Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

This was phenomenal!! I was a bit scared to try THE Pie of Pies. I had always heard of Rhubarb Pies, but had actually never tried one myself. Preparing it was a little odd. Do I just chop it up? Do I have to boil it? Is there any special cleaning I have to do? In the end it reminded me of celery. Big Red Celery. And really, how hard is it to screw up celery? Is it even possible? I don't think so!

The topping was a Sweet Cornmeal Crumb. All I can say is ....... oh yeah!! I'm sure a standard Pie Crust topping would work, but this was just sooo yummy! The favorite of the night.

Blackberry Peach Pie....... by Mail!!

So after awhile of hearing all about my Pie Escapades my family has started to ask when I'm going to start sending them some. Well, there are many good things about living in California. The weather, the people, the fresh fruit (for pies). But living in Cali is not that great when your entire family is located on the other side of the country. But after tons of questions, suggestions on FedEx and finally begging, I gave in. It was a special occassion afterall.

So in honor of the Best Daddy in the Whole World being born I decided to ship a pie. I went with the Blackberry-Peach Double Crust Pie. My personal favorite. I wrapped it as tightly as I could with saran wrap, and then packed it with a bunch of Bubble wrap. Hopefully it will still be in one piece instead of Cobbler when he gets it. We shall see.

I wonder though if I should have sent a Frozen Pie and then given instructions on how to bake it. I didn't include a cool pack or anything. I thought that keeping it at room temp would probably be the best. And if it got heated in the trucks on the way, that wouldn't be so bad. But he did get morning delivery, so it shouldn't be that bad.

Any thoughts?

Blueberry-Lime Pie

This was the easiest Pie to make yet. The prep time seriously took 10 minutes. Throw some stuff in a bowl, let it juice. Pour it in a Pie Tin. Cook for an hour. Let it cool. It was awesome. And it set so well! Not runny at all. I think the trick is really to let it cool fully.

It was a nice pie, there was the sweetness and the whole blueberry flavor. But the lime added a fun zest and zing to the end of it. And it made you keep going back for more. I think Blueberry Pies alone are good, but generally there is always something missing for me. The addition of the lime was that wonderful addition to pull it all together.

Pluot Pie with Crumble Topping

Holy Shit this was a great pie! I had 2 different groups clammoring for it. So I made a personal pie for home for my friend Jess's visit. And another one for the office. I had never even heard of a Pluot until Molly and I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday. It was so sweet and juicy. Perfect for a Pie I thought.

So delicious. The crumble topping was excellent. Nice and lemony which only enhanced the flavor of the pie. I added some plums which added a bit more color to the mix and a fun tartness.

My downfall here was that I cooked the 2 pies in the oven at the same time. Not a good idea. The edges of the crusts were burnt and their bottoms were still raw. Next time.... One at a time!!!

Fig & Raspberry Freeform Pie

Molly and I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday and bought a bunch of fresh fruit. We also bought the very first batch of Figs for the season from the farmer. Actually, Molly had never had a fig before. So after I bought mine we each popped one right into our mouths. Se was so surprised, and they were so delicious we bought him completely out!! So with Molly's new fondness for figs, I made this.

It was so easy to make and was so beautiful! I brought along some whipped cream to top it with, but we completely forgot to use it.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

I made this for Justine in honor of her leaving San Diego..... To return to San Diego in 3 weeks. She asked for a cheesecake and this was the closest I can manage. I cheated and bought a pre-made graham cracker crust. Sometimes it's just so worth it! There's nothing quite like a home-made crust. However, there really is nothing wrong with the store bought kind. It's just as buttery and flaky, and it so hassle-free!

This was the favorite of the night!The fresh berries mixed with the cooked ones worked very well, and the fresh ones burst in your mouth that only enhanced the flavor. But let's not forget the sour/cream cheese topping. Oh dear god! I don't feel bad that some of it didn't make it onto the pie. I just feel fat. If I wasn't so dedicated I would have pushed my entire face in that decadent bowl.

It would also be positively sinful on top of brownies

Jalepeno Pie

So this actually started off as a joke. I told my friend Lawler about the Pear Jalepeno Pie and asked him what kind of pie he wanted. He requested a purely Jalepeno Pie. Smart ass. But not to be out done, I did some research and actually found a Jalepeno Pie. Needless to say he was shocked. And then jealous when I didn't bring any in.

Basically this is a like a quiche. It's super simple and oh so yummy. Line the bottom of a pie pate with Jalepenos. (I used an entire jar, it was quite spicy)then cover that with grated cheese, and then cover all that with about 6 Eggs, beaten and seasoned with Salt & Pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. It's so delicious, and a great breakfast. I served this up for Jess and I with "Mark's Luna Park Bloody Marys" (a great random find in San Francisco. If anyone goes to SF FIND THIS PLACE!!) It was phenomenal.