Pear Pie: Two Ways

As promised in the name of the blog, we are here to bring you pie. How much pie you ask? Dare you ask such a question? Well don’t worry, because we will let that one slide… Anywho, to answer the question of just how much pie we will bring you, we will break it down into two takes: standard 9-inch pie and pie bites.

Whether you just want to have a slice of pie with your morning coffee or are expecting guests over and you need to serve a crowd, Pie Drunk has you covered. We will show you how to take your favorite pie recipe and convert into a shiny, new sweet that will perfectly accommodate your baking needs.

Pear Crumble Pie as Tackled by Liz:

6 ripe Bartlett or D’Anjou pears, pared (and peeled if you are so inclined)

2 Tbs lemon juice

½ c. sugar

2 Tbs brown rice flour (all purpose flour if you can handle gluten)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 Tbs ginger syrup (optional, but amazing)

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell*

Crumble topping:

½ c. brown rice flour (or all purpose flour)

½ c. sugar

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground mace

¼ c cold earth balance buttery spread (or cold butter)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the crumble topping, mix together flour, sugar, and all spices in a small bowl. Cut in the butter with your hands or a fork until the mixture is crumbly.

Slice  or cube 5 of the pears and place into a large mixing bowl. Pour lemon juice on the pears and give them a toss to coat. In a smaller bowl, mix flour, sugar, and zest. Pour over the pears and gently toss to combine--if you are using ginger syrup drizzle in now.  Spoon into chilled pastry shell*. Take the final pear and slice into sixths. Arrange these slices on top of the pie (I usually make a spiral/flower type shape). Sprinkle the pie with the crumble topping and keep in mind you don’t have to use all of the crumble if you don’t want to. Bake for 45 minutes or until the pears are tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Pie can be served both warm or cold with your favorite coconut milk ice cream.

* For this situation I did not get a prepared pastry shell because I haven’t found a gluten free version that I like.  I made the same pie crust that I have been for years, and you lucky pie drunk lovers already have access to it.  Just click here.

Allison wrangles Pear Crumble Pie Bites: *You will need a mini-muffin pan for these babies*

3 ripe Bartlett or D’Anjou pears, diced (and peeled if you are so inclined)

1 Tbs lemon juice

¼ c. sugar

1 Tbs flour

½ tsp lemon zest

¼ tsp fresh grated ginger

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell recipe of dough

Crumble topping:

¼ c. flour

¼ c. sugar

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

⅛ tsp ground mace

2 Tbs cold butter

Makes 12 pie bites

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To prepare the mini crusts, lightly grease a mini muffin pan. Roll out the dough until the thickness is between ¼ and ½ inch. Use a pint glass or the lid of a mason jar, cut out 12 circles of dough and arrange in muffin tin. Press the dough into all sides and corners of the muffin tin and feel free to flute or fold the top edge to make a pretty crust. Place in the fridge until ready use.

To make the crumble topping, mix together flour, sugar, and all spices in a small bowl. Cut in the butter with your hands or a fork until the mixture is crumbly.

Dice of the pears and place into a medium mixing bowl. Pour lemon juice on the pears and give them a toss to coat. Add the flour, sugar, and zest over the pears and gently toss to combine.  Let sit about 10 minutes, you know, to let the flavors mingle.

Spoon the pears into the prepared pie crusts all the way to the top and press down slightly with the back of the spoon to accommodate more filling. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over each pie bite. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the pears are tender and the topping is a golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Carefully remove each bite from the muffin tin and use a toothpick if the bite is sticking to the pan.

*Serve on a plate with a dish of whipped cream or ice cream*

A Treat to Get You Through the Winter

Happy (belated) new year all! We really want to start this shiny new year off on the right foot, so we’re going to be totally honest.  This post is not about healthy eating, working out, getting organized, or goals of any kind.  We are here to bring you snacks. (You’re welcome.)

The gifts have all been given, and the parties are over.  You can make these delicious treats without the constant threat of having to share.  Go ahead, be greedy and horde the candied nuts all for yourself.  We won’t judge you.

We would also like you give a big internet high-five to our oh so talented photographer friend Amy Johnson who we have featured here on Pie Drunk before. Amy came over for snacks, hot tea, and a quick photography session to feature our edible gifts, so be sure to check out her portfolio and blog! Now without further adieu, say hello to what you could be enjoying handfuls of at this very moment. Yes. Right now.

Coconut and Almond Caramel Corn (from Shutterbean.com)

Popcorn mix

• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1/3 c. popcorn kernels
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 c. dry-roasted almonds
• 2 c. toasted coconut flakes (the wide flakes work best)

For the delicious, delicious caramel:

• 1 c. (2 sticks) salted butter ( I used earth balance in place of real butter)
• 2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c. light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda

To make the popcorn mixture:

In a large pan over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add the corn kernels and place a lid on the pot. Pop the popcorn until the popping sound subsides. Turn off the heat, carefully pour the hot popcorn into a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt.

Using a 9×13 pan or a very large cookie sheet, measure 7 heaping cups of popcorn, being sure to avoid any unpopped kernels. Top popcorn with almonds and toasted coconut. Set aside.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200F.

To make the caramel:

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk the mixture as it heats and the sugar melts. Boil the sugar and butter mixture for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add baking soda. Whisk well. Carefully pour the caramel over the popcorn mixture. Use a large wooden spoon (I find it helpful to use 2 spoons) to toss everything together making sure that every bit of the popcorn mixture is coated with caramel. Do NOT to touch mixture with your hands, it is very hot and could burn you.

Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, removing the pan to toss every 10 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven. Carefully spoon onto sheets of waxed paper to dry.  Once dry, store in an airtight container. Popcorn will last for up to one week.

Candied Walnuts (adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dawns-candied-walnuts/)

1 lb walnuts (you can use pieces or halves)

1 c. sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

6 Tbs. unsweetened soy milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread nuts in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn brown and you can begin to smell them.

Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and soy milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8-9 minutes, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage of 236 degrees F (113 degrees C). If you don't have a candy thermometer, do not fret! Using a spoon, release a small droplet of the mixture into cold water. The resulting candy should be malleable, but not too soft or brittle. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately.

Add walnuts to sugar syrup in the saucepan, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork or a spatula. Let cool, and store in airtight containers.

Soup; it's not just for prison inmates!

Happy holidays friends! We hope you all had a lovely Gobble Tov by celebrating with family, friends, and so much food that it made you look like a king with potential gout. We at Pie Drunk decided to ease into post-Thanksgiving cooking with some tasty Porcini Mushroom Soup courtesy of 101 Cookbooks, which also has quite a medley of other delicious soups if you are feeling something hearty for this chilly winter weather. The soup is simple, flavorful, and can be done up in a variety of ways such as adding cheese, croutons, or any of the other recommendations 101 Cookbooks gives for the recipe. We grated some manchego cheese on top and it was like perfection in a spoon. Don’t believe us? Give it a try!

Porcini Mushroom Soup

2 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (if you feel that this is a bit too much, ¼ cup will suffice)

3 medium shallots, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 1/2 pounds small new potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch pieces (we used a mix of purple and yellow potatoes from the farmer’s market)

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 cups water

1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons salt

Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water for about 15 minutes, or until they are soft. Set aside. If you choose to, you can slice the mushrooms at this point.

Heat a splash of the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot, saute the shallots for a couple of minutes, then stir in the rosemary and potatoes. Add the remaining olive oil and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, the porcini along with the soaking liquid, the 4 cups of water, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for ten minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Taste. If the broth is too intense, you may want to add more water a bit at a time. Salt to taste or add herbs to your liking.

Tis the Season for Pumpkin

After having received some requests for pumpkin desserts, we have obliged! Our good friend Amy came by to take some stunning shots of the finished product and to drink a little spiced cider of course. She is an extremely talented photographer so please check out her website and pine over all the delicious things that she has made look incredible through her lens. She also has a blog (she does it all!) that you can visit here. For the occasion, we prepared a pumpkin tart with candied ginger and a flaky tart crust from Martha Stewart. The tart filling doesn’t call for cinnamon or nutmeg because there is already cinnamon in the crust recipe they gave, but you should honestly add some to the filling. We found the filling to be quite gingery, which is totally awesome, but it could have been a bit more balanced with some other spices. If you aren’t a ginger fan, you can totally skip the candied ginger all together.

Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cups ice water

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

2.With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Filling

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup whipping (heavy) cream

2 tbs finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground ginger

2 eggs

Whipped cream to top (optional)

1. Heat oven to 425ºF. In small bowl, mix all Crust ingredients with spoon or electric mixer on low speed until dough forms. Press dough firmly and evenly against bottom and side of ungreased tart pan with removable bottom, 9x1 inch. Place pan on cookie sheet.

2. In medium bowl, mix all Filling remaining except whipped cream with spoon until well blended. Pour mixture into crust on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF. Bake 45 to 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve with whipped cream. Garnish with additional chopped crystallized ginger if desired, but I skipped this. Store covered in refrigerator.

With Hand Pies and Justice For All

Hello friends! Now that the chilly months have settled into Seattle, we are getting more and more eager to turn on our ovens for the sake of baking. And cheap heating… but that is beside the point!

The point is that we at Pie Drunk have come to the conclusion that hand pies do not get enough attention are being unfortunately overlooked. Hand pies are wonderful! They are small, you don’t need a plate, they are easy to transport, easy to share, easy to customize, and damn tasty. We could go on and on, but lucky for you we won’t. Liz and I have brought you two delectable version of the hand pie so feel free to test one out, try them both, or get saucy and create your own flavor!

Miss Liz created some flaky, gluten free, dairy free blueberry hand pies with homemade ginger simple syrup.

Any good gluten free chef, usually has her own special flour blend for pies and such. I have not yet perfected one of my own.  Until then, I really like to use Gluten Free Pantry’s pie crust mix.  The dough is always tasty, and flaky--though it is fragile and needs to be kept as cold as possible.  This means that “my” recipe is pretty much the back of the box in this situation.  The only change I made was to use Earth Balance butter and shortening in place of regular butter and shortening.  For the crust, here’s what’s on the box (recipe makes 2 crusts):

16 oz Pie Crust Mix

¼ tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar

10 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, in small pieces--Earth Balance Vegan Butter

10 tbsp butter flavored vegetable shortening in small pieces--Earth Balance Natural Shortening

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp cold water

3 tsp cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper so that it’s ready to go.

Combine pie crust mix, baking powder and sugar. Cut in butter and shortening until pieces are about the size of large peas. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, water and vinegar. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Form into a ball, and chill for at least 1 hour. The dough gets sticky very easily, so it is important to work quickly to prevent it from getting too warm.  Divide dough in half. Refrigerate or freeze one portion for later use.

Roll out your dough between 2 layers of plastic wrap or wax paper until it is about ¼ inch thick.  Cut out rounds with whatever you have handy--it can be a biscuit cutter, a drinking glass, or like I used, the lid of a jar. Now you need the filling.

The filling was created very free form so adjust where you see fit.

6 cups blueberries

¾ cup sugar

¼ ginger simple syrup*

¼ cup cornstarch

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 egg (you will use this to brush on to the tops for your hand pies)

Combine all ingredients into one bowl and stir.  Spoon the filling on to half the rounds that you have cut out. Next place the remaining rounds on top of those with filling  and gently press the edges together with a fork.  Transfer the hand pies to your prepared baking sheet.

Finally take your egg and whisk in a small bowl.  Gently brush the egg on to the tops of each pie.  This will give them a nice golden brown color.

Bake at 425 F for about 15-20  minutes. Allow to rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

*Ginger simple syrup was made by dissolving 2 cups of sugar into 1 cup of water over medium heat on the stove. Once the sugar is dissolved add 2 cups of thinly sliced ginger and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain syrup and then store in a sealed jar until you are ready to use.

Lady Allison went the fall route and baked up some sweet potato hand pies.

I wasn’t quite ready to let go of summer, despite knowing that pumpkins and cider are already flooding the grocery aisles as I type this. So in an effort to transition into the season, I picked up a few yams from the store and served up some sweet potato goodness.

For the crust, I used Martha Stewart’s recipe which is usually my go to recipe for pies. I find that it is super flaky without crumbling or falling apart and gives a nice buttery taste (but not in a Paula Dean kind of way).

Pate Brisee (for 1 double pie crust or 12 hand pies)

3 ¾ c. all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. sugar

2 ½ tsp. salt

3 sticks (1 ½ c.) unsalted butter, cold, and cut into small chunks

½ c. ice water, plus more if needed

1. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining (about 10 seconds).

*To mix by hand, combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives.

2. With the machine running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; it it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened rectangles and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least one hour or overnight.

Sweet potato filling

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into small cubes

2 tbs. unsalted butter, melted

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

dash of ginger

1 egg, lightly beaten (2 eggs if you want to use an egg wash for the tops of the pies)

¼ c. sugar

⅓ c. buttermilk (or make your own if you don’t have any on hand)

Turbinado sugar for tops

Place a small pot on the stove with water and set to boil. Once the water is boiling, add in the sweet potato chunks and boil until tender when poked with a fork. Drain the water and add sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Mash with a potato masher or a fork until the mixture is like a smooth puree. Add the melted butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and ginger and mix until well combined. Add your lightly beaten egg to the sweet potato mixture and mix until incorporated. Add the flour slowly, a little bit at a time, and stir well. Add the buttermilk slowly and stir until the mixture is even and smooth.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a large rectangle. The dough should be very thin and no more than a ¼ of an inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shape of hand pie. Be creative! You can use the mouth section of a pint class, a biscuit cutter, a festive cookie cutter, or into small squares to be folded over into triangles. Your hand pies can take a variety shapes so do whatever feels comfortable to you. 

Now that you have your pieces of dough cut out, place a small spoonful of sweet potato mixture into the center of the dough (no more than 2 tablespoons). Add another piece of dough directly over the sweet potato mixture and line up your edges with the bottom piece of dough. If you are using squares, simply fold the top half of the dough over the sweet potatoes to meet the bottom half and enclose. Firmly press down the edges of the dough together while avoiding pushing any of the sweet potato mixture out (this is why it is important to not overfill your pie). Crimp the edges with a form to seal off the pie.

 

Cut vents in the top of your pies and top with an egg wash if using. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with turbinado sugar or regular sugar. Bake until the pies are golden brown for about 30-35 minutes and rotate the baking sheet halfway through.

 

Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Serve warm or at room temperature and with a scoop of ice cream if you aren’t too chilly with the fall weather.

Glamor Shot:

An American Staple

An American Staple

Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of tomato soup with a crusty, gooey grilled cheese to dunk in it? Get outta town! I mean really, something simple like grilled cheese and tomato soup is wonderful because they are both so easy to customize to your tastes. Like your food on the spicy side? Add some hot sauce! Like a little extra crunch? Add croutons to your soup! The possibilities are endless for this American combo and a wonderful starting point if you are looking to expand your basic culinary skills. This Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup recipe, slightly modified from Food 52, has the taste of something fancy without a laundry list of ingredients. For example, for a little extra heat I added a pinch of red pepper flakes, but feel free to customize to your heart’s content!

Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

·         8 medium beefsteak tomatoes, cored and quartered (I used a variety of tomatoes. Whatever you have on hand as long as the total volume is about the same)

·         4 cloves garlic (leave the skins on!)

·         1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the tomatoes

·         Salt

·         1 sprig rosemary

·         3 sprigs thyme

·         A pinch of red pepper flakes

·         6 tablespoons heavy cream

·         Sugar, if needed

·         Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the tomatoes cut-side down. Add the garlic cloves (with skins on). Sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast until the tomatoes are soft and caramelized, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.
   
   
   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
   
2. In a small saucepan, combine the ¼ cup olive oil with the rosemary and thyme and place over low heat. Let warm until you begin to smell the herbs, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Peel the tomatoes and add the pulp and juices to a soup pot  Squeeze the garlic from its skin and add it to the pan along with the red pepper flakes. Place the pan over medium heat, and begin mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher until it’s pulpy, but not chunky (if you prefer to use a food processor, go ahead – just make sure you leave it pulpy). When the mixture is hot but not boiling, stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar, if needed.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Top with croutons, cheese crumbles, or goldfish and serve with your favorite grilled cheese.

*Pie Drunk Kitchen Notes: After added the cream and seasoning with salt and pepper, I opted not to add any sugar upon tasting.

Lazy Lady’s Grilled Cheese

Our grilled cheese was prepared on a seeded baguette with aged white cheddar, so nothing too fancy. In fact, we were so unfancy that we just toasted the bread in the toaster and placed very thinly sliced cheese between the pieces of toast. Voila! Lazy!