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Surprise piesNobody makes pies like Americans do. But these days not many Americans make pies, nor do they buy them. Whether it is the perception that baking a pie is a lot of work or the perception that pies are more fattening than other desserts, I can't imagine. Nor can I imagine a life without pie. Pie is my absolutely favorite dessert or tea time snack, or even breakfast food. My favorite uncle used to order warm pie and coffee every single morning of his life at the local restaurant in the small town where I grew up. He would then go home and visit with my aunt while she had a more conventional breakfast. My grandmother baked four or five pies each day for the local pool hall's lunch counter, and my mother make a luscious pie at least once a week. I guess I grew up with pie in my bloodstream. The crust is what scares some potential pie bakers away from the rolling pin. With today's frozen crusts or packaged crust mixes, you can turn out a fine product and no one needs to know that you didn't dip into the flour sack to produce it. 5 Ingredient Toffee-Banana Pie Do not use an aluminum foil pie pan; instead use metal, glass or ceramic. When making ahead the toffee can be chilled up to 2 days (cover after it cools) and the toffee-filled crust can be chilled up to 3 hours. 2 cups canned sweetened condensed milk
Place oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 425 F. Pour condensed milk into 9-inch pie pan and stir in a pinch of salt. Cover pie pan with foil and crimp foil tightly around rim. Put in a roasting pan and add enough boiling water to reach halfway up side of pie pan, making sure that foil is above water. Bake, refilling roasting pan to halfway up the pie pan with very hot water about every 40 minutes, until milk is thick and a deep golden caramel color, about 2 hours. Remove pie pan from water bath and transfer the toffee to a bowl, then chill toffee, uncovered, until it is cold, about 1 hour. While the toffee is chilling, clean pie pan and bake piecrust at temperature called for. Cool crust completely in pan on a rack, about 20 minutes. Spread toffee evenly in crust, and chill, uncovered, 15 minutes. Cut bananas into thick slices and pile over toffee. Shortly before serving, beat cream with brown sugar until it just holds soft peaks, then mound over top of pie. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Strawberry Sour Cream Pie This recipe from Mrs. Lawrence Rolofson of Cairo, Neb., can be made with a purchased graham cracker crust, or one of your own making. Any fruit can be substituted for the strawberries. Crust: 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
Filling: 1 cup sour cream
Crust: Heat oven to 350 F. Stir together graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press to cover bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned; cool. Filling: combine sour cream, milk and pudding in small mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Pour into cooled crust. Refrigerate until set (1 to 2 hours). Garnish with fruit. Dollop with whipped cream if you wish. Makes 8 servings. My Favorite Blackberry Pie Beautiful under a lattice crust. Delicious served with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream or whipped cream--or both. Berries vary in sweetness, so you may want to add additional sugar. 6 cups (1 3/4 pounds) blackberries
Place baking sheet in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400 F. Toss together the berries, granulated sugar to taste, cornstarch, butter, lemon juice, water and tapioca. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 20 minutes. Line 9-inch pie pan with dough and trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out top. Roll remaining dough and cut into 1 1/4-inch strips. Stir berry mixture, then spoon evenly into shell. Arrange strips in a tight lattice pattern on top of filling and trim strips, close to edge of pan. Roll up and crimp edge. Brush top and edge with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake on the hot baking sheet until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 1 hour or an hour and 10 minutes (check after 45 minutes). If edge of crust is browning too quickly, cover edge with foil and continue baking. Cool on rack before serving. Makes 8 servings. Blueberry & Nectarine (or Peach) Pie A streusel topping makes a quick and easy top crust. Use packaged crust or your own, to fit a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Sandy Wesoky of Englewood, Colo., came up with this recipe. 1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake pie shell until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Smoothly blend sour cream and cornstarch, then mix with blueberries, nectarines and vanilla. Stir granulated sugar with tapioca, then stir into fruit mixture; pour into warm pie shell and set aside. With a fork or your fingers, combine brown sugar, flour and butter. Squeeze to form a ball, and then crumble in almond-size pieces over filling. Bake until filling is bubbling in center and topping is well browned, about 1 hour. Cool at least 3 hours; if made ahead, cover and chill up until next day. Serves 6 to 8. Any day, any time, any place is right for pie! 5/5/08 Date: 4/29/08
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