Swiss Apple-Cherry Pie (3 star)

15
10/29/11

This recipe won 1st place in the Deseret News 1950 Centennial Celebration. It was submitted by Mrs. Hugh E. Bunnell of Slat Lake City, Utah and compiled in the Book "Pioneer Recipes." We were lucky to inherit this book from Kerry's Grandmother Josephine Neeley. There are several pie recipes in the book but we decided to start with the first place submission. I used my own modified crust recipe that I am beginning to like it holds together better than others.

Here is an excerpt from the book: "A little old Swiss lady, a distant relative of my husband's was quite famed for this recipe and I was one of the fortunate few who secured it before she passed away. She was a Mormon convert and came to this country as a young girl. Up to the time she was 80, her busy fingers cooked tasty dishes, among them this Swiss Apple-Cherry pie."

I really liked this recipe, we even talked our home teachers, Bishop DeMille and Daniel (a District President from China) into trying it.

Deseret News Book

Double Crust Buttermilk Crust
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup cold shortening
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup cold buttermilk

Filling
4 tart apples (Granny Smith)
6 Tbs butter
1 can (2-1/2 cups) pitted sour red cherries
  make sure cherries are packed in water
  not "filling"
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs flour

In the Oven

2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Bishop DeMille and Daniel

Pare apples, core and slice. Melt 2 Tbs butter and brush on bottom of shell. Arrange a layer of apples on bottom of shell.  Mix dry ingredients and sprinkle portion over layer of apples. Arrange layer of red cherries - sprinkle with portion of dry ingredients. Repeat layers and end with layer of apples. Top with dots of remaining butter. Cover with top crust, rub with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes then continue cooking at 350 F for 30 minutes.

From Anna's Diary

Wednesday, November 25, 1981

"I made 5 pumpkin pies, 2 gooseberry and raspberry mixed and a mince meat with dried apples and cherries and a little one for us to try. We went to deliver the pies to Ludie Cooper and Peggy Sorensen. Went back to Legier’s for celery and eggs. Fred went with us again. We also got Dad’s vitamins. We have been to Roosevelt every day this week. Darrell called to ask about the wagon cover."

Thursday, November 26, 1981

"It is overcast, looks (like a) dreary Thanksgiving. I was up at 5:30 a.m. Prepared the turkey and got it in the oven at 6:30 a.m. Fixed the dressing, washed the potatoes and yams. Dinner was almost ready at 12:00. Oh, I dug the big table out of the little house. Had to move some of Clyde’s wheat to get it. Dad said I should have called him. At one o clock the Darrells were here. The turkey wasn’t done but by (the time) everything else was ready and Darrell took the turkey out, the little red thing popped out. We all enjoyed ourselves."

Ella's Applesauce Pie (5 star)

Ella

14
10/22/11

I loved my Mom's applesauce pie. I could pick up a slice in my hand without worrying about it falling apart. There were 6 of us at home; a perfect pie division except when someone wasn't home or if someone didn't want a slice - inconceivable! I would generally get the extra piece, because being the baby of the family has its privileges.I called Sharon to make sure I got the recipe right. There are plenty of recipes online but most of them use eggs so it is more like a custard. This recipe will never be the same as Mom's but it is pretty good.

Simple Double Pie Crust:
3 cups flour

Abby and the finished product

1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup refrigerated butter
1/2 cup refrigerated shortening
1/4 cup cold water

1 egg yolk for glaze

Filling:
4 cups applesauce
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup cornstarch

Prepare bottom crust in pie plate and refrigerate. Mix applesauce, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch and pour into prepared pie plate. Moisten edges with water, cover with top crust and crimp edges. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 20 minutes, cover edges with tinfoil and continue cooking for 30 - 45 minutes until golden brown.

Applesauce Pie

Applesauce Pie

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumb Pie (2 star)

13
10/16/11

When we were young my sister Sharon and I used to eat rhubarb out of the garden. A stalk in one hand and a salt shaker in the other. So when we decided to try Strawberry-Rhubarb I called Sharon and asked if she could spare 4 cups of rhubarb, we got two large bags instead. We used a recipe from "Pie" by Ken Haedrich"

Filling
3 cups fresh rhubarb in 1/2 inch thick slices
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tablespooons fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 cups halfed fresh strawberries
1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca

Bottom Crust-Buttermilk Crust

Crub Topping
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup cold putter cut into 1/4 pieces

Prepare crust, place in pie pan and place in freezer for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest in bowl and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Add strawberries and tapioca and mix well. Put filling into chilled pie shell  and bake for 30 minutes.
Make topping by combining flour, cornmenal, brown sugar, cinnmon in a food processor, pulse several times. Add butter on top and pulse until mixture is fine crumbs. Finish mixing by rubbing between fingers. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove pie from oven and reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Add crumbs and tamp down with hands. Continue cooking for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool.

Shaker Lemon Pie (3 star)

12
10/8/11

The Shakers were a religious group formed in England in 1747. They were known for their ingenuity, attention to detail, and thrift. The Shaker Lemon Pie is an example of their thrift as all of the lemon is used to make the pie. This is the second time we have made this pie but this is a new recipe from Cooks Country "Best Country Recipes." It cooks up like a custard.

1 double-crust buttermilk crust
3 large lemons, sliced thin and seeded
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon heavy cream


Preheat oven to 425 degrees line 9-inch pipe plate with dough and refrigerate.
Cut lemon in thin slices and squeeze juice from each slice through a strainer and save squeezed juice. Bring drained lemons slices and 2 cups water to boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slices are softened, about 5 minutes. Drain well and discard liquid. Combine lemon slices, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup reserved lemon juice in bowl; stir until sugar dissolves.
Wisk conrstarch and any remaining lemon juice. (We cheated and used a fourth lemon to get an additional 1/4 cup lemon juice.) Whisk eggs into cornstarch mixture, then slowly stir in lemon slice mixture until combined. Pour into chilled pie shell, cover with top crust, seal and crimp edges, brush top with cream. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 20 - 25 minutes.

Heavenly Pie (2 star)

11
10/12/11

This is a different and a little more complex pie for us. We found it in the October/November 2011 edition of Cook's Country. However, it turned out to be pretty straight forward with a lot of wait time. In fact the recipe says "don't skimp on the resting times in oven or the refrigerator. If you do, the pie may be gooey..." We used a deep dish stone pie plate my sister Charlene gave us and it was just right. The pie had a good flavor but the crust was gooey and hard to cut. We decided to barge in on the Mill's and have them to a taste test. They are good friends and were very cooperative, besides it was good to visit them.

4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, grease 9 inch deep-dish pie plate.

Whip egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cream of tartar on medium low speed until foamy, ambout 1 minute. Increase speed to medium high and whip to soft billowy mounds, 1 to 3 minutes. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form, 3 to 6 minutes.

Spread meringue  into prepared pie plate and smooth into even layer. Run finger around inside edge of plate to create a small gap between edge of meringe and rim of plate. Bake meringue until golden brown and set, about 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringue dry completely in oven for about 3 hours longer. Place on wire rack and cool about 30 minutes.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened about 5 minutes. Strain curd (mixture) through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl. (We used my Mom's colander and it worked well.) Place plastic rap directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 1 hour.

Whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Fold half of whipped cream into cooled lemon curd until no white streaks remain. Spread lemon mixture into cooled meringue shell and smooth into even layer. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Nick

K'annie

Penny