Living The Editors of Southern - The Southern Pie Book

The Southern Pie Book Pie. The word alone can bring a smile to your face. In the South, pies are a delectable expression of love. You cant eat a piece of pie that someone has spent an afternoon making without a feeling of genuine devotion for the maker. With one bite youll know that you have been lovingly fussed over. When I was growing up, we had pie almost every Sunday in some form or fashion.

The most memorable pies are the ones my mama or grandmother made. When I make their recipes, its almost as if they are right in the kitchen with me. The dearest recipes are handwritten on old recipe cards smudged with vanilla or chocolate. Its a sure sign that theyre worth making. The wonderful thing about pie is that it can be made with a few simple ingredients or with the most decadent combination you can come up with. Either way, its still delicious.

With a little look through the pantry, you can gather the makings of a pie. The ingredients that I find absolutely essential are shown in . I am so fascinated by the fact that something so delicious can be made from these humble staples. The filling is usually the easy parta few apples, some sugar and spicebut the crust usually causes some hesitation. Whoever said easy as pie evidently never made piecrust from scratch. But with a little practice and a rolling pin, you can make pies like an expert.

On following pages Ive included step-by-step instructions so you can create perfect too . My grandmother, with a simple motion of her index finger and thumb, could effortlessly make a beautiful crimped design around the edge of the crust, like a crown of glory. To this day, try as I might, I just cant duplicate it. Before I was old enough to bake, my mother would give me the soft, tattered scraps of dough that were left from trimming the edges. I would roll and shape the scraps into whatever I fancied, which usually ended up as a heart. Meanwhile she would gingerly place the smooth rounds of dough onto the pie plates, dented and worn from frequent use.

Ive never been too fussy about having the fanciest tools, but some of them just make baking so much easier; look this page for my favorite . Once baked, simple pastry dough transforms into a buttery, flaky crust that becomes the foundation for so many wonderful fillings. Sometimes I break from tradition and swap out one crust for another. This simple switch can be such a delightful surprise; my suggestions for crust and filling pairings can be found in the . Just about everyone has a favorite pie. Mine is a creamy, intensely lemony icebox pie made with a generous graham cracker crust and topped with a gracious plenty of just-barely sweetened fresh whipped cream.

It is so irresistible to me; I can eat it until there isnt a single crumb left. I might even get annoyed if someone else eats the last piece, even though pie is meant to be shared. Egg custard was my grandmothers pick. I cant make it without thinking of her. Fudgy chocolate pie was by far my mothers favorite. She loved it served warm, topped with vanilla ice cream and gooey fudge sauce, and sprinkled with toasted pecansor sometimes just plain naked if church ran late.

I hope you find your favorite in this collection of recipes, some of which Ive gathered from friends, family, and colleagues. Other classic ones have been passed down for generations. Ive added some fun new creations, along with a few surprises. So enjoy, and share the love. Jadore les tartes, yall! This book is dedicated to my
incredible and amazing children,
Ben, Katie, and Jackson, whom I love with
my entire being. You make my life worth living
and always will.

And to three of the most talented
people I have ever had the privilege of working
with, Becky Stayner, Fonda Shaia, and Ana Kelly,
thank you for such glorious images
that make pie a thing of beauty. 2013 by Time Home Entertainment Inc. 135 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10020 Southern Living is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. All rights reserved. eISBN: 978-0-84875-307-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2013939091 Printed in the United States of America First Printing 2013 SOUTHERN LIVING Editor: M. eISBN: 978-0-84875-307-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2013939091 Printed in the United States of America First Printing 2013 SOUTHERN LIVING Editor: M.

Lindsay Bierman Creative Director: Robert Perino Managing Editor: Candace Higginbotham Art Director: Chris Hoke Executive Editors: Rachel Hardage Barrett, Hunter Lewis, Jessica S. Thuston Food Director: Shannon Sliter Satterwhite Senior Food Editor: Mary Allen Perry Deputy Food Director: Whitney Wright Test Kitchen Director: Robby Melvin Recipe Editor: JoAnn Weatherly Test Kitchen Specialist/Food Styling: Vanessa McNeil Rocchio Test Kitchen Professionals: Norman King, Pam Lolley, Angela Sellers Photographers: Robbie Caponetto, Laurey W. Glenn, Melina Hammer, Hector Sanchez Senior Photo Stylist: Buffy Hargett Editorial Assistant: Pat York TIME HOME ENTERTAINMENT INC. Publisher: Jim Childs VP, Brand & Digital Strategy: Steven Sandonato Executive Director, Marketing Services: Carol Pittard Executive Director, Retail & Special Sales: Tom Mifsud Director, Bookazine Development & Marketing: Laura Adam Executive Publishing Director: Joy Butts Associate Publishing Director: Megan Pearlman Finance Director: Glenn Buonocore Associate General Counsel: Helen Wan OXMOOR HOUSE Editorial Director: Leah McLaughlin Creative Director: Felicity Keane Senior Brand Manager: Daniel Fagan Senior Editor: Rebecca Brennan Managing Editor: Elizabeth Tyler Austin THE SOUTHERN PIE BOOK Editor: Allison E. Cox Art Director: Claire Cormany Project Editor: Lacie Pinyan Senior Designer: J. Shay McNamee Assistant Directors, Test Kitchen: Julie Christopher, Julie Gunter Recipe Developers and Testers: Wendy Ball, R.D.; Victoria E.

Cox; Tamara Goldis; Stefanie Maloney; Callie Nash; Karen Rankin; Leah Van Deren Recipe Editor: Alyson Moreland Haynes Food Stylists: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Catherine Crowell Steele Photography Director: Jim Bathie Senior Photographer: Hlne Dujardin Senior Photo Stylist: Kay E. Clarke Photo Stylist: Mindi Shapiro Levine Assistant Photo Stylist: Mary Louise Menendez Senior Production Manager: Sue Chodakiewicz Assistant Production Manager: Diane Rose Keener CONTRIBUTORS Author: Jan Moon Compositors: Carol Damsky, Cathy Robbins Recipe Developers and Testers: Erica Hopper, Tonya Johnson, Kyra Moncrief, Kathleen Royal Phillips Copy Editors: Donna Baldone, Dolores Hydock Proofreader: Norma Butterworth-McKittrick Indexer: Nanette Cardon Photographer: Becky Luigart-Stayner Food Stylist: Ana Price Kelly Photo Stylist: Fonda Shaia Interns: Morgan Bolling, Megan Branagh, Frances Gunnells, Susan Kemp, Sara Lyon, Staley McIlwain, Jeffrey Preis, Maria Sanders, Julia Sayers Contents Pie & Tart Crusts Classic Southern Pies Fruit Pies Cream, Meringue & Ice-Cream Pies Tarts & Galettes Cobblers & Crisps Hand Pies & Fried Pies Slab Pies Pie Toppings Equipment Ingredients FROM THE BOTTOM UP The secret to a perfectly flaky crust is to obey two rules: Be gentle with the dough, and keep the ingredients and the dough cold. Once you master it, you will wonder why you ever doubted yourself.