Licorice Lattice-top Pear Pie

I couldn't resist an opportunity to make this Pear Anise Pie. I first read about it in ReadyMade (sadly no longer in print) magazine, which published an interview with two pie mavens and four of their intriguing pie recipes in its December/January 2011 issue. I guess I'm on track to make all of the pies from the article. The only one I have left to try is the Cranberry Sage. The Bittersweet Chocolate Cherry Nut and Pear Anise pies were visual showstoppers with good flavor, but not spectacular. The Vinegar Chess remains one of my favorites and is a snap to make. As a person who holds a fondness for licorice flavored items, this pie recipe stared me in the face and dared to be made. Plus, I had the added confidence that the other pies originating from the same bakery came out well. The result was certainly tasty. The pear and anise flavors complement each other well, and the anise did not overpower at all. It was subtle, yet held its own.

More than anything, the pie looked awesome. I was a bit worried I had overcooked it into pear sauce, but the pear slices underneath the goo held their structural integrity. My tried and true method of "the pie is done when the goo bubbles in the middle" proves itself again. I also must admit that I don't own any of the fancy Demerara sugar called for in the recipe. I could only assume that it is fat baker's sugar, so I improvised as best I could. Orange cookie decorating sprinkles it is!

Current Pie Tally: 70

Partytime Pecan Pie

When I made the pumpkin pie for my mom's post-Thanksgiving visit, I decided to go two for one on the crusts. I put the extra one in a Ziploc bag in the freezer, with the idea that I could crank out a pecan pie lickity split when needed for any holiday functions. The pecan pie is the only one-crust pie I'm making right now that doesn't require a pre-baked crust, so it's ideal for using up frozen crusts (or "money in the bank" as we pie people like to say). This little number came out great and was a nice addition to the dessert table at our winter holiday party. The recipe is the same as the one used in my last post about pecan pie.

Current Pie Tally: 69

Post-Thanksgiving Pumpkin

Since my mom couldn't be with us on Thanksgiving Day, she came down on the train the following week. After she finished packing the night before, she put in a request for me to save her a slice of pie. Little did she know that the Thanksgiving pie had been polished off long ago. Luckily, I had some pumpkin puree in the freezer and enough time to throw this pie (her favorite) together before she arrived. It was also the first time I got to try out my new holiday pie dish. I love it! The recipe used is the standby pumpkin version from older posts. For some reason blogger isn't letting me link to it right now.

Current Pie Tally: 68

Thanksgiving Pecan Pie

Yes, yes, I'm behind on the pie posting. Here's the kickoff to a holiday pie slam before Christmas. There's at least three more posts coming before Santa slides down the chimney, so stay tuned while I play catch up yet again. I made this pie for my dad and stepmom when they came to visit for Thanksgiving. They may have a different favorite pie, but they always have this one around at their place for Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd follow suit. I goofed up slightly on the syrup quantities in the last recipe for this that I posted. Using those quantities, the pie comes about a bit too sweet for my liking. Here's the corrected version:

Perfect Pecan Pie
6 T. unsalted butter
1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c. brown rice syrup
1/8 c. real maple syrup
1/8 c. good quality honey
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. grated orange zest
1/4 t. salt
3 large eggs
2 c. pecan halves (1/2 pound)

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out crust dough and line pie dish. Prick dough all over with a fork and stick in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sorghum, honey, syrup, vanilla, zest, and salt. Whisk syrup mixture into eggs. Pour pecans into pie shell. Pour liquid mixture over. Bake at 350F for about 50 minutes. Pie is done when filling is set and crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

Current Pie Tally: 67

Belated Birthday Pecan Pie

I made this Pecan Pie for a college friend of mine who shares my affinity for local seasonal pie goodness. Happy Belated Birthday, Julie!

In this pie, I used brown rice syrup instead of sorghum. I have yet to find a local source of sorghum in the DC area. Julie is on the case though, so maybe she'll unearth some down in northern Virginia and let me know. Using the brown rice syrup instead of the sorghum still lends a delicious and flavorful natural sweetness to the pie, but the resulting pie lacks the full-bodied complexity of the sorghum. Like a rug can tie a room together, sorghum really ties my Pecan Pie together. I miss it.

Perfect Pecan Pie
6 T. unsalted butter
1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c. brown rice syrup
1/4 c. real maple syrup
1/4 c. good quality honey
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. grated orange zest
1/4 t. salt
3 large eggs
2 c. pecan halves (1/2 pound)

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out crust dough and line pie dish. Prick dough all over with a fork and stick in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sorghum, honey, syrup, vanilla, zest, and salt. Whisk syrup mixture into eggs. Pour pecans into pie shell. Pour liquid mixture over. Bake at 350F for about 50 minutes. Pie is done when filling is set and crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

Current Pie Tally: 66

Last BBQ Pumpkin and Apple Pies

I made these two pies for our first bbq at the neighbors' house. If the weather turns more unfavorable to outdoor soirees as it's supposed to, it also happened to be the last bbq they'll throw until Spring. What better way to send everyone home to hole up for winter than with bellies full of pie. Pumpkin Pie recipe can be found here and here's the Apple Pie recipe:

Apple Pie
top and bottom pie crusts
about 8 pie apples (Cortlands this time), peeled, cored, & sliced
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
3 T. flour
1 T. molasses
1 t. Penzey's apple pie spice

Mix bottom six ingredients in an extra large bowl. Fold in the apples. Pour into pie dish lined with bottom crust. Roll out top crust. Trim and fold edges, crimp, and seal. Cut a vent for the steam. Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for 35-40 minutes more. Pie is done when goo bubbles in the center under the steam vent, the crust looks dry and golden brown, and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork (through the steam vent). Let cool and enjoy!

Current Pie Tally: 65

Old Friends Pumpkin Pie

A buddy of mine from college came up to visit from southern Maryland one Saturday, so I made this pumpkin pie with the rest of the butternut/sweet potato puree from the last pie (I froze it). He said it was the best pumpkin pie he ever had. Maybe he was being polite, but I like to think that I edged out grandma.

I think it's time I posted the go-to pumpkin pie recipe again in a more easy-to-read form, so here it is:

Pumpkin Pie
1 cooked pie shell (allow to cool at least 20 min.)
3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
2c. fresh pumpkin puree (roast at 400 for 1 hr., then puree)
3/4c. brown sugar
3/4t. cinnamon
1t. grated fresh ginger
1/2t. salt
1/8t. nutmeg
1c. heavy cream
1/2c. whole milk
1t. vanilla
1T. maple syrup
1/2t. Penzey's pumpkin pie spice mixture

Mix all the filling ingredients together with a whisk or electric mixer. Pour into cooked (and cooled) pie shell. Bake at 350 F for 40-45 min. When the pie is done, the filling will look set on the edges (about 2 inches in I'll say) and like it has a dry skin on top. The center should still be loose when you gently jostle the pie to check on it. *I should mention that I often use 1.5c. half-and-half instead of the heavy cream and milk. I usually already have that in the fridge for making quiche. Also, the Penzey's spice mixture is optional. If you don't use it, bump up the amounts of the other spices used.

Current Pie Tally: 63

First "Pumpkin" Pie of the Season

This is a pie I made for the couple who was renting our house before we moved in. Since local pumpkins weren't in full swing at the farmer's market or co-op yet, I used a combination of butternut squash and sweet potato. Probably half of a 3-lb. squash and half of an average sized sweet potato for one pie. Otherwise, the recipe is the same one used for my standby pumpkin pie. Tasted just like pumpkin to me!

Current Pie Tally: 62

A Peach Crumb Pie for Mom

My mom asserts that peach pie is her favorite, so we made this one together when she came to visit me at our new place for the first time. Since she peeled and sliced the peaches, I won't count this one toward the final tally.

Current Pie Tally: 61

New Neighbor Apple Crumb Pie

I don't even know what variety of apple I used for this pie - maybe Honeycrisp or Jonagold. Whatever local variety was available at the co-op. At any rate, they were not recommended pie apples and I ended up cooking the pie for more than twice the time advised by the recipe. Regardless, the end result was deliciously sweet and gooey and I narrowly avoided burning the crumb topping. In fact, the above photo is of the half-cooked pie. I took it for posterity in case throwing it back in the oven proved to be disastrous.

Current Pie Tally: 61

New Neighbor Peach Blackberry Pie

I made this for our neighbors to the left a week or so after we moved in. I also made a pie for the neighbors on the right, so as not to spur neighborhood in-fighting. That one will crop up a couple posts from now. My only regret about this pie is that I didn't add more arrowroot starch. It was a bit soupy in the end. I should have added 5-6T. of the arrowroot starch instead of 3 or 4T. As for the rest of the recipe, I used a quart of blackberries and probably 6-8 peaches. And a cup of sugar. Easy as pie.

Current Pie Tally: 60

Puzzle Crust Peach Pie

Whew, sorry it got kind of dusty around here. It took a month for us to get an internet connection set up at the new place. Let's brush aside the cobwebs and get back to the pie, shall we?

While I haven't been blogging, I have been making pies. There is a week's worth of catching up to do, starting with this Puzzle Crust Peach Pie. This gem answers the question, "Does the Pie Princess ever screw up a pie?" The answer is YES. Having my own tools at my disposal definitely cuts down the probability that the pie won't turn out right. When I'm out of my element and in another's kitchen, however, the berth for error is great. It's really no surprise that the crust fell all to pieces on this one. It was hotter than Hades and I mixed it all up by hand (with a heavy bowl and two butter knives as I recall). I also rolled it out straight on the countertop. Normally, I would mix everything in the food processor and roll it out on my trusty Tupperware rolling mat. Using the food processor expedites the mixing to cut down on the melting factor. And I have a feel for when the crust is ready to come off the Tupperware mat. Long story short, I attempted to gracefully pick the crust up off the countertop and it broke into a bajillion pieces. I grabbed a spatula and slung the bits into the bottom of the pie dish anyway and sort of pressed them together a bit with my hands. I shrugged and rolled out the top crust, expecting that it too would be a disaster. It was, but part of being a pie maven is about confidence. You just have to "roll with it" sometimes. When life gives you broken pie crust, you throw it in the pan and call it Puzzle Pie. More catch-up pies to come.

The recipe for this Puzzle Crust Peach Pie is pretty standard: a bunch of peeled and sliced peaches, a cup of sugar, 3-5 T. arrowroot starch, 1/2 T. cinnamon, and a top and bottom crust.

Current Pie Tally: 59

A Pie for the Road

This is most likely the last pie I'll make before my CT vacation and move to MD. My husband's Aunt Sally made this for us when we went up to northern MI to visit family last week. As she would tell you, it's a snap to throw together and tastes like you've been working it all day. I particularly like the cheesecakey tang the sour cream imparts. It's a nice alternative to the traditional Rhubarb Custard pie. The recipe can be found here. I made a couple changes. I used 1 c. white sugar and 1/2 c. brown sugar for the filling (because I ran out of white) and threw in 1/2 t. Penzey's cinnamon for the streusel topping. Delicious! Thanks Aunt Sally!

Current Pie Tally: 58

Berry Good-Bye

I made this pie for the farewell party my knitting group is throwing in my honor. Sweet endings are always the easiest. Madison knitters, I will miss you.

Strawberry Pie with a Hint of Rhubarb (filling for 10" pie)
1.5 c. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2" thick slices
32 oz. strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered depending on size
1/2 c. brown sugar, heaped
1/2 c. white sugar
4 T. arrowroot starch
1 t. ground cinnamon (I used Penzey's)

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Line your 10" pie dish with the bottom crust. Pour and heap filling mix into crust. Set upper crust on top. Trim edges and seal (I use a fork to crimp the edges). Cut a vent into the top crust. Bake at 400 F for 20 min, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 40-45 min. When magenta goo erupts from the crust vent (or other cracks in the crust), the pie is generally done. Serve warm.

Current Pie Tally: 57

Grill Party Pie

Some wonderful new neighbors just moved in downstairs, so my husband organized an impromptu grill party for yesterday night. As always, I was in charge of the pie. I made the first strawberry-rhubarb of the year. Sadly though, I did not have enough garden output for the ingredients and had to use store-bought. The resulting pie was perfect - flaky, buttery crust and a flavorful filling you could really sink your fork into. The best pies are often made under a little bit of pressure - deadline looming, naptime drawing to a close, and with a bunch of new faces as taste-testers.

Strawberry Rhubarb Grill Party Pie (filling for 9" pie)
1.5 lbs. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2" thick slices
16 oz. strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered depending on size
1 T. brown sugar, heaped
3/4 c. white sugar
4 T. arrowroot starch
1 t. ground cinnamon (I used Penzey's)

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Line your 9" pie dish with the bottom crust. Pour and heap filling mix into crust. Set upper crust on top. Trim edges and seal (I use a fork to crimp the edges). Cut a vent into the top crust. Bake at 400 F for 20 min, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 35-40 min. When magenta goo erupts from the crust vent (or other cracks in the crust), the pie is generally done. Serve warm.

Current Pie Tally: 56

Hot Mess

I made two pies this past weekend for parents and picnics. One was Cherry-Apple-Rhubarb and the other was Rhubarb-Peach. Both were hot messes. It was very touch-and-go handling the crust in the 90-or-so heat we've been having. I had to invoke a couple hobo patch jobs, which resulted in some pie goo leaks. But I'm not complaining. I'm glad it's finally warm. Let me know if you want the specific recipe for the pies. The heat has sent me into a state of summer lethargy.

Current Pie Tally: 55

Matt's Birthday Pie

Cherry-Apple Pie
top and bottom pie crust
4-6 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
about 1 lb. cherries, pitted and sliced in half
1 c. sugar
4 T. arrowroot starch
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
dash of cinnamon

Mix together filling ingredients in a large bowl until well-mixed. Preheat oven to 425F. Roll out bottom pie crust and place in pie dish. Trim edges. Pour filling in. Roll out top pie crust. Place over filled pie dish, crimp and seal. Bake at 425F for 15 min, then reduce heat to 350F and bake for 40-50 min more, until filling starts to splash out onto the crust. Cool and enjoy!

Current Pie Tally: 53

Happy Blogiversary!

I made another Vinegar Chess Pie for Easter and in honor of completing my first year on the Path of 1,000 Pies. This one came out a little less potent than the last one, perhaps because I used my sister-in-law's vinegar that might have been on the shelf for a while. My husband prefers that sharper taste of the newer/stronger vinegar, but I can't really say one way or the other what my preference is. They're both great. Happy Easter and Happy Blogiversary! Thanks to all of you who have been following my pie adventures in the last year.

Current Pie Tally: 52

2 for 1 Vinegar Chess and Quiche

The in-laws came to town for the weekend, so I made a couple pie crusts on Friday. I used one for a Lenten quiche for Friday night's dinner and the other became a Vinegar Chess Pie. With both and the addition of a little extra cream in the pie, I used exactly one 1/2 pint of heavy cream. Yum. This Vinegar Chess Pie came out even better than the last one, perhaps because of the extra cream, perhaps because I cooked it closer to 35 minutes this time instead of forgetting about it in the oven like last time. Though it won't go toward the pie tally, the quiche was freakin' sensational!

Veggie & Mozzarella Quiche
one cooked pie crust
2 T. butter
1.5 c. finely chopped onion and green bell pepper
1 c. sliced white button mushrooms
1/3 c. drained and sliced sun-dried tomatoes
4 large eggs
2/3 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. 2% milk
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 t. dried oregano
1.75 c. coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (reserve 1/2 c. for topping)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and peppers; sauté until soft, about 7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Sauté mushrooms until brown. Remove from heat. Allow vegetables to cool slightly.
Whisk eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and oregano in a large bowl. Stir in 1.25 c. cheese, sautéed vegetables, and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over quiche.
Bake quiche until puffed, golden brown, and just set in center, about 45 minutes. Cool 5-10 minutes. Cut and serve.

Current Pie Tally: 51

Happy Birthday to Me

I made the Bittersweet Chocolate Cherry Nut Pie for my own birthday. I have to say, I am a little disappointed. It was very good and came together perfectly, but I think my expectations were too high. I was not a fan of how the pie firmed up when refrigerated or how it sucked the moisture out of one's mouth when consumed. I also think it could have been sweeter. I also think the addition of the Madeira and the bitters was a lot of fuss about nothing. I would have rather kept that money in my pocket and gone without. However, it was a truly decadent pie and it was enjoyed by all who partook. My mother described it as being like eating a chocolate truffle. There is definitely something sumptuous and sinful about eating a forkful of this still-warm pie after it cools down a bit from coming out of the oven. It's like getting a little taste of evil and liking it.

While I'm not sure I would make this pie again, it has definitely given me some ideas for other original pies. Like one made with white chocolate and dried cranberries. Maybe some coconut milk in the mix too.

Current Pie Tally: 50

Zucchini Cookies

In an attempt to use up the plethora of freezer bags full of shredded zucchini before we have fresh zucchini in the garden again, I have been making these cookies. The chocolate chips make them delicious, and the zucchini and whole wheat flour make it so you don't feel guilty about eating them. The recipe is from "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and can be found here. I highly recommend reading the entire book if you care about good food.

In other pie news, my birthday is this week so I think I might make that fancy Chocolate Cherry Pie. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Yum. Oh! And I just noticed that would bring my tally up to 50 pies. How appropriate!

Current Pie Tally: 49

Pi Day Pie

As the resident Pie Princess of Madison, WI, I felt peer pressured to make a pie in honor of Pi Day. So, I threw this Blueberry Custard Pie together with ingredients I already had in the house. I'll let you know how it came out either in the comments in the next day or so or in the next post. In the meantime, here's the recipe if you want to experiment. Happy Pi Day!

Blueberry Custard Pie
one pie crust

1 and 3/4 c. frozen wild organic blueberries
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 T. butter, melted
1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 t. vanilla

Roll out pie crust and place in pie dish. Prick all over with a fork. Freeze for 10 min. Place pie weights in pie shell. Bake at 375 F for 10-15 min, then remove pie weights. Bake at 375 F for another 10-15 min, until crust starts to turn golden brown. Let cool for about 30 min.

Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Beat eggs together with vanilla, buttermilk, and melted butter. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture. Place blueberries into pie crust. Pour custard mixture over. Bake at 350 F for 50 min. Let cool and enjoy!

Current Pie Tally: 49

Pecan Pie for Pops

I made the above pie using the same recipe as for the last pecan pie (with orange zest) in honor of a visit from the in-laws. Pecan Pie is Dad's favorite, and it's a quick one to throw together when guests are on their way. It turned out wonderfully as usual.

Current Pie Tally: 48

Vinegar Chess and the Last Pumpkin

I finally used up the last of our pureed garden pumpkin from the freezer. The resulting pie went to the couple who babysat my son while my husband and I dined at the Belgian mussel bar in honor of Valentine's Day. After some strong, flavorful beer, foie gras, duck, and mussels, we were invited to have a slice of the pie with the babysitters. It was a sweet end to a hearty pumpkin pie season. In summary, I made 10 pumpkin pies with the pumpkins my husband and I grew in 2010. I probably could have made two more to round out an even dozen if I had portioned the puree better before freezing.

I also finally succumbed to trying out the Vinegar Chess Pie recipe from ReadyMade. I've made this style of pie once or twice before when I was in high school. I remember my dad liking it. This variation of the recipe is superb. The cream in particular really enriches and mellows the flavor and texture. Utter deliciousness and a perfect pie for a time of year when little fresh produce is available. I should also mention that I used yellow cornmeal instead of white, since that's what I had in the cupboard. I doubt it made much of a difference.

I made the Vinegar Chess Pie for a small, impromptu dinner party over the weekend. The guests were pleasantly surprised by the tastiness of a pie made with vinegar and one suggested that I look up the origins of such a strange pie. According to wikipedia.org, chess-style pie has no connection to the actual game of chess and hails from England. Chess pie recipes are very sweet (usually comprising eggs, sugar, butter, cornmeal, and vanilla) and have historically been common desserts in both New England and Virginia in the U.S. Vinegar Chess Pie is simply a chess pie that's had some vinegar added to bring the sweetness down a notch.

Current Pie Tally: 47

Holiday Cookies, by Request

One of my beloved blog followers asked to see some of the holiday cookies I made, so here's a shot of my gingerbread cookies. Enjoy!

Gingerbread Men (makes about 2 dozen)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. molasses (or sorghum)
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1.5 t. Penzey's cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground clove
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat sugar, butter, and molasses in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients. Mix at low speed until blended. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Roll out dough on floured surface and cut out desired shapes. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 min at 350 F. Allow to cool completely on wire racks, then decorate.

Current Pie Tally: 45

Snowed-In Pumpkin

I made this little delight in the calm before the first big Midwestern blizzard of 2011. It was supposed to be bartered in exchange for a night of babysitting while my husband and I enjoyed dinner out and a Baptism prep session. My husband and I ended up having to eat it ourselves since we got snowed in. Pity we couldn't try out the European mussel bar, but at least we got some delicious pie out of it. I used the Perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe again to make this one, except that I used 1.25 c. half and half and 1/4 c. milk instead of the proportions of heavy cream and milk called for in the recipe. I had quite a bit of half and half leftover from house guests that I needed to use up.

After about 48 min at 350, the pie came out marvelously as usual, which makes me wonder if my pie calling is to make pumpkin pie. Pumpkin and rhubarb medleys are definitely the top contenders right now. Though my husband says my pecan should be in the running too. Somehow I can't rationalize that one, since pecans grow nowhere near the great state of Wisconsin. Maybe I could make a version that uses local walnuts? Would it taste as fabulous, though?

In other pie news, I have been digging on the holiday issue of ReadyMade magazine. The pie spread in there is very inspirational. I'm particularly smitten with the Bittersweet Chocolate Cherry and Vinegar Chess. The Vinegar Chess Pie is a perfect "hunger gap" dessert, so I see that one getting made in the near future. The Dark Chocolate Cherry, on the other hand, is very festive and a bit more involved. Perhaps I'll treat myself for my birthday at the end of March.

Current Pie Tally: 45

Holiday Pie Schwag #1

My mother bought me this beautiful pie basket for Christmas. Can't wait to put some pies in it! It's the double-decker model, so I can fit two pies inside. We have company coming this week, so more pies are likely to pop up on the blog. In the meantime, I've been experimenting with homemade mozzarella cheese and baking cookies.

Current Pie Tally: 44

Orange You Glad

This pie almost slipped through the cracks and didn't get posted on the blog. This is another Perfect Pecan Pie, except this one was made with orange zest instead of lemon. I must say, I prefer the orange, though both are delicious. I baked this when my mother came to visit for a week after the holidays. Then, I must have forgotten about it the next week, when my family went on vacation. No pies were baked on vacation or have been baked since, but they are coming, I promise.

Current Pie Tally: 44

Christmas Apple Crumb

Christmas Apple Crumb Pie
filling:
5 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, thickly sliced
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 T. unsalted butter, finely diced
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. arrowroot starch
1/4 c. homemade baby food applesauce

topping:
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a pie dish with homemade pie crust. Prick all over with a fork. Stick in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling and topping. With the exception of the butter, mix all filling ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into pie crust. Dot with butter. Using your fingers, blend the topping ingredients together until well-mixed, moist, and crumbly. Heap on top of pie filling. Bake at 350F for about one hour. Crumb topping will be nice and brown, but not burned and apples will be soft when pierced with a fork.

Current Pie Tally: 43

Perfect Pecan Pie

This is the first of two Christmas pies. I showed up with this one, my father-in-law's favorite, in hand when we arrived for our holiday stay. This is the first time I finally got to try sorghum instead of molasses, and my oh my is it good. It gives the pie less bite and a more mellow, well-rounded flavor. Also, with the tamer flavor of the sorghum, the other flavors, like the lemon zest, really sing out.

Perfect Pecan Pie
7 T. unsalted butter
1 heaping cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c. sorghum
1/8 c. real maple syrup
1/8 c. good quality honey
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups pecan halves (1/2 pound)

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out crust dough and line pie dish. Prick dough all over with a fork and stick in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sorghum, honey, syrup, vanilla, zest, and salt. Whisk syrup mixture into eggs. Pour pecans into pie shell. Pour liquid mixture over. Bake at 350F for about 50 minutes. Pie is done when filling is set and crust is golden brown. Enjoy!

Current Pie Tally: 42