Chapter 6

Save Room for Pie!

Roll up your sleeves and roll out the dough -- it’s time to make pie!

Teeny Tiny Apple Pies

Dig in the Dirt Pie

Makes 6–8 servings

On a hot day, make a mud pie with chocolate ice cream and cookie crumb dirt. Get creative and plant a garden in the dirt. Add any miniature garden supplies you have (like this tiny shovel and watering can!).

Here’s What You Need

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften. Crush the cookies in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin (or pulse in a food processor).
  2. 2. Set aside 1⁄2 cup of the cookie crumbs. Mix the rest of them with the melted butter in a medium bowl.
  3. 3. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 9 x 9 pan. Place the pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes to set.
  4. 4. Spoon the softened ice cream onto the crust, and spread it out with the back of the spoon.
  5. 5. Sprinkle the ice cream with the remaining 1⁄2 cup cookie crumbs. Top with rows of fresh mint and berries.
  6. 6. Freeze overnight. To serve, let the pie stand for a few minutes at room temperature. Slice it with a knife that’s been run under hot tap water.

Lucky Ladybugs!

Add some critters to your mud pie. To make ladybugs, draw black spots on a red candy with a gourmet writer. You can find gourmet writers at craft and kitchen supply stores. What other bugs can you make?

Farmers’ Market Fruit Tarts

Makes 4

For the world’s easiest pie, start with puff pastry and fresh fruit. You can buy puff pastry in the freezer section of your grocery store. For fruit? Try apples, blueberries, or peaches!

Here’s What You Need

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured countertop until the dough is about 10 by 12 inches.
  2. 2. Cut it into four pieces. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  3. 3. Spread the fruit on top of the squares, leaving about 1⁄2 inch of space around the edges.
  4. 4. Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then sprinkle it over the fruit.
  5. 5. Fold up the corners of each square, pinching the sides in place.
  6. 6. Bake the tarts for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and the puff pastry is light brown.

Local Flavor

For the sweetest, tastiest fruits, buy them in season at a farmers’ market or from a pick-your-own place. Look for blueberries, raspberries, apples, peaches, and more, depending on the time of year. If you’re craving a simple and delicious treat in the winter, though, you can use frozen fruit (thawed and drained) to make this Farmers’ Market Fruit Tart.

Perfect Pie Crust

Makes 2 crusts

The easiest way to mix up a piecrust is in a food processor. The trick is to start with cold butter and ice water and to mix the dough by pressing the pulse button in short bursts. Don’t mix it too much or your crust may turn out chewy instead of flaky and tender.

Here’s What You Need

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse once or twice to mix it up. Add the butter, and mix in short pulses until it looks sandy.
  2. 2. Sprinkle with the ice water, and process in pulses until the dough starts to come together. It should still be slightly crumbly.
  3. 3. Divide the dough in half, and place on sheets of plastic wrap. Pat each half into a ball, gathering up all the crumbs.
  4. 4. Flatten each ball into a thick disk. Wrap the disks in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 days).
  5. 5. Before using the dough, let it soften slightly at room temperature. Roll it out between two pieces of plastic wrap, following the directions for the recipe you are using it for.

Tip: Don’t have a food processor? You can mix the ingredients together in a large bowl with a pastry cutter or even two forks. It’s a little harder to get the mixture to look sandy, so use your muscles!

How to Line a Pie Pan

  1. 1. Once your crust is rolled out, carefully fold it into quarters.
  2. 2. Transfer it to a pie pan with the corner point in the center, and then unfold.
  3. 3. Press the crust gently into the pie pan.
  4. 4. Trim the edges with a knife.
  5. 5. Crimp the edges into a pattern (see Mix & Match Piecrust Shapes for ideas). Don’t worry about getting the crust to look perfect. Even imperfect pies taste terrific!
Mix & Match

Pie Crust Shapes

Once you’ve made your basic piecrust, you can get creative with shaping and crimping it. Each pie will look a little different, but they will all taste the same — delicious! Begin by lining a pie pan with the crust (see How to Line a Pie Pan). Then follow one of the recipes in this chapter for the filling and baking. Happy pie making!

Lattice. Use a pastry wheel or knife to cut the dough into strips. Weave them over the pie.

Spoon Crimped. Decorate the crust edge by pressing with the rounded end of a spoon.

Slab Pie. Instead of using a pie pan, use a small square sheet pan.

Pie Ornaments. Cut out small stars and other shapes to bake on top of the pie.

Fork Crimped. Decorate the crust edge by pressing with the tines of a fork.

Pie Pattern. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes in the top crust.

Finger Crimped. Crimp your crust by pressing a finger into the dough as you pinch it with your other hand.

My First Blueberry Pie

Makes 8–10 servings

If you’re looking for an easy first pie, try this one. You don’t need to do any slicing or dicing — just pile plump, ripe berries into a piecrust and bake it up. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Here’s What You Need

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Here's What You Do

  1. 1. Stir the blueberries with the sugar, flour, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
  2. 2. Roll out half of the piecrust dough between two pieces of plastic wrap to 1⁄8-inch thickness. Line the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch pie pan with the rolled dough.
  3. 3. Fill the pie shell with the blueberry mixture. Dot the butter chunks across the top.
  4. 4. Roll out the second ball of dough. Cut it into 1⁄2-inch-wide strips with a pastry wheel or knife. Place half the strips on top of the pie, leaving about 1 inch between each strip.
  5. 5. Weave the remaining strips over and under to make a lattice top. Trim off any overhanging strips with a knife.
  6. 6. Press the tines of a fork around the edges. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the filling bubbles and the crust turns golden brown.
Kitchen Creativity

Fruit Pie Flavors

Switch up your blueberry pie, and try one of these fruits instead.

Apple Pie

Bake for 40 minutes at 400°F (200°C).

Strawberry/Rhubarb

Bake for 45 minutes at 400°F (200°C).