Concord Grape Pie, updated per request

Due to reports of a recently undercooked pie, we are updating the cooking instructions for the Concord Grape Pie. Our apologies - the previous posting of the recipe was missing the instructions on the back of the card.

(Originally posted August 25, 2011)

Concord Grape Pie

Grammy Gertie told me recently that she and her friends in Pittsfield will be making Concord Grape Pie as a cooking demonstration. They're waiting for the Concord Grapes to come into season, which should be soon.

Here's the recipe so that the rest of us can cook along:

Concord Grape Pie

4 cups concord grapes
1 cup sugar
3 TB flour
1/8 tsp salt
pie crust

-Slip the skins off of grapes.
-Heat grape pulp to boiling, then press through a sieve/strainer to remove the seeds.
-Add grape skins back along with sugar, flour and salt.

-Top with upper crust.
-Pour mixture into pie crust, top, and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees

Peach and Blackberry Pie

It's that perfect part of the summer when all the peaches are ripe and ready to become desserts. 

This recipe doesn't call for any butter, other than what is in the pie crust. Keep in mind, however, that this is a WWII era book with rationing in mind.  A little extra butter might be nice.



Peach and Blackberry Pie

Pie crust (pre-made is fine)
1 1/2 TB tapioca
2/3 cup sugar
dash of salt
1 ts orange zest
2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups blackberries

-Lay bottom crust into greased pie plate
-Mix sugar, salt and orange zest (dry mix)
-Layer fruit, dry mix, (extra butter if desired)
-Top with 2nd pie crust.
-Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then drop temperature to 350 for 35 minutes. Cool before serving.

Pie Crust

Here comes pie season!

Grammy Gertie eventually came around to endorsing the use of pre-made pie crust... but there was a time when she made all her pie crusts from scratch.


Flaky Pastry Shells

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 ts salt
2/3 cup shortening
3 TB cold water

-Sift together flour and salt
-Cut in 1/3 cup shortening
-Add enough water to hold ingredients in ball
-Wrap in waxed paper, chill slightly
-Roll out 1/4" thick, spread with 1/3 remaining shortening
-Fold to make 3 layers, turn, spread with shortening, repeat 2x
-Wrap in wax paper and chill.

Makes 6 medium pie crusts.

Blueberry Pie

We're approaching that time of year again... summer pies! These go great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, especially if eaten outdoors at a picnic table.

Blueberry Pie

pie crust dough
1 quart blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 TB flour
dash of salt
1 ts lemon juice
2 TB butter

-Pour pie crust dough into plate.
-Wash berries, pour into pastry shell.
-Mix sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice, and sprinkle over berries.
-Cover with top pastry shell.
-Bake at 425 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Shoo-Fly Pie

This oddly named molasses crumb pie has its own Wikipedia page.

Shoo-Fly Pie

Liquid:
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 TB baking soda dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water

Crumbs:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TB shortening (or butter)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1 unbaked pie crust

-Combine the dry ingredients, working in the shortening/butter.
-Put the pie crust into the pie plate.
-Top with alternating layers of crumbs and liquid. Top with crumbs.
-Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
-Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 20+ minutes until firm.

Countdown to Thanksgiving

We're beginning the Thanksgiving season with a well-worn page from Grammy's cookbook.

Two tips that Grammy would like to pass along, to make your pie even better:
1) Use 2 different varieties of apples for better flavor.
2) There is no shame in using the premade pie crust.


APPLE PIE
Pie crust
6 tart apples, cored and sliced
2 ts flour
1 cup sugar
1 ts lemon juice
1/2 ts cinnamon
1/4 ts nutmeg
2 TB butter

-Sprinkle flour over bottom of pie plate, place crust over and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.
-Arrange apples on pie crust and sprinkle with lemon juice.
-Mix remaining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; sprinkle over apples.
-Dot with butter; cover with top pie crust.
-Bake at 425 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes.

Peach Pie

Summertime at Grammy's always included pies. We're a little late in the season for peaches, perhaps, but still delicious.


Peach Pie

2 pie crusts, pre-made
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 TB quick-cooking tapioca
1 ts lemon juice
4 cups sliced peaches
2 TB butter or margarine
1/4 ts nutmeg

-Mix peach slices with lemon juice
-Mix dry ingredients
-Butter pie plate, lay bottom crust in
-Arrange peaches over bottom crust
-Cover with dry mixture
-Add chunks of butter, top with tapioca
-Place top pie crust over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grammy Gertie used to cook an enormous Thanksgiving feast, usually to feed 2 dozen people or so. I remember walking into the house, and seeing all available counter space being used to cool pies -- including in the hallway. It made it very challenging to chase ones siblings around the house without knocking over the pies.

To Emily, Ethan, Lydia, Mike, Craig, our parents, our kids, our families...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Pumpkin Pie

1 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin

2 eggs

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 TB molasses

1 cup milk

1 tsp salt

-Mix above ingredients together, and pour into pie crust.

-Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes.

Coffee Angel Pie

Happy Friday, and Happy Fourth of July.

I didn't see any patriotic recipes for the occasion (should've saved the General's peach pie for this holiday). In the meantime, here's a pie recipe to sweeten your weekend. Grammy has amusingly crossed out the first part of the recipe -- as if to say, "Nope. We're not doing that."

Happy 4th of July. Double click the image to enlarge the recipe.

Custard Pie

Happy Friday! We've reached high 80s temperatures in Massachusetts today -- probably not the best day for baking. If, however, you happened to have one of these pies already made, it might be a nice cool dessert option.

Custard Pie

5 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

-Mix ingredients and pour into unbaked pie shell.

-Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

-Cool, sprinkle with nutmeg, and serve.

Lemon Cake Pie

Happy Friday. On this blog, weekends make us think of desserts!

Lemon Cake Pie

1 cup sugar

1 TB butter

2 TB flour

1 cup milk

1 lemon, juice and rind

2 egg whites

- Blend together sugar and butter.

- Stir in the well beaten yolks...

(and... AND?! Oops, this card is missing something. No worries, I'm going to see Grammy Gertie tomorrow. Let me see if I can find it!)

Lemon Angel Pie

This recipe came from Family Circle magazine, but was part of Grammy's collection. No copyright infringement intended.

Indiana Lemon Angel Pie

3 egg whites

1/4 ts cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

5 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1 TB grated lemon rind

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

-To make the Meringue shell: Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy white. Beat in 1 cup sugar a tablespoon at a time until meringue forms stiff peaks. Butter 9" pie plate. Spoon meringue over bottom and up sides to form shell.

-Bake shell at 275 degrees for 1 hr. Cool.

-To make Lemon filling: Beat egg yolks in double boiler until frothy. Beat 2/3 cup sugar in until mixture is thick. Stir in lemon rind and juice. Cook over hot -not boiling- for 13 minutes. Stir constantly. Cool.

-Spoon filling into meringue shell. Refrigerate for 12 hours. Top with whipped cream. Decorate with orange and lemon slices and mint.

Strawberry Pie

We're back!

Sorry about that... volcano and all. Glad to be home. Here's a recipe that's perfect for spring:

Strawberry Pie

(from Nancy Chicoine)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

1 pkg wild strawberry jello

fresh strawberries, sliced

1 pie shell, baked

-Mix together the cornstarch, sugar and water.

-Boil and add strawberry jello. Boil until on the thick side.

-Arrange sliced strawberries in baked pie shell.

-While hot, pour jello mixture over sliced strawberries.

-Chill, and serve with cream.

Onion Pie

I'm not sure if this dish is best for breakfast, lunch or supper, but it sounds pretty interesting. Double click the image to enlarge it.
Apologies - the rest of the card should read:

-Pour egg and cream into crust over onions.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Spiced Streusel Apple Pie

Happy Monday, let's make a pie!

Spiced Streusel Apple Pie

Topping:

2/3 cup walnuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

5 TB butter

Pie:

6 apples, cut up (and peeled)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

2 TB flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

- Put the apples in a pie shell, with other "pie" ingredients

- Top with "topping" ingredients

- Bake for 45 min at 425 degrees. **Cover with tin foil for the final 25 minutes**

Fluffy Pineapple Pie

Okay, I'm over the New Year's health food. Time for something fun.

Fluffy Pineapple Pie

2 TB sugar

3 TB flour

dash of salt

2/3 cup syrup from crushed pineapple

- Cook these ingredients until thick, then gradually add:

1 beaten egg

16 marshmallows

- Stir until everything melts. Then add:

1 can crushed pineapple

-Chill for 1 hour, then fold in:

1/2 cup whipped cream

-Pour into baked pie shell. Chill and serve :)

Rhubarb Pie

I've never cooked with or eaten rhubarb. Something about it is just so... Prairie Home Companion. Here's to expanding culinary horizons:

Rhubarb Pie

-Cream together

1 cup sugar

3 TB butter

-Add to the mix

1 beaten egg

2 TB flour

-Mix and add

2 cups rhubarb

(pour into pie shell)

Bake 425 degrees for 30 min

"Dessert Storm"

This just makes me laugh. It takes a tough man to make a tasty pie. Also, since when does the National Inquirer** have a recipe section?

**no copyright infringement intended; this actually was in the recipe box collection.

Pecan Pie

Finally, pie!

This recipe does not include the crust. We recommend buying a premade crust from the store and saving your self a world of trouble.

Pecan Pie

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup dark Karo

4 TB oleo melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup pecans - cut

Add sugar, syrup, salt, oleo and vanilla to eggs beaten light. Place pecans in bottom of unbaked pie shell, pour mixture over nuts.

Bake 350 degrees for 60 mins.