They say love can be tasted in the food that's prepared, especially when it's for family and friends. Some might say pies are the ultimate comfort food and are a true measure of a woman's cooking prowess. Author Patty Pinner lovingly remembers the domestic divas of her Michigan childhood as they cooked their way into a man's heart through pies in Sweety Pies.
The Egg Lady's Oatmeal Pie
(Courtesy of Patty Pinner's Sweety Pies, Taunton Press)
Makes one 9-inch pie
One 9-inch single Flaky Pie Crust or store bought pie crust, rolled out, fitted into a pie plate and edge trimmed and crimped
2 large eggs
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the pie crust and set aside.
In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs. Add the butter, vanilla, sugar, and corn syrup and stir until well mixed. Fold in the oats until well blended, then pour the mixture into the crust.
Place in the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling firm to the touch, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Miss Viola Tresvant's Blueberry Pie with the Crumb Topping
(Courtesy of Patty Pinner's Sweety Pies, Taunton Press)
Makes one 9-inch pie
One 9-inch single Flaky Pie Crust (p. 8) or store bought pie crust, rolled out, fitted into a pie plate and edge trimmed and crimped
Crumb Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Filling
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups fresh blueberries, picked over
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare the pie crust and set aside.
Make the crumb topping. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon until well mixed. Work the butter in with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles crumbs the size of tiny sweet-peas. Set aside.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour until well mixed. Gently stir in the blueberries and lemon rind and juice. Pour the mixture into the pie crust, then dot it with the pieces of butter. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the pie.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Place the pie in the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving. This looks and tastes wonderful with a dollop of vanilla ice cream sitting on top.
Music break: The Zero Gravity Lick by West One UK Library