Archive for the ‘Pie and Tart Crusts’ Category
Buttermilk pie is a favorite of mine around fall and in the winter. The pie is something of a Southern classic, and although I am not from the South, it is definitely a well-liked comfort food dessert to have when the weather starts to cool down. Buttermilk pie is essentially a custard pie made with tangy, buttery buttermilk as the primary dairy component. They’re often flavored with a bit of nutmeg or lemon zest. This Buttermilk Lime Pie has a flavor in it that you don’t normally see in buttermilk pies and marries buttermilk pie with key lime pie, another flavor that I am a big fan of.
The pie has a bright, but not tart, lime flavor that comes from freshly grated lime zest, not from the addition of lime juice. It has an almost pudding-like texture that is fluffier and less dense than the filling of a typical key lime pie. It also isn’t quite as silky smooth as key lime pie fillings tend to be. The result of this is that the pie feels a lot homier to me, and it also is more likely to encourage me to reach for seconds. The pie can be served at room temperature, but I prefer it slightly chilled with a bit of whipped cream on the side.
I used a homemade graham cracker crust for this pie. Graham crackers make for a crispy crust and add a really nice additional layer of flavor to the pie. I generally opt for graham cracker crusts when I make key lime pies, too, so using one here reminds me of key lime pie even more. A pastry crust works perfectly well, with this filling but should be blind baked before adding the filling to it. If you do use a pastry crust, consider adding an teaspoon of lime zest when you make it, to further highlight the citrus in this dessert.
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Peaches and cream is a great flavor combination, no matter what type of cream you’re using. My grandmother was fond of serving peaches and ricotta or cottage cheese with a little sugar on top. I like peaches and ice cream or cream anglaise. I also quite like this Peach Crumble Pie, where the peaches are suspended in a lightly sweetened custard made with sour cream. And I would have to say that the idea of peaches and cream, in general, is improved by the presence of a crumble topping – but then again, most things are improved with a crumble topping!
The pie is relatively quick and easy to assemble if you have a pie crust already made and ready to go. In fact, you can make the pie dough a day or two ahead so you’ll have it on hand when you’re ready to bake! The streusel topping mixture comes together in just a few minutes and the custard filling whisks together in even less time than that. The finished pie has a silky custard filling that is studded with juicy peaches, and the crisp cinnamon-kissed crumble topping adds a nice contrasting crunch to the rest of the pie. It is flavorful – and definitely captures the idea of peaches and cream – but also has a very light feel to it thanks to the tanginess of the sour cream. The pie is served chilled (although it is also good at room temperature) and it makes a great dessert for a warm night.
Both fresh and canned peaches work very well in this recipe. I actually think that it works a little bit better with canned (or jarred) peaches because they are very tender and guaranteed to be juicy. They’re also very convenient, as I almost always have a jar of peaches sitting in my pantry. If you end up using canned peaches, choose some that are halves packed in juice or light syrup and drain them very well (quickly rinse the syrupy peaches) before chopping them up to use in the pie. If you have fresh peaches, choose peaches that are extremely ripe and tender, and make sure to remove the skins before using them.
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Grapes are a fruit that most of us simply eat straight out of the bowl, or wait until they turn into raisins and use them in baking. But there is another good use for grapes. They can easily be roasted and become even sweeter and more tender after a short time in the oven. Roasted grapes are delicious on their own or on top of ice cream, or when used in a tart filling, as they are in this Roasted Grape Galette.
Galettes are rustic looking fruit tarts that are easy to make and a great way to showcase fresh fruit. This one starts with a homemade pie crust that is folded up around a generous number of fresh red grapes, and is then baked until the grapes are incredibly sweet and the pastry is crisp and flaky. I toss my grapes in a little bit of cornstarch and a tiny amount of red wine (or grape juice) just to try to catch any juices that might leak out while the grapes are roasting in the oven and keep the inside the galette’s crust.
The key to a great galette is having a very flaky pastry dough to work with. Pie crust is sturdier than puff pastry and has less of a tendency to get soggy, even when you fill it with a very juicy fruit. You can use a storebought crust, but you will definitely have a better result with a good homemade one. You can get some tips here on making your pie dough even flakier. With a good crust, you’ll really get the contrast between crisp, buttery pastry and juicy, sweet filling.
This galette is best served the day it is made, as the juice from the grapes will cause the crust to soften a bit if it is stored overnight. Fortunately, the pie dough can be prepared a day or two in advance and kept in the fridge, so you can assemble the tart shortly before serving. Be careful when you’re rolling out the dough so that you don’t get any tears in the pastry that could let excess grape juice leak into the oven during baking and you get all that flavor in the finished tart.
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Classic apple pie is made with two buttery, flaky pie crusts sandwiching a sweet and spicy apple filling. It is delicious, but it’s not the only classic apple pie out there. I have met many people who would choose an apple pie with a crumb topping over the double-crust classic any day. Personally, I wouldn’t turn down either pie and consider them both to be worthy of the “classic” title.
This Cinnamon Apple Pie with Crumb Topping has a topping that is not unlike something you’d find on a coffee cake. It is a mixture of flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon that makes for a crisp and crumbly topping that tastes even better than it looks. I used a very fragrant Saigon cinnamon that gives the topping a very warm and spicy flavor. Any cinnamon will still be great in the topping, but the more pungent your spice, the more dramatic your crumble topping will be.
The apples are spiced with brown sugar, more cinnamon, as well as some allspice and a bit of nutmeg. These spices all compliment the apple well, and the cinnamon really ties the filling in with the crumb topping. You can use any pie apples for this pie, but this is one that I prefer to choose a slightly sweeter apple that works better with the crumb topping, rather than a tart apple the contrasts with it sharply. No matter how you customize the pie by altering the spices or choosing your favorite type of apples, you’ll have a delicious apple pie with a crisp, buttery and sweet topping that is just waiting to be topped off with a scoop of smooth vanilla ice cream.
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A classic pastry crust is great for all kinds of pies and tarts, but simple crumb crusts work even better for some recipes. Cheesecakes and key lime pies, for instance, seem to pair even better with crispy crumb crusts than they do with pastry. Graham crackers are the old standby for crumb crusts, as they have a good flavor and texture, but are relatively plain. If you’re looking variety in your crumb crusts, try making a Vanilla Wafer Crumb Crust instead.
This crust starts out with vanilla wafer cookies. Any plain, crispy cookie will work and Nilla Wafers are a good basic choice. I tend to use Trader Joe’s Ultimate Vanilla Wafers. The cookies are pulverized in a food processor with a little sugar, a little more vanilla and some melted butter, then pressed into a baking dish and cooked until crispy. When the crust is finished, you can top it off with the filling of your choice! This basic recipe will work for other crumb crusts (graham or chocolate wafer), too.
I’ve included the option of brushing the crust with a lightly beaten egg white in the recipe. This step will help create a seal on the crust and prevent it from getting soggy from a moist filling. It is not as good as lining the crust with melted chocolate, but it does help with cheesecakes and things.
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