Fresh Raspberry Pie

I've never been a huge fan of raspberries, but last summer, I was asked to taste-test some of the winning entries at our local 4-H Achievement Days. (Yeah, twist my arm.) My photographer/brother kept raving about this pie, which I was reluctant to try because it looked so ... raspberryish. But I finally relented.

And the pie was beyond good. Not only was it the best raspberry dessert I'd ever tasted, but it was easily one of the best fruit pies I've had, period. It doesn't try too hard -- it just enhances the pure, sweet-tart flavor of the raspberries.

I made the filling with my favorite shortbread pie crust, which, unfortunately, makes 3 crusts. But on the fortunate side, you can just put those in the freezer for next time.

Fresh Raspberry Pie
Makes 8 servings

Crust (makes 3 crusts)

• 4 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cups cold butter-flavored shortening
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup ice water

Filling

• 2 2/3 cups fresh raspberries, divided
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• Whipped cream, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, shortening, sugar, and salt. Mix with a pastry blender until crumbly. Add vinegar and egg and work into dough. Add ice water, a few tablespoons at a time. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Roll out about one-third of the dough and put in a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp edges and poke bottom with a fork several times. Line with parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake 5 minutes.
4. Remove parchment and pie weights (they’ll be hot); bake another 5 minutes.
5. Mash 2/3 cup raspberries in a large microwavable bowl. Add 1 cup water and sugar. (Use something larger than a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup, unless you want raspberry syrup all over your microwave. I’m here to help.) Microwave 5 minutes.
6. Mix cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons water to form a slurry. Add to berry mixture and microwave another 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
7. Fill pastry shell with the remaining raspberries. Pour berry mixture over fresh berries. Let pie set up in the refrigerator. Garnish with whipped cream.

Fresh Peach Crostata

Along with her lovely garden-fresh produce, my mother-in-law sent a bunch of fresh peaches home with us over the weekend. She said they were getting pretty ripe, so I should use them immediately.

This is where I admit that I've never baked anything with peaches. Or even tasted anything baked with peaches. In fact, I never tasted a peach, canned or otherwise, until I was 18.

I was on tour with a band in Europe at the time.

(Warning: I sound much less cool as this story goes on. How is that possible, you ask? Oh, you'll see.)

Anyway, we were staying in Lugano, Switzerland, and our tour bus was leaving mid-morning with no meal stops until supper. So we got up early and hit a local farmer's market, which was breathtaking. I grabbed bread, and cheese, plenty of chocolate, and then some fresh grapes and peaches. I figured that would tide me over until at least mid-morning.

I bought the peaches because my bandmates were shocked when I held up a peach and said, "Is this a peach? Huh. I've never tried one." My bandmates made me buy peaches. And I loved them. I munched on peaches all the way to France.

And then we all got off the bus, got set up in Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, and put on a free wind band concert for the public. I was the second-chair clarinet. (Whoop, there it is!)

Moral of the story: I'm a former band geek who knows nothing about peaches, except how to pack them in a lunchbox.

So anyway, I've got this box of peaches. I debated whether to make a pie or a crisp. But then settled on a crostata. Because I'm new to peaches and wasn't sure how to bake them, and crostatas are more free-form. So if I did something wrong and it came out a mess, I could just call it rustic.

You can use any pie crust recipe; I'm using Barefoot Contessa's pastry recipe, because I've used it with crostata before, and it's very buttery and flavorful. And I added a streusel, because I like streusel, and this is my crostata. And you know what? The crostata turned out WONDERFUL. I could probably eat the whole thing in one sitting. And I just might.

Fresh Peach Crostata
Serves 8

Crust (makes 2 pastry crusts)
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. very cold butter, diced
1/4 c. ice water

Filling
4 peaches, thinly sliced
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. flour

Streusel
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. cold butter, diced
Sprinkle of cinnamon

1. Put flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine ingredients. Add butter, and then pulse about 15 times. Turn food processor on low and pour in ice water. Turn food processor back off and pulse until the dough just starts to come together.

2. On a lightly floured surface, pour out dough, and then pull dough together. Cut in half and form two disks.

3. Wrap one in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour. (Put the other in a freezer bag and store for future use.)

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (You should probably use a baking sheet with a lip, in case your crostata filling leaks. I know this from experience. My oven fan is still running.)

5. On a well-floured surface, roll the pastry out in a round circle, about 12 to 14 inches. Place on baking sheet.

6. Combine peaches with flour and sugar.

Sigh. I love the colors.

7. Spoon into center of crust.

8. In a food processor, combine the streusel ingredients. Remove from food processor and press together with your fingers to form bigger crumbles.

9. Pour streusel over filling. Fold up sides of crostata, pleating the sides to make a circle.

10. Bake about 50-55 minutes, or until crust golden and flaky. Let cool a bit before serving.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

My in-laws and my brother came for lunch this weekend (including ribs and chipotle-cheddar potatoes). Because it was our first gathering at the house since the rhubarb plant sprouted in the yard (a whole two weeks ago), that can mean only one thing: strawberry-rhubarb pie.

Rhubarb is a plant that thrives 'round these parts, and almost everyone I know bakes with it. (Except my ma. She's not a fan, and she's yanked it out of every yard that she's owned.)

I didn't taste rhubarb until I was 22. The hubby (then a boyfriend) and I had visited his parents, and he mentioned that he'd really like a strawberry-rhubarb pie. I figured this was my shot to prove to him what a good little wifey I'd be someday, so I said, "Hey, no problem, I'll do it!"

This was good in theory. In application, I had never before baked any sort of pie, nor did I have the slightest inkling what rhubarb even looked like underneath its covering of leaves. But I dug this recipe out of the bowels of a Betty Crocker cookbook, and then proceeded to stare at the pile of rhubarb that my hopefully soon-to-be mother-in-law sent home with us. Finally, I caved and called her. She gave me two pieces of advice:

• Don't eat the leaves. (I found this surprising. I thought that was the part of the rhubarb you were supposed to eat.) Apparently the leaves are inedible. Or maybe poisonous. Yes, those are two different concepts. In either case, don't eat the leaves.
• Peel the outside layer of the rhubarb. The outside is the toughest and dirtiest part, but it peels off very easily in long ribbons, leaving the clean, more tender stalk exposed.

I gave it a whirl, and baked my first pie. Lo and behold, it turned out fabulous. The hubby thought it one of the best strawberry-rhubarb pies he'd ever tasted. This pie might be the reason he proposed, and it definitely is the reason he bought a rhubarb plant when we bought our first house. We dream of this pie each spring.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Serves 8

3 c. rhubarb (about 5-7 stalks)
3 c. strawberries (about 1 lb.)
2 c. sugar
2/3 c. flour
1 Tbsp. butter
Pastry for a double-crust pie

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean and peel your rhubarb.

I just discovered that not everyone does this. Which is OK, I think. But I'll stick with my method. My mother-in-law does it. Guy Fieri does it. That's good enough for me.

2. Chop rhubarb into about 1/2" pieces.

Chopping rhubarb reminds me of chopping celery. Just thought I'd mention that.

3. Clean and hull your strawberries, and chop them into similar-sized pieces.

4. Combine rhubarb and strawberries with flour and sugar.

Rhubarb stalks -- even from the same plant -- can vary quite a bit in terms of how sweet or sour they are. (I think earlier rhubarb is sweeter.) I try to use some greener and some redder stalks, but it's a bit of a crapshoot; every pie turns out a bit different. It's a surprise every time!

5. Press bottom crust into a 9" pie plate, and pour filling mixture in. Dot with butter.

6. Place top crust on pie and crimp the edges. Cut slits in the top of the pie, and cover the edges with foil.

I have a Pie Crust Shield. I love it.

I also have a pie gate. I'm oddly protective of my pie.

7. Bake pie for 50-55 minutes, and let cool complete before serving. (I usually refrigerate it for a while before serving, too, just to help it set up. And because I grew up in a household where we refrigerated pies.)

Strawberries 'n' Cream Tart

When I was making a peanut butter pie to bring to my family's for the weekend, I also wanted to bring some sort of dessert to my mother-in-law's. However, time was at a premium, and I needed something that was sort of make-ahead.

I was hoping to use strawberries, because my mother-in-law adores strawberry pie. So I made a quick graham cracker tart crust, and then made a cream filling that used the same basis as the peanut butter pie. (But without the peanut butter, obviously.)

I packed up my crust, my filling, some strawberries, and some strawberry glaze, and assembled everything a few hours before lunch. My only casualty was losing a few of the tart crust edges on the trip; as mama always says, tart crusts don't like gravel roads.

The result was a sweet, light, and fruity dessert that was the perfect end for our grilled meal. It wasn't too filling or too heavy, but just right.

Strawberries 'n' Cream Tart
Serves 6-8

Crust
9 sheets honey graham crackers
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Filling
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/3 c. whipped topping

Topping
1/2 pint strawberries, washed and hulled
1/4 c. strawberry glaze or melted strawberry jam

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 10-inch tart pan with cooking spray.

2. Place crackers in blender or food processor, and process until crumbly. In a bowl, combine cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter.

3. Mix with a fork until well combined. Pour into tart pan and push down against bottoms and sides.

4. Bake crust for 10 minutes and let cool.

5. For filling, mix cream cheese and sugar in stand mixer until thoroughly mixed. Add extracts and mix again. Fold in whipped topping.

At this point, I put my crust in a cake carrier and my filling in a cold, covered bowl, and off we went.

6. To assemble, spread cream mixture evenly over crust.

7. Slice strawberries very thinly. And let someone else use the camera, because you need both hands.

8. Layer the strawberries either from the inside out or the outside in.

Hello, messy, wet hair. Hello, baby belly. Hello, glowing-eyes Charlie. (Whenever there's food involved, Charlie is watching.)

I prefer layering thin slices to using thicker pieces of strawberries because it's easier to serve and eat that way.

9. Drizzle with strawberry glaze or some melted strawberry jam -- just something to sweeten up the strawberries. (Sugar would tend to macerate them, or soften and break them down, but you want your strawberries to stay intact.)

10. Slice and serve, and garnish as desired.

We kept things basic, but you could certainly top this with a dollop of whipped cream, some mint, toasted almonds, or whatever floats your boat.

Cool and Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

The hubby and I were in sick bay this week, but we're feeling better and getting ready to head out of town for the weekend. The first stop is to see my parents, and my brother and his girlfriend.

Whenever we visit family, we fall into the position of food providers for the weekend. I don't think anyone expects this of us; we've just always kind of done it. My theory is that I get so crabby when I'm hungry that the hubby wants to be sure we have full control over the food situation. We need to make sure that there is always something readily available for me to eat, or Very Bad Things happen.

Tonight, we'll be grilling with my dad and brother. We're doing the basics -- some grilled steak, beans, hot dogs, etc. -- but I wanted to throw together something for dessert, as well. I've only got a few hours this afternoon, so there's not a lot of time to bake something that requires cooling before it's packed up. Instead, I'll make something that starts off nice and cool.

I found this pie recipe in an old Taste of Home Quick Cooking magazine many moons ago. I used to make the pie on a very regular basis during the summer, but it somehow fell off the rotation. And I have no idea why, because it's really, really yummy. And simple. It's a great make-ahead dessert, and if you want to use a ready-made crust from the store, you don't even have to turn on the oven.

I'm not a huge fan of the ready-made crusts, so I made my own using the crust recipe from my fudge truffle cheesecake. I pressed the crust into a 9-inch pie plate and baked it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cool and Creamy Peanut Butter Pie
Serves 8

1 chocolate crumb crust (storebought or homemade)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. whipped topping
10 regular-sized peanut butter cups, divided

1. Prepare and cool crust, if making your own.

2. In a stand mixer or by hand, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix thoroughly.

3. Fold in whipped topping.

4. Chop 5 peanut butter cups and fold into mixture.

5. Spoon mixture into crust. Chop remaining peanut butter cups and sprinkle over the top.

This is actually only 4 peanut butter cups sprinkled on top. I have NO idea where the fifth went.

6. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Pumpkin Pie

The hubby and I are staying with my family for a few days, which means I’m cooking in Mom’s kitchen. Which drives us both nuts.

We’re in the middle of yet another weather advisory, which makes me hungry for all things warm, like stew. So I put on a pot of beef stew earlier this morning, even though Mom and I exchanged words about it last night. (“Stew? Do you HAVE to make stew again? There’s a bunch of food in the fridge. Can’t you make do with that?”)

Now, I wouldn’t dream of disrespecting my own mother, but aside from the food that’s set aside for Christmas festivities, we appear to have a few smoked pork chops, leftover dessert pizza, several tubs of butter, and about five pounds of red grapes. So my official answer is no. No, I can’t make do with that.

After I got the stew going, I decided to bake a few pumpkin pies – one for my pa and one for Christmas Day with my mom’s family. I’ve made several pumpkin pie recipes over the years and they all got the “Mmm, pumpkin” reaction, but it wasn’t until Thanksgiving last year that I got what I was hoping for: “This is the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had.” Four people said it. That’s like a quorum. If four people say it, it’s got to be true.

I did need to bring supplies and ingredients from home. Supplies like my favorite whisk and my microplane. And ingredients like whole nutmeg, pumpkin, and evaporated milk. And eggs. (My parents don’t buy eggs!) I did, however, forget my trusty pie crust shield, which makes my heart sad. Sigh.

Pumpkin Pie
Serves 8

1 pie crust, homemade or storebought
2 eggs
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (I think fresh makes a world of difference)
1 15-oz. can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling; that’s what you’re making here)
1 12-oz can evaporated milk

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place crust in a 9” pie plate and crimp edges.

My edges are never neatly crimped. I have manual dexterity issues. I got an Unsatisfactory in kindergarten Scissor Handling.

3. In a medium bowl, beat eggs lightly. Add remaining ingredients and beat with a whisk until smooth and thoroughly combined. (I don’t like to use a mixer with this. It makes the filling too frothy.)

By the way, see this teeny tiny section of counter space? This is really the only workspace in this kitchen. I should be sainted.

4. Pour filling in crust.

5. Cover edges of crust with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield. Try to do so without squashing your crimps. (If you're using foil, this is nearly -- but not quite -- impossible.)

This is optional, but highly recommended, because your crust can burn before your filling is baked. You know how when you’re out in the sun without sunscreen, and your nose burns first? If this pie were your face, the crust would be your nose. Don’t burn your nose.

6. Bake 15 minutes.

7. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes. Remove from oven.

Look at the gorgeous color on that non-burnt crust!

8. Let cool for at least a few hours before serving. Slice and serve with whipped cream. Even if it's frozen.

Apple Pie

‘Tis the season for apples, and my dad sent a few boxes of fresh-picked apples home for me, along with instructions to please send pie. So apple pie we shall make.

I know most people will disagree with me, but I think the best part of any pie is the crust. Crusts were coveted in my family. Holiday desserts typically consisted of some sort of Sara Lee pie covered in Cool Whip. My mother, Cool Whip addict that she is, would have second thoughts about sharing her stash on a holiday (when the stores were closed), and she would run around the table trying to scoop her Cool Whip back. Then, as we got close to the ends of our respective pieces, she would make another lap around the table to grab the ends of everyone’s crusts. No wonder she’s so skinny.

One of the best things I ever did was marry into a family of people who don’t eat the ends of their crusts. (Or lick the cake batter bowl, but that’s a story for another day.)

So with all this talk about pie crust, I have a guilty admission: I don’t like making it. I’ll do it sometimes when I have the time – Barefoot Contessa’s recipe is a favorite – but I often cheat and use Pillsbury. (Especially on Tuesday nights when I have two hours of work ahead of me and muffins on my mind.) It reminds me of my grandma’s pie crust. And I like to take advantage of the few times, now that I’m an adult, when I can say, “I don’t wanna, so I don’t have to.” So there.

Oh, and the pie has filling. I should probably mention that. The filling is a modified version of a Southern Living recipe, and my dad says this is the best apple pie he’s ever eaten. And if my dad says it, it HAS to be true.

Apple Pie
Serves 8

Pastry for a 2-crust pie
6 c. peeled, chopped apples
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
A few dashes grated whole nutmeg
2 Tbsp. butter
Sugar, for sprinkling over crust

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place bottom crust in 9” pie plate.

2. Combine apples and lemon juice. Combine sugars, flour, and spices. Toss gently with apples.


3. Spoon filling into crust, dotting with butter.

4. Top pie with remaining crust. Fold edges under and crimp. Cut slits in the top and sprinkle with sugar.

5. Cover edges with foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 50 minutes. Cool before serving.

Again, no picture of the inside. I need to start baking stuff that I get to eat.