Did reading about Veronica's pies make you hungry? Do you want to learn how to bake pies that will make men fall in love with you, as she did in For The Love of His Life?
Never-Fails Pie Crust
Double Pie Crust (Top and bottom--9" pie pan works best)
2¼ cups flour (I use unbleached)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt...Mix all above together.
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) butter-flavor Crisco
Using a pastry cutter, mix Crisco with dry ingredients until the pieces resemble small peas.
Add 1/3 cup cold water and use fork to blend.
Shape into 2 balls and if you have time, chill in fridge for ½ hour wrapped in plastic wrap.
When ready, use rolling pin to roll into bottom crust using extra flour. Fill, then roll other crust. You can get fancy and make strips if you want to make a lattice top crust. Or not.
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2¼ cups flour (I use unbleached)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt...Mix all above together.
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) butter-flavor Crisco
Using a pastry cutter, mix Crisco with dry ingredients until the pieces resemble small peas.
Add 1/3 cup cold water and use fork to blend.
Shape into 2 balls and if you have time, chill in fridge for ½ hour wrapped in plastic wrap.
When ready, use rolling pin to roll into bottom crust using extra flour. Fill, then roll other crust. You can get fancy and make strips if you want to make a lattice top crust. Or not.
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Best Apple Pie
Pastry for 2-crust pie
8 cups peeled, sliced apples (about 3#)
Note: I like to use jonathans or granny smiths
2 tsp lemon juice
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter (optional)
Chill pastry while preparing filling. Sprinkle apple slices with lemon juice, then add the sugars and cinnamon. Mix well. Separate the dough into two balls, roll one out to be the bottom crust. Fill will apples. If using butter, add "dots" of it all around on the apples, for added richness.
Roll out the top crust and place it gently over the pie. Have the top extend about ½" over the edges of the pie pan. Smoosh the top under the bottom crust on the edges, using a fork's tines to make "bird-feet" on the edges, to seal them. Use the tines pointing down to make steam holes in the top crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake in pre-heated 425 oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and bake for another 40 minutes, until the juices are running out of pie, onto the sheet of aluminum foil that you put under it! Let pie cool, then enjoy!
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Pastry for 2-crust pie
8 cups peeled, sliced apples (about 3#)
Note: I like to use jonathans or granny smiths
2 tsp lemon juice
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter (optional)
Chill pastry while preparing filling. Sprinkle apple slices with lemon juice, then add the sugars and cinnamon. Mix well. Separate the dough into two balls, roll one out to be the bottom crust. Fill will apples. If using butter, add "dots" of it all around on the apples, for added richness.
Roll out the top crust and place it gently over the pie. Have the top extend about ½" over the edges of the pie pan. Smoosh the top under the bottom crust on the edges, using a fork's tines to make "bird-feet" on the edges, to seal them. Use the tines pointing down to make steam holes in the top crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake in pre-heated 425 oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and bake for another 40 minutes, until the juices are running out of pie, onto the sheet of aluminum foil that you put under it! Let pie cool, then enjoy!
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Silky Pumpkin Pie
1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin
½ tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground allspice
2 large eggs plus 2 additional yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 pre-baked 9" pie shell (Go on, try my crust recipe, double the filling, and make 2 pies!)
-Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
-In saucepan, heat pumpkin and spices to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.
-Add milks; cook until heated thoroughly.
-Purée eggs and yolks in a blender.
-With the blender running, add pumpkin, a spoonful at a time, then more quickly as the eggs heat up.
-Blend to form a silky texture.
-Pour warm filling into pre-baked pie shell.
-Bake until a thin-bladed knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
-Remove and cool thoroughly before putting into fridge.(This is a custard pie and should be kept cool.)
-Serve with fresh or aerosol can of whipping cream.
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Hint: If you have too much pie filling for the pie-shell, spray oil into an oven-safe bowl and put the extra filling into it, then bake next to pie. My family really likes this as pumpkin custard, or pie without the shell.
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1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin
½ tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground allspice
2 large eggs plus 2 additional yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 pre-baked 9" pie shell (Go on, try my crust recipe, double the filling, and make 2 pies!)
-Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
-In saucepan, heat pumpkin and spices to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.
-Add milks; cook until heated thoroughly.
-Purée eggs and yolks in a blender.
-With the blender running, add pumpkin, a spoonful at a time, then more quickly as the eggs heat up.
-Blend to form a silky texture.
-Pour warm filling into pre-baked pie shell.
-Bake until a thin-bladed knife inserted near the center of the pie comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
-Remove and cool thoroughly before putting into fridge.(This is a custard pie and should be kept cool.)
-Serve with fresh or aerosol can of whipping cream.
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Hint: If you have too much pie filling for the pie-shell, spray oil into an oven-safe bowl and put the extra filling into it, then bake next to pie. My family really likes this as pumpkin custard, or pie without the shell.
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Chocolate Pudding Pie
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt (optional)
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 cups skim milk
2 eggs, beaten with whisk or mixer
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 baked 9" pie shell
In medium saucepan, blend 1st 5 ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat.
Mix 1/2 cup of the mixture with beaten eggs. Gradually stir that into the hot mixture, then put back on burner and cook over low heat, stirring, for 5-10 minutes, until comes to another boil.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Chill at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream on top.
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1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt (optional)
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 cups skim milk
2 eggs, beaten with whisk or mixer
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 baked 9" pie shell
In medium saucepan, blend 1st 5 ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat.
Mix 1/2 cup of the mixture with beaten eggs. Gradually stir that into the hot mixture, then put back on burner and cook over low heat, stirring, for 5-10 minutes, until comes to another boil.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Chill at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream on top.
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Blueberry Glacé Pie
Bake a 9" pie crust and cool. (Either use half of the pie crust below, or make 2 crusts. For the crust only, bake at 375 for 20 minutes after poking holes in the bottom with a fork.)
Place 2 cups of fresh blueberries in pie shell.
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In a pot, combine 3/4 cup sugar with 3 Tbsp. cornstarch and a pinch of salt.
Add 1/4 cup water and 2 cups fresh blueberries.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and gets thick and translucent. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
-Pour mixture over the berries in the pie shell and chill in fridge at least 2 hours.
Garnish with either fresh whipped cream, or "cheat" with a can of the aerosol whip cream.
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Place 2 cups of fresh blueberries in pie shell.
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In a pot, combine 3/4 cup sugar with 3 Tbsp. cornstarch and a pinch of salt.
Add 1/4 cup water and 2 cups fresh blueberries.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and gets thick and translucent. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
-Pour mixture over the berries in the pie shell and chill in fridge at least 2 hours.
Garnish with either fresh whipped cream, or "cheat" with a can of the aerosol whip cream.
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Strawberry Glacé Pie
Bake a 9" pie crust and cool. (Either use half of the pie crust below or make 2. To bake a crust only, poke holes in bottom with a fork and bake at 375 for 20 minutes).
Hull and wash 3 (1#) containers of strawberries (About 1 1/2 qts.)
Drain well.
Crush about 20 berries with masher to get 1 cup of goosh. (technical term! ;-)
Put mashed berries in a pot. Add 1 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. corn starch and 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture boils. Cook and stir about 2-3 minutes until the mixture gets thick and translucent. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. butter.
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While mixture cools slightly, cut the rest of the strawberries in half. place them cut-side down in the baked pie crust. Cover the bottom of the crust. Pour the mixture over the berries. Top with more halved berries, cut-side down. Chill 2-3 hours in fridge.
Garnish with either fresh or canned whipped cream.
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Hull and wash 3 (1#) containers of strawberries (About 1 1/2 qts.)
Drain well.
Crush about 20 berries with masher to get 1 cup of goosh. (technical term! ;-)
Put mashed berries in a pot. Add 1 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. corn starch and 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture boils. Cook and stir about 2-3 minutes until the mixture gets thick and translucent. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. butter.
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While mixture cools slightly, cut the rest of the strawberries in half. place them cut-side down in the baked pie crust. Cover the bottom of the crust. Pour the mixture over the berries. Top with more halved berries, cut-side down. Chill 2-3 hours in fridge.
Garnish with either fresh or canned whipped cream.
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Sour Cherry Pie-The first pie Raul tried, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Also the pie that the bar owner Tom craves as the free slice she'll give him for sharing info.
Sour Cherry Filling
If using canned sour cherries, use 4 cans...drain the juice and use part of it, then drink the rest. Or use 4 cups of pitted sour cherries.
Mix with ¼ tsp. almond extract and set aside.
In small pot, mix 3/4 cups sour cherry juice with 1½ cups sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. Tapioca (instant)
Cook over low heat until bubbly and the juice begins to gel slightly.
Mix in cherries and pour into pie crust. Put top crust on and crimp edges with your fingers. (Or use a fork to make what my Mom used to call "bird's feet") Use a fork to make tiny "steam escape" holes, then sprinkle 1 Tbsp. sugar on top crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.
Hint: Line the bottom of the oven with a sheet of aluminum foil in case the pie bubbles over.
Enjoy!
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If using canned sour cherries, use 4 cans...drain the juice and use part of it, then drink the rest. Or use 4 cups of pitted sour cherries.
Mix with ¼ tsp. almond extract and set aside.
In small pot, mix 3/4 cups sour cherry juice with 1½ cups sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. Tapioca (instant)
Cook over low heat until bubbly and the juice begins to gel slightly.
Mix in cherries and pour into pie crust. Put top crust on and crimp edges with your fingers. (Or use a fork to make what my Mom used to call "bird's feet") Use a fork to make tiny "steam escape" holes, then sprinkle 1 Tbsp. sugar on top crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.
Hint: Line the bottom of the oven with a sheet of aluminum foil in case the pie bubbles over.
Enjoy!
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Bleach Pie (Blueberry-Peach)
-Make dough for a double-crust pie. Divide into 2 balls. Roll one out to be the bottom crust and put into pie tin. (9" works best).
-5 fresh peaches (about 1#)-peel, pit and cut into slices about ½" thick.
-2 cups fresh blueberries-wash, drain and make sure all stems removed.
Toss fruit together in big bowl.
-Add 2/3 cup sugar and 4 Tbsp. instant tapioca.
Mix well until coated and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Add fruit to bottom crust.
Roll out top crust and put onto pie, sealing edges. Use a fork to make tiny "steam escape" holes on top of pie.
Sprinkle 2 tsp. sugar onto top of crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Line bottom of oven with tin foil to catch bubbling juices. Pie is done when the crust edges are lightly browned and the fruit has bubbled up through the fork holes.
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-5 fresh peaches (about 1#)-peel, pit and cut into slices about ½" thick.
-2 cups fresh blueberries-wash, drain and make sure all stems removed.
Toss fruit together in big bowl.
-Add 2/3 cup sugar and 4 Tbsp. instant tapioca.
Mix well until coated and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Add fruit to bottom crust.
Roll out top crust and put onto pie, sealing edges. Use a fork to make tiny "steam escape" holes on top of pie.
Sprinkle 2 tsp. sugar onto top of crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Line bottom of oven with tin foil to catch bubbling juices. Pie is done when the crust edges are lightly browned and the fruit has bubbled up through the fork holes.
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