutes.


Best, crisp, non-soggy apple pie I've ever eaten in all my life.

pies

Once I realized that I didn't have to master the art of the perfect pie crust (meaning: it's ok to buy a frozen or pre-made crust), the whole world of pie opened up to me. And now pie has become my favorite dessert. More so than cake. I don't even know what to say about that and I can't believe I just typed it, but it's totally true.

This weekend, I made two pies. I'd like to share the recipes with you because they were both delicious, and not terribly complicated, especially if you use a pre-made crust like I did.

Pie #1: Double Cream Blueberry Mike has always loved blueberry pie the best. We both like this one because of the sour cream layer on top. It cuts the sweetness and adds a really creamy consistency. I followed the recipe exactly and the pie turned out top notch. The combination of the blueberries and cinnamon and that creamy topping was just really perfect. I'm definitely going to make it again soon.

Pie #2: German Chocolate

1 uncooked pie shell (deep dish is best)
1 4-oz package semi-sweet baking chocolate (or 4 oz chocolate chips)
1/4 cup butter
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cups flaked coconut (I use sweetened)
1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional, and since Mabel is allergic, I always opt out)
1 cup sweetened whipped cream
chocolate shavings (or chopped chocolate chips)

Defrost the pie shell, or make the dough from scratch and place in a large deep dish pie plate. Set aside.

Combine the baking chocolate and the butter in a small pan over low heat. Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the evaporated milk. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Gradually stir in the chocolate mixture, using a whisk. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell and sprinkle with coconut and nuts.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The pie might appear soft, but it will become firm while cooling. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.


Fun fact: Both of these pies are copy cat recipes of Marie Callender's pies. Marie Callender's started in my home town and played heavily into my childhood. It wasn't Thanksgiving (or any holiday, really) without a Marie Callender's pie or two or three. And dinner at their restaurant was always a treat.

for a perfect pie crust

Last year I decided that I was going to learn how to make pie from scratch. After several attempts, I realized that making pie crust is not one of my talents. So this Thanksgiving I am back to store-bought pie dough, and I feel really good about it. This pie crust was filled with pumpkin and spices and is currently baking in my oven. I can't wait to have a slice tomorrow afternoon. I have another crust waiting in the fridge for a German Chocolate pie on Friday. Or maybe Coconut Cream. We'll see.

So today I am grateful for my talents, but also for the knowledge that I don't have to be good at everything. And thankfully, store bought crust is there to save the day.

What pies will you be eating tomorrow?

I sort of never wanted this weekend to end.

Except that I caught a cold. I would very willingly say goodbye to my stuffy nose with the start of this new week. Alas.

But seriously, wasn't this weekend fantastic? Here are a few snapshots I have to share.

Like I said on instagram, sometimes I remember how remarkable it is that I get to be the mother to these four children. I love them so. This weekend was so good for us. We got our Conference wiggles out at the park on Saturday, and Stella finally got to wear the snood my sister, Leslie, sent to her for ballet.

My generous friend, Beth, shared some of her pretty hand-picked apples with us, so I baked up a crumb-topped pie for our Sunday dinner dessert. We mostly spent lots of time in the basement together watching Conference. The kids were great. They played quietly together or sat and listened to the speakers. It was so nice! I think they are getting to the age where they get it, and that makes it much easier for me and Mike to get something out of it, too.

And now for my favorites:

I loved Elder Uchtdorf's talk on why people join our church. My favorite quote: "First, doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."

Elder Christofferson's talk on women was wonderful. He spoke of how women provide a moral foundation, and how we, as women, need to cultivate the "innate moral power" within us.

Elder Oaks' talked about the importance of marriage and family, and the Plan of Salvation. He lays things out in such a logical way. I really liked this one.

Brother McConkie's talk on teaching with the spirit was an answer to my prayers. I will listen to this one again and again, I am sure.

You can see a list of all of the talks here. Which ones am I forgetting? I am looking forward to listening to them all again over the next little bit. There is so much to learn.

Pumpkin Pie

In my family, it's not Thanksgiving unless there are pumpkin pies from Marie Callender's for dessert. Marie Callender's started in my home town, so their pies were always our favorite.

My parents are coming to town next month for Thanksgiving, and my mom and I were lamenting that we would have to do without a Marie Callender's pumpkin pie this year. Sadness.

Or not! I am still on my pie-baking quest, and after a little internet research I found a copy cat Marie Callender's recipe. Hooray!

So on Saturday I gave it a go. I used this crust recipe (with butter) and made a much more respectable mess of my kitchen. (No peeling and slicing of apples required for pumpkin!) Making the crust was so much easier this time. More practice and experience really made a difference.

The consensus: The filling was good! It tasted just how a pumpkin pie should - spicy and rich and creamy. The crust was almost raw on the bottom, though. Next time I think I will blind bake the crust for a few minutes first, or bake the pie on a pizza stone on the lowest rack. I'll let you know if it passes my mom's rigorous taste test next month.

We finished it off for breakfast yesterday morning. Because you know that pumpkin pie tastes best cold from the fridge and first thing in the morning, right?


Pumpkin Pie 
(Like Marie used to make.)

1 9-inch pie crust

3 eggs
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

heavy cream + sugar (for whipping)

Prepare the crust and chill it in fridge until it's time to bake. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add the pumpkin and stir to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg together. Stir the spice mixture into the the pumpkin until combined. Stir in the milk and cream until well blended.

Pour into the prepared shell and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45-55 more minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely, then chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Don't forget to smother it in freshly whipped cream!

adventures in pie making

Cake will always have my heart, but this fall I want to learn how to make pie. I started on Saturday with a classic apple. I used Martha's recipe with this pate brisee, read this post about 10 times, and made a big huge mess of my kitchen. It was fun, but I can see that I need more practice. What kind of pie should I tackle next? Probably pumpkin, I think.

(This pie has been one of my favorites for years, but I have always used a frozen pie crust. I think I need to try it again, this time from scratch.)

blueberry cream pie

This is as close as you are getting to my pie. It was NOT pretty, but it sure tasted good.

This weekend I made my first homemade pie crust. It was very nearly a disaster, but somehow it managed to not fall apart. I still need lots and lots of practice, but I am happy that I finally gave it a go!

I used this recipe clipped from Better Homes and Gardens years ago:

Alan's Pie Pastry

In a very large bowl combine 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 to 1 tablespoon kosher salt (for a more neutral crust, use the lower amount), and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. With a pastry blender cut in 1 3/4 cups cold unsalted butter leaving chunks the size of peas. Combine 2/3 cup ice-cold water, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Add liquid all at once to the flour mixture. Quickly stir to distribute; do not overmix. The dough should be slightly crumbly. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. The finished dough should break, not stretch. (Mine stretched. Aack!) Divide into three portions; shape into disks. Use at once or wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days. Or freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Makes 3 single-crust pastries.

There are two things I know about making pie crust: everything needs to be really cold, and never over work the dough. So I mixed it as little as possible and took the "ice-cold" water suggestion quite literally. 

To prepare the crust for the pie, roll the dough to just under 1/4 inch thick, then put it into the pie plate. (I must not have rolled mine enough, because my finished crust ended up being too thick.) Crimp the edges, then let it chill for 30 minutes. While it is chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Before baking, prick the edges with a fork and bake it golden all over, for about 30- 40 minutes.

(If you have pie weights and parchment paper, this would be a good time to use them. I didn't, so I just pricked the dough extra well and hoped it wouldn't puff too much in the oven.) 

Marie Callender's Sour Cream and Blueberry Pie

Bluberry Apple Filling:

1 15 oz can Blueberries in Heavy Syrup, drained (Reserve juice in one bowl and berries in another)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup apples, peeled, cored, and diced into a large pea size
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbl cornstarch
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a 2 quart saucepan combine diced apples with 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and salt at medium temperature until the apples are cooked, but not mushy, about 10 minutes. While the apples are cooking, mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water until dissolved. When the apples are done, add lemon juice and berry juice, cook and stir until blended. While stirring on medium heat, add dissolved cornstarch slowly and stir constantly until thickened. Add berries and cinnamon and mix well. Remove from heat and cool before placing into a cooled prepared 9 inch pie shell. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Sour Cream Topping:

1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbl cream cheese
1/2 tsp gelatin
2 tbl cold water

Dissolve the gelatin in 2 tbl cold water and set aside. Mix the sour cream, sugar, cream cheese, and a dash of salt in a warmed pan on low heat until the sugar is dissolved and everything is mixed well. Stir and watch to make sure the mixture does not burn or dry out. When all is smooth and blended, add vanilla. Gradually add gelatin mixture until it resembles a soft pudding. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Topping may be smoothed over blueberries while warm. Chill.


This pie was definitely a labor of love. (It was made for my love, who turns 33 tomorrow!) There are about a million steps and lots of time spent over a pot on the stove, but it really was delicious. Maybe with more practice it will get easier? I hope so, but I am kind of tempted to stick with cakes.

For your consideration this Thanksgiving,

I present Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie. It might not be the most traditional choice of pie for Thanksgiving dinner, but it is probably the most delicious (in the non-pumpkin category, of course). I couldn't wait until Thanksgiving to make mine, so Sunday night dessert it was.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

1- 9 inch pastry crust (you can use a ready-made crust or make your own)
3 T. cornstarch, divided
2 T. sugar
2 T. unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
1 1/3 C. milk, divided
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 T. butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 C. (2 ounces) block-style cream cheese, softened
2 C. sliced perfectly ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
1 1/2 C. Cool Whip
Chocolate curls (optional)

Prepare and bake pastry crust.

Combine 1 T. cornstarch, 2 T. sugar, cocoa and dash of salt in a small, heavy saucepan; gradually add 1/3 c. milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 2 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in chocolate; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spread chocolate mixture into bottom of prepared crust.

Combine 2 T. cornstarch, 1 c. milk, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/4 t. salt, eggs and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook 30 seconds or until thick. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Beat cream cheese until light (about 30 seconds). Add 1/4 c. hot custard to cream cheese; beat just until blended. Stir in remaining custard.

Arrange banana slices on top of chocolate layer; spoon in custard over bananas. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard; chill 2-4 hours. Remove plastic wrap. Spread whipped topping evenly over custard. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired. Chill until ready to serve.

It is a bit labor intensive (there's lots of standing over the stove and stirring), especially if you make your own crust (which I do not), but it is so worth it. Trust me. Make yourself one (or two) soon. You won't regret it.

This recipe is from my sister, Leslie.