Free Pie.........day

[PieDoh]

It's Free Pie Day!


Friday, January 23, has been designated National Pie Day by the American Pie Council. (Yes, such a group exists, and its meetings are probably a lot more fun than the ones over at the Jedi High Council.) Since it's an unwritten law that no national day of anything must pass without piles of promotions, pie makers across the country are whipping up some freebies to get Americans thinking about pie.

One big national chain is getting in on the action in the run-up to the actual day. On Wednesday, Bakers Square will give away a free slice of pie with any purchase, a gimme that will continue on Wednesdays after this week is over.

The Pie Council has encouraged lots of small promotions nationwide, such as at the Clark County Library in Idaho, which will give out free slices, and at a Publix supermarket in Lake Mary, near Orlando, and Michele's Pies in Norwalk, CT, which will do the same. Huffington Post food blogger Lisa Lacy will throw a "Pie Party" at the Greenwich Village Bistro in New York. But for the most part, the freebie offerings are piecemeal, so to speak.


What pie would you make to celebrate?

Chocolate Pie

1 Tbsp shortening
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

Melt shortening and butter.
Blend in cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk a little at a time.
Cook until thick, about 20 minutes, stirring so it won't burn.
Remove from heat and add slightly beaten egg yolks and return to stove.
Cook 2 minutes more.
Add vanilla and pour into a baked pie shell.
Cover with meringue.
Refrigerate

Meringue for a 9" pie:
2 egg whites
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites until frothy; gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla or other flavoring. Spoon onto pie, spreading to crust edge to seal filling in. Bake at 325° for 15 to 18 minutes, until nicely browned.

For a higher topping, use 3 egg whites, 6 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Allow to cool before cutting or chilling.


AMARETTO COCONUT PIE

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugr
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup amaretto
1/4 cup self rising flour
2/3 cup flaked coconut

Beat butter and sugar at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Add milk, amaretto and flour; beating well. Stir in coconut. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9 inch pieplate. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until set. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream, if desired, adding a little amaretto to the mixture.


BUTTERED RUM APPLE PIE

1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
7 1/2 cups peeled, sliced Granny Smith apples (about 8)
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup light rum
1 T. cornstarch
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium low heat; stir in brown sugar and next 4 ingredients. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Combine rum and cornstarch, stirring until smooth. Stir into apple mixture; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until thickened. Pour into pastry shell.
Combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl; cut in remaining 1/4 cup butter with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in almonds. Sprinkle crumb mixture over apple mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.


BLACK RUSSIAN PIE

14 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
2 T. butter, melted
24 large marshmallows
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup Kahlua
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Garnish, semi sweet chocolate curls

Combine cookie crumbs and butter; stir well. Firmly press mixture in bottom and up sides of an 8 inch pie plate. Freeze 30 minutes or until firm.
Combine marshmallows, milk and salt in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until marshmallows melt, stirring occasionally. Let cool 1 hour. Stir in Kahlua. Gently fold whipped cream into marshmallow mixture. Chill 30 minutes; spoon into prepared crust. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm. Garnish with chocolate curls and additional whipped cream, if desired.

Cherry Pie

Ingredients:
1 pastry for double crust 10 inch pie
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 (16oz) cans pitted red tart cherries, drained
(or 4 cups fresh red tart cherries, washed & pitted)
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare pastry.
Stir together sugar and flour; mix with cherries.
Turn into pastry-lined pie pan; sprinkle with almond extract and dot with butter.
Cover with top crust, cut slits in it for venting; seal and flute.

Cover edge with 2 to 3 inch strip of aluminum foil, to prevent excessive browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking.

Bake 10 inch pie 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

Makes one 10 inch pie


PS. There aresecrets
to making a good ........pie doh..:wink:

[PieDoh]

Custard Pie

3 Comice or Bartlett pears
1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teas. vanilla extract
3 lg eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teas. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a 9-inch pie dish. Peel, halve and core 3 Comice or Bartlett pears; slice 1/4 inch thick lengthwise. Arrange slices overloapping slightly in dish.

2. In a blender process 1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup all purpose flour, 2 teas. vanilla extract, 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 teas. salt until smooth. Pour batter over pears; bake until golden and firm to touch, 40-45 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners sugar

Yield: Serves 6


Meme's Apple Tart

Dough:
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teas. sugar
1/2 teas. baking powder
1/8 teas.salt
6 Tab. vegetable shortening, such as Crisco

Filling:
2 lb apples, such as Golden Delicious, - med size
3 Tab. sugar
2 Tab. sweet butter

Recipe from Jacques Pepin's mother!

Make the dough: In a sm pan heat the milk to lukewarm. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the shortneing and mix with a spoon or with your hands until the mixture feels and looks sandy. Add the warm milk and mix rapidly until the dough forms a ball.

(MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day)

Roll the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wra to an 11 or 12" round. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap and, using the bottom piece, invert the dough into a 9" tart an with a removable bottom; peel off the remaining plastic.

Make the Filling: Preheat oven to 400º. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut them into 1" thick wedges.Arrange the wedges in a concentric circle on the dough and sprinkle evenly with the sugar and butter.

Set the tart on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, or until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden. Cover the tart loosely with foil after 45 min. to prevent over browning. Cut the tart into wedges and serve warm.

Yield:6-8 servings


Berry Cream Pie

3 cups blueberries or raspberries
9-inch pie crust
1 cups sugar
1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream

Place berries in unbaked pie crust; set aside.

Combine sugar, flour and salt. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sour cream together; add to flour mixture. Spoon over berries.

Sprinkle topping over pie and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. butter

Combine all ingredients until crumbly.


Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

A commercial pie crust can be substituted for the first 5 ingredients, if desired; bake according to package directions.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut up
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar, divided
4 Tbs[. ice water
Blueberry Filling (recipe below)
1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut up
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Process first 3 ingredients and 2 Tbsp. sugar in a food processor until a coarse meal forms. With machine running, add water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, through food chute until clumps form. Using your hands, gather dough into a ball, and flatten to a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes or until firm. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round. Fit into a -=inch pie plate, trim edges to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold dough under, and crimp. Freeze 10 minutes. Line pie crust with aluminum foil, and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Let cool. Spoon Blueberry Filling into prepared crust. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until set. Combine flour and 1/4 cup butter using your fingertips until small clumps form. Stir in pecans and remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar. Remove pie from oven, and top with pecan mixture. Bake 12 minutes or until topping is lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.

Blueberry Filling

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups blueberries

Beat first 6 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in blueberries.

Yield: 8 servings

Cranberry Pie

3 cups cranberries
3/4 cup pecan or walnut pieces, toasted
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place cranberries in the bottom of a buttered and floured 10-inch deep-dish pie plate; sprinkle with pecans and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat remaining 1 cup sugar, butter and eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add orange rind, juice and flour, beating until smooth. Pour over cranberries. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool. Cover and chill.

Yield: 8 servings


Cream Peach Pie

1 pie crust
4 cups fresh peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 cup cream
1 egg
nutmeg, (optional)

Line pie plate with un-baked pie crust, flute edges.
Peel, pit, and slice peaches. Arrange peaches in pie shell.
Combine and mix well sugar and flour. Add cream and egg. Beat well.
Pour custard mixture over peaches and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Pie may be served warm or chilled, garnish with a sprig of mint, if desired.

Serves 6-8