Mmmm...pie

I just took a fantastic pie class from Shuna Fish Lydon.

Her blog is here:
http://eggbeater.typepad.com/shuna/

And the pie shown on the July 11 is the one I ate tonight. Yum!

A pie entry that has a link to the pie crust recipe from The Baker's Dozen:
http://eggbeater.typepad.com/shuna/2006/07/pie_ii.html

I really like the crust recipe. I think it is my new favorite. Rolls beautifully, straight all-purpose flour (I had been mixing some cake flour in), and you can use it immediately with no resting before rolling. And we each rolled our own so now I have a pie crust sitting in the freezer begging to be filled.

You're cheating on RLB??? I'm telling!

That sounds like a lot of fun!

[ellie]

Sounds like so much fun, Nellie!

Pie crusts frustrate me though because sometimes they turn out beautifully, but horribly at other times for me. I need to take a pie making class!

You're cheating on RLB??? I'm telling!

It was just one night! I swear, we only rolled out piecrust! My heart belongs to RLB and I was thinking of her blueberry pie recipe almost the whole night.

But I'm ditching the Cuisinart for the KitchenAid and sticking to AP flour. She made the dough beforehand and then gave it to us to roll and put in our pieplate. So, the dough did rest in the refrigerator to make the class flow more smoothly. She did make one batch to demonstrate how the dough should look, adding the water, etc and that one rolled out nicely for her.
I need to make it myself and see how it goes. I've had good luck with RLB and replacing 1/3 of the flour amount with cake flour but this crust was even better in how it rolled out. Easy to roll and the fold in half and half again, put in the pan and unfold without breaking. AND hers was still very flaky. I can't always get the RLB version to do work that well.

On Sunday I am picking up 10 pounds of pie cherries at the farmer's market. I'll put the new recipe to the test and report back.

I think you live in berry (or cherry) heaven. 10 lbs of cherries. I assume they won't be pitted. Hopefully Anna is adept with a cherry pitter.

Yep, not pitted. Must pick up cherry pitter before Sunday.

So... ...I ordered 10 pounds because I wasn't sure how many pounds to a pie. Looks like 1.5 pounds per RLB. I'm not sure if that is a pitted or unpitted weight. I knew 10 would make more than one pie, I figured 3. Or 5. I'll freeze some. Grumbly mumbling under the breath will probably start at around pound 7.

[Momo]

Nellie let me know what kind & how you like your pitter when you get one.
I made a cherry Clafouti 2 weeks ago and I still have slight tinges of cherry stains on my fingers!

I made a cherry Clafouti 2 weeks ago and I still have slight tinges of cherry stains on my fingers!

and that is ....

[Momo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clafouti

I'm upstairs right now...if I were down I'd go get my recipe, but this link will do! I'm going to do an apricot one next! limitless possibilities!

When you have a free moment recipe please!

[Momo]

OK I'm down stairs now & no longer nursing the baby



Sorry to hijack nellie, but Jenn did ask & when a woman asks for a desert recipe well it's just bad Karma not to give it
This is pretty much a fool proof desert, you definitely can "play around" w/ it!

Here it is:


1/3 cup of sugar
12 ounces of Bing cherries (I use enough to cover the bottom of my deep round pie dish whether it's 12 OZ or not, I don't know )
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/4 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
1 cup of milk
1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of unsalted butter @ room temp
@ least 2 tablespoons of extra sugar


heat oven to 375

grease a nine inch (pie)dish and sprinkle some of your extra sugar on the
bottom, you'll sprinkle the rest on top after assembling.

Sift together the flour, 1/3 cup of sugar & salt ( DH likes it as is, but I sometimes use 1/2 cup of sugar...I have the bigger sweet tooth )

Stir together the sour cream, eggs, milk & vanilla. Whisk these ingredients into the dry mixture until smooth.

Place fruit in the dish and pour the batter over the cherries/fruit.

Dot the top of the clafouti w/ pats of butter & sprinkle w/ the remainder of your "extra" sugar!

bake 40 to 45 min until puffed & brown. IMO best served warm... oh and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream sure makes it extra special !

DH & the kids like it chilled more than warm.

You can also use 1lb of ripe peaches/ apricots w/ these fruits*
I also switch it around between almond extract and vanilla.
I have used raw sugar on top instead of the standard.

* if your in a real pinch for time and can't get to the store and you have canned / jarred peach halves or pears you can use those.

The wiki article had a cranberry& walnut one I want to try. There was also a link to a savory one, made w/ black olives.

No apology needed. Respecting the pregnant lady is job 1.

thank you so much! I've bought my cherries - and am desperately trying to find a cherry pitter! I guess a trip to the store tomorrow is in order.

We'll be pitting across the country!

I've got 10 pounds of cherries in my sink. I hope the pitter I bought works well. The Oxo one looked a little better but the store was out of stock.

Made it. I think I'm in the chilled camp. I tried a piece when it was still warm (sans vanilla ice cream, sadly) and didn't love it (but could see it would be tastier chilled). DH had a piece once it was chilled and loved it.

It's very easy, too (once you've pitted all those cherries!). Thanks Suz!