ABK Pie Roundup!

Pie.
The very best part of Thanksgiving.
Here's a roundup of pie photos and recipes from ABK.
Come back this weekend for a step-by-step tutorial on how to make The Best Apple Pie (and crust).
Ever.

Let's start with crust. You cannot make a delicious pie with store bought crust.
Here's a link to my favorite recipe for the Best Basic Flaky Pie Crust. It's the only crust recipe I  100% recommend. It's been my favorite for over thirty years. It is, hands down, the best recipe I have found for pie crust. Ok, I'll stop now.

Fresh Apple-Cranberry Pie

This is my signature pie. The one that is eaten up first every year. 

The one everyone asks- "you're making that pie, right?" 

Baked up three of these last week. Here are some pics...

Want another look? I thought so. 

That flaky crust? It's not going to happen with stuff from the grocery freezer. 

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

From Food and Wine Magazine in 2011. 

Vanilla custard, chocolate custard, bananas, whipped cream. 

All nestled in a home made graham cracker crust. Heaven in a pie. 

Bountiful Blueberry Pie

Make it with either fresh or frozen berries. Step by step for the lattice top.
Grant's favorite pie. 

Every. Single.Year. 

Original Toll House Pie

You haven't had this pie? Better than a chocolate chip cookie. 

'Cause it's baked in a homemade pie shell. Kid and adult favorite. 

Key Lime Pie

Another one I make every Thanksgiving. Refreshing and a nice change from the 

usual pies. Make it in a Springform pan for a crust that stands up nicely around the filling.

Emeril's Vintage Chocolate Pie

Jake requests a chocolate pie every year. This one is our favorite. The crust is made of crushed Oreos, graham crackers and the dynamic duo: butter and sugar. 

Unbelievably delicious.

Sweet Potato Pie with Ginger Pecan Crust

Another Food and Wine Magazine winner. 

This pie has an incredible meringue topping that tastes like a gigantic home made marshmallow. 

Oh my.

Southern Peanut Butter Pie with Homemade Fudge Topping

My SIL makes this pie every year. We love it. We hide pieces in the fridge before guests get to our house so we can have a piece after our pie party is over. 

I'll add a few more pies as I take photos and post recipes.
These are just a few of our favorites.
So many pies, so little time.
What's your all time favorite pie?

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Bountiful Blueberry Pie

Pie. Oh how I love pie.
Blueberry pie is one of our family favorites. I make one every year for Grant. Last year, I followed Alton Brown's instructions for making a lattice top for this pie. Loved the way it turned out.
I know you're going to love it too.
Happy Thanksgiving!



Bountiful Blueberry Pie
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

6 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
dash of salt
1/3 cup dry tapioca, I used Minute Tapioca brand
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
double crust for pie, found here

egg yolk for top of pie

Place two cups of blueberries in a large heavy sauce pan with 1/4 cup of sugar.
Using a potato masher, crush the berries and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Add the remaining 4 cups of berries, remaining 1 cup sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, cinnamon. and almond extract if using.
Set aside for 15 minutes. 

Prepare crust. 

Preheat oven to 325. 

Roll out half of dough and cover the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Fill with prepared blueberry filling.  Roll out top crust,  if making a lattice top crust, follow these directions (courtesy Alton Brown):

Cut into 11/8  inch wide strips that are at least 10-inches long. Using a ruler that is 1 1/8-inches wide, lay the ruler on the dough at 1 edge and roll across dough using the edge of the ruler as you go to cut through the dough. Lay 4 strips of dough across the top of the filling horizontally, leaving an even amount of space in between each strip. Fold back 2 alternating strips and lay down another strip in the middle of the pie, perpendicular to the other strips. Return the strips that are laid back to their original position. Next, fold back the other 2 strips and lay down a strip to the left of the center perpendicular strip. Return the strips that are laid back to their original position and repeat on the other side of the perpendicular strip, folding back the same 2 strips as you did on the other side. Once you have a lattice, brush all the strips of dough with the egg yolk, trim excess dough and pinch strips and edge of crust in order to seal.

Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven on top of a cookie sheet or sheet of foil to catch drippings and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. The pie should be bubbling lightly around the edges. If the lattice is not browned enough in the center, place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully!
Place the pie on a rack and allow to cool to room temperature before serving, about 2 hours. 

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Rhubarb Pie

Rhubarb pie.
You've probably eaten it many times. I think I had a bite of rhubarb pie once and it was underwhelming, to say the least.
A few weeks ago, I had a life changing experience with Rhubarb...

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Original Toll House Pie

Want to make a guaranteed home run dessert? Like my baseball talk?  Baseball practice started today, accompanied by a foot of snow. 

I promise if you make this dessert, everyone who eats it, will love it. 

What's not to love? Chocolate chip cookie filling +  homemade pie crust = love.  Yes, homemade pie crust.

Store bought crust? lalalalalalalala. I can't hear you.

Toll House Pie

adapted from Nestle

print recipe

1-9 inch unbaked pie crust

3/4 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour (3/4 cup if omitting nuts)

1 1/2  cups chocolate chips, Nestle semi-sweet are best for this recipe

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and vanilla until blended well. Next, add all of the dry ingredients into the same bowl, mixing all at once, just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.

Pour filling into unbaked pie shell (recipe below).

Bake on center rack of oven for about 50 minutes or until knife inserted about half way from center of pie to crust (outer edge of pie) comes out clean.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Pie Crust

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup solid shortening

1/4 cup cold water

Cut shortening into flour and salt  in medium size bowl, until the mixture resembles small pieces the size of peas. Add cold water all at once. Mix with a fork until dough starts to form into a ball, do not over mix. Add additional flour to the dough just until the dough is not sticky. Sprinkle flour out onto a flat surface. Roll the dough out and place in a 9 inch pie plate. Lightly press into the corners of the plate.  Crimp the edges. Fill and bake as directed above.

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Chicken Pot Pie Class

Yesterday, I taught a "Chicken Pot Pie" class at The Fork . Chicken Pot Pie is one of our family favorites I posted a few years ago.  I updated the photos and tweaked the recipe a bit. Here's the link  to the recipe if you are looking for something to cook up on a cold winter day...

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Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Every year, I try out a new pie to go along with my traditional line up for Pie Night and Thanksgiving.
When I first read this recipe, I thought- this is it, the newbie for 2011. It's a combo of a few of my favorites: vanilla custard, chocolate custard, banana and whipped cream.  One of those recipes you read and know it's a winner. Oh my goodness. I was right. Again. 

I'm signing off till after Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday! Thanksgiving has always been my favorite time of year. I love the gatherings. The food. The time to reflect on blessings. Here are a few things I'm grateful for this past year...

Baseball. From January to December.

 Time in the mountains with young women. 

 The flag. Our country. The people who sacrifice to serve and protect. 

 Two of my four kids living at home. 

One last hug (for two years)  from Stephen.  

Cousins. 

Sunday dinners with family. 

 Newly planted flowers. 

My little brother and his cute fam. 

 Another Eagle Scout. 

Mother and beaches. 

 New beginnings. 

 54-10

 A son who loves serving the Lord and people of Mexico. 

 When the leaves change in Btown. 

 14 & 15 year old boys. 

Gathering with people we love. 

 Friends who love me. 

 Neighbors who have become family. 

Sunday night walks to the temple. 

Grant. 

Oh, and good food. 

Definitely thankful for good food. 

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie
Food and Wine Magazine 2011
print recipe


Crust
1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (about 7 ounces)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling and Topping
1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1-2 medium bananas, sliced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
chocolate shavings, for garnish

1. Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar, cinnamon, slat and melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened.  Press the crumbs evenly into a 9- to 10-inch, deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate.  Bake for about 10 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned and set.  Let cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, make the filling in a large saucepan (preferably with a rounded bottom), combine the granulated sugar with the cornstarch, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth.  whisk in the remaining 2 cups of milk and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is very thick, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted.  Pour half o the vanilla custard into a medium bowl.

3.  Whisk the copped chocolate into the custard in the saucepan until it is melted.  Spread the chocolate custard evenly in the pie crust and top with the sliced bananas.  Carefully spread the vanilla custard over the bananas.  Refrigerate the banana cream pie until it is well chilled, at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

4.  In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar until it is softly whipped.  Mound the whipped cream on top of the pie.  Garnish the banana cream pie with chocolate shavings and serve.

Tips:
-To make ahead, prepare the crust a few days early and the custard the day before serving. Then put it all together early on Thanksgiving day. All it has to do is sit in the fridge and rest until you are done stuffing yourself with the big feast, and are ready for dessert. 

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Emeril's Vintage Chocolate Pie

Thanksgiving. Started out with a warning about the "Blizzard 2010" aka Stormageddon. It was, as Grant stated: a big "Nothing Burger". We all ran for the grocery stores, stocked up (as if we didn't already have enough in our homes to keep a family of 10 fed till Christmas). Filled our gas tanks. Businesses closed. Universities cancelled classes (unheard of in the Beehive state). We all cozied up. Waited. And waited. Nothing. A bit of cold weather, but a BLIZZARD? My friend KD's kids were actually mad at HER when the snow didn't come. Whiff. On to the next event. Thanksgiving. Here's how the rest of the looong weekend played out:

Birthdaycakepiepiepie:applecranberrykeylimetwokindsochocolateblueberrysweetpotatopecanfriendsfriendsfriendsfamfamfamturkeyturkeyhamsausagestuffingcornbreadstuffingveggiesdip

mashedpotatoesgravyrollsrollsrollscranberrysauceorangecranchutneypearpecansaladdixiepomegranitesaladtofuturkeyfoveganfammembersbroccolicasserolecornbutterbuttermorebutterjamwhippingcreamicecreamyamstalktobrookieonSKYPEmorebcake6morepiespopcornsodachocolatepancakeshashbrownsomletsbiscuitsgravycabinsnowsnowsnowshoeingleftoversleftoverspizzaUTAH/byugame(17to16!!)hotchocolateburgersfriesswisssteakriceCaesarsaladbrownieshotfudgemoreicecream.DietCoke.

Kind of makes you want to go on a fast.

While our Thanksgiving dinner lineup is fairly traditional, (we tend to stick to the same recipes year after year bc we all like it that way) I do venture out and try at least one new pie recipe each year. This year the newbie was Emeril's Vintage Chocolate Pie.

Amazingly smooth dark chocolate-custard texture. The crust is not a traditional flaky pie crust or the expected chocolate cookie crumb crust- but a mixture of graham and chocolate with our best friend, BUTTER, and Butter's bff: Sugar.

Start the fast next Sunday = )

Emeril's Vintage Chocolate Pie

Emeril Lagasse, 2000

print recipe

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups buttermilk
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
4 egg yolks
2 1/2 ounces Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, or other good quality semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 (9-inch) Chocolate Cookie Crust, baked, recipe follows

Prepare crust first, let cool completely while preparing filling.

In a small saucepan combine the sugar, heavy cream, buttermilk, cornstarch and pinch of salt, and whisk until smooth. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, whisking from time to time, for the sugar and cornstarch to dissolve and the mixture to thicken, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking at a low boil for an additional 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan and whisk over the heat into thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, and whisk in the chocolate, butter and vanilla. Continue whisking until thoroughly combined (mixture will be very thick).

Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate until firm and cool, at least 4 hours.

Chocolate Graham Cookie Crust:

2 cups graham cracker cookie crumbs
1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (white centers removed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, process the graham crackers and Oreos to make crumbs.
In a bowl mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter with your hands. Press the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. (It will seem like an excessive amount of crumbs, but it will compress down quite a bit with pressure.) Cover the crust with plastic wrap and top with another 9-inch pan, pressing quite firmly to make a smooth surface. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

Tips:

-I made the cookie crust as directed, but did not remove the white filling from the Oreos. Next time, I will half the cookie crust recipe. There were way too many crumbs for the crust. Even after pressing down, I had more than enough for another whole 9 inch tin.

-Make sure to measure your tin, anything larger than a 9 inch tin will be too big for the amount of filling.

-I used Baker's Semisweet chocolate.

-A few of the reviews on FN were written by peeps who used store bought crust.

My 2 cents: The crust if half of what sets this recipe apart. Take the extra 3 minutes, and make your own. Well worth it.

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