Siegel Helene - The totally pies cookbook

Copyright 1998 by Helene Siegel and Karen Gillingham.
Illustrations copyright 1998 by Carolyn Vibbert.
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Celestial Arts and the Celestial Arts colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Siegel, Helene.

The Totally Pies Cookbook / by Helene Siegel & Karen Gillingham; illustrated by Karen Vibbert
p. cm.
1. Pies. I. Gillingham, Karen II. Title.

TX773.S465 1998
641.8652dc21 98-28586

ISBN-13: 978-0-89087-884-2
eBook ISBN: 978-0-8041-5329-4

Interior illustrations: Carolyn Vibbert

The Totally Pies Cookbook is produced by becker&mayer!, Kirkland, Washington.
www.beckermayer.com

Look for other books in the Totally series at your local store!

v3.1

F OR A NDREW

T he real meaning of pie came to me in a flash at my younger sons book fair. It was a weeknight event at his elementary school, and in addition to the books for sale, there was a pizza-and-soda dinner available for those parents too frazzled to worry about the nutrition police.

Since I was testing pie recipes at the time, I brought over a less-than-perfect cherry pie. It was delicious, but the filling was too runny and the lattice crust had not quite achieved that state of burnished Martha Stewart-like perfection I originally had in mind. (Lets face it. It wasnt even anchored to the bottom anymore. It had a life of its own.) The pie was a retest, for sure, but rather than toss it, I brought it over to the fair. It was an experiment. Would kids raised on mass-produced chocolate chip cookies, brownies in a box, and souped-up nutrition bars even glance at a messy, old-fashioned, fruit-filled pie?

When I sneaked a peek at the sale table later in the evening, I was pleased. The pie had just about sold out. When the last sloppy slice was picked up by a well-tailored professional mom, she said to no one in particular, Who has the time to bake a pie?

She had a point. Who does have the time, or technique, anymore to bake a pie? For those of us who did not grow up attached to the apron strings of a baking mother or grandmother, the tradition is more or less lost. With a pervasive fear of crust-making and many people without so much as a rolling pin in the kitchen, where is the occasional baker to begin?

Start anywhere, and be easy on yourself. Remember that the only tough part about making a homemade pie or tart is the dough. And just like people, the best pies and tarts are imperfect. A little crack here or there, an uneven or a burnt edge tells us you took the time. Rusticity is nice in a pie.

Cheat a little. Use a prepared crust, toss a tart dough together in the food processor, and gradually work your way up to a handmade pie crust. Remember that every honest pie maker has thrown out a few ornery crusts in her day or grown despondent over a delicious filling set atop a tougher-than-nails dough. Still, the good pie maker just keeps on trying. She knows that just like love, good pie making takes time. And the rewards are great!

It doesnt get much better than thisa generous double-crusted, browned-on-top, warm and tender, all-American apple pie for wowing the guests.

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut in large chunks

2 tablespoons lemon juice

cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

A teaspoon allspice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 All-American Pie Crusts (see )

1 egg white, lightly beaten

sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cornstarch. Toss well.

On a floured board, lightly roll out one piece of dough to 12-inch circle and line a 9-inch pie pan. Fill center with apple mixture. Brush the top edge of the dough with egg white. Roll out the second dough disk. Carefully place over the apples and press the edges together to seal. Crimp the edges. Brush top with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Cut steam vents in top crust.

Bake 10 minutes on lower rack. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake another 60 to 70 minutes, until the juices are bubbling and top is golden brown. Cool on rack 1 hour.

M AKES 1 PIE

Delicious dark red unsweetened cherries are available in the supermarket freezer for year-round pie making.

2 (1-pound) bags frozen unsweetened pitted cherries, thawed, or 6 cups fresh

cup sugar

1 tablespoon kirsch or lemon juice

3 tablespoons quick tapioca

2 All-American Pie Crusts (see )

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine cherries, sugar, kirsch or lemon juice, and tapioca. Stir well and let sit 15 minutes.

Make the lattice by rolling out one crust to about 12 inches. With a pizza cutter, pastry wheel, or sharp knife, cut the dough into -inch-wide strips. Place on a plate and chill.

On a floured board, lightly roll out the other crust to a 12-inch circle and line a 9-inch pie pan. Fill center with cherry mixture. Arrange six strips about 1 inch apart across the pie, moistening the edges slightly with water and pressing to seal. Then lay the remaining strips across top to form a checkerboard pattern, sealing the edges.

Bake 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake 30 minutes longer, until filling is bubbly. Cool on a rack.

M AKES 1 PIE

To Thicken a Pie

The traditional thickeners for an American fruit pie are flour, tapioca, and cornstarch. They can be used interchangeably. Flour cooks up a bit cloudy or creamy, cornstarch turns jellylike, and the best tapioca for pies is tapioca starch or flour. The quick tapioca sold in the supermarket can be used in a pinch. Tapioca starch or flour can be found in health food markets.

Two Southern favorites are baked to perfection in one bubbling brown pie.

1 All-American Pie Crust (see )

6 cups sliced, peeled peaches

cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons cornstarch

teaspoon ground nutmeg

cup all-purpose flour

cup brown sugar

stick butter, cut in small pieces

1 cup roughly chopped pecans

Roll out dough, and line a 9-inch pie plate, crimping the edges. Chill.