Pool Party Berry-Peach Pie

This Berry-Peach Pie was an edible "thank you" shared with friends who gave us free reign over their pool guest pass. Thanks Kim-Thompsons! The recipe for the pie is similar to this one but the fruits used were as follows: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and peaches.

Current Pie Tally: 224

Memorial Day 2017 S'mores Pie

Apologies again for the delayed posting. Now that all of the end-of-school off-on-vacation hoopla is done for a bit, I can play catch-up. This S'mores Pie is the result of neighborhood requests for what would appear at this year's Memorial Day Block Party. I had to borrow a kitchen torch and everything (my first time using one!). It was a big deal. I used my tried-and-true graham cracker crust. Then I poured in a double batch of chocolate ganache. Then I mixed a bunch of marshmallows with some more graham cracker crust crumbles, dumped it in the ganached crust, and flamed the top heartily. It was good, but it would have been better if the marshmallows on top could have been toasted over a campfire first. Alas, not within the realm of possibility.

Current Pie Tally: 223

Matt's 2017 Birthday Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Lucky triple digit pie tally number: 222! Woot woot! I was tired of making Straw-Blackberry Pie, so I forked out the extra dollar for the rhubarb and made this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for the husband's birthday this year. It was a weekday and I had an energetic almost-4-year-old underfoot all day, so I consider this a huge accomplishment. Happy Birthday Honey!

Current Pie Tally: 222

Spring Lab Party Straw-Blackberry Pie

I was not planning to make a pie for the Spring Lab Party, but one of the student's significant others dropped some not-so-subtle hints that he would really enjoy eating some of my pie at the lab party. So, ta da! Strawberries and blackberries were still the most cost-effective ingredient option, hence another Straw-Blackberry Pie. (Though I did linger on the possibility of slightly more expensive rhubarb instead of the blackberries.) Here is the recipe again:

Straw-Blackberry Pie (makes one 9" pie)

ingredients:
buttery pastry dough for bottom and top crust
1 c. white sugar
1 quart of strawberries, hulled and quartered
1-2 pints of blackberries
4 T. arrowroot starch
a splash of vanilla extract
juice from half of one lemon

Mix filling ingredients in a large nonreactive bowl. Roll out bottom crust and place in pie dish. Pour filling in. Roll out top crust, cut into lattice strips, and place on top of pie. Fold crust edges over and crimp to seal. Freeze pie for 10 minutes. Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and continue to bake for another 40 minutes. Cool and serve.

Current Pie Tally: 221

Andrea's Baby Shower Straw-Blackberry Pie

Another neighborhood baby shower meant another excuse to make scrumptious pie! For this Straw-Blackberry Pie, I chose ingredients purely based on what was on sale at the Whole Foods. Strawberries and blackberries it was! I prepared it the same as I would have made a Mixed Berry Pie. Everything came out great and the dish was licked clean. Here is the recipe:

Straw-Blackberry Pie (makes one 9" pie)

ingredients:
buttery pastry dough for bottom and top crust
1 c. white sugar
1 quart of strawberries, hulled and quartered
1-2 pints of blackberries
4 T. arrowroot starch
a splash of vanilla extract
juice from half of one lemon

Mix filling ingredients in a large nonreactive bowl. Roll out bottom crust and place in pie dish. Pour filling in. Roll out top crust, cut into lattice strips, and place on top of pie. Fold crust edges over and crimp to seal. Freeze pie for 10 minutes. Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and continue to bake for another 40 minutes. Cool and serve.

Current Pie Tally: 220

Pie Princess Birthday Banana Cream

My signature Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie makes another reappearance! This time with the added elements of SPRINKLES and homemade toffee caramel that has taken up residence in my refrigerator until it gets used up. Plain graham cracker crust as usual. Banana Cream Pie is the kids' current favorite and I wanted everyone to eat my birthday dessert, hence I chose to make this pie for my own birthday despite inclinations toward a different personal preference. It was as tasty as usual and I really enjoyed how the sprinkles jazzed it up at the end. For this pie, since it was a small family affair, I topped each slice of pie with whipped cream, sprinkles, and caramel to order and put the leftover pie "unfrosted" (not topped with anything) back into the fridge. This kept my whipped cream topping from getting all runny on future slices of pie. Score!

Current Pie Tally: 219

Snow Day Pi Day 2017

For Pi Day 2017, we had a snow day and my mother on hand to help watch the kids while I made pie. Score! As a thank you to mom, I made the Rhubarb Custard Pie featured here. Her Grandma Helen used to make it back in the day. I experimented with putting this in a different pie dish this time. I made it in my mom's heavier ceramic pottery dish last time I made it at her house and it came out really well. I think the heavier ceramic/pottery stuff works better. It gets nice and hot, which I think helps the crust flake up and the custard cook evenly. I'm imagining something akin to radiant (under-the-floor) heat that some fancy people have in their homes (sounds delightful!). Anyway, this pie came out bangin' awesome. I baked it in my white Corningware deep dish at 400 F for about 45 minutes. I've been eating lots of it. AND, I traded a few slices to my baker guru neighbor in exchange for a couple slices of her heavenly Lemon Meringue Pie that she made for Pi Day 2017. Thanks Angela!

Current Pie Tally: 218