A life with pie

#18 - Rhubarb Cream Pie

The Inspiration:

My inspiration was Mother's Day Brunch. Pie offering #2 for my friend family tasters.

 

The Production:

The 2nd recipe on Rhubarb from Four and Twenty Blackbirds was a Rhubarb Cream Pie. This pie was fun to make. A pressed oat crust, beautiful ruby colored cooked rhubarb filling and a cornsilk hued sour & heavy cream custard. My favorite new product is the Nielsen-Massey vanilla paste the custard utilizes. The paste infuses a richer vanilla perfume and distribution than normal extract without being as labor intensive to use as vanilla beans.

 

The Verdict:

While the finished product looks a bit homely, the slices were gorgeous.  The pie was quite lovely with just enough tartness in the Rhubarb tempered with the cream custard layer. And the oat crust was a refreshing change. My friends agreed that this was the better of the two pies. Add this one to the keeper list.

 

The Photographic Evidence:

custard is set

yummy

 

#17 - Rhubarb Pie

 The Inspiration:

My inspiration was Mother's Day. My friend family were my pie test-tasters.

May brings on the Rhubarb. The annual Ovendale Mother's Day brunch was the perfect opportunity to try out two intriguing recipes from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds Cookbook.

 

The Production:

The first offering was a classic Rhubarb Pie. Here is a sweet little video of the gals from Four & Twenty discussing rhubarb pie and their childhood memories of it. Unlike the Rhubarb Pie, I made from Orangette with it's brighter citrus notes, the spices here are heavier reminders of cooler days - clove, ginger, cinnamon and angosturra bitters. The pie crust is their normal version utilizing cider vinegar.

 

The Verdict:

The finished pie was lovely and had a wonderful aroma. However, the spice treatment was not very well received. I tend to agree that the wintery mix fought with the expectations of spring that Rhubarb promises. It didn't work nearly as well as #14 Rhubarb Orange Zest pie. This is the first pie from the cookbook that I didn't fall in love with.  

 

The Photographic Evidence:

lattice work

 

one piece left

beautiful

Next up: Rhubarb Cream Pie

 

#22 - Raspberry Hand Pies

 The Inspiration:

My inspiration was our work June Potluck.

Raspberries have arrived! Summer's officially kicked off. Prepared with a fresh flat of juicy berries, I seized the opportunity to share more pie with the masses and less baking time. Lil' hand pies were the perfect option.

 

The Production:

Joy, the Baker had a wonderful little lemon raspberry pie crust hearts recipe featured for Valentine's Day. The golden glow and sneak peeks of red charmed me. Ditched the heart motif and cut the pie crust with a 3" biscuit cutter. The buttermilk pie crust was easy to work with and very forgiving. Confession I didn't use true buttermilk, but utilized a kitchen trick to create a substitute. Add 1 tbps of white vinegar (or lemon juice) to 1 cup of milk. Let it rest for 5 minutes before use. Perfect in a pinch.

To capture the seasonal brightness, I omitted the wintery cinnamon and nutmeg. Doubled the lemon zest and added an extra tbps of sugar. Air vents were tiny x's in the pie center. Egg wash and a good sprinkle with turbinado sugar for finishing. Rest the tray of pies in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to baking. It adds 1-2 minutes to the baking time, but helps solidify the butter and keep it from oozing.

 

The Verdict:

The pies were the perfect little snack size, especially if you are a crust fan. The crust was all flaky, buttery, golden deliciousness. The filling was a wonderful tart and sweet combo. Made a double batch for the potluck getting 15 pies per batch. Only re-rolled the dough once to prevent it from becoming tough. Leftovers on the crust and filling.

The pies were a hit and vanished in plenty of time. It didn't hurt that my co-worker Gabe was walking the tray around. The hand pies were a lovely option for a crowd. It's a keeper!

 

The Photographic Evidence:

cooling off lil' pies

raspberry filling

peek-a-boo filling

a tray full of happiness