Guest guest Posted August 19, 2002 Report Share Posted August 19, 2002 PIE-EYED.(fruit pies)(Recipe) Author/s: Ken Haedrich Issue: July, 2000 Summer fruits are heaven for the baker--and her lucky dinner guests Have you ever noticed how most of life's problems seem a little less pressing in the company of a summer fruit pie? The season itself might have something to do with it; everything seems more laid- back when it's hot. But there's something about a slice of fresh fruit pie that can really take your mind off things. Bank account down to double digits? How can you worry about money when you're staring a warm peach pie in the face? Kids driving you crazy? Nothing a wedge of fresh blueberry pie can't fix. Global warming, crooked politicians, gas prices through the roof.... Later, perhaps, but right now, would you mind passing that strawberry tart? Summer fruits--brilliant berries, peaches heavy with juice, plump apricots and plums--produce pies that are everything they are meant to be: soul-satisfying, evocative of Mom and home and other things that make us feel safe and warm and loved. While waiting for a pie to bake, we become so enraptured with the aroma that we're tempted to yank the pie from the oven and dig in before it's done. The best fruit pies are generally the simplest ones. That means ripe fruit, just enough sugar (or other sweetener), lemon juice to enhance the fruit flavor and maybe a pinch of spice--but not much else. The crust can be double, or single with a crumb top--there's something to be said for each. A double crust means twice as much of a good thing, but a crumb top is always a crowd-pleaser. Even if the crust only plays a supporting role, the success of a pie depends on its pastry. Contrary to what you might think, making a pie crust is easy. It requires no special skills or equipment, beyond a good rolling pin and a little practice. There are also more pastry options than you might realize: traditional butter pastries, no- butter pastries and pastries made with whole-wheat flour. Each tastes wonderful and can be used interchangeably with all your fruit pies. So make your way to your local market and check out the produce. Bring home a bag full of something ripe and sweet, plunk it into a crust and pop it into the oven. Family and friends will appear out of nowhere. And when you do finally dig into that first luscious wedge of a summer fruit pie, see for yourself if life doesn't seem just a little more carefree. Blushing Peach Crumb Pie 8 TO 10 SERVINGS EGG-FREE This has such a beautiful pink color you want to take a picture of it. Everyone loves the whole-wheat and oat topping. Plan to buy two half-pints of raspberries to get enough for the recipe. 1 batch Basic Pie Pastry or Dairy-Free Oil Pastry (see recipe) 4 cups peeled, halved, pitted, sliced peaches (4 large) 2 cups raspberries 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca Finely grated peel of 1 lemon 1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg Wheaten oat topping 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup instant or regular rolled oats 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp. salt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 1. On sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll out pastry into 12 1/2- inch circle. Line 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, sculpting edge into stand-up ridge. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F. Place baking sheet on center rack of oven. 3. In a large bowl, combine peaches, raspberries, sugar, tapioca, lemon peel, lemon juice and nutmeg. Mix well. Let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoor fruit filling into chilled crust and smooth top. Place on baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, make topping. In food processor, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse repeatedly until mixture resembles fine meal. Transfer to medium bowl and rub with fingers until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use. 5. After 30 minutes, remove pie from oven and evenly spoon topping over fruit. Press down lightly to compact. Reduce temperature to 350 [degrees] F and bake until juices bubble, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Pie will slice best if you wait until it is barely warm. PER SERVING: 431 CAL.; 5G PROT.; 18G TOTAL FAT (11G SAT. FAT); 65G CARB.; 47MG CHOL.; 174MG SOD.: 4G FIBER VARIATION: For a coconut topping, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut or flaked sweetened coconut to the flour-oat mixture after transferring mixture to medium bowl and when rubbing it to form large crumbs. Basic Pie Pastry MAKES 9-INCH DEEP-DISH SHELL EGG-FREE One of the most important steps in making trouble-free pastry is refrigerating the dough before rolling it--for 45 to 60 minutes to firm up the butter. Less than that and it will be sticky; much more and it will get too firm. To prepare enough pastry for a double-crust pie, it's best to make two single recipes rather than one large batch of dough in the food processor. 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 2 Tbs. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 4 1/2 Tbs. ice-cold water 1. To make dough in food processor: In work bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt and pulse to mix. Remove lid and scatter butter over flour mixture; replace lid. Pulse machine repeatedly in 4-second bursts until butter is broken into fine bits. Remove lid and add 3 tablespoons ice water. Replace lid and pulse several times until mixture is evenly dampened. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons water; pulse again until dough starts to form large crumbs that can be easily packed together. 2. To make dough by hand: In medium bowl, mix together four, sugar and salt. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas. Add ice water about 1 1/2 tablespoons at a time, mixing, fluffing and compressing dough with fork until it adheres. (You may need to add slightly more water than stated when making dough by hand.) 3. Empty crumbs onto work surface and pack together like a snowball. Gently knead 2 or 3 times to distribute fat. Place dough on large sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into 3/4-inch-thick disk; smooth cracked edges. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 45 to 60 minutes before rolling out. PER 1/8 OF SHELL: 209 CAL.; 3G PROT.; 12G TOTAL FAT (7G SAT, FAT); 23G CARB.; 31MG CHOL.; 135MG SOD.; 1G FIBER VARIATIONS: * Reduced-butter pastry: Mix dry ingredients in food processor as above. With machine running, add 2 tablespoons olive oil through feed tube. Stop machine, remove lid, and sprinkle 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces, over surface. Replace lid and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water as above. * Whole-wheat pastry: Substitute whole-wheat pastry flour for up to half the unbleached flour (see Dairy-Free Oil Pastry). The pastry is easier to roll if you don't exceed this balance, but with experience you may want to increase the proportion of whole-wheat flour. Dairy-Free Oil Pastry MAKES 9-INCH DEEP-DISH SHELL EGG- & DAIRY-FREE Although oil pastry lacks the flaky tenderness of butter pastry, it has its own charms, among them good taste, a grainy personality and a healthy profile. I like to prepare it in the food processor, which makes for easy and thorough blending of the flour and oil. The periodic breaks in processing help ensure more uniform mixing because the processor tends to pack the dough in the bottom of the bowl. For best results, always roll out oil pastry between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper. Be sure to lightly oil the pie pan to help prevent sticking. 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 2 Tbs. sugar 1/2 (scant) tsp. salt 5 Tbs. mild-flavored olive oil or canola oil 5 Tbs. ice-cold water 1. In food processor, combine both flours, sugar and salt and pulse to mix. With machine running, add oil in thin, steady stream, about 5 seconds. Remove lid and fluff mixture with fork. Replace lid and pulse again I to 2 seconds. 2. Put ice water in measuring cup. With machine running, add 3 tablespoons water in 3-second stream. Stop machine at once, remove lid and fluff again with fork. Replace lid and add remaining 2 tablespoons water with 2-second pulse; pastry will form large crumbs. 3. Turn pastry out onto work surface, scraping bowl thoroughly with rubber spatula. Gently knead 2 or 3 times into ball. Place dough on large sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into 3/4-inch-thick disk; smooth cracked edges. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes before rolling. Unlike like a butter pastry, dough won't become very firm; this is primarily a rest to ensure easy rolling. PER 1/8 OF SHELL: 183 CAL.; 3G PROT.; 9G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 24G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 134MG SOD.; 2G FIBER All-Blueberry Pie 8 TO 10 SERVINGS EGG- & DAIRY-FREE Blueberries are the last hurrah of the summer berry season, after the rest of the berries have had their peak stretch. So I like to feature them alone in this luscious pie flavored with the juice and peel of orange. Make each batch of dough separately for best results. 2 batches Dairy-Free Oil Pastry or Basic Pie Pastry (see recipe) 6 cups blueberries (3 pints) 1/2 cup sugar 5 Tbs. quick-cooking tapioca Finely grated peel of 1 orange 2 Tbs. fresh orange juice 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice A little milk and sugar for glaze (optional) 1. On sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll out 1 batch pastry into 13-inch circle. Line 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, letting edge hang over rim. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine blueberries, sugar, tapioca, orange peel, orange juice and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside. 3. Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F Place baking sheet on center rack of oven. 4. Spoon berry filling into chilled crust and smooth top. Roll out remaining pastry between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper into 11 1/2-inch circle; peel off top piece of wax paper. Using pastry brush or finger, lightly moisten edge of bottom crust with water. Invert top crust over filling, center, then peel off wax paper. Pinch crusts together at edge, then trim excess pastry with paring knife, using edge of pan as guide. (Alternatively, trim pastry with scissors, leaving a little overhang, then sculpt edge into stand-up ridge.) With fork, poke top crust several times to make steam vents; put a couple near edge so you can check juices there later. Lightly brush top of pie with milk and sprinkle with sugar if desired. 5. Place pie on baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 [degrees] F and bake until crust is rich golden brown and juices bubble from side steam vent, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. PER SERVING: 315 CAL.; 4G PROT.; 9G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 54G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 144MG SOD.; 5G FIBER Plum and Red Grape Pie 8 TO 10 SERVINGS EGG-FREE We all know that juicy ripe plums are superb eaten out of hand. But did you know they make a terrific pie as well--especially when combined with sweet red grapes? You could put a top crust on this, but the coconut crumb topping works best. 1 batch Basic Pie Pastry or Dairy-Free Oil Pastry (see recipe) 1/2 cup ruby port or grape juice 4 cups unpeeled, halved, pitted, sliced ripe plums (6 medium) 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved (12 oz.) 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca 2 Tbs. raspberry preserves Finely grated peel of 1 lemon 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice Wheaten oat topping, coconut variation (see Blushing Peach Crumb Pie recipe, p. 61) 1. On sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll out pastry into 12 1/2- inch circle. Line 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, sculpting edge into stand-up ridge. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F. In small saucepan, bring port to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced by roughly half, about 8 minutes; check by pouring it into glass measure. Remove from heat and set aside. 3. In large bowl, combine plums, grapes, sugar, tapioca, preserves, lemon peel and lemon juice. Add reduced port and mix well. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. Spoon fruit filling into chilled crust and smooth top. Bake 30 minutes. (If top or edges brown too quickly, cover with strips of foil.) 5. Remove pie from oven and evenly spoon topping over fruit. Press down lightly to compact. Reduce temperature to 350 [degrees] F and bake until juices bubble, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely before slicing. PER SERVING: 512 CAL.; 6G PROT.; 18G TOTAL FAT (11G SAT. FAT); 83G CARB.; 47MG CHOL; 176MG SOD.; 4G FIBER Apricot-Mango Pie with Streusel Topping 8 TO 10 SERVINGS EGG- & DAIRY-FREE By using the Dairy-Free Oil Pastry and our no-butter streusel, you can make a sensational vegan fruit pie. This recipe makes quite a lot of topping. Either use all of it on the pie or save some to sprinkle over muffins and other quick breads. 1 batch Dairy-Free Oil Pastry or Basic Pie Pastry (see recipe) 4 cups unpeeled pitted, sliced apricots (10 to 14 medium) 2 cups cubed ripe mango (2 to 3 medium) 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar or to 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup, to taste 3 Tbs. quick-cooking tapioca Finely grated peel of 1 lemon 1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice Streusel 2 cups walnuts (8 oz.) 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup instant or regular rolled oats 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. salt 2 Tbs. vegetable oil 1. On sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll out pastry into 12 1/2- inch circle. Line 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, sculpting edge into stand-up ridge. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F Place baking sheet on center rack of oven. 3. In large bowl, combine apricots, mango, brown sugar, tapioca, lemon peel and lemon juice. Mix well. Spoon fruit filling into chilled crust and smooth top. Place pie on baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, make streusel: In food processor, combine walnuts, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt; pulse 3 or 4 times until coarse crumbs form. With machine running, add oil in thin stream and process just long enough to make a crumbly, damp mixture. Don't overprocess or it will compact and become too oily. Transfer to bowl and set aside. 5. Remove pie from oven and evenly spoon streusel over fruit. Press down lightly to compact. Reduce temperature to 375 [degrees] F and bake until juices bubble, 30 to 40 minutes. If topping gets too dark, cover loosely with foil. Transfer to wire rack and cool. Pie will slice best if you wait until it is barely warm. PER SERVING: 542 CAL.; 9G PROT.; 31G TOTAL FAT (4G SAT. FAT); 63G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 211MG SOD.; 6G FIBER Double-Crust Cherry-Berry Pie 1 TO 10 SERVINGS EGG- & DAIRY-FREE Can't decide which wonderful summer fruit to use in your pie? Then use four of them. You'll love the deep red cherry-berry color of this full-flavored pie. For a really pretty finishing touch, prepare a decorative lattice top crust to show off the filling. 2 batches Dairy-Free Oil Pastry or Basic Pie Pastry (see recipe) 2 cups pitted, halved cherries (12 to 14 oz.) 1 1/2 cups raspberries 1 1/2 Cups blueberries 1 cup strawberries, hulled and cut into chunks 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste (depending on sweetness of fruit), plus additional for sprinkling 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice or 1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar 1. On sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll out 1 batch pastry into 13-inch circle. Line 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, letting edge hang over rim. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine cherries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, tapioca and lemon juice. Mix well. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F Place baking sheet on center rack. 4. Spoon fruit filling into chilled crust and smooth top. Roll out remaining pastry between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper into 11 1/2-inch circle; peel off top piece of wax paper. Using pastry brush or finger, lightly moisten edge of bottom crust with water. Invert top crust over filling, center it, then peel off wax paper. Pinch crusts together at edge, then trim excess pastry with a paring knife, using edge of pan as a guide. (Alternatively, trim pastry with scissors, leaving a little overhang, then sculpt edge into stand-up ridge.) Sprinkle top of pie lightly with sugar if desired. With fork, poke top crust several times to make steam vents; put a couple near edge so you can check juices there later. 5. Place pie on baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 [degrees] F and bake until crust is rich golden brown and juices bubble from side steam vent, about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. PER SERVING: 473 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 196 TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT): 74G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 269MG SOD.; 7G FIBER Strawberry-Cheese Tart 8 SERVINGS EGG-FREE This can be made in a pie pan, but it looks most striking if done in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. I use strawberries here, but you could use almost any berry on top; whole raspberries look very nice. Apply the red currant glaze at the last minute so the tart looks glossy and fresh when served. Note that the cheese filling needs at least 4 hours in the fridge to firm; overnight is better. 1 batch Basic Pie Pastry or Dairy-Free Oil Pastry (see recipe) 8-oz. pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream 2 Tbs. tahini 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp. vanilla or lemon extract 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup, to taste 1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced (3 cups) 1/4 cup red currant jelly 1. Lightly butter 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom or deep-dish pie pan. On sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll out pastry into 12-inch circle. Line prepared pan with it. With a paring knife, trim off excess pastry even with edge of pan. With fork, make 5 or 6 steam vents on bottom of pastry. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze 30 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F. Line pastry with large sheet of foil, then fill with dried beans or pie weights, spreading them around to weight pastry down. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Stick fork back into steam vents and wiggle a little to widen; they may have closed up during baking. Return crust to oven and bake 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. 3. In large bowl, with electric beaters on medium-high speed, beat together cream cheese and sugar, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Beat in sour cream, tahini, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth, then beat in honey. Scrape filling into cooled crust. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. 4. Just before serving, gently push up bottom of tart pan to release tart and place on serving plate; if using pie pan, keep pie right in the pan. Arrange strawberries on top of filling, overlapping slightly, starting with a row in the center and working out. 5. In small saucepan, melt jelly over low heat, whisking until smooth. Using pastry brush, brush jelly over berries and serve. PER SERVING: 415 CAL.; 8G PROT.; 21G TOTAL FAT (11G SAT. FAT); 51G CARB.; 53MG CHOL.; 229MG SOD.; 2G FIBER preventing pastry pitfalls I once gave a public cooking demonstration on making pie pastry, and 300 people attended. Many of them had experienced pastry problems of one sort or another. A woman raised her hand and said she couldn't get her pastry to come out round. I gave her a number of tips, then suggested she visualize something round as she rolled, like our planet. She said, " I've tried that, and I can only get mine to look like a piece of it: Florida. " Here are a few tips to help you avoid the " Florida syndrome " and other pastry problems. * On a hot day, make pastry early in the morning or late in the evening. A hot kitchen will make dough sticky. * Always use cold butter. Take it out last, after your dry ingredients are mixed. If possible, refrigerate dry mixture for 30 minutes before adding butter. * If using a food processor, don't overprocess dough. It should not ball up, but rather start falling around the blade in large clumps. * Refrigerate pastry dough for about 45 minutes before rolling to make it firm but not hard. If it gets too sticky as you roll it, slide the whole thing (pastry and wax paper) onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. * As a point of reference for measuring, a sheet of wax paper is 12 inches wide; you don't really need to measure your pastry with a ruler. * Gently press pastry into pan without stretching it. * Chill pastry in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes before filling. Your crust will be flakier and hold its shape better. --K.H. FOOD FOR THOUGHT get the blues This small brightly colored fruit has more to offer than just its sweet flavor and versatile uses (from pancakes to salad dressings). It is packed with powerful antioxidants and has been shown to be as effective as cranberries in reducing urinary tract infections. Blueberries are also high in potassium, vitamin C and fiber and low in calories. Of all the berries summer has to offer, blueberries last the longest in the fridge (about five days). But be sure to discard any mushy ones. --C.M. KEN HAEDRICH is a freelance food writer and the author of several cookbooks, including Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family (Bantam, 1998). COPYRIGHT 2000 Vegetarian Times, Inc. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group ********************* Vegan Pumpkin Pie 8 SERVINGS VEGAN The pie filling in this recipe needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, so make it the day before you serve it. Crust: 1/2 cup unbleached flour 7 Tbs. whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 tsp. salt tsp. sugar or granulated sugar cane syrup (see glossary) 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3 Tbs. canola oil 3 Tbs. soymilk (see glossary) plus 1/2tsp. lemon juice or buttermilk 3 to 4 Tbs. water 2 cups canned pumpkin or pureed home-cooked fresh pumpkin (see note) 1 cup low-fat soymilk, rice milk or low-fat milk (see glossary) 1/2 cup honey or 3/ cup granulated sugar cane syrup (see glossary) 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/2 Tbs. dark molasses or to taste 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground allspice Crust: In medium bowl, combine both flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. In small bowl, mix oil and soymilk mixture or buttermilk. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix with a fork until it holds together in a ball. If it is too dry, add some water, a little at a time, until dough is moist enough to roll. (If time allows, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.) Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin forming an 11-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough. Flute or crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Top with your choice of dessert topping if desired. ********************** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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