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Invitation to a Pie Party

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Summer is heaven for a pie baker. Yes, I know, in winter there are always apples and pears, which can make lovely pies. There are also all those ingredients that have been used since the days of the pioneers to make “pantry pies”: nuts, dried fruit, vinegar, molasses, maple syrup and raisins, all of which are on hand in the pantry no matter what the season. They too can make lovely pies, and in December, we’ll all have to settle for them again.

But summer fruits--beautiful, ripe, juicy summer fruits--make pies that are everything pies were meant to be: soul-satisfying, evocative of home and Mom and all the things that make us feel warm and safe and loved. Summer fruit pies remind us of languid days when kids are out of school and the barbecue is fired up. After a nap in the hammock, a slice of peach pie makes the day perfect.

And by God, my three boys are going to have those associations even if what they really want for dessert is bubble gum ice cream and Gummi Bears. So, early every Sunday, when only the dog and I are awake, I grab my cloth shopping bags and head for the Hollywood Farmers’ Market summer fruit nirvana.

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This year has provided a daunting array of possibilities. Several of the stone fruit crops arrived later than usual because of our rainy winter. However, this gave them the opportunity to grow huge and juicy and sweet. The peaches and nectarines, both white and yellow, and the plums and apricots have been exceptional this year. Add to that the strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries and olallieberries and you have yourself a pretty full shopping bag.

After a few days of stuffing fruit into camp lunch boxes, begging everyone to put fruit on their cereal and making smoothies, I hear the kids ask for mercy. They just can’t eat more plain fruit. It’s time for pie!

Everybody likes pie. In fact, if you’ve really overdone it (as I tend to do almost every week at the farmers’ market), it’s time for a pie party. What could be better than sharing with family and friends a celebration of summer pies?

Before getting down to pie-baking basics, it’s necessary to address the deep-seated fear of pie baking that has swept our nation. It’s a puzzlement. People who might think nothing of baking cakes or even bread refuse to tackle pies.

And yet, our 19th century forebears often made pie for every meal--21 pies a week. These women worked in log cabins, baked in wood-burning ovens with no temperature controls and had no food processors, but they weren’t afraid of pies.

I asked a few friends how they felt about pie-baking, and the usual fear seems to be about the crust. It’s too hard to roll out, it falls apart, it’s soggy on the bottom.

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Relax, I tell them. If the dough tears and has to be patched, the pie will still taste great. The filling will cover the mess, and you’re on your way to getting comfortable with pie baking.

The most important word to remember is cold. Everything works better if it’s cold--butter, water, flour, bowl, even your hands. I once saw a recipe that advised soaking your hands in ice water, which seems excessive--but you get the idea. Cold is also the reason I like to bake in the morning during summer, before the day gets too warm.

If the crust keeps breaking into a million pieces and feels soft, chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, take a deep breath (calm air in, angry air out) and roll it out again. Don’t worry; this happens to me too.

For the pie party, I came up with recipes that have at most one crust. Another built-in safeguard is that all the crusts are pre-baked. That will guarantee that there will be no soggy crusts.

Serve all the pies on one table so guests can help themselves, buffet-style. Drinks can go in a big ice-filled plastic tub. We served milk, sparkling cider and juice drinks for the kids and some fruity late harvest Riesling for the grown-ups.

Ruggles is a pastry chef at Los Angeles’ Campanile restaurant.

MENU

BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK PIE WITH LEMON CRUST AND COCONUT STREUSEL

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC VINEGAR PIE WITH BLACK PEPPER CRUST

FRUIT PIZZA

SUMMERTIME PEACH PIE WITH CRUMB TOP

PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM PIE WITH CARAMELIZED BANANAS AND CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST

INDIVIDUAL NECTARINE GALETTES

SALTED TOASTED ALMOND ICE CREAM, optional

JASMINE TEA ICE CREAM, optional

SUMMERTIME PEACH PIE WITH CRUMB TOP

This is a pie I’ve been making about 10 times a summer for as long as I’ve been baking. There’s nothing that says it’s summer to my family more than the first peach pie of the season. I usually freeze a pie plate full of peaches at the height of the season so I can pull them out in February and bake a pie to remind us of what we have to look forward to come summer.

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CRUST

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, ice cold and cut in 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup shortening, chilled

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons ice water, about

FILLING

10 large peaches

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup cornstarch

CRUMB TOP

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

CRUST

Combine butter, shortening, flour and salt in food processor and pulse until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.

Add 1 tablespoon ice water with processor on. Continuing adding water 1 drop at a time with processor on until dough begins to form mass. You may not use all the water. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill about 30 minutes.

Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Line 9-inch pie plate with dough and decoratively flute edge. Chill about 15 minutes.

Line bottom of pie shell with foil, then fill with pie weights, beans or rice. Bake at 350 degrees until crust is light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool on rack. Remove weights and foil.

FILLING

Blanch peaches in large pot of boiling water 30 seconds, then plunge into bowl of cold water to make peeling easier. Peel and slice into large bowl. Add sugar, almond extract and cornstarch and gently mix.

CRUMB TOP

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon and stir until crumbs form.

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Fill Crust with Filling. Pile crumb topping over peaches. Place pie on baking sheet to catch leaks during baking. Bake at 375 degrees until top is golden, center is set and filling bubbles around edges, 60 to 70 minutes. (If crumb top begins to get too brown, cover with tent of foil.)

6 to 8 servings. Each of 6 servings:

714 calories; 629 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 103 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.09 grams fiber.

FRUIT PIZZA

Kids especially love the idea of eating pizza for dessert, even though this is really just a big fruit tart. Vary the fruits according to what you like and what looks best in the market. There’s no reason you couldn’t use all one kind of fruit, although it looks much prettier with the jewel-like variety of fruits. Serve everyone a big pizza-sized slice.

CRUST

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, ice cold and cut in 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 or 4 tablespoons ice water, about

FILLING

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 or 3 large peaches, sliced

4 to 6 apricots, sliced

1/2 to 1 basket blackberries

GLAZE

1/2 cup red currant jelly

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or Cointreau

CRUST

Combine butter, shortening, flour and salt in food processor and pulse until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.

Add 2 tablespoons ice water with processor on. Continuing adding water 1 drop at a time with processor on until dough begins to form mass. You may not use all the water. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.

Roll out dough into 16-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Place in 14-inch pizza pan. Fold over to form 1/2-inch rim and flute edge. Chill 30 minutes.

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Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights, beans or rice. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake until crust is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on rack.

FILLING

Beat cream cheese, sugar, milk and orange zest with paddle attachment of electric mixer until cream cheese is smooth and ingredients are combined.

Replace paddle attachment with whisk attachment. Add whipping cream and whisk until mixture is thick and fluffy. Spread mixture on cooled Crust.

Arrange peaches, apricots and blueberries in concentric circles over filling.

GLAZE

Heat jelly in small saucepan over low heat until just melted. Stir in Grand Marnier. Brush lightly over fruit.

12 servings. Each serving:

381 calories; 302 mg sodium; 47 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.64 gram fiber.

PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM PIE WITH CARAMELIZED BANANAS AND CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST

When I began planning a pie party, my 7-year-old son, Ethan, said, “You have to make a peanut butter pie!” So this is in honor of Ethan. For the chocolate cookie wafer crumbs, I used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, but any chocolate cookie will do.

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COOKIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs

3 tablespoons butter, melted

PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

CARAMELIZED BANANAS

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

4 bananas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

TOPPING

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

1/4 pound bittersweet chocolate

COOKIE CRUST

Combine crumbs and butter. Pat into 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees 5 minutes to set crust. Chill.

PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM

Layer peanut butter and ice cream in bowl. Run rubber spatula through mixture to swirl. Chill 30 minutes.

CARAMELIZED BANANAS

Put sugar and water in medium skillet. Carefully wipe away with moistened finger any sugar crystals clinging to side of skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, without stirring, until sugar begins to caramelize and turns golden brown, about 6 minutes.

Add butter and sliced bananas and cook, stirring gently, until bananas begin to soften and brown around edges and are coated with caramel, about 3 minutes.

Pour mixture immediately into pie shell and distribute bananas evenly.

TOPPING

Spread Peanut Butter Ice Cream over Caramelized Bananas.

Spread whipped cream over ice cream, piling high in center.

Microwave chocolate 5 to 10 seconds to soften slightly. Use swivel-bladed vegetable peeler to strip chocolate into curls. Place decoratively atop whipped cream.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 6 servings:

818 calories; 305 mg sodium; 102 mg cholesterol; 56 grams fat; 76 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 1.50 grams fiber.

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BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK PIE WITH LEMON CRUST AND COCONUT STREUSEL

COCONUT STREUSEL

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

CRUST

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2/3 cup butter, ice cold and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup lemon juice, ice cold

FILLING

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

3 egg yolks

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

6 cups blueberries

COCONUT STREUSEL

Combine butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour and nutmeg in food processor and pulse until butter is in pea-sized pieces. Transfer to bowl and stir in coconut. Refrigerate until ready to use.

CRUST

Combine flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest and butter in food processor and pulse until butter is in pea-sized pieces.

Add lemon juice and process until mixture comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.

Roll out crust 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Place in 9-inch pie plate. Crimp edges and chill 30 minutes.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights, beans or rice. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake until crust just begins to color, about 10 minutes.

FILLING

Combine sugar, flour, egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice, salt and melted butter. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into Crust and bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes.

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Remove from oven and cover top of pie with Coconut Streusel. Continue baking until filling is set and streusel is light golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 6 servings:

877 calories; 809 mg sodium; 254 mg cholesterol; 49 grams fat; 104 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 1.84 grams fiber.

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC VINEGAR PIE WITH BLACK PEPPER CRUST

PEPPER CRUST

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarsely cracked blacked pepper

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

9 or 10 strawberries, hulled and halved

PEPPER CRUST

Mix flour, butter, sugar, salt and pepper with paddle attachment of electric mixer until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.

Combine egg and vanilla. Add to flour-butter mixture and mix until dough forms ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Place in 9-inch pie plate and crimp edges. Chill.

Line bottom of pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights, beans or rice. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake until crust is light golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.

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FILLING

Combine sugar and flour. Combine water, butter, vinegar and eggs and add to dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Line bottom of Pepper Crust with strawberries. Pour filling over strawberries. Cover edge of crust with foil to prevent overbaking. Bake at 350 degrees until center is just set and no longer jiggles, about 40 minutes. Cool to allow filling to set before slicing.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 6 servings:

565 calories; 489 mg sodium; 175 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 72 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.23 gram fiber.

SALTED TOASTED ALMOND ICE CREAM

The idea of salty almonds and sweet ice cream appealed to me, so I came up with this flavor, which would go great with peach pie or a nectarine galette. I tried several brands of nuts, and the one that had the best almond flavor and just the right amount of salt was Trader Joe’s Dry Roasted and Salted Almonds. You could use softened store-bought vanilla ice cream instead of making your own. If you do, just soften it slightly and fold in the almonds.

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup milk

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup toasted and salted almonds, coarsely chopped

Combine whipping cream and milk in saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.

Whisk yolks and sugar in bowl until light-colored and fluffy. Place mixing bowl on kitchen towel to keep it in place. Slowly pour hot cream mixture in stream into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture coats back of spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let temperature reach more than 180 degrees or mixture will curdle.

Remove from heat and pour through strainer into bowl to stop cooking process. Chill about 1 hour.

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Stir in almond extract. Freeze in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

When machine stops but ice cream is still soft, fold in chopped almonds. Place ice cream in freezer until it hardens to desired consistency.

3 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving:

411 calories; 140 mg sodium; 312 mg cholesterol; 34 grams fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.57 gram fiber.

JASMINE TEA ICE CREAM

This ice cream would go well with almost any fruit pie, but I especially like it with a nectarine galette or an apricot tarte tatin.

1 ounce Jasmine tea leaves or 8 tea bags

1/2 cup hot water

1 vanilla bean

4 cups heavy whipping cream

10 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

This ice cream would go well with almost any fruit pie, but I especially like it with a nectarine galette or an apricot tarte tatin.

Combine tea and hot water and let steep 3 hours.

Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape seeds into 4-quart saucepan and add bean husk. Add cream and bring just to simmer over medium heat, watching carefully so mixture doesn’t overflow. Remove from heat and let steep at least 1 hour.

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Whisk yolks and sugar in 4-quart mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Place mixing bowl on kitchen towel to keep it in place.

Return cream mixture to simmer over low heat. Slowly pour hot cream mixture in thin stream into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture coats back of spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let temperature reach more than 180 degrees or mixture will curdle.

Remove from heat and pour through strainer into bowl to stop cooking process. Discard vanilla bean husk. Strain reserved tea into custard and mix. Chill about 1 hour.

Freeze in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes about 1 quart. Each 1/2-cup serving:

589 calories; 56 mg sodium; 505 mg cholesterol; 51 grams fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0 fiber.

INDIVIDUAL NECTARINE GALETTES

CRUST

2/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, ice cold and cut in 1/2-inch pieces

2 cups flour plus 5 teaspoons

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold milk

FILLING

5 large nectarines

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

CRUST

Process almonds and sugar in food processor until finely ground.

Add butter, 2 cups flour and salt and pulse until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs. Add milk and process until dough begins to form mass. Flatten dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.

Divide dough into 5 equal pieces and roll out each piece into 8-inch disk. Place on jelly roll pan. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of remaining flour in center of each disk to absorb juices.

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FILLING

Cut nectarines into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange in concentric circles on pastry discs, leaving 1 1/2-inch borders. Reserve 5 teaspoons sugar and sprinkle remaining sugar generously over nectarines and dot with butter.

Fold dough over nectarines, leaving open space in center and folding pleats in dough to create rim. Brush dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees until edges and bottoms of Crusts are browned, about 30 minutes.

5 servings. Each serving:

700 calories; 563 mg sodium; 124 mg cholesterol; 39 grams fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 1.38 grams fiber.

INGREDIENTS

STAPLES

Cinnamon

Cornstarch

Almond extract

Vanilla extract

Grand Marnier

Lemons

Milk

Nutmeg

Peanut butter

Pepper

Salt

Vanilla beans

Vegetable shortening

Brown sugar

Balsamic vinegar

SHOPPING LIST

2 ounces sliced almonds

1 cup salted toasted almonds

6 apricots

4 bananas

1 pint blackberries

4 pints blueberries

2 pounds butter

1 pint buttermilk

1/4 pound bittersweet chocolate

1 (11-ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies

4 pints heavy whipping cream

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese

3 dozen eggs

3 pounds flour

1 quart vanilla ice cream

1 (8-ounce) jar currant jelly

6 nectarines

1 orange

12 or 13 peaches

1 pint raspberries, optional

3 pounds granulated sugar

2 pints strawberries

1 (14-ounce) package sweetened flaked coconut

1 ounce jasmine tea leaves or 8 tea bags

COUNTDOWN

Party preparations can begin one day instead of two days in advance. What follows is a leisurely three-day plan designed to keep the cook sane.

Two days before:

* Make dough for nectarine galettes, flatten into disk, wrap in plastic wrap (about 20 minutes) and chill at least 1 hour.

* While dough for galettes is chilling, make dough for strawberry pie, wrap in plastic wrap (about 20 minutes). Chill at least 1 hour.

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* While those 2 doughs are chilling, clean food processor, make dough for blueberry pie and wrap in plastic wrap (about 20 minutes). Chill.

* While previous doughs are chilling, clean food processor, make dough for fruit pizza and wrap in plastic wrap (about 20 minutes). Chill.

* While other doughs are chilling, clean food processor again, make dough for peach pie and wrap in plastic wrap (about 20 minutes). Chill.

* Combine cookie crumbs and butter for cookie crust and pat into 9-inch pie plate (about 10 minutes). Refrigerate.

* Remove blueberry pie dough from refrigerator, roll out, place in pie plate and crimp edge (about 10 minutes). Refrigerate.

* Remove fruit pizza dough from refrigerator, roll out, place in pizza pan, form rim and flute edge (about 10 minutes). Refrigerate.

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* Remove peach pie dough from refrigerator, roll out, place in pie plate and flute edge (about 10 minutes). Refrigerate.

* Remove nectarine galette dough from refrigerator, divide into 5 equal pieces and roll out each piece into disk (15 to 20 minutes). Stack disks with wax paper in between and refrigerate.

* Remove strawberry pie dough from refrigerator, roll out, place in pie plate and crimp edges (about 10 minutes). Chill.

* Clean food processor one more time and make coconut streusel for blueberry pie. Refrigerate.

* Make crumb topping for peach pie and refrigerate.

One day before:

* Bake cookie crust for ice cream pie (5 minutes) and chill.

* Combine tea and hot water for optional jasmine tea ice cream and let steep 3 hours.

* Bake fruit pizza crust (40 to 45 minutes). While fruit pizza crust is baking, make base for optional almond ice cream and chill.

* When you remove the fruit pizza crust from the oven, bake the crust for the strawberry pie (15 to 20 minutes). While the strawberry pie crust is baking, combine vanilla ice cream and peanut butter for ice cream pie and chill.

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* When you remove the strawberry pie crust from the oven, bake the peach pie crust (15 minutes). Heat vanilla bean with whipping cream for optional jasmine tea ice cream and let steep.

* When you remove the peach pie crust from the oven, bake the blueberry pie crust (25 minutes). While blueberry pie crust is baking, caramelize bananas for ice cream pie and place in chilled cookie crust. Spread peanut butter ice cream on bananas for ice cream pie.

* Whip cream, make chocolate curls and finish assembly of ice cream pie. Freeze.

* Freeze optional almond ice cream.

* Make base for optional jasmine tea ice cream and chill.

* Make strawberry balsamic pie and refrigerate.

* Freeze optional jasmine tea ice cream.

Day of party:

Four hours before: Peel and slice peaches. Assemble and bake peach pie. Let cool.

Three hours before: Assemble and bake blueberry pie. Let cool.

Two hours before: Slice nectarines. Assemble and bake galettes.

One hour before: Make filling for fruit pizza. Arrange sliced fruit on top, glaze and chill. Remove strawberry balsamic pie from refrigerator.

30 minutes before serving: Place all pies, ice creams and drinks on one big table for a pie buffet.

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