Ina Garten's Blueberry Pie

Here at the cafe, you all know that I have fondness for blueberries. And one of my favorite flavor pairings is blueberry and lemon. So when I received a complimentary copy of Food Network Magazine a couple of months ago and saw Ina Garten's recipe for Fresh Blueberry Pie (you can find that recipe here), which happened to include lemon, you know I had to try it. There were two components I was waiting on, though. Other people to help eat it and courage. 

I love pie and like to make pie, but it's the crust that always trips me up. I cannot make a good pie crust to save my life. I usually use the Pillsbury variety that you simply roll out, but they just aren't the same. But as I looked over Ina's recipe for her Perfect Pie Crusts (also found at the link above), I was determined to give it a go. And you know what? They didn't turn out too bad. 

I think a lot of that had to do with her instructions and tips. Which would also explain why she's one of my favorite chefs to watch on the Food Network. I like her teaching style. Teaching is different than telling. Teaching involves guidance and instruction and we all need that sometimes.

As luck would have it, blueberries were on sale the week I decided to make this attempt. Here they are, all rinsed and dried.

They were then tossed together with only a handful of ingredients, including lemon zest and juice, then spooned into my awaiting crust. 

I held my breath as I added my top crust, then pinched the edges together.

Next, I cut a few slits for the steam to escape, brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with sugar.

Less than an hour later...

I had my first pie with a homemade crust in ages. It's not nearly as pretty as Ruthy's pies, but I'd done what I set out to accomplish.

And it was delicious. In the future, I think I might add and extra quarter to half a cup of sugar to the filling, but that lemon was the perfect compliment to the blueberries. And the crust? That's now my go-to recipe.

So Ina Garten, wherever you are, thank you for giving me the courage to make my own pie crust.

Have you ever been determined to make something you once struggled with? What helped you take it across the finish line?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Taking a Break - A Foodie's Fun Weekend

Mindy here, fresh off a wonderfully relaxing weekend. Saturday, hubby and I decided to combine pleasure and business when we visited the home of Bluebell Ice Cream, Brenham, Texas. If you’ve never had Blue Bell Ice Cream, all I can say is that you’re missing out.

But Brenham isn’t all about ice cream. After our trip to Home Depot for floor tile, we took time to visit downtown Brenham for some lunch.

 

Must be Heaven came highly recommended by my friend, Becky Yauger, who used to live in Brenham. This long-time diner is well-known for their sandwiches and pies. I had the Texas Grill Monte Cristo but, alas, I forgot to take a picture. Probably because I was distracted by the pies.

 

Ever heard of Sawdust Pie?

In case you can't read it, the sign says, "Start with mixing equal parts of shredded coconut, graham cracker crumbs, sugar and chopped pecans to create that unique 'dry' sawdust look. Add egg whites and vanilla extract to make it look like 'wet' sawdust. Bake in a pie shell layers with sliced bananas and topped with a non-dairy whipped topping and sprinkled with finely chopped pecan pieces."

And would you take a look at these beautiful cheesecake slices.

If I hadn’t been so full of sandwich, I might have ordered one. Guess I’ll have to wait for our next trip.

After lunch, we stumbled onto a cute little corner bookstore.

 Well, actually I came to a screeching halt when I saw this display in front of it.

Do you recognize anything familiar?

And would you believe that the Christian fiction section was front and center when you walked into the store? Whoo-hoo!

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of meeting my sister-in-law and a couple of her friends for afternoon tea. Oh, you all know how much I love drinking tea, but afternoon tea is always a special treat. A time to sit and take a breather, enjoy some tasty treats and the company of others.

It’s always fun to drink from pretty tea cups and eat off of china.

Even the tea trivets are special.

 We had our savories.

Scones, one savory, one sweet.

And then the desserts.

 Be still my heart. The coconut lime cake was to-die-for, as was the strawberry shortcake trifle. I loved, loved, LOVED the little mason jars they served them in.

Okay, update on the big house reno.

Sheetrock starts going up today! Yay! However, we received word last week that our three new French-style back doors are going to be delayed because the manufacturer messed up and put door-knob and lock holes (also referred to as double-bored) in all seven panels as opposed to only three like they were supposed to. Boo!

In the meantime, we’re trying to knockout what we can, which generally involves more shopping. Which will, likely, mean another trip to Brenham.

Oh, boy! Cheesecake, here I come!

Now it’s your turn. Have you ever been to an afternoon tea? What was/would be your favorite part? 

 

Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

Easy Peasy HOMEMADE Chocolate Cream Pie

Mindy here, and you might be wondering why the emphasis on homemade in the title of this post. It's because many easy cream pies involve a box of pudding mix. This one is still easy, yet it's totally from scratch. Well, unless you're like me and use premade crusts, but since I'm talking about the filling, that doesn't count.

Yes, today we're talking pie because last week was my husband's birthday and he always asks for a coconut cream pie (recipe here) instead of a cake.

However, not everyone in our family likes coconut, so rather than making cupcakes as I usually do, this year I decided I'd simply make a second pie. A chocolate one.

Not only is it my girls' favorite, it's one of their grandmother's signature recipes. Whenever she asked them what they wanted for a dessert, chocolate pie was their response.

Actually, I've shared this recipe before as part of my post on coconut cream pie, because the basic recipe can go several different ways, depending on what you add to it.

Bottom line, though, it's so easy, it can be made in the microwave.

So here's what you're going to need:

Pie:

• 1 - 9 inch baked pie shell
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 level tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk (any variety will do, but I prefer whole milk in this)
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1-2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large microwave safe bowl (I use an 8-cup measuring cup), mix together  the sugar, flour and salt.

Now add a little bit of your milk to this to make a thick paste.

Mix in your egg yolks.

Then the chocolate.

You can add more or less, depending on how chocolatey you like it.

And, finally, the milk and mix well.

Cook in microwave on high at 2 minute intervals, whisking between each interval.

The mixture will be the same basic consistency after the first 4 minutes, but during those last 2 minutes, it really thickens.

Generally, it only takes 3 - 2-minute sessions (for a total of 6 minutes), but, occasionally, another minute is in order.

While the filling is cooking, start on your meringue.

Beat your egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, then add your sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Yes, you will have to pause to whisk your chocolate mixture, but that's okay.

Continue beating egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Then beat in your vanilla.

Now back to the filling, which may be done before or after your meringue, depending on how fast your mixer whisks those egg whites.

Whatever the case, once your chocolate mixture has finished cooking, stir in the vanilla.

And pour mixture into baked and cooled pie shell.

Spoon meringue onto hot pie filling, spreading to seal meringue to edge of crust.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until top is golden.

Cool completely before serving.

Yep, the cooling is what takes the longest, so be sure to plan ahead, giving it a good 2 hours to cool.

Homemade goodness, without all that time standing at the stove, stirring and stirring.

The kids were happy, hubby was happy, I was doubly happy, since I sampled both.

 So how 'bout that super game on Sunday? I didn't really care who won, however it turned out to be one of the best football games I've ever seen. Loved that my boy, Luke Bryan, sang the National Anthem beautifully and though I'm not really a Lady Gaga fan, she put on one of the best halftime shows they've had in a long time. Throw in some good friends and party food and it was a great day.

So, Houston, we have NO problem. You put on a heck of a show.

Now it's your turn.

Did you watch the Super Bowl? Were you cheering for any one team, or just in it for the commercials and all that food? What was your favorite part?

Mindy Obenhaus lives in Texas with her husband and kids. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com.

Chicken and Sausage Pie..and a Cover Reveal!!!

Think back a couple weeks ago. Do you remember my post for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie?

In step one of that recipe, I put in this suggestion:

"While you're at it, roll out the rest of the dough, too. Make a second pie crust shell and roll out the rest of the crust to use for the top of a double crust pie. Put plastic wrap between the layers, cover (I put mine in my Tupperware pie keeper), and freeze. We'll use this crust in a couple weeks. ;)"

Guess what? It's time to use that crust!

Chicken and Sausage Pie

ingredients:

Filling:

1 pound sausage (the bulk breakfast sausage), browned and drained

2 cups cooked and diced chicken

1/4 cup butter

1/2 medium head cabbage, sliced thin (or you can use a packge of cole slaw mix from the grocery store)

1/4 c. onion, sliced

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Egg wash:

1 egg, beaten
1-2 Tablespoons water

Did you notice the cabbage is part of this recipe? Yes, I'm on a cabbage kick.

First of all, make sure your pie crust is ready. Take it out of the freezer and let it thaw, or make one from scratch. What you need is an empty 9" or 10" double-crust pie shell ready to go. :)

Now on to the filling. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for a few minutes or until the onion is soft.

Add the sliced cabbage, a handful at a time, and stir until everything is coated in the melted butter. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft.

Mix the cabbage, sausage and chicken together in a bowl.

Now make the sauce:

Make a roux out of the butter and flour - i.e., melt the butter in a pan on medium-low heat (I use my 10" non-stick frying pan). Once it is bubbly, gradually whisk in the flour. (I have a silicone whisk that I use just for this job). Let the butter/flour mixture cook for about a minute, without stirring. If it begins to turn brown, turn down the heat!

Gradually add the chicken broth to the roux, whisking as you go. Once the chicken broth is all smooth, add the cream. Now you can turn the heat up to medium and slowly stir the sauce until it starts to thicken. This will take about 5 minutes.

***Cheaters shortcut!!!***

You can also use pre-made chicken gravy in a jar! You'll need enough to equal about 1 to 1 1/2 cups.


Now it's time to make the pie!

Preheat your oven to 425°.

Mix the sauce and cabbage/chicken/sausage mixture together in your bowl, and then pour the filling into your pie shell.

Do you notice that the edges of this pie shell aren't fluted? They will be!

Now lay the top over the filling, centering it as well as you can.

Trim the top crust, and then flute the two crusts together.

Pierce the top crust with the point of a sharp knife in several places. It's fun to see what kind of design you can make!

Brush the egg wash onto the top of the pie using a pastry brush.

Bake in a 425° oven for 25 minutes, or until golden.

See how my egg wash wasn't even? I was in a hurry!

Cool for a few minutes, then cut into eight slices to serve.

Here is my piece, all alone on the plate. Fruit makes a great accompaniment to this meal - you certainly don't want to add anything heavy!

Okay, I promised a cover reveal, and here it is!

This is my September release, the second book in the Journey to Pleasant Prairie series.

It's available for pre-order NOW from Barnes&Noble and Amazon.

And yes, I'm pinching myself! This really is living the dream. :)

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cream Pie

This is my second favorite pie in the world.

You should be familiar with my favorite pie. If you aren't, jump over to this blog post, but then come right back here!

This custard pie recipe spans generations of pie lovers!

My second favorite pie is one you're going to love.

Every spring and fall we make the trip to Indiana and Michigan to visit our family. One of the highlights is spending a few days in Amish Country.

And of course, we always stop at least once at our favorite restaurant, Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury, Indiana.

Every visit there is a step back in time. My Dad spent some of his best growing up years on the farm where much of the Essenhaus Village now sits.

The Essenhaus is known for its stick-to-your-ribs old fashioned cooking. Mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade noodles, broasted chicken, homemade rolls...and, of course, pie. (Stop by their website for a glimpse of the great menu and other attractions.)

If we only plan one meal there on our trip east, I'm always torn between Custard Pie and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie. Decisions, decisions!

But, alas, this year is different! Instead of our usual week long visits in the spring and fall, we're making one longer visit in June. Most of that time will be spent in Michigan, so our time in Indiana will be limited.

And what does that mean? My pie eating is in jeopardy!

So of course, the only thing to do is to figure out how to make my second favorite pie in my own kitchen, and no one in my family is complaining!

The Chocolate-Peanut Butter pie has four steps, Bear with me here...

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Step 1: The Crust

I always use the same pie crust recipe. After all, if it isn't broken, why try to fix it?

For the demo on how to make the pie crust, go to the link for the custard pie. Or you can just use this recipe for Never Fail Pie Crust:

ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 beaten egg
5-6 Tablespoons water

Mix the flour and salt together. Cut in the butter.

Mix the egg, vinegar and water together. Add to the flour/butter mixture, and stir or knead until combined.

This recipe makes enough dough for three pie crusts. I like my pie crust fairly thick, so I plan on one single crust pie and one double crust pie.

For this pie, you need a single crust pie, prebaked. So roll out the crust, put it in the pie plate, crimp the edges, poke the bottom in a few places with a for, and then bake for 10-12 minutes at 475°.

While you're at it, roll out the rest of the dough, too. Make a second pie crust shell and roll out the rest of the crust to use for the top of a double crust pie. Put plastic wrap between the layers, cover (I put mine in my Tupperware pie keeper), and freeze. We'll use this crust in a couple weeks. ;)


Step 2: The Chocolate

For this layer you need chocolate pudding. If you have your favorite recipe, use that. You can even use instant pudding. Or even canned.

I use this recipe for cooked Chocolate Pudding:

ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot powder
2 1/2 Tablespoons flour
~~
2 1/4 cups milk (I use whole milk)
~~
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
~~
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
~~
3/4 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk the flour, salt, arrowroot powder (or corn starch) and sugar together in a medium sized pan.

Gradually add the 2 1/4 cups milk until blended and smooth. Heat on medium-high, stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened and begins to boil.

Boil for one minute.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Slightly beat the egg yolks in a small bowl. Gradually add about 1/2 cup of the cooked pudding to the egg yolks, one spoonful at a time, beating after each addition. As you go, you can increase the amount of pudding that you add to the eggs until it's all incorporated. Now you can add the egg mixture to the rest of the pudding and stir until blended.

What you're doing in the step above is slowly cooking the egg yolks in the hot pudding mixture. But if you do it too quickly, you end up with scrambled eggs.

NO ONE likes scrambled eggs in their chocolate pudding!!! So take the time to do it right. :)

Next, add the chocolate! I used Nestle's, but Ghiradelli would work, too.

Once the chocolate chips are all melted, add the butter and vanilla. Stir until the butter is melted and the pudding is smooth.

Let the pudding cool a bit in the pan, stirring often. Once it's warm rather than hot (use your own judgement!), pour the pudding into your prebaked pie crust.

Drop a piece of plastic wrap over the pudding so that it doesn't form a skin on top as it cools, and refrigerate.

Step 3: The Peanut Butter

I tried the peanut butter cream filling from The Pioneer Woman that Missy used in this post: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie That's to Die For

The cream cheese makes it a bit richer than the Essenhaus Pie I was going for, but it is SO GOOD that I didn't even consider making anything else!

The Pioneer Woman's Peanut Butter Cream Pie Filling

ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 8-oz tub Cool Whip, thawed

It's easy to do this in your mixer, but you could do it by hand.

Mix the peanut butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Carefully add the powdered sugar and mix. Once everything is smooth and delicious, add the Cool Whip and keep mixing until it smooth and creamy.

Step 4: Put it all together

Remove your chocolate filled pie crust from the refrigerator.

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE OFF THE PLASTIC WRAP!!!

Spread the peanut butter cream layer on top of the pudding.

Refrigerate again for about four hours.

Or if you can't wait, go ahead and dig in. It won't be as pretty, but it still tastes fabulous!!!!

Verdict: This pie is not the same as the one from Essenhaus. But it's good enough to share the recipe! I was pleased with the way it turned out.

Have you ever tried to create your own copy-cat recipe? How did it turn out?