Chapter 24
PIES AND COBBLERS
Thanks to their being comparatively easy to make and to the ready availability of key ingredients in season, pies and cobblers have long held sway as standards of the sweet portion of daily diet in Appalachia. Of course, mere mention of the word sweet also conjures up thoughts of cakes, jams, jellies, syrups, honey and the like, but those are covered elsewhere. This chapter offers a cross section of pies and cobblers, and as a general rule, it should be noted that substituting one fruit or berry for another is perfectly feasible in many of the recipes that follow.
Grandma Minnie’s Fried Pies
1 pound dried fruit
¾ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon (or to taste)
2 tablespoons butter
1 pie crust
Lard for frying
Cinnamon or cinnamon sugar
Cover the dried fruit with water and soak overnight. Drain any extra water and cook slowly until completely tender. Mash the fruit to make a sauce and then add the other ingredients. Stir well and allow to cool.
Make a pie crust, but use less shortening than normal. Roll out the crust quite thin, cut in circles (using a saucer for an outline provides a convenient size), add fruit sauce to each circle, fold over and pinch edges to seal. The end result is often called mule ears or half-moons because of their shape. Fry in piping hot lard; turn only once. Serve while still warm. If desired, you can sprinkle with cinnamon or cinnamon sugar.
TIP: Fried pies warm over quite nicely, and they also make a wonderful cold dessert for a field lunch.
—Jim Casada
Plum and Honey Tarts
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
Plums, sliced
Sugar
Honey
Thaw pastry according to directions (or if you wish, make your own). Using a sharp knife or an ulu, cut pastry into two-inch squares and place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick pastry with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much while cooking. Lay plum slices on pastry, leaving a slight border of perhaps ¼ inch around the edges. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle with honey just before serving.
TIP: Peaches and pears also work nicely with this simple recipe.
—Tipper Pressley
A tempting trio of plum tarts. Tipper Pressley.
Beehives. Courtesy of the National Park Service.
Blackberry Pie
6 cups blackberries
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 baked pie shell
Cook 2 cups of blackberries with sugar, water, cornstarch, lemon juice and butter. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute until mixture has thickened. Place 2 cups of blackberries on the bottom of the pie shell. Pour cooked mixture over them and add the remaining 2 cups of blackberries to the top. Chill for 4 hours. Makes a very pretty summertime pie.
—Tipper Pressley
Peach Pie
2 unbaked pie crusts
4 cups sliced peaches
2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
½ stick butter
1 egg white
Press one pie crust into pie plate. Add peaches and sprinkle with flour and 1 cup of sugar. Cut butter into pieces and add to top of peaches. Put the second crust on top, crimping the edges together with the bottom crust. Brush top with egg white and sprinkle the additional tablespoon of sugar on it. With a sharp knife, cut lines in the center of the top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until crust is golden brown.
After the pie is removed from the oven, allow to cool for 30 minutes if you want the juices to set. We usually cut it as soon as it comes out of the oven because sweet, drippy juice doesn’t bother us at all. Moreover, the aroma is of the “I can’t wait” nature.
TIP: Place a baking sheet under the pie plate in oven to catch any drips.
—Tipper Pressley
Aunt Mary Jo’s Apple Pie
2 cups diced apples
2 tablespoons water
1 unbaked pie shell
½ stick butter
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
Place apples in a small saucepot with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook covered for 5 minutes with lid on, keeping an eye on it to make sure the apples don’t scorch. Pour cooked apples with liquid into an unbaked pie shell. Melt butter in a small pot; remove from heat; stir in sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and egg. Pour mixture over apples. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
TIP: Store-bought pie shells work perfectly well, but if you are a real traditionalist and want the ultimate in both freshness and taste, make your own.
—Tipper Pressley
Peach Cobbler
½ cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 cups sliced, cooked peaches
Place butter in a 9" x 13" baking dish and place in cold oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and allow butter to melt in pan as oven heats up. Combine flour, sugar and milk. Once butter has melted, remove pan, pour the butter in the batter and gently mix. Pour the batter into the heated pan and spoon peaches on top of it. Do not stir. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
TIP: If you’re using fresh peaches, cook peaches with one cup of water and ½ cup sugar for 25 to 30 minutes before starting this recipe.
—Tipper Pressley
A serving of peach cobbler. Tipper Pressley.
Blackberry Cobbler
1 quart blackberries
½ cup water
1½ cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter
Dash of salt
Melt butter in 9" × 13" pan. In saucepot, combine blackberries, water and ½ cup sugar. Cook until mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Combine 1 cup sugar and flour in a bowl. Stir in buttermilk and cinnamon. Pour batter over melted butter; do not stir. Spoon berries over the batter; do not stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden brown.
TIP: If using all-purpose flour, add 2 teaspoons baking powder.
—Tipper Pressley
Tipper’s Blueberry Pie
2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoon water
1 unbaked pie shell
½ stick butter
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg slightly beaten
Place blueberries in a small saucepot with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook for 5 minutes with lid on, checking to make sure they don’t scorch. Pour cooked blueberries and liquid into unbaked pie shell. Melt butter, remove from heat and stir in sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and slightly beaten egg. Pour mixture over blueberries. Bake in a 350 oven for 35 minutes.
—Tipper Pressley
Strawberry Cobbler
1 stick butter
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups sliced strawberries (if strawberries are not very sweet, toss with additional sugar)
Place butter in a 9" × 13" pan and put in oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Once butter is melted, pour flour mixture into pan. Do not stir. Spoon strawberries on top of flour mixture. Bake until crust has turned a golden brown—about 45 minutes.
NOTE: A wide array of berries and fruits lend themselves to this basic recipe. Among the berries are blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries (will need more sugar), huckleberries and mulberries. Fruits that work include peaches, apples, firmer plums such as damsons and even figs.
—Jim Casada
Strawberry Pie
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 prebaked graham cracker pie shell
Mix sugar, water and cornstarch and cook until thick and clear. Remove from heat. Stir strawberry gelatin into mixture. Place sliced strawberries into baked pie shell and pour sugar mixture over them. Chill pie until firm.
TIP: Brush graham cracker crust with egg and bake for 5 to 7 minutes at 375 degrees for a crisper crust.
—Tipper Pressley
A strawberry pie with sliced berries shining on the top. Tipper Pressley.
Aunt Fay’s Chocolate Cream Pie
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
⅓ cup cocoa
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks, beaten; reserve egg whites for meringue
1 prebaked 9-inch pie shell
Mix sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt and cocoa in a saucepot. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, stirring mixture often to prevent scorching. Once mixture has thickened, add a spoonful or two of it to egg yolks to temper them. Add tempered egg yolks back to pot and stir until mixture is very thick. Stir in vanilla, then beat the mixture—Aunt Fay said this makes the pie filling light and fluffy. Pour mixture into pie shell. To make meringue for the topping, beat egg whites with sugar to taste until peaks begin to form. At that point, spread the meringue atop the pie and then place it in the oven to brown. Keeping a close eye on it is essential because it can quickly turn from brown to burnt. Chill pie for several hours before serving.
NOTE: Whipped cream can be used in place of meringue.
TIP: Use additional egg whites for a fluffier meringue.
—Tipper Pressley
Pumpkin Pie
This traditional Thanksgiving dish was a fixture with the Casada family. We always had four or five choices of dessert, but this was one of my favorites. We grew our own pumpkins as well as cushaws, and the “meat” from the latter will also work in this recipe.
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup stewed pumpkin
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
Pastry
Add the sugar and seasonings to the pumpkin and mix well. Then add the slightly beaten eggs and the milk. Lastly, stir in the melted butter. Turn into a pie plate lined with pastry and bake in a 425-degree oven for 5 minutes. Then lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake until the filling is set. The pie should be allowed to cool prior to serving.
—Jim Casada
Candy Roaster Pie
My granddaughter loves pumpkin pie, something that is a bit unusual in kids, and that consideration offers reason aplenty to make this pie from time to time.
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon or pumpkin spice
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons maple syrup (use the real McCoy if you have it; if not, pancake syrup or even sorghum syrup will do)
1 cup cooked candy roaster flesh
1 (16-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 deep-dish pie shell (make your own or buy the 9-inch size at the grocery store)
Blend the dry ingredients and then, in a separate bowl, beat eggs before mixing syrup, candy roaster flesh and evaporated milk with them. Then gradually stir in the dry ingredients with a whisk until everything is thoroughly mixed. Pour into pie shell and bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 12 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until done (40 to 50 minutes). The pie is done when a knife or toothpick pulls away cleanly. The crust will have a tendency to get overly brown where exposed; this can be avoided by covering it with tinfoil. Cool on a pie rack before refrigerating or serving.
—Jim Casada
Anna Lou’s Traditional Cobbler
Quickly prepared and simple, cobblers have long been a regional favorite. This simple approach will make the rankest of kitchen tyros a dessert star.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
2–4 cups blackberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and milk; stir with a wire whisk until smooth. Add melted butter and whisk into batter. Pour batter into 9" x 13" baking dish. Pour berries (amount depends on personal preference and whether you like a lot of crust or mostly berries) evenly over the batter. Do not stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 6 to 8.
NOTE: While this recipe utilizes blackberries, it works equally well with about any type of fresh or frozen berry as well as cherries, peaches and apples.
TIP: For variety and a richer dessert, top a bowl of cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or half-and-half.
—Jim Casada
Summer Squash Pie
If you have squash (or zucchini) in such abundance the neighbors hide when they see you coming toting a suspicious-looking bag, here’s a dessert option.
2 cups grated raw squash or zucchini
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
½ stick butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon lemon flavoring
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
2 unbaked pie shells
Mix well and pour into pie shells. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
—Jim Casada
Scuppernong Pie
1½ quarts scuppernongs or muscadines
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon almond flavor
½ stick real butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 prebaked 9-inch pie shell
Squeeze pulp from ripe scuppernongs or muscadines and set seedy inside aside. Do this gently, in order to retain the juicy, sweet flesh attached to the hull, until you have a pint of hulls. Add sugar and stir into the hulls. Cook over gentle heat until tenderized, adding almond flavor and butter as you do so. Once tenderized, add cornstarch to thicken, and as mixture begins to cool, pour over pie shell. Allow to set and cool before slicing and serving.
TIP: The discarded inner pulp can be mashed through a sieve and used to make jelly.
—Jim Casada
Tipper and Aunt Fay’s Butterscotch Pie
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks, beaten; reserve whites for meringue
1 prebaked 9-inch pie shell
Mix brown sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a large pot. Gradually add milk while stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, stirring often to prevent scorching. Once mixture has thickened, add a spoonful or two of it to the eggs to temper them. Add tempered eggs back to pot and stir until mixture is very thick. Stir in vanilla. Remove mixture from heat and beat well. Aunt Fay said beating the mixture makes the pie filling light and fluffy. Pour mixture into pie shell. To make meringue for the topping, beat egg whites with sugar to taste until peaks begin to form. At that point, spread the meringue atop the pie and then place it in the oven to brown. Keeping a close eye on it is essential because it can quickly turn from brown to burnt. Chill pie for several hours before serving.
NOTE: Whipped cream can be used in place of meringue.
TIP: Use additional egg whites for a fluffier meringue.
—Tipper Pressley