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Friday July 27, 2007

As easy as pie? You — and your kids — would be surprised!

by Louise Fiszer

During a recent exchange between friends planning an upcoming potluck Shabbat dinner menu, the conversation focused on desserts. Some volunteered cakes and sweet breads, others tarts and cookies. But there seemed to be a glaring omission — pies!

I have come across many good cooks who are not intimidated by long, demanding dessert recipes, yet are afraid to make a pie. But I just can’t imagine wasting an opportunity to incorporate our glorious summer produce, especially when stone fruits and berries are at their peak.

Also, if you have kids at home this summer, making a pie can be a perfect “teaching experience” in the kitchen.

A pastry chef once taught me an infallible pastry that is insensitive to over-handling and turns out perfectly every time. The secret ingredient is cream. This special dough has encouraged me to bake endless summertime pies, some to enjoy now, others to freeze for a future simcha.

If you’ve never baked a good old American pie, I urge you to try one of the following recipes using this dough — I promise you’ll say “It was as easy as pie.”

Pie Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

12 Tbs. unsalted butter

6 Tbs. heavy cream*

Combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into flour mixture until a coarse meal is formed. Add the cream and mix until a smooth dough is formed. (May be used immediately or wrapped and refrigerated up to 2 days).

Makes enough pastry for a double crust 9-inch pie.

*5 Tbs. ice water plus 1 Tbs. lemon juice may be substituted for the cream.

Brandied Peach Pie

5 or 6 tart large peaches, cut into 4 wedges

3 Tbs. butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup brandy

2 Tbs. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbs. dry bread crumbs

1 pie pastry

Cut each peach quarter into 3 slices and place in large frying pan with butter and sugars. Cook just until coated with butter and are barely tender. Pour in brandy, toss with peaches and cook over high heat 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool about 4 minutes. Toss with flour and cinnamon.

Roll out half the dough to fit 9-inch pie pan and place dough in pan. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. (This will prevent crust from becoming soggy.) Pour in peach mixture. Roll out remaining dough to a 12-inch circle and place over filling. Pinch edges of top and bottom doughs together with fingers. Make a few slits in top crust and bake in preheated 375-degree oven about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Cherry-Berry Pie

1 pie pastry

4 Tbs. quick-cooking tapioca

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup white sugar

2 cups pitted cherries

2 cups raspberries or blackberries

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 Tbs. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll dough out to make a top and bottom crust. Place bottom crust in pie pan. Set top crust aside, covered.

In a large mixing bowl combine tapioca, salt, sugar, cherries, berries and extracts. Let stand 15 minutes. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet, in case of drips.

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Rebecca Ets-Hokin. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to loufiszer@aol.com.