Nothing Like a Freshly-Made Pie

If you have not experienced the joy of eating a freshly-made pie, you have missed out on some very delicious eating. It was not until I sampled a store-bought pie at a family get-together some years ago that I knew how one would turn down a piece of pie. We all have our preferences of taste in foods, but I do believe that a well-made pie can be enjoyed by all.

The other day I discovered for myself the disappointment of an unsatisfactory pie—one that I had assembled and baked myself. This was a lesson to me that seasonings can make a real difference. I had baked pie many times, but did not know that apricot pie needed something special. This is especially important when the fruit needs some perking up. My friend is an exceptional cook and her pies are absolutely wonderfully delicious. After this experience, I asked her if there was anything special that she used for apricot pies. Her response was, “Yes, my mother found a recipe in the Taste of Home magazine that is really delicious.”

Another important thing that one needs to know about baking pies is how to make a flaky crust. The crust has as much to do as the filling in the overall taste of a pie. Last week, we again put this lesson to the test. We had a couple of pies that we had planned to make, and my youngest daughter helped to roll out the pie crust. My eldest daughter was preparing the filling. Before she knew it, she found my youngest daughter in the act of kneading the pie crust. Well, if you don’t know what happens to crust under such conditions, it makes one tough crust. We had our friends over when the pies were served, and they wondered what pie crust recipe we had used for our pies! I hope it was a lesson learned by all!

I am so happy that our son is witnessing the many trials, frustrations and mistakes that a homemaker encounters in everyday life, as it is the lot of every lady, no matter how careful she is. I am thankful that we can learn and go on in victory in our spirits (by the grace of God) as we encounter such experiences.

These recent experiences helped me realize that each of us really want the very best in life. This helped me to understand more fully the ways of the Lord. He has the very best for us, but in order to get it we need to go to Him who knows how to guide and instruct us in His ways. There are many sources for us to get information in this life, and Satan is crafty at getting us satisfied without experiencing true satisfaction. It takes a recognition of this as well as a consecration to keep pressing out for the best. Yes, there is no doubt that if we take God’s way, we will have the very best as He is the one who has designed us and knows the make-up of true happiness. He is the expert!

Here are a few fresh fruit pie recipes with wonderful seasoning combinations, as well as an easy stir and roll crust recipe. Enjoy!

—K.E.

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Apricot

Mix together:

• 1-1/4 c. sugar
• 2 T. cornstarch
• pinch of: cinnamon, mace, nutmeg

Pour over:

• 4 c. apricots
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1/4 t. almond extract

After pouring in crust, dot with 1 t. margarine.

Place on top crust and crimp edges together.

Peach

Mix together:

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 1/8 t. each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt

Pour over:

• 4 c. peaches
• 3/4 c. juice
• 1 t. lemon juice

Pour in crust and dot with 1 t. margarine. Place on top crust and crimp edges together.

Apple

Mix together and pour in unbaked pie crust:

• 6 - 7 c. sliced apples
• 3/4 - 1 c. sugar (use part brown gives rich flavor)
• 2 T. flour
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1 T. lemon juice

Dot with margarine. Place on top crust and crimp edges together.

Oil Pie Crust

Yield: Two 9” crusts

Mix together:

• 2-1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. baking powder

Separately mix together and add to flour mixture:

• scant 2/3 c. oil
• 1/3 c. cold water

Stir only until flour disappears. Divide into two portions. Form ball and roll out between two pieces of wax paper.

Remove top paper. Lift up crust with bottom wax paper still secure. Arrange evenly over pie plate, then remove wax paper. Ease crust in place, being careful not to stretch dough, as that causes shrinkage. Pour in fruit filling.

After crimping the edges together, remember to cut small slits in the top crust to encourage stem to escape on top rather than at the seam lines.

Note: A pie that is placed on the bottom rack of the oven will brown nicely on the bottom crust and the top crust will not be as likely to get too brown before the pie is baked.

—K.E.

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Non-Gluten Pie Crust

This is a wonderful crust for those who are allergic to wheat products. The best part, for me, is that you can work with it as much as you like, and it will not be tough when it is baked!

It also can be rolled out (on plastic like the oil crust) and designs or lattice made for the top.

Donna Jo’s Dream Pastry

Makes two 9” crusts + 1 crust

Blend together:

• 1/2 c. tapioca flour
• 1/2 c. cornstarch
• 1/4 c. potato starch flour
• 1 c. sweet rice flour*
• 1 rounded t. xanthan gum
• 1/2 t. salt
• dash of sugar (opt.)
• 1/2 c. Butter Flavored Crisco

Beat 1 egg, cold, with fork

Add:

• 1 T. vinegar
• 4 T. ice water

Stir into flour mixture, forming ball. (You may knead this a bit if needed, because of the rice flour.)

Refrigerate dough for an hour or more to chill.

Divide dough; roll out on sweet rice-floured* surface.

If for a baked crust, bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes.

Before we found this recipe, my mom and I would substitute barley flour for wheat in the oil crust recipe. It had to be handled so gently, and would often break before we could get it in place. Plus, it tasted different—a little stronger than whole wheat crust.

Were we ever happy to find that the above recipe tastes very much like regular pie crust, just a teeny bit sweeter, and a little drier.

If you want more recipes by Bette Hagman, this was found in More from the Gluten-Free Gourmet, which I think is a wonderful book. (Plus, check out her bread book if you like bread, but can’t eat wheat!)

—C.S.

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Tips on Pastry-Making

If you are doing several pies, it will be worth your while to cut the sides of a 2-gallon plastic bag, and roll between the plastic bag sides. It lasts longer and doesn’t wrinkle as much.

Dampening the counter top with a little water helps the bag stay in place and not slip and slide around.

For cream pies, prick crusts with a fork. Sometimes, during baking they still puff up. Just prick them again in the puffy places. Reminds you of children, doesn’t it?

Best Flour

The perfect tenderness of a pie crust is a delicate matter. Very little gluten is needed to hold the crust together, and more gluten than this makes the crust tough. One way to minimize the amount of gluten-forming proteins is to use a flour that has less protein in the first place. Pastry flour and a few Southern all-purpose flours are low in protein (8-9 grams of protein per cup). These low-protein flours produce much less gluten and much more tender pie crust, biscuits, and cakes.

[Shirley O. Corriher; CookWise]

The least expensive way to buy pastry flour is to purchase it from a grocery that sells baking products in bulk. If that isn’t available, for a substitute, place 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in each cup measure before filling up with all-purpose flour.

For those of you who want to use whole grains, use a soft white wheat to grind for your pastry flour.

Need a Richer Looking Crust?

Have you made a fruit pie that looked pale and sad? Isn’t a rich-looking, nicely-browned, flaky crust much more enticing? One simple way is to brush on milk (put milk in a spray bottle and spray milk on, if baking a lot of pies) and then sprinkle liberally with sugar before baking.

There was a old Southern chef in Atlanta who added a tablespoon of frozen orange juice concentrate when making pie crust. It is partially frozen, so it helps chill the crust for flakiness. It is acidic, so it tenderizes. If you remember, some pie crusts recipes call for vinegar. Ever wonder why? It’s acidic, and that tenderizes! Isn’t it interesting to know why we add certain ingredients? The orange juice also adds a nice hint of flavor and a little color. Would be especially good for peach and apricot pies.

—E.S.

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