What's your favorite pie? (1 Viewer)

[Lew Crippen]

The pie in front of me

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

My own apple crumb pie. Law Rome and Granny Smith apples (4:1 ratio), hardly any sugar, lots of cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, shot of allspice, a bit of butter, dusting of flour, splash of lemon juice (helps prevent the apples from turning brown after they're peeled and sliced) and a pinch of salt for the filling. The topping is flour, the same spices, butter, vegetable shortening and sugar, cut together until crumbly.

For the bottom crust I use Pillsbury roll-out refrigerated crusts or (preferably) the copycat store-brand product carried the Publix supermarket chain, which I like even better. The crusts are very flakey and taste great and my attempts at a home-made crust were never worth the effort - especially given the amount of work involved in making the filling and the crumb topping.

Of course, over the years I've also reduced the amount of work involved in those items, too - one big reason why these apple pies are always my cullinary contribution to holiday parties. A few years ago an aunt who bakes a lot bought me a hand-operated apple peeler, slicer, corer like this one:


You just pull back the bar, spear the apple through the stem on those three spikes, then turn the handle. The motion advances the apple into the business end where the peel comes off, usually in a single long strip, a blade spiral slices the apple, and a central ring cuts the core out. Very cool.

Last year I finally got the Kitchenaid heavy-duty stand mixer that I've lusted after for years. (I also make bread and have gone through three cheaper mixers over the years.) Now I can make my crumb topping running the mixer with the dough paddle on very low speed and very little physical effort. (Certainly compared with using a pastry fork or knife.) I just add ingredients as the mixture comes together. I've always made the crumbs by "eye" rather than measurments, because the trick is to get a color and consistency, and temperature and humidity will cause the same measured amount of ingredients to produce different results on different days. So I start with ballpark quantities, but then keep adding different things until what's in the mixing bowl looks and tasts the way I want it to.

The result is definitely worth the effort - especially now that there is less effort involved.

Regards,

Joe

 

[DaveF]

I knew I needed to check the dictionary for my "torte".

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Hey, there's nothing sweeter and tastier than a 33% contingency fee.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Joseph: Good stuff!


I was waiting for the first poster to get into the "which apple to bake with" issue. My wife had this similar discussion with a forum of writers and the thing became a train wreck about which apples to use for an apple pie. I guess it seemed to really divide along regional lines (which would make sense).

BTW, I've heard of Rome apples, but not Law Rome. Maybe the Law Rome apples would be good in torts!

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Apparently Law Rome apples aren't much for eating, as they are soggy. Give me a nice Fuji to bite into instead.

 

[nolesrule]

Best pie on the planet is my grandmother's lemon meringue pie, followed closely by key lime pie from Mike's Pies in Tampa. I am also partial to cherry pie and pumpkin pie.

 

[JonZ]

My G/F has made some interesting pies over the 5 years Ive known her, but my favs are still the good old fashioned:

Pumpkin, Coconut Cream and Key Lime


One of the most amazing things Ive ever tasted in my life was a banana cheesecake from a small cafe that made their own deserts while visiting Ft Lauderdale years ago. When I returned I went back but the place was gone.

 

[Mary M S]

Gregg, Gotcha!
Reed was wrong, I ate strawberries (rather than meals) growing up when they were in season & anyone in the family went to the farmers market and picked up a crate of them. I can smell them a long ways off!

Joe, I purchased that exact red fangeled gadget, and we never played nice with each other, finally gave it away to a friend of my mothers and went back to the paring knife. I have a deal with my husband, you sit and slice half of these, - after I peel & core the bunch, - or NO PIE FOR YOU.

I choose various varieties of apples which are in the best shape at any given trip into the store, and find that, the tartest and firmest (not good for eating) make the best pies for me.

Your pie is very simalar to mine, I prefer tart / citrus things and try to keep a light hand on sugar content. [Although I do bust the 'sweet' limit for certain receipes - [wicked grin] for breakfast I'm having a slice of my sisters receipe for Blueberry Butter Pound cake I made yesterday. 3 cups sugar/3 sticks butter/6 eggs!!!]

I am lusting after that Kitchen Aid myself, and have almost come home with it several times, but my kitchen is Keebler elf sized, and it is almost impossible to give up the counter space. (on that list of things to do - knock out a wall). For now I used the easily stored Kitchen Aid hand mixer.

My splurge, at some point in future, shall be changing my tiny countertops to granite, they are narrow and I’m always slinging flour, and running the edges of crusts off of rolling boards - would make life so much easier when rolling out ...pies/cookies, and give me the max space and quicker cleanup.

 

[John_Kiger]

Pat-
Sometimes Mince or mincemeat pie is in the frozen section at the grocery. They're rather rare today. Great with vanilla ice cream!

 

[Mike Frezon]

My sister...who also has a thing for fruitcake (but that was the subject of another thread)...makes her own mincemeat pie.

 

[Jay H]

No love for a Shepard's Pie?

For desert, I think I like a plain old apple crumb pie ala mode (vanilla)... but a good blueberry pie would do too.

Jay

 

[MarkHastings]

I LOVE fruitcake as long as it doesn't have that nasty Citron in it.

My mom is making my grandmothers fruitcake recipe where she wraps them in cheesecloth and soaks them in brandy. Mmmmm!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

OH, I love the gadget. I use the little vacuum suction cup to secure it next to the sink, and have a big stock pot full of ice, water and lemon juice on the stovetop on the other side of the sink. The peels and cores drop into the sink, the spiralled apples get quartered with an paring knife before dropping into the ice water and everything in the sink goes right down the garbage disposal (followed by the ice and water once the apples have been drained.) Practically zero clean-up.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Mark Leiter]

1. Key Lime made with fresh key lime only please
2. Mom's Apple, hot and A-la-mode
3. tie; Mom's mincemeat or Pumpkin with plenty of real whipped cream.

For all of the above they have to be fresh made. none of that store bought crap.

 

[Elizabeth S]

Pumpkin Pie
Custard Pie
Haupia Sweet Potato Pie (yum!)

 

[Bonnie*F]

Wow. So many good pies

My favs are 1. Custard 2. Raspberry and 3. Shoofly.
Those are followed by Pecan, Lemon meringue and Coconut Creme

 

[Bonnie*F]

Pumpkin Pie
Custard Pie
Haupia Sweet Potato Pie (yum!)


That looks good! Is it the Haupia Sweet Potato?

 

[Ken Chui]

That looks delectable.

As for favourite pie, there's only one that comes to mind: pecan.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I want to know more, too! Look at that crust! It doesn't look like a sweet potato pie...but, who knows? (Outside of Elizabeth?!!)