Heirloom Pies

I feel like pies are a part of my heritage. I know that is a weird thought, but I feel nostalgic every time I think about pie. My family has had a long tradition of pie making. My Great-Grandma Mae use to make pies. I never got to taste one, but they must have been pretty great because my Great-Grandpa would tell others that he "built" them. (Our family doesn't make things...we "build" things.) My Grandpa must have learned how to make pies from his mother. My Grandpa use to be an excellent pie maker in his younger days. He doesn't often make them anymore since he is in his 90's (he still can make a killer carrot cake though). We would often go over to Grandpa's house and he would have a couple pies waiting (I don't know that he ever knew we were coming...it was just common to have a pie all the time at his house). My favorites were lemon meringue and huckleberry. They were delicious!!! I guess that is where my Dad got his love of pies too. I don't think my Dad has ever made a pie (but he makes great coffee cake and biscuits), but he loves to eat them. My Dad has always said that he has a "pie hole". The black hole like space in his stomach where there is always room for a slice (or two) of pie. Even after a big dinner, there was always space in the "pie hole". My sister became a wonderful pie maker as well. She is who taught me how to make pies. I still remember the day she taught me. We made huckleberry pie (a family favorite). I even have the memory recorded in my journal. Now I love making pies!!! Any flavor will do...I don't care what it is, they are all great. I even had wedding pies at my wedding instead of wedding cake. They were triple berry pies that I made an ivy leaf crust around the edge. We placed them on a tiered plate and embellished with flowers. They were very unique, and beautiful. Yesterday was my Dad's 65th birthday....and since it was his birthday, the occasion called for a pie. I made two...a chocolate pecan pie (a new recipe, that was a hit...I didn't come home with any leftovers of it), and my standard apple pie. My 5-year old wanted to help me make them, so I let her...afterall it is passing on a family heirloom.




Here are the pie recipes I made for my Dad's birthday:

Perfect Apple Pie
6-8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
2 Tblsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
dash of allspice

Mix all ingredients together. Place in pie pastry. Top with 2 tsp. butter (cut into tiny pieces). Place other pastry on top. Crimp edges. Sprinkle top of pie with sugar. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes with a sheet of aluminum foil on top. Remove foil and bake for 25 minutes more.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup broken pecan pieces
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together. Place in pie pastry shell. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Poke a few toothpicks into filling and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil (the toothpicks are to prevent the aluminum foil from sticking to the filling). Bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 2 hours until chilled.

Double-Crust Pie Pastry
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
2/3 cup shortening
7+ Tblsp. cold water

Mix salt with flour. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter (a must have for every pie "builder"). Mix in water until dough becomes manageable. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll out between 2 pieces of plastic wrap (my best pie making advise!!!!). Remove plastic wrap and place pastry into pie pan. Continue making pie according to individual pie recipe.

Start a tradition in your family...make a pie!!! I think I will go have a slice of my leftover apple pie....YUM!!!!