Category Archives: Pies

July 4th Apple Pie

04 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in Comfort Food, Desserts, Pies

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This is not a traditional apple pie. I got the idea from Dinner-A Love Story. It’s actually a galette.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll out a 9 inch pie crust. I used a Betty Crocker pie crust mix, but you could use a frozen one or make one from scratch. Peel 3 or 4 apples and slice them thinly, I used 2 of the giant Fuji apples we get here in Tokyo. Since today is the Fourth of July and I wanted a little patriotic color I added 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries and a small handful of dried cranberries. Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Put the apples, blueberries and cranberries in the center of the crust and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of sugar and a couples shakes of cinnamon. Mix this up a little using your hands. Then fold the sides of the pie crust up over the apples and dot with a few small pats of butter. Brush the crust with milk. Cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees for another 20 minutes.

Shepherd’s Pie

04 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in Comfort Food, Main Dishes, Nostalgia, Pies

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I had never made a shepherd’s pie until we moved to London 10 years ago. (Has it really been 10 years since I have lived in the USA?) It doesn’t seem that long. It was quickly added to Rick and Alex’s list of favorites. Alex even ordered a giant portion of it at the Cheesecake Factory when I was in San Antonio last week. I told him that it was really simple to make and that I would post the recipe here. This recipe is adapted from the Leith’s Cookery Bible by Prue Leith and Caroline Waldgrave. They run a cooking school in London.

Ingredients-
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
8 oz frozen mixed vegetables
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef broth (made with bouillon cubes)
*2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
*2 teaspoons tomato paste

Topping-
2 lbs mashed potatoes and grated cheddar

Method-
Brown the ground beef and chopped onion in a large frying pan. Add the vegetables and mix well. Next sprinkle with the flour and mix to coat the ground beef and vegetables and cook for about 30 seconds until lightly browned. Slowly add the beef broth and bring to a boil stirring continuously until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste and add salt and pepper to taste. Tip the mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with the mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake at 400 degrees about 20-30 minutes until the potato is slightly brown and crusty.

* The Worcestershire sauce and the tomato paste are key ingredients in this recipe it will not taste like a true shepherd’s pie without them.

Mayan Chocolate Cream Pie

04 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in Desserts, Pies

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We celebrated Father’s Day this year in Kingwood, Texas. We had planned barbecue at Jame’s and Ruth’s, but woke up Sunday morning to a non-cooling air conditioner downstairs. If you have ever been in the Houston area between April and October you will understand why that was a problem. We changed the location to Chris and Doug’s house. Chris graciously contributed this delicious pie for our Father’s day feast. It is a recipe that was published in the Houston Chronicle. Chris decreased the amount of cayenne pepper and I have taken it down from the original 1 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon. I recommend adjusting it to your personal taste. It makes the pie really interesting. My first reaction was yum, such a wonderful chocolate pie, then comes the surprise from the cayenne as it hits the back of your tongue. It was delicious! Thanks Chris

Ingredients-
FILLING
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 large egg yolks, beaten
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING
1½ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 baked pie crust

Method-
Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan. Add milk and egg yolks. Whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat stirring with a whisk until mixture thickens. Turn off the heat and whisk in the chocolate and cream cheese. Add cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Whisk until blended. Cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the whipped cream. Add 1 cup to the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk to blend.

Pour into the pie crust. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top of the pie and sprinkle with cinnamon. Chill six hours.

Susan’s Caramel Apple Pie

28 Monday Sep 2009

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Ingredients:
One double deep dish pie crust (make sure the sides are high so the topping won’t run over the edge)

Filling

5 or 6 apples, peeled cored and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cook the filling ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat for about 10 minutes until it starts to thicken. Put in pie crust and sprinkle with a bit more cinnamon.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes

Topping

7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup nuts (pecans are highly recommended)

Combine all ingredients except the nuts in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until it thickens. Stir in nuts. Cool pie for about 10 minutes and then pour topping over pie.