Pandowdy — a spoon pie, with fruit on the bottom and a rolled crust on top, which is broken up to allow the juices to come through.
My favorite thing. A pie. Simple. Delicious. This one is called a Pandowdy. Mine is a modified version. I like a bottom crust also. It is completely up to you.
Blackberry Pandowdy
Filling:
2 bags frozen blackberries
1/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
cream for brushing
sugar for sprinkling
Pie crust (For a double crust pie, I make the 8 or 9 inch One-Crust plus the 8 or 9 inch Two -Crust because I like to work with lots of dough!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out a little over half of the dough as described in the pie crust recipe and place in the pie plate. Add the flour and sugar to the frozen blackberries. Toss gently to coat. Pour berry mixture over dough in pie plate. Roll the top crust out as described in the pie crust recipe and place over the berries. Crimp the edges to seal. Brush the top with cream (I usually use evaporated milk or plain milk...whatever I have on hand). Sprinkle top with sugar.
Bake until crust is set and beginning brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven; gently push some of the crust into the filling using a spoon. Bake until crust is golden brown and crisp and juices are bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes more.
Now, eat and enjoy! Have a second piece. Kidding!!
Labels: desserts, pastry, pies
By: Sharon Pickering | 6/09/2008 at 1:47 PM | | If you want, you can leave a comment by clicking here.
What to do with those turkey leftovers? I made a delicious Turkey Pot Pie. The recipe is adapted from an old Bisquick Cookbook recipe.
Turkey Pot Pie
Double pie crust
Turkey Filling:
1 large onion, chopped
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chicken broth (or 2 cans)
1 1/2 cup half & half or evaporated milk
3-4 cups chopped cooked turkey
3 peeled and diced potatoes
1 can peas
1 can corn
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Cook and stir onion in butter in dutch oven until tender. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until mixture is bubbly. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Then add chopped turkey and diced potatoes. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer over low heat while preparing the double pie crust (or about 20-30 minutes.) After crust is made, add the corn, peas and Worcestershire sauce.
Place the bottom crust in the pie pan. Pour hot turkey filling in crust. Place top crust over and crimp edges with a fork. Cut a slit in top crust for steam.
Beat the egg and water, then brush over top crust. Bake in 400 degree oven until crust is brown and filling is bubbly, about 1 hour.
Just add what veggies you like or have on hand. Another crust option is a biscuit topping instead of the pie crust. In that case, make the biscuits and place on hot filling, then bake in a 425 degree oven until biscuits are done.
This is what we had for dessert...an apple pie! What else. My husband reminded in the grocery store today, that it is apple season. I took the hint.
Actually, this was just a sneaky way to get a picture of my new Staub Pumpkin Cocotte in the post! The pot was used for the turkey filling, so I guess it is fair game.
Labels: apples, casserole, pastry, pie crust, pies, poultry
By: Sharon Pickering | 12/02/2007 at 3:37 PM | | If you want, you can leave a comment by clicking here.
My daughter is here for a visit, and I told her I would make whatever kind of pie she wanted. She wanted a chocolate pie...much to the joy of my husband. It is an old standby that the family has loved forever. In my opinion, a fruit pie tops a cream pie any day. But, like I said, that is my opinion.
Chocolate Pie
You need a baked pie crust. Dock the crust by poking holes on the bottom and sides with a fork and bake in a 425 degree oven until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. (I left mine in a little too long, but it was still good.) While the crust is baking, make the filling and meringue.
Chocolate Pudding Filling
(an old word of mouth recipe from Imogene Baldwin)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (I use one large can evaporated milk and make up the difference with milk)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons cocoa
In a saucepan mix the sugar, flour, salt, cocoa and eggs. Gradually stir in the milk over med-high heat, stirring constantly until the pudding becomes thick. Remove from heat and with a whisk, beat in the butter and vanilla until the pudding becomes smooth.
While the pudding is cooking, I make the meringue in my Kitchen Aid Mixer...it almost does it on it's own. But, keep a watchful eye on the pudding. You don't want it to burn. If you can't do both at once, do the meringue after you make the pudding.
Meringue Topping
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add sugar a little bit at a time, beating after each addition making sure the sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
Pour the hot pudding in the baked pie crust. Spread the meringue topping over the pudding, creating a seal between the meringue and crust. Bake in a 425 degree oven until the meringue gets golden brown on the tips.
That is about it. Except for enjoying all the smiles and happy faces!
Labels: desserts, pie crust, pies
By: Sharon Pickering | 10/07/2007 at 4:54 PM | | If you want, you can leave a comment by clicking here.
This was a first for me. I bartered a pie for man-power. We had an armoir downstairs that, of course, we wanted upstairs. My husband kept bringing it up and looking at me like "Why don't we move it now?" I kept coming up with excuses...the shower drain is clogged, I have to clean the closet, I think my big toe is broke. The list went on and on. Until one day, it came to me . I asked him to call his friend and let me speak to him. Within the hour, I had a man at the door with bag of apples in hand, ready to move my end of the armoir!!! It was a defining moment in my life. My pies can move mountains!! (Well, at least move large bulky, extremely heavy pieces of furniture.) Not only did said friend move the armoir for me, he also peeled the apples. What a deal.
My husband, always on the lookout for a pie opportunity, wanted his own. He chose a pecan pie. It really turned out great.
Pecan Pie
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups pecans
1 pie shell
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the pecans in the bottom of the pie shell. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over pecans. (The pecans will rise to the surface of the pie.)
2. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the filling has set.
3. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
This opens the door for all sorts of bartering. Mowing the lawn. Shoveling the snow. Clean the gutters. I have a million ideas!
Labels: desserts, pastry, pecans, pies
By: Sharon Pickering | 3/03/2007 at 1:26 PM | | If you want, you can leave a comment by clicking here.
What to do on a snowy Saturday afternoon? I mean beside the obvious cleaning the freezer? Bake a pie, of course! I decided to make a Blackberry-Blueberry Crumb Pie, mainly because in cleaning the freezer I found blackberries, blueberries and a frozen pie crust! This was almost too easy. It nearly baked itself. It will serve as dessert to a dinner of Turkey Tetrazzini (frozen shredded turkey...another freezer find) and homemade buttermilk bread. This dinner will be YUM!
To put the pie together is as easy as...well...pie! Like I said, I had the crust frozen from a previous pie baking. (I always make two crusts and freeze one.) If you aren't lucky enough to have a crust waiting in the freezer, now is the time to make a couple. Follow the simple instructions from this previous post, Pie Crusts 101. Besides the crust, you will need a bag of frozen blackberries, a bag of frozen or a box of fresh blueberries, butter, flour and sugar. (Note, fresh blueberries freeze extremely well, so if you run across a bargain, stock up!)
Blackberry-Blueberry Crumb Pie
1 bag frozen blackberries
1 bag frozen blueberries
~or~
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 pie crust (unbaked)
crumb topping (see below for recipe)
Mix frozen berries with flour and sugar. Pour into pie crust. Top with crumb topping. Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 and bake another 45-60 minutes.
It really is very simple. And it will be a juicy pie!
Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Cut butter into flour and sugar until crumbly. Spoon over your fruit filling and bake as usual.
Here is the pie with the crumb topping ready to pop in the oven.
Now, all that is left to do is get a plate and fork (and maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream) and enjoy!
Labels: pies
By: Sharon Pickering | 2/17/2007 at 1:42 PM | | If you want, you can leave a comment by clicking here.
Here is another tasty pie recipe...just in time for the holidays. It adorned my Thanksgiving table, and may make a repeat appearance on my Christmas table. Yes, it was that good! The recipe is courtesy Paula Deen.
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
1 cup apple butter
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Stir in eggs. Gradually add milk and mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake for about 40 minutes or until set.
Cook's Notes:
-If the crust begins to burn, place tin foil around the crust and lower the temperature of the oven.
-A tasty topping for this pie is Pecan Pralines.
I love the way this pie uses pumpkin and apples to make a pie full of spices. The apple butter packs a double punch. Not only do you get a hint of apple flavor, but it also adds it's own spices to the flavors. The pie has a slightly different texture than regular pumpkin...an improvement in my book.
Labels: apples, desserts, pies, pumpkin
By: Sharon Pickering | 11/27/2006 at 1:32 PM | | If you want, you can leave a comment by clicking here.
Let's just get it out there. We all have something we do better than the average person. Or it is our favorite thing to do. Or it is what you do best. For me, that is baking pies. As a matter of fact I came very close to naming this blog "Pie in the Sky" because - I love to make pies...I love eating pies...I make an awesome pie...My blog template's header image is a sky drawing (I choose "Buttermilk Clouds" for other reasons which is a whole new post.)
I will probably post about pies and pie paraphernalia often. :-) And, as luck would have it, I made a pie yesterday! For the first time I actually took some photos of the different phases of making a pie.
It is fall in Illinois, and we are lucky enough to live close to Mills Apple Farm. That is the starting point for all my best apple pies. Mills is a family-owned farm that I have gone to for, I guess, 25 years or more. My husband makes fun of me because I won't get my apples anywhere else. For me, it is so much more than the apple. I enjoy the ride in the country, seeing the trees heavy with ripe apples, looking at all their homemade jams and jellies, smelling the heady aroma of hay and ripe apples, getting a gallon of fresh cider and looking at their mums and fresh cut sunflowers.
Their apples are always crisp and juicy. Perfect for eating out of hand or tucking in a pie crust. I'm not so particular on the type of apple I use. Whatever is in season will do. My last batch of pies (and I mean batch...I made six and gave pies away to the neighbors) was Jonagold. Yesterday I used Fuji and Braeburn. I do think I get a slightly better pie if I use two different types of apples, but sometimes I only have one type and it turns out great. I do choose the biggest apples I can find for making pies. Simply because it reduces the peeling time. Depending on the size, I use 4-5 apples per pie.
The base for all pies is the crust. Without that, well, all you have is hot fruit. I find that people are afraid of making a crust from scratch. When, in actuality, it is extremely simple to make. Years ago I found this recipe for a mixer pie crust: 
And for many years, I actually did use a handheld mixer to make it. Flaky and tasty. Eventually I decided it was too much of a bother getting the mixer out, and started using a pastry blender. Only recently, with the addition of a food processor (welcome to the 20th century), have I started using it to cut the shortening into the flour. Now, depending on my mood, I use either the food processor or the pastry blender. Each method works, with the processor edging out the pastry blender for ease. When I make a pie with a crust on top and bottom, I use the recipe for a 2 crust pie and a 1 crust pie (total 3 cups of flour altogether ... understand?). Reasoning...I like lots of crust to work with. Other little tips/quirks:
- I make a glass of water with ice in it first thing so it will be very cold when I add it to the mix
- If working alone (ie my husband isn't helping me peel apples) I will make the bottom crust first, roll it out, put it in the pie pan and put it in the refrigerator then get the filling ready.
- It truly depends on the humidity in the air as to how much water to add, so I gently toss the flour/shortening mixture after the addition of each tablespoon of ice water and when it starts to clump up and act like it will hold together good, I'm done adding water!
- After adding enough water, I handle the dough as little as possible (gather and gently press into a ball and roll gently) because it is at this point that if it is handled too much, it will be tough and not flaky.
- If I think ahead, I will measure out the shortening and put it in the refrigerator to chill. If not, I use it straight from the cupboard.
The pie filling itself is not a science. Using a mandolin (mine is a great inexpensive one from Progressive) makes slicing the apples a cinch. They come out thin and uniform. A huge bowl is done in minutes. Usually for 3-5 apples I use 1 1/2 cups-2 cups of sugar and about 1/4 cup flour. A sprinkling of cinnamon and a few pats of butter and it is done.
My newest fad for pies is making a double crust and completely sealing the top and bottom edges together. Then I brush with the top crust with heavy cream/half & half/ evaporated milk/milk...whatever I happen to have that day. After the milk brushing I sprinkle with sugar, cut an 'X' on the top and pop it in preheated 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. At that point I get a big spoon and push sections of the crust into the filling randomly. Return it to the oven and bake another 23-35 minutes. I usually cover the edge of the crust with foil so it won't over brown. The bonus with baking it this way is the juices from the pie rarely overflow.
This method makes such a beautiful pie! All that is left to do is wait for it to cool (if you can) and enjoy a big slice. My husband likes it with ice-cream...I prefer it without. Either way, it is a taste sensation!!!
Labels: apples, desserts, food processor, mandolin, pastry, pie crust, pies
By: Sharon Pickering | 10/30/2006 at 3:43 PM | | If you want, you can leave a comment by clicking here.
