Saturday, September 01, 2012

Let Them Eat Pie



I can not resist sharing this beautiful pie. It is a combination of chopped apples from the apple tree, (mostly green variety), purple plums, and blackberries, mixed with tapioca to thicken it. Berries make a lot of juice so it is important to mix in flour or tapioca when making the filling.


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I purchased this deep-dish, made-in-America Pyrex brand pie dish, which is over 11 inches wide, at Walmart for only $6.95 and it is the best pie dish I've ever had. 

I do not have a specifically measured amount of ingredients to tell you about, and so I can not give you a recipe, but if you will look up how to add tapioca to fruit pies, you can get an idea of how to make a berry-apple pie.  The crust is brushed with an egg-yolk wash, which makes it have a very golden look, and makes the crust very flakey and delicious. 






I like this crust all pieced together with scraps of dough. The hole is left in the top for steam.





The fruit was just picked moments before the pie was made. You can get the same results with frozen fruit or fresh fruit from the grocery store or farmer's market.












Pie Instructions

This pie contained about 12 cups of mixed fruit, which included blackberries and peeled, chopped apples, so you will have to determine how many plums you need. Cut each plum alone the seam line. Shown is a regular knife but I prefer serated knifes for cutting fruit because it grips the fruit better.

The plums have to be very firm but not as hard as rock, and cannot be overly ripe or mushy, for this pie.



Now cut the halves into fourths. There is no need to peel the plum. The skin will be tender and if it is a purple variety, it will add to the wonderful jewel-like color.

 When fruit is heated, it gets tart and sour, so the pie will need some thing sweet added to it.

 Read the back of the tapioca box to determine what amount to add to the pie mix. This might be anywhere from two tablespoons to one-fourth cup, depending on how many cups of fruit you have. To this pie was added over a fourth of a cup of tapioca.   




In a small bowl combine the tapioca and the spices:
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg, allspice and cardamon
2 cups sweetener of your choice

Mix it all together  and let it sit while you make the crust.






Line the pie plate with the crust, add the berries into a mountain and cover with another pie crust, patching where necessary. If you have any left over fruit, make another small pie.



Before you bake it, be  sure to put a cut in the top to allow steam and bubbling juice to escape. Also, place your pie on a larger pan in the oven, because some of  the juice may leak out. The oven was set at 400 degrees and the pie took approximately half an hour to 45 minutes  to cook, however it depends on your oven and the kind of pan you use, as to the amount of time. If you smell the pie, it is probably done! Makes some notes to yourself about the taste of the pie so you can determine next time how to make it better, and how long to leave it in the oven. Since 400 degrees is very hot, set the timer for half an hour first, and then, if it needs more time, put it on for 15 more minutes.


When cut, it looks like a treasure box with all the jewels spilling out!






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19 comments:

magnoliasntea said...

Hi there! Your blog is a wonderful breath of freshness. I am drooling over that luscious looking pie. I'm in need of a good pie dish myself - thank you for the tip on where you got yours.
Have a great weekend!

Cynthia Berenger said...

Dear Lydia,

What a gorgeous pie! The berries and fruit make this a health-promoting dessert. Thank you!

Agape always,
Cynthia

Anonymous said...

Wonderful to learn of Walmart's American made pie dish.

The paintings you added make my heart ache...for a little cottage with a window over my sink and a door leading out into the peacefulness of open spaces and garden. Sigh.
LM

Anonymous said...

I found two large ten to ten and a half inch glass pie dishes at the thrift store one day, that were made by Anchor Hocking.

I love making the mile high pies also and have made the apple/berry pies. They don't last long at all.

You just reminded me its time to make another! :)

Mrs. J.

Anonymous said...

Is the old stove yours? Did you bake the pie in it?

Mrs. J.

amulbunny's random thoughts said...

I watch for the sales at the Corning Ware outlet, grab my mom and make the 60 mile drive along the coast and go there and get my glass baking needs. It's a lovely drive, gets us out of the house, and gives us mom and daughter time.

The pie looks yummy.

Lydia said...

Janet, yes the mile high pies somehow seem like a triumph. I do not know why that is.

Anonymous said...

I'm loving the beautiful pie and the stove too!!

Anonymous said...

I have come to praise your pie, but also, like the others, to inquire about the stove!! Could you please tell us if this stove is yours and what kind it is? It looks like a wood-burning stove. If so, you must be pretty good at working with the fire to get good results. Please let us know.

Lydia said...

The pie was made to take to a young woman who lives out in the country in an old house. I took a picture of it on her stove, and yes, the wood stove does work and she cooks successfully on it. You can get new, reproduction stoves that are set for your choice of fuel: electric, gas, wood. These stoves are available from your local stove dealer or can be ordered from Elimira stove works in Canada. They do ship to the US and have dealerships here. http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/

Finding Joy said...

I love berry pies in particular or just plain apple - however my husband doesn't so I need to make individual pies and freeze what I don't eat . What a great give to give to someone:)

Anonymous said...

Lydia,

A lovely article. Here in Australia, Apple crumble is very popular. Use 'Granny Smith' apples, peeled cored and sliced. Cover with a crumble mix made from flour, butter and either brown, or raw caster sugar, rubbing butter into flour until you have the consistancy of large buttery crumbs (then add sugar). A little cinamon can be added but this isn't necessary. Bake either in individual ramakins or in ovenproof dish until crumble topping is golden and apples are soft when a knife or skewer is plunged into the dish. Serve with good custard, cream or ice cream. The simple ingredients speak for themselves and it can be made a day ahead and re-heated in the oven just before serving. British and Australian readers will be familliar with the Rhubarb option - this is wonderful (though you'll need to add caster sugar to the rhubarb and some lemon rind or juice after slicing it before filling ramikins or larger oven-proof dish as rhubarb is very very tart, though the crumble topping and custard balance it wonderfully (along with the sugar that has already been added) (and remember to grease your dishes before filling).

Pear tartlets are also a lovely Autumnal option, with egg yolk and semolina added to the base of each pastry case before filling and baking to insulate the uncooked pastry and soak up some of the juices. Serve these with Greek yoghurt sweetened with a little honey if serving as a dessert - very good.

As we move into Spring here in the Southern hemisphere, warm days and cold, crisp nights lend themselves to this type of sweet.

Homeschool on the Croft said...

Wow.... Is it terribly un-ladylike of me to tell you I'm drooling?!!

What a wonderful looking pie. I can imagine the taste exceeded even the looks. :)

Julie Perry said...

Hmmm....I have that exact same wonderful pie pan, and a huge tree just bursting with ripe peaches...can you see where I'm going with this? LOL. Thank you for the idea and this refreshing post!

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes....a good pie is the best! I like making them, too. Seem less intimidating than some other desserts, somehow. I've never tried the egg yolk wash, though. Certainly will on my next pie! :o)

Brenda

Mama Said No said...

I was okay that I haven't had a chance to eat breakfast yet--until I saw the pie.

Now I am STARVING.

Looks like I'm baking a pie today....

Katrinka said...

I love a window over my kitchen sink!

Anonymous said...

Your Pie Tutorial is even more inviting then the actual blog and it was gorgeous.
Love your analogy of the fruit pie looking like a jewel box with the jewels spilling out all over. I agree. Makes one feel even more like a queen.

Mrs. J.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever used a Pie Bird?

Its a little hollow ceramic bird, open at bottom and a vent hole in the beak to allow steam to escape. Its installed in the center of the pie shell before the fruit is put in.

After the fruit is put in all around the bird the top crust is put on and sealed around the edges of the pie shell.

When the pie is done and cooled it is cut and served while the bird remains until the last piece.

Reproductions of these little birds are out on the market now. However the originals are adorable and still useful today. They were popular during the 1940's and 50's.

Mrs. J.