PIES: Freshly Baked Endings

The lavish homemade delights of yesteryear were hearty examples of baking skills. With the approaching holidays and their traditional meals, the time may be right to put pies on your menu again. Whether from scratch or with a little help from the supermarket, pies can provide a filling finale and a taste of nostalgia.

Forget the fancy thin-crusted fruit tart you had at that “in” restaurant the other evening. Brush aside the thought of that five-tiered chocolate mousse cake that tempted you at your favorite bakery. Instead, take a stroll into the past and indulge in a bit of nostalgia that can come in handy when planning dessert for some of the more traditional meals for the holidays that will be upon us all too soon.

Remember when you were very young and a visit to Grandma’s meant walking into a different world? A world of the rich, welcoming aroma of a freshly baked pie that started your sweet tooth tingling the moment you opened the door. You knew instantly that even if Grandma claimed “That pie is for dinner . . . not before,” you could wheedle a piece to accompany a glass of milk as necessary sustenance to keep you alive during the long hours before dinner. Mama may have complained that Grandma spoiled you rotten, but she understood.

Nothing can quite match the flavor and appeal of a good, home-baked pie. Lemon pie. Chiffon pie. Mince pie. Pecan pie. To say nothing of that great American classic, apple pie. We’re talking honest-to-goodness pies, here. Rich pies loaded with calories . . . and flavor. Pies made with flaky crusts that literally melt in your mouth they are so “short.” Pies that don’t stint on the amounts of butter and cream and all sorts of good ingredients that are so unfashionable today.

Few will argue that current diet patterns place heavy emphasis on reduced fats and calories and less sodium and cholesterol. So does this mean that the lavish pies of yesteryear definitely are not to be considered for today’s tables? Not at all, if you are in normal good health. The beauty of following a good basic diet usually means that one can indulge in an outrageous treat on occasion. If you’re on a stringent diet for medical reasons, such indulgences should be OKd by your doctor first, of course, but the average person can work off the extra calories with a small amount of additional exercise or by reducing his or her calorie intake a bit over the next day or so.

Back in Grandma’s day, good cooks were noted for having a deft hand with pastry. Some had the “touch”; others never acquired it. Today’s cooks have it easier. Purists may prefer to stick to “from scratch” crusts, but for those who aren’t so particular, there are a number of good packaged prepared crusts and mixes available. If you have never tried them, bake a practice pie for the family before springing a masterpiece on guests.

Also, be aware that some of the ready-to-bake crusts in aluminum pie tins found in the refrigerated foods section of the supermarket won’t hold as much filling as many older pie recipes call for. If you wind up with extra filling, bake it separately in custard cups as special coffee break or after-school treats. It’s a good idea to watch the baking time on these pies also, as they usually are shallower and require a shorter cooking period.

One of the nice things about serving pie for dessert is that most fall into the do-ahead category. And there’s nothing quite so comforting when it comes to entertaining as knowing that one major portion of the menu is ready and waiting whenever you and your guests are ready for it.

Some pies, such as our Ice Cream Meringue Pie, are visually as spectacular in appearance as they are in flavor, making them good menu choices for entertaining. Others, such as the Volcano Macadamia Pie or the Ported Apple Pie are better choices for tailgate parties or potlucks where it is necessary to carry them somewhere.

Whatever your choice of recipe, just remember that leftovers are no problem when it comes to pies. After all, a rich, warm piece of pie and a cold glass of milk at afternoon break make it easier to survive the long hours one faces between mid-afternoon and quitting time. And it’s hard to find anything that tastes better in the early morning than a firm wedge of cold apple pie with a mug of hot cinnamon-flavored coffee. Talk about getting the day off right. . . .

No, that isn’t a breakfast heartily admired by nutritionists as a regular meal. But there are a lot of good ingredients in an apple pie and, after all, you’ll have all day to work it off.

ICE CREAM MERINGUE PIE

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pint strawberry or watermelon ice cream

1 pint chocolate or mocha ice cream

1 pint mint or pistachio ice cream

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Fudge sauce

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spoon meringue into 9-inch pie plate and shape lightly up sides to form pie shell. Bake at 275 degrees 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven. Do not open door. Leave meringue in oven 1 hour or overnight. Just before serving arrange scoops of ice cream in meringue shell. Drizzle with fudge sauce and serve extra fudge sauce on side. Makes 8 servings.

VOLCANO

MACADAMIA PIE

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts

1 (9-inch) pie shell

Whole macadamia nuts

Rum Sauce, optional

Beat eggs until well blended and foamy. Beat in sugar and butter. Blend in corn syrup and chopped nuts. Pour into prepared pie shell and bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes or until wood pick inserted near center of pie comes out clean. Cool on rack. Garnish with whole macadamia nuts and serve with Rum Sauce on side. Makes 8 servings.

Rum Sauce

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup light rum

2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat and stir in brown sugar and corn syrup. Cook, stirring, until sugar melts and mixture becomes smooth. Add rum and vanilla. Heat through.

APPLE PIE WITH PORT

2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

5 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Apple Filling

Mix flour, salt and shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese. Add water gradually and mix lightly with fork to form dough. Divide pastry in half and roll out 1/2 to fit deep 9-inch pie pan. Roll second half of pastry and cut into 10 strips 1/2 inch wide and about 11 inches long.

Spoon Apple Filling into pastry-lined pan. Weave pastry strips across filling to make lattice top. Dampen ends of strips and press into edges of pastry shell to seal. Bake at 375 degrees 30 to 45 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Apple Filling

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup apple juice

2/3 cup Port

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

Grated peel of 1 lemon

8 medium cooking apples, peeled and sliced (about 7 to 8 cups)

Combine sugar and cornstarch in large saucepan. Stir in apple juice, Port, butter and lemon peel. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils. Add apples and cook gently until apples are barely tender.

ORANGE CHIFFON PIE

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

3 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup orange juice

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

3 egg whites

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 (9-inch) baked pie shell

1 cup grenadine

Slivered orange peel, optional

Sprinkle 2 envelopes gelatin over cold water. Let stand until softened. Combine egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan until blended. Stir in milk, salt and orange juice. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Do not boil. Add softened gelatin and stir in until dissolved. Stir in orange peel. Remove from heat and chill until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from spoon.

Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream and beaten egg whites into filling mixture. Spoon into baked pie shell, smoothing top. Chill until set. Sprinkle remaining 1 envelope gelatin over grenadine in small saucepan. Heat and stir just until gelatin is dissolved. Cool. Spoon over top of pie. Chill until set. Garnish with slivers of orange peel. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

SOUR CREAM-RAISIN-

APPLE PIE

2 cups apple juice or cider

2 cups golden raisins

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon ground mace

2 cups sour cream

1 partially baked (9-inch) pie shell

Topping

Bring apple juice to boil, stir in raisins, remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. Beat eggs lightly in bowl. Beat in sugar, salt, Chinese 5-spice powder and mace. Drain raisins, reserving few for garnish. Stir sour cream and raisins into egg mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell and bake at 450 degrees 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Spread Topping over pie, return to oven 2 to 3 minutes or just until glazed. Garnish top with reserved raisins. Serve warm or cold. Makes 6 servings.

Topping

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup plus 4 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brandy

2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

4 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

5 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup cold coffee

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup coarsely grated semisweet chocolate

Chocolate Crust

Whipped cream

Beat egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, salt and brandy together in top of double boiler over simmering water, until pale yellow and thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Melt unsweetened and semisweet chocolate squares in top of double boiler over hot water. (Do not let water boil.) When melted, remove top pan from heat and beat in butter a bit at a time. Gradually beat chocolate into egg yolk mixture until smooth. Chocolate will congeal and become very stiff. Beat in coffee. Beat egg whites into soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 4 teaspoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat 1/2 cup of egg whites into chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in remaining beaten egg whites. Whip cream until stiff and gently fold into chocolate mixture. Fold in grated chocolate.

Pour into prepared crust and chill several hours. Garnish with whipped cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Chocolate Crust

6 ounces chocolate wafers

2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Grind wafers in blender or food processor until crumbs are very fine. Combine melted butter with crumbs and pat into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly.

MINCE PIE SUPREME

1 (28-ounce) jar mincemeat

1 unbaked (9-inch) pie shell

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Spread mincemeat into pie shell. Combine flour, butter, brown sugar, coconut and pecans, blending well. Sprinkle mixture over top of mincemeat. Bake at 400 degrees 25 to 30 minutes or until pie crust turns golden brown. Makes 6 to 8 servings.