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American Pie
By Teresa Kennedy
Copyright 1984
Workman Publishing Company; ISBN: 0894808087
Reviewed by B. Keith Ryder
At first I didn’t think that this book and I would get along. I had a craving for strawberry-rhubarb pie, so I decided to make the author’s version instead of my traditional one. Instead of a two-crust filled pie that I’m accustomed to, I wound up with a single crust, prebaked, and filled with a slurry made from cooking the fruit, sugar, and thickener in a saucepan. It tasted fine, but it just wasn’t “right.” Then again, I’m prejudiced.
To be fair, I pressed on. I made four more pies and served them to guests at a cookout. The guests were wowed, and I was won over. One of my friends even went so far as to proclaim these “the best pies ever.” I’m not sure I agree completely, but I’ll accept the compliment just the same.
Since I was testing the recipes in early summer, I found myself drawn to fresh fruit pies based on the bounty at the farmer’s market. For variety, I added a custard-based pie to the mix, and made sure to try as many different crust recipes as I could, based on crusts she suggests at the beginning of each recipe. Here’s a summary of the results:
THE CRUSTS
It may well have something to do with differences in climate, differences in flour, or differences in baker temperament, but of the four crust recipes I made, only one was dry enough not to make a mess. All the rest called for a bit too much liquid, and as a result, too much handling and too much flour for rolling out. I had to work much too hard for any of these crusts to be considered “easy as pie” as the author suggests. First, Ms. Kennedy advocates mixing the flour and fat together with your fingertips instead of a pastry blender or food processor. That may be fine for many bakers, but for a baker with hot hands like mine, it’s a recipe for tough crust. Second, the recipes call for a set amount of liquid, instead of adding a minimum amount to start with, and adding more as required. So I found myself struggling with a sticky mess, trying not to overwork it and not feeling very successful. Even her “Indestructible Crust” which is guaranteed to work for even the most inexperienced cook gave me trouble. The “Basic Pie Crust,” however, worked very well. It handled well, rolled well, baked up well, and came out tasty and flaky. Exactly what pie crust ought to be.
THE FILLINGS
Charlie’s Blueberry Pie: Ms. Kennedy says up front that this pie is designed to be slightly runny. She’s right. In fact, it was a bit messy to serve, and I probably would have preferred a slightly firmer filling. But the taste was terrific. Not too sweet, slightly tart, and full of fresh blueberry flavor.
Springtime Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie: As I mentioned above, this wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but it was still pretty good. Nice and tart, and very easy to make. It just wasn’t what I was expecting when my craving hit.
Butterscotch Peach Pie: The difference between this and regular peach pie is that it uses brown sugar instead of granulated white sugar for sweetening. Does it taste like butterscotch? Not really. Is it a fabulous peach pie? You betcha.
Mixed Fruit Pie: She gives a basic recipe for a double-crust, mixed fruit pie, and suggests several combinations that have been successful for her. I didn’t happen to have any of the combinations she suggested, so I made my own. Just for the record, Blackberry-Apricot pie is wonderful stuff. Full of fresh flavor, simultaneously sweet and tart, and a beautifully marbled orange- and ruby-colored filling. I’ll definitely make this one again.
Black Bottom Pie: A fluffy rum-scented custard in a chocolate-lined
crust. Topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Wow.
A little messy for a cookout on a hot July day, but delicious straight
from the refrigerator. It requires a little more effort than most
of the other pies in the book, but it’s well worth the trouble.
I’m very glad to have gotten over my initial reservations, and I
now look forward to trying some of her other recipes. The Apple Pie
with White Wine, Drunken Chess Pie, and Wisconsin Sour Cream Raisin Pie
sound particularly interesting. Armed with a little caution as I
approach the crust recipes, I have a feeling I’ll reach for this book often
when company’s coming.
BASIC PIE CRUST
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening, chilled
4 1/2 tablespoons ice water
1. Sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening. With your fingertips, blend the flour and shortening together until the mixture has the texture of coarse crumbs.
2. Sprinkle the water evenly over the surface of the mixture. Blend only until all the ingredients are moistened and the dough can be shaped. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape them into balls.
3. Place one portion on a lightly floured surface. Flatten it slightly and dust it with flour. Roll it out to a thickness of 1/8 inch, and ease it gently into a 9-inch pie pan. If you are making a double-crust pie, roll out the remaining dough to a thickness of 1/16 inch and set it aside to be the top crust. If you are making single-crust pies, roll out the remaining dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch and use it for the second bottom crust.
4. To bake an unfilled pie crust, preheat the oven to 425 F. Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden.
Makes enough for 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust pies.
MIXED FRUIT PIE
1 recipe Basic Pie Crust (above)
Mixed fresh fruit, washed, peeled, sliced, and pitted as necessary,
to make 51/2 to 6 cups
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (less for sweet fruits like berries or
plums, more for tart fruits like apples, peaches, or cranberries)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or 4 tablespoons minute or instant tapioca
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons lightly salted butter
1/4 cup light cream or half-and-half
1. Prepare the crust and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Ease it gently into a 9-inch pie pan; trim the overhang to 3/4 inch. Set it aside. Roll out the remaining dough to a thickness of 1/16 inch and set it aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
3. In a large bowl, combine the fruits with the sugar, flour or tapioca, and lemon juice, and toss until well coated. Allow to stand 15 minutes.
4. Turn the fruit mixture into the crust; dot with the butter, and pour the cream over all.
5. Ease the top crust over the filled bottom crust; trim the
overhang to 3/4 inch. Fold the top crust over the bottom. Crimp
to seal the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned, the filling
is bubbly, and the fruit tests done.
