Pie WEEK

Same old story different week. I am always missin out on something and then scrambling to catch up. I did not know about pie week.....it wasn't on my radar. Maybe it was because I was too busy taking orders for pies, for a fundraiser, and planning out the strategy of baking fifty some pies in my home next Tuesday and Wednesday. Or maybe it was the skads of laundry, the shower caulking, and oh yeh and I've been makin' all those homemade gifts...phew it's been a crazy week. I started baking today. I had a few people that were in desperate need of some pies this weekend. But I did not want pie week to pass me by...so true to form I am cramming it in. I am a crammer. Crammed in High School, College, and now I just cram pie.... in my pie hole.

This is my kitchen in full pie baking mode this morning. Pumpkin, Pecan, Dutch Apple and Traditional Apple Pie.... I'm not veering from the traditional Thanksgiving Pies.

Lots of eggs...I'm going to need about 60, them chickens out in the barn won't be able to keep up. Looks like I'm going to have to buy eggs this week.

I come from a history of pie bakers. It's in my blood. It's soothing for me to bake pies. I could do it all day long. Need a good pie crust recipe, and tutorial? Here you go....Easy Pie Crust.

Whippin' up some Pee-CAN pie...it's my favorite.

Crumble topping for the Dutch Apple.

And pecans for the pecan pie. I had a few things going on all at once, I could have used a few more hands, which I will have next week when we bake the mother lode of pies.

Do you hear the angels singing? I think Heaven is gonna smell like Pecan Pie.

Now on to the apples. I add the sugar, flour and spices in my largest bowl......

then with both hands on either side of the bowl I just give it all a toss, to get it mixed around real good. Toss, toss ,toss....whoo-hoo, up-sa-daisy with the apples.

Butter is the key to distinguishing a really good Apple Pie from a mediocre Apple Pie. A slab or two of butter make everything better. Agreed?

Add your top crust. I give my pies a light milk wash then I sprinkle them with raw sugar.

This baby is ready for it's new home. It's new mama is going to bake it. Bu-bye sweet thang.

Apparently Dutch Apple Pie is the favorite in these parts. Everyone wanted Dutch Apple.

These are for Big D. She's heading off to Chicago this weekend to have an early Thanksgiving with her sister Harmony and family. Hope you all enjoy! (and I hope you don't find a hair in them or nothin gross like that.....)

There was a little bit of Pecan Pie filling that wouldn't fit in the pies. Don't think this pie eatin freak was going to wash that down the drain do ya? I chopped up a few more pecans laid them in the bottom of a ramekin poured the filling over it, baked it for 35 minutes and had glorious little mid morning treat. These pies aren't anything too unusual, pretty standard. But like my grandma always says "don't mess with tradition". These are the same pies I've been eating since I was just a little pot-licker.

I just added my pie recipes in my recipe box at Tasty Kitchen....like I said always cramming it in at the end. So you may have to wait a day or so until they show up. When they do I will link them here too. In the mean time there are many other pies to be had over at TK so take a look around.

What's your pie tradition on Thanksgiving Day? I'd love to hear......

Luv Ya more than my Pecan Pie!

Toll House Cookie Pie

My Aunt Flo is in town. She arrived Saturday. She zaps the ever lovin' life out of me. I think she is leaving Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. Who is this women I call Aunt Flo, you ask. Aunt Flo is the affectionate nick name for my DOT....my monthly friend.... or you could say my menstrual cycle if you like using technical term. (Not to be confused with "minstrel", which is what I thought it was as a child....this lady ain't no singing entertainer.) Apologies to my male readers, I hope this topic doesn't put you off. I try not to use Aunt Flo as an excuse.....for laziness or grouchiness, but I do use her as an excuse for excessive eating. We're friends right? I felt I share with you on this lovely Monday morning.

When my Aunt is in town I want to eat like a ravished maniac. I think this is why I bought eight different cheeses at the store on Friday, and a 3lb bag of the pretzel M&M's which I ate 1lb of in my van on the way home from the store....ugG! Then of course it being the Halloween weekend...I had my four kids pillowcases full of candy, calling my name. Actually the Almond Joys were screaming at me!.......Lord help me.

Toll House Cookie Pie is a quick easy fix for gal with her Aunt in town. Maybe, I should call this pie...PMS Pie. It is so easy. I make my own pie crust, but if you are not into that sort of thing the pie crust in the refrigerator section works just dandy.

Roll out your crust and place it in a 8 or 9" pie plate.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Then add two eggs in to your mixing bowl, beat until foamy.

This pie is so simple.... just add sugars beat, add flour beat, then add the melted butter and vanilla extract, beat until smooth and creamy.

Smooth and creamy batter. Now if your Aunt Flo is visiting try and refrain from dropping your face down in the bowl. At least until after you add the chocolate chips.

Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts if you like your pies nutty. My kids are not big nut fans, so I leave them out.

Spoon filling into unbaked pie crust.

Push filling up to the edges. Pop it in your oven for 1 hour.

It will be nice and brown. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes, cut, and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Or if you are completely out of control like myself then cut it immediately, don't even take your oven mitt off. This pie will cure what ails you, no doubt about it. Not only does it please me in my times of need....but it is a great treat to serve for guest. Easy to make ahead and pop in the oven and bake while you are eating dinner.

I hope you have a good week ahead of you, not too stressful, hopefully no unwanted Aunts overstaying their welcome. My week is quite full. Possibly doing some house cleaning around this blog of mine. So I may or may not be back this week, Oh who am I kidding I won't be able to stay away all week.......

Toll House Cookie Pie

printable recipe

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup melted butter cooled

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 unbaked 9" pie crust

Luv Ya!

gramma's CHERRY pie

I found this picture on google images.....I love it! Reminds me of my daughters, sitting together chompin down cherries at the kitchen counter.

I have to admit...cherries are not my favorite of all the Michigan fruits. I have grown to love them. And I hate to admit it, but as a kids I would not eat the pie recipe I am about to share with you. Now I love it. I actually have eaten half a pie since last night. I feel a bit queasy now as I admit that...

I couple years ago my mom and my seestor and I went up north for a weekend of family recipe swapping. My mom had some, I had salvaged some recipes when my parents divorced from the house I grew up in. Now my fathers house...he ain't usin' no recipes...God luvhim. And well, my seestor she just sort of came with her pen and paper. But this pie recipe is one that we came across. Gramma actually used flour instead of cornstarch....I think cornstarch works better so I made a little changey on the family recipe...just making it my own. No harm in that.

Here is what you will need to make yourself a perfect cherry pie!

Oh you will need a double pie crust too! Here's my recipe if you need one.

printable recipe

1 2lb bag frozen cherries

3 heaping tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

half and half/raw sugar for crust

Here in Michigan you can find the Friske Orchard Cherries in all the Meijer Grocery stores. I know what you are thinking....frisky cherries....get your mind oughta the gutta people!

Not sure about the rest of the nation...but if you purchase the tart type of cherries you should be just fine. Friske Orchard does ship if you are up for that sort of thing. I actually had a few pounds shipped to a special friend in a little town called Pawhuska...any guesses who the happy cherry recipient might have been?

Toss the frozen cherries in a 3qt saucepan, you are allowed to thaw them, but there really is no need to.

Add the cornstarch and sugar.

Stir so the sugar and cornstarch coats the cherries evenly before you turn on the heat.

Now turn the heat on medium and cook for 10-15 minutes. Until the juice from the cherries has become thick.

Remove from stove top, add butter, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir until butter is completely incorporated. Set aside. Or if you want you can just eat them straight out of the pan. Who needs pie. Cherry pie filling all warm and delicious. You could just spoon it over ice cream and call it good. Or you could get your prepared pie crust out of the fridge and start rolling! NOW...before the filling is gobbled up.

There it is. Pie crust. Rolled out. Just waiting to be laid upon some delicious filling. Use lots of extra flour for rolling. And please, please do not be afraid of the mess homemade pie crust makes. Get out your garbage pail and push all the extra stuff in there when you are done...no problem. Pie crust rolling is therapy for me. Everything is right in my universe when the crust rolls out like this one.

Pour the filling on in there...it may look like it's not enough...no worries...it's just right. Trust me.

Now lay the top crust over the filling. Now here is where I think I and some pie makers divide into two parties. Party 1 being the "Heap-O-yummy-crust" party, and Party 2 being the "done skimped on the crust cause I a chicken" party. Pie is about the crust just as much as it is about the filling. Leave that dough hanging over and just roll it ALL up. Don't go cutting it off and smooshing a fork around the edge. Then you miss out on the crust cookie at the end. So which party are you in? Be honest...we are all friends. I will try not to hold your pie crust opinions against you. It's a free country right.

Oh, Oh, Oh, now that is a beeeaUtiFUL thing! ROLL the crust inward NOT outward.

See there it is all wrapped up preddy.

One more shot, just so you get the full on Heap-O-yummy crust effect.

Now take that half and half, or you can use milk if you are out of the good stuff, with a pastry brush, brush the entire top crust with milk...don't drowned it....just a light dampening.

Now take a handful of raw sugar and give the pie a good sprinkle. This will give the crust and added sweet crunch. And it helps with the crust cookie too. What is a crust cookie? Hold on I will get around to that in a sec.

There he is your pretty lil cherry pie.

Ok thats better, it looks happy now. Smile for the camera...say cherrieeees.

Set the unbaked pie on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until crust is nice and golden like the pie below.

There it is a perfectly crunchy thick crust....if you don't come on over to Party 1 after seeing this picture, Party 2 people then we need to have ourselves a talk...someday...maybe tomorrow.

Sorry, this is a bit disturbing. This is a Cherry Pie that came into the ER for kenny to sew up it's forehead laceration. Seriously, now....this is a pie that was almost cut into too soon. You really need to let a cherry pie cool almost completely before cutting and serving otherwise you will end up with pie crust and cherry soup.

Kind of like this scenerio. Still delicious just a little runny.

Bestill my heart...that is MAGnee-fi-co!

This would be a piece of pie cut too soon...still yummy. Crying out for some vanilla ice cream.

This my friend is a crust cookie. When the juices from fruit travel up into the pie crust and swirl right on in there perfectily...making the crust like a second dessert. A fantastic little shortbread with cherry swirled inside of it and a crunch sugar crust. This my friends is spectacular!

This was my breakfast....fruit pie the next day...is even better in some ways.

There it is a full crust cookie. So tell me are you a crust person or a filling person when it comes to pie.

I promise not to hold it against you.

LuvYa! Heeps.