Archive for the 'Pie' Category

(Chronologically Listed)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

This has quite simply become my favorite pie. Strawberries unto themselves are amazing little fruits, but there are a number of pairings that, through some sort of magic, take the flavor to new heights, whether it be balsamic vinegar, chocolate and hazelnuts, or a rich cream, and the bizarre looking rhubarb is no different. So today, a classic that’s new to me: strawberry rhubarb pie.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie fresh out of the oven

This crunchy, red stalk might have a similar color, but the flavor is not at all like strawberry–tart, not quite citric, bitter, but somehow, refreshing and pleasant. Combined with the incredible sweetness of strawberries, you have a perfect balance of sweet and tart, the end result being nothing short of bliss. I spiced the mixture just a pinch more to add a little more complexity (another great strawberry counterpoint: ginger!), and all in all, this blend of sweet, tart, and spice was wonderfully balanced and intriguing to taste. This took strawberries to a new place…
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Posted by mike on March 30th, 2008 under Dessert, Fruit, Pie | 18 Comments »

Nectarine Cobbler

I figured dessert has been a little ice cream-centric lately, so it only seemed fair to give something else a shot. Well one of my favorite fruits has been very available lately–nectarines–and what better way to serve up a nectarine dessert than in a cobbler?

Nectarine Cobbler

Cobblers are a fun, comforting dessert–sort of like a fruity pie but without the trouble of making a proper crust and sort of like a cake, but without worrying about it looking pristine. A cobbler is just a nice, no frills way to serve up some delicious fruit. This smelled great while baking in the oven and it tasted wonderful–light, sweet, lively fruit flavor, and a spongy cake-like topping with a nutty crunch. I was disappointed in it when I ate it the first night though, but was delighted to fall in love with it again the next day–I suppose the flavors were shy and had to get to know each other a little better…
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Posted by mike on February 23rd, 2008 under Cake, Dessert, Fruit, Pie | 9 Comments »

Tourtiere (Meat Pie)

I thought I’d try a new take on pies as I’ve only really dealt with pies and pastries in dessert form. I stumbled across tourtiere, a traditional French-Canadian meal, and it seemed like a perfect match. This is a pie filled with pork and is commonly served around this time of year, so it seemed like great new thing to try.

Slice of tourtiere

I can’t say whether or not the outcome here is as it was supposed to be as I’ve never had a tourtiere before, but I was pretty good about incorporating the core of what I encountered in other versions of this dish, but without any local French-Canadians to give their seal of approval, we’ll have to go on faith on this one.

I was excited when this came out of the oven–I mean its pie and its dinner! I carefully cut out a slice and took a big bite. Texture, moisture, heartiness, and all of those sorts of components were great,…
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Posted by mike on November 13th, 2007 under Main course, Pie, Pork | 10 Comments »

Pumpkin Pie

October is here and so are the pumpkins! What better dish is there to mark that autumn is here than a pumpkin pie?

Slice of pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie is a custard-based pie with a stronger, more savory collection of spices at play than in some of the other pies I’ve posted here thus far. You’ve got things like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, etc, so there’s a lot of strong stuff in there that will demand your attention. Also unlike many of the other pies posted here, you aren’t troubled with creating a topping as we’re going to cook the pie briefly in high heat to harden the top of the pie relative to the rest of the filling, which will be softer, and not quite pudding-like, but smoother and creamier in texture. And you can take two different approaches: canned pumpkin puree or a fresh, whole pumpkin, the latter being the approach that builds character and if this blog focuses on anything, its…
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Posted by mike on October 15th, 2007 under Dessert, Fruit, Pie | 2 Comments »

Pecan Pie

I always loved pecan pie growing up, and being next-door to Georgia is all the more reason for making this classic southern dessert.

Slice of pecan pie

But there’s something peculiar about pecan pie–what on earth is it made of? The toasted, crunchy pecan topping is obvious, but what is that filling? Its soft, custardy, delicious, but its just a weird thing to identify compared to say, an apple pie where the filling isn’t exactly a big secret. Believe it or not, as far as pies go, this one is probably one of the quickest and easiest to make and the filling is actually very simple: eggs, brown sugar, and corn syrup. And it is also my entry in September’s In the Bag, hosted this month by Real Epicurean. The theme this month is to make a dish using seasonal fruit, and the pecan (for the skeptical, nuts are a fruit!) harvest is just about to begin down here.

Prior to pecan pie, I would never…
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Posted by mike on September 23rd, 2007 under Dessert, Pie | 9 Comments »

Plum Almond Tart

I regularly read Smitten Kitchen and somewhat recently saw a post about Plum-Almond Tarts and couldn’t resist trying to bake one for myself. They looked great, plums are in season, I like plums and almonds, so why not?

Plum Almond Tart

I wasn’t at my best in the kitchen that day–I substituted my own crust recipe assuming it would work out about the same, but in the end, simply had too much crust. And then, not sure why, but the pie filling just refused to set, so in trying to wait it out, ultimately, my too-much-crust kind of burnt. And it seems that for some reason, I had it my head that I needed to peel the plums. However, in the end, despite all of the mistakes, the flavors were fantastic and despite my experience, I would highly recommend baking this. The dessert was light and tart (tart? Go figure!), with some really nice, dark berry flavors. And with plums still abound at the grocery…
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Posted by mike on September 16th, 2007 under Dessert, Pie | 1 Comment »
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