Category: Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Lemon meringue pie is a basically a citrus curd pie save for the fact that the “curd” is made with a mixture of water and juice (instead of all juice), and it’s thickened with cornstarch. The water provides added volume (and frankly also keeps the flavor of the filling from becoming overwhelming) and the cornstarch provides thickening as well as insurance against curdling in the oven. This recipe — which steals tricks from both Rose Levy Beranbaum and Cook’s Illustrated — combines a deep pie with a break-resistant American-style meringue.

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Making Pork Pies

I have to admit, these Melton Mowbray-style pork pies aren’t just something you just throw together, but for the serious pork pie enthusiast they are well worth the time and effort. To make them the old-fashioned way you’ll need an old-fashioned piece of equipment called a pie dolly plus some rendered leaf lard, for without good quality lard the side walls of the pie won’t stand up in the oven. Oh yes friends, these pies are baked free-standing, didn’t you know? Forms are for sissies. At least they are in Melton Mowbray.

That said you absolutely can adapt this recipe to more conventional ingredients and equipment. A standard hot water pie crust or even an American-style pie crust can be used along with a muffin tin or other form. They’ll come together in an afternoon. Personally, once I read about this technique I couldn’t resist trying it, even if it took three days. The result was the pork pie of the gods.

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English Pork Pie Recipe

A classic pork pie has three components: crust, filling and “jelly” or a gelatin-thickened stock which is poured in through a hole in the top crust while the pie is still warm from the oven. Why the jelly? Because these pies bake for a good 90 minutes. In that time the fresh pork is going to lose some if its moisture. The jelly is a way of putting back some of that moisture, as well as adding extra flavor. Notice my recipe calls for powdered gelatin. If you prefer you can make the stock the traditional way by adding two fresh pork trotters (feet) to the stock. Me, I’d just as soon let the good folks at Knox smell up their kitchen with feet, that’s what I pay them for.

For the Stock

2 pounds pork bones
1 bay leaf
about 20 black peppercorns
1 carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
small bunch fresh parsley
several sprigs fresh thyme
powdered gelatin (one envelope [2 1/4 teaspoons] per 2 cups of stock)

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Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Sweet potato pie is one of the glories of Southern cooking. The best ones really taste like sweet potato instead of pumpkin, which happens a result of pumpkin pie spice (ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, etc.). A little nutmeg and some brown sugar are really all you need to bring out the best in the spuds. You’ll need:

1 recipe pie crust for a single-crust pie
about 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes cut into chunks
1 cup sugar
2 ounces (1/2 stick) very soft butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

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Making Shoo-Fly Pie

You know that huge stash of syrups and sugars I had after the sweetener extravaganza? It’s gone now. That’s what a couple treacle tarts and four or five shoo-fly pies will do. At least I won’t be worrying about ants.

Why so much trouble with shoo-fly pie? Because of the crust. As a rule I don’t like pie crusts that aren’t pre-baked. They can have a cereal mouthfeel that results from uncooked flour. They also get wet and sloppy, especially when a pie filling goes in as runny as this one does. True, for some people “wet bottom” shoofly pie is a delicacy. For those folks an unbaked crust is the way to go.

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New Shoo

Reader Mike D. generously offers up his grandmother’s recipe for the cause. Thanks Mike!

one 9″ pie crust, unbaked
7.5 ounces (1 1/2 cups) flour
5 ounces (2/3 cup) brown sugar
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) butter or shortening
1 beaten egg
11.5 ounces (1 cup) molasses
6 ounces (¾ cup) boiling water
1 tsp baking soda

Combine the sugar and flour. Rub in shortening to make crumbs. Take out half of crumbs for top layer of pie. Dissolve baking soda in water and add with egg, molasses to remaining crumbs. Mix thoroughly. Pour liquid into unbaked pie-crust. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake 10 minutes at 375°, then 30 minutes more at 300°. Makes one 9” pie.

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Making World Famous Kentucky Horse Race Whose Name Rhymes with “Herbie” Pie

There are three words I want you to remember when you set out to make either pecan pie or World Famous Kentucky Horse Race Whose Name Rhymes with “Herbie” pie. Those words are: Syrup. Holds. Heat. That concept is critical because just like pumpkin pie, pecan pie and World Famous Kentucky Horse Race Whose Name Rhymes with “Herbie” pie are custards. Overcook the filling and they will curdle. The result? Lumpy-textured slices that weep syrup on the plate.

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World Famous Kentucky Horse Race Whose Name Rhymes with “Herbie” Pie Recipe

This recipe for the pie-that-shall-be-nameless is based on a clipping from the May 7th, 1973 edition of the Louisville Courier Journal. I changed the fat from butter to margarine and have changed the process quite a bit to ensure a smoother filling without curdling.

2 ounces (1/4 cup) butter
7 ounces (1 cup) brown sugar
3 eggs
8.5 ounces (3/4 cup) light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ounces (1/2 cup) chocolate chips
2.5 ounces (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts (black walnuts if you can get them)
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) bourbon
1 8- or 9-inch unbaked pie crust

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Making Pumpkin Pie

That’s how I like a slice of pumpkin pie: well lathered in semi-whipped cream. Pumpkin is my favorite pie by a Kentucky mile. The fact that it’s relatively low in calories and packed with nourishment only makes it easier for me to rationalize a second or third piece.

Pumpkin has always been one of the easier pies to make: roll the shell, mix the filling, pour the filling and bake. Here I’m complicating matters a bit, but the payoff is big, so please indulge me. Hm. Ever notice how I like to simplify the complicated and complicate the simple? Something I’m just starting to learn about myself. But let’s continue.

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