Three Words: Bourbon - Chocolate - Pecan

It's been awhile since I've made a pie from scratch. Ever since I rewatched Waitress with Keri Russell I've been itching to make a pie with a catchy name like, "I Hate My Husband Pie" or "Earl Murders Me Because I am Having an Affair Pie". It's actually hard to think of cool pie names that aren't negative though. I like to call this pie, "Three Shots for Pie One Shot for Me" Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie. I mean come one its what Julia Child would do.

Roll with it.

While my pie-naming skills may need some work, this recipe from David Lebowitz will make anyone look like a pie wizard. The crust is the hardest part of this recipe. But fear not ladies and gentleman with the help of a food processor anyone can make this pie. (NOTE: I made a little extra dough, because I like THICK crusts and I cannot lie.) You essentially throw flour, a spoonful of sugar, salt, a stick of cold butter, and cold water into a food processor and bam - pie dough is made.

The trick with the pie dough is keeping it cold enough so that the butter doesn't melt while you roll it out. After at least 30 minutes in the fridge you roll it out and place it in a pie plate. Then you refrigerate it again for at least 30 minutes (or until firm). You want the crust pretty cold when it goes in the oven, so the butter doesn't melt and your crusts look like blobs. I skimped a little on the time and you can see my crusts are a little flat (I mean RUSTIC). Seriously though, if your pie crusts fall a bit, just tell everyone you prefer the rustic aesthetic. People love that stuff.

I be up in the fridge just workin' on my chillness.

Mmm toasty.

Isn't that pumpkin just perfect for this still life.

While your pie crust is getting firm you can start on the filling. The most time consuming portion is toasting the pecans. Be sure to watch those nuts, you don't want them to burn! Make sure to toast some extras for snacking. It will go great with the shot of bourbon. For the filling you whisk together a lil bourbon (I used Bulleit Bourbon, but you don't have to go fancy as you're baking this), dark brown sugar, eggs, corn syrup, salt, and butter. Don't forget to give yourself some bourbon! Then you stir in the pecans and some bittersweet chocolate chips. You pour the filling into the pie crust and then pop it in the oven for 55 minutes or so on 375.

Bourbon, chocolate, pecans - oh my!

If you're like me and you're bringing this pie to a party or event, a long car ride is the perfect amount of time it needs to cool down. Your pie will still be warm on arrival, and everyone will thank you for your procrastination. Consider it for your Thanksgiving dinner you will be the hit of the party (or at least your pie will be).

Peach Raspberry Pie

Presenting my masterpiece of pie to my Dad

I bet you didn't think you'd see me on this blog again! Yes, the JAM blog has been missing its bookends J and M, and has basically become Ariel's blog. She has a great passion for cooking and writing and I applaud her frequent blog posts and the style she imparts on them. I think this A can stand up just fine on its own, but I did bake a pie last night that I had made for the first time with Ariel and I needed to honor her with a blog entry. Oh...and maybe now she will get off my case about blogging (just kidding, love you Ariel!).

I embarked on a pie making mission last night in honor of my Dad who loves pie just about as much as I do (I absolutely cannot think of Thanksgiving without apple pie and I think he would agree). I missed Father's Day last weekend while I was visiting Ariel in California (so much fun!) and I decided I needed to get back into his good graces by bringing a pie to dinner with my parents tonight. When deciding what pie to make, I immediately thought of the winning peach and raspberry pie Ariel and I made for family members a summer or two ago. This pie got so many compliments, I knew I had to make it again. Realizing I didn't have my baking partner in crime with me this time around I was a little worried about how it would turn out.

Heart shaped peach raspberry pie

I did have a couple mishaps along the way...is anyone surprised? The first problem arose with my filling. The peaches I bought at a local grocery store were awful! I mean not even 1 of my 5 peaches was completely usable and 2 of them were utterly inedible with mushy, mealy flesh. I think I need to start frequenting the farmer's markets because the quality of supermarket produce is apalling. Ariel has an abundance of farmer's markets at her fingertips-- those lucky Californians! Luckily I bought two pints of raspberries and was able to splice out chunks of useable fruit from each peach and I added one nectarine I originally had in mind for a snack. Thankfully the filling came together pretty easily...altho it was a little soupy from the sugar macerating the fruit, as well as the added grapefruit juice. The crust was what I had been most scared about making, but it came together beautifully. I think it was because the butter was cold, but not too firm so it was much more manageable to knead into the flour mixture.

The second mishap was in not having a pie plate. I have no idea where mine went, but I ended up using a heart shaped cake pan. It was a blessing in disguise because this makes the cutest heart shaped pie. Once I put the lattice crust together, I glazed the top with a warm preserves and water mixture and then sprinkled it with sugar. I think this made the crust more susceptible to burning, so after about 10-15 minutes in the oven I covered the top loosely with aluminum foil. I thought everything was smooth sailing until I smelled a faint smoky smell about 30 minutes into the cooking time and realized the juices from the pie were overflowing into the bottom of the oven, creating a burnt caramelized blob that was bubbling and smoking. I cracked the oven open and placed another pan underneath the oven rack the pie was resting on to catch any more of the overflow. After about an hour and ten minutes the pie was saying "take me out!" with its bubbly filing and nicely golden crust (I forgot to right down the baking time from the recipe I used so it was a guestimate).

The verdict at dinner was unanimous -- a winner once again! My Dad told me it would have made the professional bakers on his family's side proud. What a compliment! This recipe will definitely be making many more appearances in the future.

Peach and Raspberry Pie w. Lattice Crust

(adapted from various pie recipes)

Crust:

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (JAM note: I used a mix of 1/2c brown sugar and 1/2 c white sugar)

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 peaches, skinned and sliced (JAM note: I probably used roughly 3 small peaches and 1 nectarine)

1 pint raspberries (JAM note: I used 2 pints)

juice from 1/2 orange (JAM note: I used a couple tablespoons of grapefruit juice I had on hand)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg ( JAM note: I mixed about a tablespoon of raspberry preserves and equal parts water and heated in microwave for a couple seconds to glaze the pie crust and then sprinkled with sugar)Vanilla ice cream (optional...fresh whipped cream would be great too)

Preparation

For crust:

Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until small pea-size clumps form. Add 5 tablespoons ice water; mix lightly with fork until dough holds together when small pieces are pressed between fingertips, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 2 pieces. Form each piece into ball, then flatten into disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (JAM note: I only refrigerated for 10 minutes...I'm impatient what can I say?) Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.

For filling:

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in peaches, raspberries, orange juice (JAM note: I used grapefruit juice), and vanilla; set aside.Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Using large knife or pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch-wide strips from dough round. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter (JAM note: I skipped the butter). Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strip overhang to 1/2 inch. Bake for 1 hr and 10 minutes (JAM note: I estimated since I had forgotten to write down the time when I transcribed the recipe)

It's not Thanksgiving without Apple Pie

All American Apple Pie

This post is coming a little late, as I am behind on my posting as usual, but I couldn't resist writing about the Apple Pie I baked for Thanksgiving. Despite the fact that Ariel's boyfriend deemed Apple Pie the most boring of all pies, I was determined to find a recipe that would do this American classic justice. Apple Pie has been one of my all time favorite pies ever since I was a little girl. My dad and I share an affinity for fruit pies, especially apple.

Our family always cooks up a feast during the holidays, and desserts are no exception to that rule. My mom is a firm believer in making desserts from scratch, and I completely agree. The taste of homemade pies, cakes and breads is so worth the extra time and effort. The taste of fresh ingredients just shines through and beats the socks off those frozen desserts and mixes.

Like many of you all out there, I was afraid to make my own pie crust, but after triumphing over the summer with a raspberry peach pie, I was ready to make another go around. I am a fan of the blog, "The Art and Soul of Baking" and I saw that the author had put up a wonderful step by step process for making pie dough. I mistakenly bought "white wheat" flour, which is not at all similar to all-purpose white flour. The protein content is too high and it absorbed too much liquid. The dough became tough and unmanageable. After my first batch was scrapped, and I replaced the white wheat with all-purpose flour, everything went along much more smoothly. Just make sure to keep that butter really cold and to gradually add ice-cold water as needed to keep the dough moist.

I was worried about how the crust would actually turn out, but it turned a beautiful golden color after baking in the oven. Everyone at my Thanksgiving dinner was a fan of the apple pie and commented on how pretty it looked. Even the apple pie haters (ahem, AJ) said they enjoyed the pie. I think next time I would make sure to roll out the dough a little thinner, because the crust was rather thick, and to cook it a little longer so the apples in the filling would become softer. Hopefully I can hone my pie making skills with another pie for Christmas. Don't you all just love the holidays?

All-American Apple Pie
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie, serving 8 to 10

6 to 7 (2½ pounds) medium to large Granny Smith or other tart apples, peeled,
cored, and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (JAM note: I used 4 Granny Smith, 2 Stamen, and 1 Golden Delicious)
¹⁄³ cup (2¼ ounces) or more sugar, either granulated or firmly packed brown sugar, plus 1
to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar for sprinkling (JAM note: I used half white and half light brown sugar)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¹⁄8 teaspoon allspice
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk or cream

Preheat the oven to 400°F and position an oven rack in the lower third. Following the
instructions in Step 7 on page 178, transfer one rolled-out circle of pie or tart dough to a 9-inch pie pan and the other to a baking sheet. Chill them until ready to use.

Taste the apples; if they are very tart, you may want to increase the sugar by 2 to 4
tablespoons. In the large bowl, gently toss the apples with the ¹⁄³ cup sugar (or more),
the lemon juice, cinnamon, and allspice until evenly coated.

Trim the dough in the pie pan so it is flush with the rim. Transfer the filling to the pie shell and press down firmly on the apples with the spatula to eliminate some of the air pockets. Scrape any sugar or spices left in the bottom of the bowl over the top of the apples. Top with the other dough half, again following instructions for transferring dough and decoratively crimping the edges. Chill for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with the milk to create an egg wash and use
the pastry brush to lightly glaze the surface of the pie. Sprinkle the pie with 1 to 2
teaspoons sugar. Use a paring knife to cut 3 or 4 decorative slits in the pie to allow steam to escape (or use a mini cookie cutter to make cuts in the dough). Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes, until the crust is a lovely golden brown and the apples are bubbling and tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. (JAM note: My oven cooks things fast, I only baked the pie for a little under 50 minutes) Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 40 to 60 minutes.
Storing: The pie will keep at room temperature under a cake dome for up to 2 days. For longer storage, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reheat in a 375°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes to warm the filling and re-crisp the crust.

FLAKY PIE DOUGH

Makes 1 (9- or 10-inch) pie shell

1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted
butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water (JAM note: I doubled the recipe so I could have two pie shells)
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons sugar (omit for a savory crust)
¼ teaspoon salt

Place the butter pieces in a bowl or on a plate and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate the water in a small cup until needed.

Mix the dough: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Process for 10 seconds to blend the ingredients. Add the frozen butter pieces and pulse 6 to 10 times (in 1-second bursts), until the butter and flour mixture looks like crushed crackers and peas. (JAM note: I used my hands to mix the dough, which is a bit more difficult, but still doable)

Immediately transfer the butter-flour mixture to the large bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the cold water over the mixture and “fluff” it in, then add another, and another, until 3 tablespoons have been added. Continue to fluff and stir 10 or 12 times. It will not be a cohesive dough at this point but a bowl of shaggy crumbs and clumps of dough. Before bringing the dough together, you need to test it for the correct moisture content. Take a handful of the mixture and squeeze firmly. Open your hand. If the clump falls apart and looks dry, remove any large, moist clumps from the bowl then add more water, one teaspoon at a time, sprinkling it over the top of the mixture and immediately stirring or mixing it in. Test again before adding any more water. Repeat, if needed. The dough is done when it holds together (even if a few small pieces fall off). If the butter feels soft and squishy, refrigerate before continuing. If the butter is still cold and firm, continue to the next step. (Note: Adding the liquid may also be done on low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment—add three-fourths of the liquid, test for moistness, then add the remaining liquid if needed.)

Knead and chill the dough: Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead gently 3 to 6 times. If it won’t come together and looks very dry, return it to the bowl and add another teaspoon or two of water (one at a time), mixing in as above, and try again. Flatten the dough into a 6- or 7-inch disk, wrap in plastic or parchment paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This allows time for the dough to hydrate fully and for the butter to firm up again.

Roll the dough: If the dough has been refrigerated for more than 30 minutes, it may be very firm and hard and will crack if you try to roll it. Let it sit on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes until it is malleable but still cold. Dust your work surface generously with flour and set the disk on the flour. Dust the top with flour. Roll, turning the dough, until you’ve got a 14- to 15-inch circle about ¹⁄8 inch thick. If at any point the dough becomes warm and sticky, gently fold it into quarters, unfold it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until the butter is firm again.

If a crack or hole forms while rolling, brush any flour away and patch the area according to the instructions above.

Transfer the dough: Fold the dough circle into quarters, brushing off any excess flour as you fold. Put the point of the folded dough in the center of the pie pan, tart pan, or baking sheet and unfold the dough, lifting it slightly as necessary to ease it into the crevices of the pan. Do not stretch or pull the dough, which can cause thin spots, holes, and/or shrinkage during baking.

Trim the dough: Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough so it overhangs the edge of the pan by 1 inch. Fold the overhanging dough under itself around the pan edge, then crimp or form a decorative border. Chill for 30 minutes before baking. (JAM note: I just used a knife to cut off an excess edges of dough).
Storing The dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days, or double-wrapped in plastic, slipped into a freezer bag, and frozen for up to 1 month.

2 out of 3 JAMs