Not-So-Humble Pies (10 page)

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the filling is puffed all over and set. Cool to room temperature before slicing.

This fabulous pie is piled high with a deep, caramel-flavored custard with just a hint of molasses due to the dark corn syrup, dark brown sugar, and dark rum used in this filling. Combined with the sweet pineapple, which brightens the flavor, and toasted nuts, which add richness, this pie packs a lot of flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, corn syrup, rum, vanilla, and eggs until well combined.

Spread the pineapple and chopped macadamia nuts evenly in the bottom of the pastry crust, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Tap the pie gently on the counter to release any air bubbles.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the filling is puffed all over and set. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Lightly citrus, yet charmingly earthy, cardamom is a wonderful baking spice that adds both beautiful flavor and aroma to this pie. It works especially well with honey and bananas, adding a little sharp edge to the sweet flavors. If you want to bump up this pie’s nutty flavor profile, simply replace the regular butter with a couple of tablespoons of walnut, hazelnut, almond, or cashew butter. These butters will keep your custard smooth while still giving this pie an added layer of dimension.

Evenly layer the banana slices in the prepared crust. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, honey, cornstarch, cardamom, egg, and salt. Whisk until smooth, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil and thicken, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla. Stir until melted. Pour through a strainer into a separate bowl, then pour directly into the prepared crust. Place a layer of cling film directly on the custard, and chill overnight.

Once the pie has chilled, prepare the Stabilized Whipped Cream and top the pie. Garnish with the toasted pecans. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

When baking with frozen fruit—like the beautiful black cherries found in this recipe—it is important to thoroughly thaw it before baking. As fruit thaws, it releases juice because the process of freezing damages the fruit’s cells; if you skip the thaw you will find that your filling will be too wet. Draining off the excess juice will mean your filling will come out of the oven nice and thick!

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Thaw the cherries and drain the juices into a measuring cup.

Add enough juice to the brandy to equal ½ cup. Add water if needed.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the brandy mixture with the sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to boil and thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Add the butter, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well, and then fold in the cherries. Cool to room temperature.

Pour into the Mealy Pie Crust and top with the pastry strips. Lay out 5 strips on top of the filling about ½” apart.

Starting ½” from the edge of the pie, fold back every other strip and lay down one strip of pastry. Fold the pastry back down and fold back the other pieces. Lay down a second strip about ½” from the fist strip. Repeat this process until all the strips are used.

Trim the dough to within 1” of the pan’s edge. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust. Crimp the dough using your fingers or a fork. Brush the lattice with beaten egg.

Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly in the center and the lattice is golden brown. Cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Chess pie is a quintessentially southern creation. Most traditional chess pies are made of either lemon or chocolate, but the sweet, creamy filling is ripe for experimentation and exotic, unexpected flavors like the pineapple and coconut found in this recipe. If you’re so inclined, a tablespoon of rum also makes a lovely addition to this pie filling.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, and sugar until smooth.

Add the cornmeal, vanilla, milk, and coconut extract. Whisk until well combined.

Spread the coconut and pineapple evenly over the bottom of the prepared crust. Pour the mixture into the pastry crust and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top is golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

Caramel and bourbon are quite complementary. Where bourbon is earthy, sharp, and smoky, caramel is sweet, buttery, and nutty. Combine those flavors with tart apple and you have a rich dessert that goes far beyond your plain, old apple pie! Before you think that this pie is going to taste heavy, remember the crisp, tart Granny Smith apples used in the filling. This hearty pie is perfect for the holidays!

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, mix the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well blended. Add the apples and toss to coat. Allow to stand 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the caramels and bourbon. Heat until the mixture is thoroughly melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

Layer ⅓ of the apple mixture into the bottom of the Mealy Pie Crust, then drizzle ½ the caramel sauce over. Repeat, ending with a final layer of apples.

Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the beaten egg so the top crust will adhere. Top with the flaky crust and trim the dough to within 1” of the pan’s edge. Tuck edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust. Crimp the dough using your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the beaten egg, and cut 4 or 5 slits in the top to vent steam.

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and cook for an additional 40–50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown all over. Cool for 1 hour before serving.

Want to avoid the brandy? A lot of people, for various reasons, do not like to cook or bake with alcohol. If you are among those people don’t worry, you can still enjoy this pie by making a couple of small substitutions. Simply replace the brandy with equal amounts of cherry, cranberry, or apple juice along with ¼ teaspoon almond or rum extract. The juice will add plenty of flavor, and the extract will add the depth this pie needs to take it from everyday to extraordinarily indulgent.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Line the pie crust with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is just turning golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Turn the oven up to 425°F.

In a large bowl, combine the cherries, blueberries, raspberries, sugar, and cornstarch until evenly distributed. Pour over the brandy along with the cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and stir to combine.

Pour the berry mixture into the prepared crust and top with the Oat Crumble. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 40–50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling in the center and the Oat Crumble is crisp. Cool to room temperature before serving.

The silky, smooth strawberry custard found in this pie is made with perfectly puréed fresh strawberries that are cooked down to concentrate the flavor. Do not skip the cooling step between cooking the berries and puréeing. Hot foods expand when they are blended and can spray out of the blender; setting aside time for a brief cool-down will reduce that risk. It is also a good idea to vent the blender’s lid whenever you purée warm foods.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the pie crust with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil, and add pie weights or dry beans.

Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a small pot, combine the strawberries and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes, then cook over medium heat until they are thick and bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes, then pour the strawberry mixture into a blender and process until smooth.

Pour the strawberry purée through a fine metal strainer, working the mixture through with a spatula, to remove the seeds. Return the strained berries to the pan and whisk in the cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, sugar, cornstarch, eggs, and salt. Whisk until smooth, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil and thicken, about 10 minutes.