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

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

Happy Holidays to Me

Hello Pie Princess!

I saw your blog about the Path of 1,000 Pies. The world is honored you choose to make pies. I used to live and work in Madison, WI.

Good pies to you, Pie Princess.

Anne Dimock

Pies of the Past

Apologies for the lull in posting. I was on vacation for two weeks and the baby hasn't been sleeping through the night. Cal slept for seven hours straight last night though, so I'm back on top of the world. Since I've been on vacation, I haven't made any pies. Though, my mother made me a delectable peach pie with praline topping.

The photo above depicts my #1 pie fan enjoying his birthday pie from last year. He recently celebrated his 60th birthday last week and is due for another birthday pie. Happy Birthday, Pops! He doesn't know this yet, but Cal, my husband, and I are giving him a surprise visit this weekend and I aim to arrive with pie in hand. The question is will it be a Rhubarb Strawberry one from the freezer arsenal or a fresh Peach and Rhubarb variety? The answer most likely lies in whether or not my son sleeps through the night again tonight. Until then, here's a short trip down memory lane to tide you over.

Admittedly, I don't have photos of all of the pies in the Pie Tally and may have forgotten exactly what I made, but here are some descriptions to help uphold my integrity as a pie princess. Here's a breakdown of the Pie Tally so far, as it stands in my memory.

2009
3 apple
2 rhubarb
1 rhuberry (rhubarb, strawberries, and raspberries)
1 strawberry rhubarb
1 fruity firework (featured in photo at top - Pops' Birthday Pie from August 2009: peaches, blueberries, and rhubarb; Pop LOVES pie; we even brought it to the nice restaurant where we ate dinner and had them serve it to us)
1 rhubarb raspberry apple

2010
2 pecan
1 derby
2 apple
1 lemon meringue
2 strawberry rhubarb
1 rhubarb custard
1 rhubarb strawberry
1 peach rhubarb
1 chicken pot pie
1 veal roast pot pie
1 cherry rhubarb
1 rhubarb

Current Pie Tally: 24

The Rules

I've had some people ask me a few questions about the boundaries of this challenge I've undertaken. If you've got others, please leave them in the comments and I'll address them there.

1. Am I allowed to make repeat pies? Yes. I figure asking me to make 1,000 unique pies while I and the ones I love have clear favorites is a bit much. Also, I try not to go too wildly astray from seasonally available ingredients. I often will use a similar ingredient that I have on hand instead of going to the store to buy something as well, thereby slightly altering one apple pie from another.

2. Can I receive help in making any part of the pies? No. I've decided to do this thing myself, so I have not counted any pies that my husband or others have helped with.

3. What about tarts and galettes and things? Those don't count. While I may make some on occasion and post about them here, they will not go toward the pie tally.

4. Do meat pies count? Yes. I feel that savory pies are true pies as well. In fact, I have plans to make a chicken pot pie or two in the near future. In "Humble Pie", Anne Dimock writes that some consider fruit pies to be the only true pies. I am not one of these purists and will make custards, creams, meats, etc. in addition to fruit pies.

5. Are all of the pie recipes you use your original recipes? No. Wherever possible, I will post the link to the recipe or state which book it comes from. However, if I feel I have altered a recipe enough to call it my own, I will write it out for everyone.

6. Can I use prepared ingredients like frozen crusts and canned fillings? No, that's totally cheating and I have no desire to ruin a pie experience that way.

Tools of the Trade: Rolling Pin

You don't need a fancy rolling pin to make pie crust. In fact, I'd recommend holding off on buying one until you've made about 20 pies. In the interim, try a bunch of different bottles and things to get a feel for the weight and size you prefer. When I was living in Vienna and baking my pies in a Coleman camping oven (a metal box that sat on top of my stove-top burner), my makeshift rolling pins included thermos bottles, empty wine bottles, full wine bottles, and partially full rum bottles - whatever was on hand at the time. Just be sure to wash and dry the surface of your "bottle" before and after using.

Now that I've been reunited with all my stuff in the US, I have my proper rolling pin back. This one is a solid piece of pine and was a gift from my mother. I think it came from T.J. Maxx and is probably about 10 years old. It's fairly modest as far as rolling pins go, but in many ways I think that makes it a superior tool. It doesn't flaunt any moving parts or fancy heavy marble barrel. It is very lightweight and easy to control, so that I can get my pie crust just as thick or thin as I want it and even throughout. My only complaint is that pine is a weak wood, and this rolling pin does get dings and dents easily. So, I have to be careful when washing, handling, and storing it.

You might be able to tell from the photo that this one is also starting to lose its finish. I consider the weathered look a mark of pride in having used it well over the years, but I do have a tinge of worry about having to replace it someday. If I had to decide on a replacement now, I think I'd get something similar, but made of a sturdier wood - maybe a fancy varnished log of cherry wood.

On the pie horizon, my father in law and his wife are coming to visit this weekend. Which means enough people will be around to warrant making a pie. The top contender right now is Lemon Meringue, so I can use up the lemons and limes leftover from the party last weekend. Stay tuned...