If someone told me the story of a person up until 12:30 in the morning waiting for their homemade pie crusts to finish baking because they had promised their co-workers they would have a pie to sample the following morning after having already disappointed them that day, I would laugh out loud and tell that poor sucker to go buy one at the grocery store.
But alas, finding myself in the shoes of that poor sucker has lead me to appreciate a homemade pie and find that it makes it that much more satisfying to both serve and eat.
I used one of our reader's pie crust recipes and was quite pleased with the result. I spread it much too thick though, which resulted in one of my taste testers suggesting that “a jackhammer” was needed to get through it. Everyone seemed to think the crust was too thick, but most seemed to like the taste. I personally loved the crust's taste. The recipe I used for the crust was enough for two nine inch pies and then some. I should have frozen the leftovers instead of adding it to the crust.
For the remainder of the pie, another one of our readers submitted an easy cherry pie recipe that she found online. You essentially make a layer of cream cheese with condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract, let it set, and then add on cherry pie filling from a can. My taste testers were too busy complaining about my “questionable” pastry to mention anything about the other two layers, but I think they went over well. A few people called my pie “delicious,” which is a good sign! I personally don't like the canned cherries too much, but don't know if I would have the patience to make both pie crust and filling from scratch. I applaud anyone who does.
All in all, I am rather pleased with my first pie-making experience. I plan on re-using the crust recipe and trying out a blueberry or strawberry rhubarb pie next time, but perhaps not at 12:30 in the morning.
Thank you to everyone who submitted pie recipes this week. I am mentally preparing myself to host my first Thanksgiving dinner, as unfortunately my mother's typically perfect Thanksgiving feast will be too far away for me to join in on this year.
I hope she was serious when she offered to walk me through how to bake a turkey over the phone. I have visions of a charred turkey and flames erupting from my oven and setting my hair on fire. So send me your favourite Thanksgiving side dishes, turkey secrets and words of encouragement this week at [email protected]. Bon appétit Bonnyville!
Never-fail pastry
Submitted by Ruth Snyder
What you'll need:
-5 cups flour
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1 tbsp. vinegar
-1 tsp. baking powder
-2 cups lard
-3/4 cup water
Directions:
1. Mix flour, salt and baking powder.
2. Cut lard into flour mixture.
3. Beat egg slightly, then add vinegar and water.
4. Add this mixture gradually to flour.
5. Bake crusts at 350 degrees F until crust is slightly browned.
Cherry pie filling
Submitted by Jo-Anne Cooper from http://www.eaglebrand.ca/videos.aspx?vid=2464
What you'll need:
-1 pkg (250g) cream cheese
-1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk
-1/3 cup lemon juice
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 (540 mL) can cherry pie filling
Directions:
1. Beat cheese until fluffy.
2. Gradually beat in condensed milk until well combined.
3. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
4. Pour into crust. Chill 3 hours or until set.
5. Top with pie filling.
