SMS – Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler Pie

Sometimes when I decide to tinker with the recipe, I forget that there is a different effect to everything I change. Take for example this pie filling: I read two cups of strawberries and two cups of rhubarb and think to myself “thats it?” So, I roughly double the strawberries and don’t bother to think about what that’ll do to the pie.

Just in case you didn’t know, strawberries have a HIGH water content. So high, that when you double the amount of strawberries called for in a recipe, you should expect nothing less than strawberry soup.

Don’t get me wrong, this pie was SO delicious that I didn’t mind that I had to pour a bit GALLONS of the extra strawberry hued water out or that it made my pie crust soggy, no. I didn’t care because it was sweet and tangy and the biscuits were tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Pie heaven!

Now if only I could have taken more appealing pictures of this pie. I really hate struggling for natural light 😦

I used fresh berries and frozen rhubarb. Houston doesn’t seem to like rhubard. Which would explain the hordes of stores I’ve gone to in order to find fresh rhubarb. With none to be found.

Update: I FINALLY found fresh organic rhubarb…… at $6.99/lb. No thanks. I’ll keep searching 🙂

A huge thank you to my friend Tracey of Tracey’s Culinary Adventures for choosing this recipe and finally getting some of that frozen rhubarb out of my freezer. Head on over to her great blog for the recipe and mass amounts of foods that’ll really get your mouth watering 🙂

Up next week: Peanut Butter Truffles

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SMS – Completely askew Double Crusted Caramel Apple Pie (Minis)

“I’m going to make minis” I say. “I won’t eat an entire apple pie anyhow. Ok… I SHOULDN’T eat an entire pie” I say. “Pie crust hates me anyhow” I say. “My pie crusts always come out slightly crappy. I’ll half the pie dough and make minis” I say.

Sometimes I wish I would just learn to keep my big trap shut. I decided to make minis mainly because my pie crusts have always been nothing short of disappointing. Always. Not one instance where my pie crust has turned out flaky and delicious. Well, until now. OF COURSE!! I swear the baking gods hate me sometimes.

I can chalk my pie dough up to actually taking care to follow the steps and to put everything in the freezer before it was to be used. Cold butter, cold shortening, cold flour even. I used the maximum amount of water that was listed and although I though I needed more, I stopped. Rolling it was a bit of a pain because it wanted to crack on me BUT I didn’t really care because I thought it would suck anyhow. Psh.

On to the caramel. HA!! The god bless me once and damn me in the same pie. I tried THREEEEE TIIIIIMES (persistent little thing, aren’t I?) to caramelize my sugar and water. And THREE TIMES it seized. It just wouldn’t stay liquidy. I have NO IDEA what I did wrong but I threw the pot in the sink, added cinnamon (1TBSP), nutmeg (1/4 tsp), and allspice (1/4 tsp) to my apples (left out the zest and upped the sugar 2TBSP extra) and went about my pie making.

Halving the recipe left me with 4 ramekins full-o-pie. These are goooood! Eat it waaaaarm and delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and be quickly transported into apple pie heaven. There is simply no other way 🙂

Thank you to Susan of Baking with Susan for Choosing this recipe, how’d you know that I have a weakness for baked apples? But honestly, why didn’t you warn me that I should have made an entire pie? 😉 Head on over to her blog for the recipe and be sure to head on over to the other bakers’ blogs to see their (complete) pies.

TWD – Pecan Pie

I hate pecan pie. Loathe even. Ha!!! What a way to start a post, eh?! Let me explain. Please?

Pecan pie was something that IF it was brought to a gathering (which was a rarity in itself) it was store bought. Yah. Enough said, right?!

Burnt pecans, gummy tasteless pie crust, cloyingly sweet filling whose texture is either grainy or slimy. I tried it, I did. And then… I stifled my gag reflexes the best I could.

Tasty.

So you can understand my reluctance to make a pecan pie and then feel obligated to at least TRY it. On top of that, I was short on time (which is why I used a frozen pie crust, eep) and short 1/4 cup+ of corn syrup and just about freaked out because I was sure I didn’t have anything on hand in order to substitute. Thanks to Google I substituted it for clover honey. I left out the espresso powder, the chocolate, but left the cinnamon (I’m starting to think I have a problem…)

I cut a piece to photograph and instantly I noticed the difference in the filling. It was semi-solid and wonderfully aromatic. I squeezed my eyes closed and took the plunge. The dynamic that the honey gave the pie was LIFE changing.

I’m happy to report that I no longer have a fear of pecan pie. Well, at least when I make it 😉

Thanks to Beth of Someone’s in the Kitchen with Brina for choosing this recipe. Head on over to her blog for the recipe.

TWD – Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

Ten limes. TEN LIMES and NO lime juice to show for it!! Are these just grown purposely to be stubborn and juice-less in order to effectively AND efficiently drive me into a sweat filled panic?!

*squeezes lime*     “arg!”

*squeezes another lime*    “what the….”

*squeezes the bejezus out of yet ANOTHER lime*     “ok, seriously?!?”

*throws lime at fiance, in defeat*

Ok, not really the last part but these limes were nothing short of frustrating!

Thankfully a friend had some extra lime juice (yes, in a bottle. I know, I know. I have punished myself accordingly) but it was getting late. Oh the time, the TIME!!!

The crust came together great, thankfully I had some cinnamon graham crackers left over from my smores obsession a while back. The cream would NOT come to temperature for me (was it because I was using a meat thermometer?) so I kept it in my make-shift double boiler and left well enough alone. The meringue came together quickly (and burned just as quickly, see note at the end).

All in all, I can’t rave too much about this pie. It was ok, but I think it could be better and I honestly think it’s my fault that it isn’t. Mental note: research tell-tale signs of juicy limes. But you live and you learn. My mom and my fiance (gasp! One small step for man…) actually liked this pie so I guess it wasn’t a total loss. I would definitely make this again to conquer this recipe… using fresh limes, of course and less butter. Yes, definitely LESS BUTTER. *shudders*

My favorite part: the crust. I opted for the graham cracker crust. I firmly believe that I would have a love affair with graham cracker crust, if it were at all possible and not frowned upon in most civilizations.

My lesson learned note: when broiling the pie to brown the meringue, WATCH IT and do NOT walk away. Not even for 30 seconds, literally. By the time I put the pie in the oven and walked to the couch and sat down I smelled burned pie emulating from my oven. I quickly ran over to discover that my meringue was a bit on the, erm… DARK side.

Cue Darth Vader.

For the recipe, visit Linda of Tender Crumb. Her pictures are great and they will make your mouth water (unlike mine 😀 )

Click here for more pics.