By Brack Johnson
These recipes are a pie-lovers' dream! So, I'll take a slice of Pork, Apple and Sage Pie for supper and Cranberry Chess Pie for dessert.
Yummmm!
Cut a piece of Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Goat Cheese Pie for me, too. And add a slice of Spicy Jamaican Black Bean and Sweet Potato Pie.
Cider Apple Pie? Persimmon Pudding Pie? Don't mind if I do.
I really should have tastes from each of the books, so go ahead and give me some Spooky Shepherd's Pie, and be sure to include a Jack-o'-Lantern Whoopie PIe.
After all, it's never too early for Halloween, and it's never too – anything – for pie!
The Southern Pie Book
Published by Oxmoor House
Cider Apple Pie
2 Simply Piecrusts (recipe follows)
2 1/2 pounds Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples (6 to 7 apples), peeled and chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Apple Cider Drizzle, divided (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon whipping cream
Prepare Simply Piecrust through step 1.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine apples, sugar, flour, ginger, lemon zest, cinnamon, salt and 1/2 cup Apple Cider Drizzle in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.
Roll 1 recipe of Simply Piecrust dough into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Spoon apple mixture into prepared crust.
Roll remaining recipe of Simply Piecrust dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; cut piecrust into 1-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips in a lattice design over filling; gently press ends of strips, sealing to bottom piecrust. Brush piecrust with cream.
Place an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan to collect juices. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly and crust is golden brown, shielding edges with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove from oven to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).
Microwave remaining 1/2 cup Apple Cider Drizzle in a small microwave-safe bowl at high 30 seconds or until warm. Spoon over each serving.
Makes 8 servings
— — — — — — — — Simply Piecrust — — — — — — — —
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over surface of mixture in bowl; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; cover and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll dough into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp.
Line pastry with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Makes one 9-inch piecrust
— — — — — — — — Apple Cider Drizzle — — — — — — — —
4 cups apple cider
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Bring apple cider to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil 35 minutes or until reduced to 2/3 cup. Stir in brown sugar and butter; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, and cool 1 hour.
Makes 1 cup
Persimmon Pudding Pie With Orange Glaze
1 Sweet Pastry (recipe follows)
4 ripe persimmons (1 pound)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1ΒΌ cups buttermilk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Orange Glaze (recipe follows)
Prepare Sweet Pastry through step 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut Sweet Pastry dough log into 1/4-inch slices; arrange slices over bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan. Press slices together to cover bottom of pan.
Peel persimmons, and cut in half. Remove and discard pits. Process persimmon halves in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
Combine persimmon pulp, sugar and eggs in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir together buttermilk and cream. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients; add to persimmon mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Add melted butter and vanilla; beat just until blended. Pour over prepared crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until set. Serve warm with Orange Glaze.
Makes 8-10 servings
— — — — — — — — Sweet Pastry — — — — — — — —
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 large egg yolks
Beat butter and sugar at medium sped with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add flour and salt; beat at low speed just until combined. Add egg yolks and 1 tablespoon water; beat at low speed until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Shape into a 7-inch log. Cover, and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices; arrange slices in a single layer over bottom and up sides of a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press slices together, and press into fluted edges. Fold any excess dough over outside of pan, and pinch to secure to pan. (This will keep dough from sliding down pan as it bakes.) Prick dough generously with a fork.
Bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 20 minutes).
Makes one 10-inch tart crust
— — — — — — — — Orange Glaze — — — — — — — —
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon orange zest
Combine orange juice, sugar and butter in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 10 minutes or until syrupy and liquid is reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in orange zest. Cool 30 minutes.
175 Best Mini Pie Recipes
Sweet to Savory
Published by Robert Rose
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
and Goat Cheese Pies
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1 cup julienned oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 recipe Flaky Pie Dough (recipe follows)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup crumbled soft goat cheese
In food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse basil, parsley and garlic until finely chopped. With the motor running, pour olive oil down the feed tube in a steady stream. Add almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes. Purée until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to slightly thicker than 1/16 inch. Using 4-1/2-inch round cutter, cut into rounds and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing apart. Reroll scraps as necessary.
Brush edges of rounds with egg wash. Place about 1 tablespoon pesto in center of each round. Top with 2 teaspoons goat cheese. Fold rounds in half, enclosing filling. Pinch edges together to seal, and crimp with the tines of a fork. Brush tops with egg wash.
Place pies, on baking sheets, in freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Using tip of a sharp knife, cut 2 or 3 slits in top of each pie. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through, until puffed and golden brown. Let cool on sheets on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 24 pies
Spicy Jamaican Black Bean and Sweet Potato Pies
2 cups diced peeled sweet potatoes
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 Scotch bonnet or jalapeño pepper,
seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 recipe Flaky Pie Dough (recipe follows)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
On rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and turn off oven.
In food processor fitted with the metal blade, purée onion, green onions, chile pepper, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, thyme, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth. Add to sweet potatoes, tossing to coat. Stir in beans and cilantro.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to slightly thicker than 1/16 inch. Using 6-inch round cutter, cut into rounds and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing apart. Reroll scraps as necessary.
Brush edges of rounds with egg wash. Place about 1/4 cup filling in center of each round. Fold in half, enclosing filling. Pinch edges together to seal, and crimp with tines of a fork. Brush tops with egg wash.
Place pies, on baking sheets, in freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.
Using tip of a knife, cut 2 or 3 slits in top of each pie. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through, until puffed and golden brown. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 12 pies
— — — — — — — — Flaky Pie Dough — — — — — — — —
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
9 tablespoons cold shortening, cubed
2/3 cup cold buttermilk (approximately), divided
In food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine.
Scatter butter and shortening pieces over flour mixture and pulse several times, until pieces are the size of peas. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Add 1/3 cup buttermilk, stirring with a fork to combine. Add more buttermilk 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring after each addition, just until dough begins to hold together in moist clumps. (You might not need all the buttermilk.)
Shape dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Makes 1 3/4 pounds dough, enough for 12 to 24 pies, depending on size
The Hoosier Mama
Book of Pie
Recipes, Techniques and Wisdom from the Hoosier Mama
Pie Company
Published by Midway
Cranberry Chess Pie
1 single-crust All-Butter Pie Dough shell (recipe follows)
Pie Wash (equal parts whole milk & cream stirred in small bowl)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 orange, for zesting
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
Pinch kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
2 cups coarsely chopped cranberries
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the pie shell on a baking sheet and brush the rim with Pie Wash. Set aside.
Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Zest the orange over the bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
Whisk the flour, cornmeal and salt together in a small bowl.
Stir the buttermilk and vanilla paste together in a small bowl or pitcher.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just to combine. With the stand mixer on low, add half of the buttermilk mixture and mix just to combine. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.
With the mixer on low, add the rest of the buttermilk mixture and mix just to combine. Add the final 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.
Scrape the side and bottom of the bowl and incorporate any unmixed butter. Gently fold in the cranberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pie shell and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating 180 degrees every 20 minutes. The pie is done when the top is slightly puffed and has turned a light golden brown. Cool to room temperature.
Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Pork, Apple and Sage Supper Pie
1 double-crust All-Butter Pie Dough shell (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups unpeeled red potatoes, chopped not bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup Caramelized Onions (recipe follows)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup Crème Fraîche (recipe follows)
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage (about 15 medium leaves)
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
1 pound pork breakfast sausage, casings removed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large egg, beaten
Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy, large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, stir in the potatoes and Caramelized Onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 5 more minutes.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a medium bowl and add the apples, Creme Fraiche, mustard, sage and parsley.
Place the same saute pan over the medium-high heat and crumble the pork sausage into it, breaking up any large pieces. Cook, stirring often, until the pork is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and pour, along with sausage, into the potato mixture.
Season to taste with black pepper, stir to combine, and taste the filling. Adjust the seasonings if necessary. chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Pour the filling evenly into the pie shell. Pat the filling down so that the apple and potato edges will not poke through the top crust.
Center the top pie dough round over the pie. Line up the edges of the top and bottom crust and gently roll them under with your thumb and index finger.
Work your way back around the pie, pinching the rolled edge up. Make sure the edge is resting on the rim of the pie tin. With a sharpe knife, cut vents in the top crust to release steam.
Freeze for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the frozen pie on a baking sheet. Brush the beaten egg over the pie crust, taking care to get egg into all of the crimps and along the outside edge.
Bake from frozen for 60 to 75 minutes, rotating 180 degrees every 30 minutes, until the crust is medium golden brown and the filling is heated through and bubbling out of the vents slightly. Toward the end of baking time, you may need to cover the edge of the pie with a crust guard or foil to prevent burning the crimped edge.
Makes one 9-inch pie
— — — — — — — — All-Butter Pie Dough — — — — — — — —
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Freeze 5 tablespoons for 20 minutes or overnight; chill the remaining 1-1/8 sticks in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Stir the red wine vinegar into the cold water and set aside.
Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times to combine.
Add the chilled butter and mix for 25 to 30 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add the frozen butter and pulse 15 to 20 times, until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.
Add 6 tablespoons of the vinegar water and pulse 6 times. The dough should start to look crumbly. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount in the palm of your hand. If it easily holds together, it is done. If not, add 1/2 tablespoon of the vinegar water and pulse 3 more times. Repeat this process as needed until the dough holds together.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead together until smooth; dough should never come together in the food processor.
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Flatten the balls slightly and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 20 minutes but preferably overnight.
Makes one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies
— — — — — — — — Caramelized Onions — — — — — — — —
8 medium yellow onions (about 16 cups sliced)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
Peel the onions and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy pan (like a Dutch oven) over medium-low heat.
Once the butter is melted, stir in the sliced onions to coat them in the fat. Don't worry about crowding the pan; the onions will cook down eventually.
Cover the pan and continue to cook until the onions are uniformly translucent and soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium. Continue cooking about 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so. The goal is to brown the onions evenly, so if the onions begin to burn, adjust the heat to medium-low or low and add a few splashes of water to slow the cooking process. Stir more often and add a few teaspoons of olive oil if the onions begin to stick.
The onions are ready when they turn a uniform deep mahogany brown and have a rich, sweet flavor. Sometime this takes a bit longer than 1 hour.
Judge by the color rather than the clock.
Makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups
— — — — — — — — CRÈME FRAÎCHE — — — — — — — —
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
Combine the ingredients in a nonreactive container with a lid, like a glass canning jar.
Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until it thickens, about 12 hours. It will get thicker and more tart the longer it is left at room temperature.
Makes 2 cups
Betty Crocker
Halloween Cookbook
Published by Wiley
Spooky Shepherd's Pie
1 pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
(from 12-ounce bag)
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1 jar (12 ounces) beef gravy
1 3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 cups plain mashed potato mix (dry)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg slightly beaten
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray. Cook beef and onion in skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, sitrring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
Set aside 12 peas for garnish. Add remaining frozen vegetables, tomatoes and gravy to beef. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan, heat water, butter and garlic powder to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in milk, dry potato mix and cheese. Stir in egg until well-blended.
Spoon beef mixture into ungreased, 8-inch square (2-quart) or oval (2 1/2-quart) glass baking dish. With large spoon, make 6 mounds of potato mixture on top of beef mixture to look like ghosts. Place 2 reserved peas on each mound to look like eyes.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are set and mixture is hot.
Makes 6 servings
Jack-o'-Lantern Whoopie Pies
Cookies
1 box spice cake mix with pudding in the mix
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon orange gel food color
Filling and Decorations
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 ounces (half of 8-ounce package) cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon maple flavor extract
1 tube (4.25 ounce) black decorating icing
1 tube (4.25 ounce) green decorating icing
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat cookie ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Using (2-tablespoon-size) ice cream scoop, drop batter 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. With damp hands, gently smooth out dough.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
In medium bowl, beat 1/3 cup butter and the cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat until bladed. Stir in maple extract.
For each pie, spread about 1 generous tablespoon filling on bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press cookies together.
Using black decorating icing, pipe jack-o'-lantern faces. Using green decorating icing, pipe jack-o'-lantern stems on tops of pies.
Makes 16 servings