A Study in Pie
I seem to have no concept of time. Neither its correct usage on any given day, or how to accurately tell when too much has been used (or wasted) in any given year. In 2016 I decided to start writing my first book, and here I am near the end of 2018 and I'm still working on it. And here I am on my old blog, painfully aware that I haven't done anything on it in a very long while.
But all is not lost. In these last two years I have not given up on learning how to cook/bake properly, and I've even mastered a few things. Why, in the last few weeks alone not only did I master a no-bake cheesecake and peanut butter pie, but I have fully embraced my need to be more present and aware of how much of my life is slipping by unnoticed. I will keep blogging, I will finish my first book, and I will learn to create more delicious foods. I will fully embrace the clock, and instead of trying to pack as much as I can into any given day, I will count those hours as precious and live each one to the fullest instead of the busiest.
I feel empowered. I feel bold. I feel like eating pie.
Now, pie crusts have been giving me fits, and I have decided to just keep it simple and work with a crumb crust for a while. Because, come on, you would have to try really hard to make a crumb crust bad. And no one would put that much effort into making something bad, right? And with the pressure of making, properly working/chilling, then rolling a pie crust removed from the equation, I could just concentrate on a proper filling.
My first no-bake pie was a peanut butter pie from my trusty Joy of Cooking. And unlike every other thing I have attempted before, I did not modify the recipe in any way-- at first. Then after I made it a few time I became very selective about my ingredients. Very selective. I'm talking, will not make it at all if I don't have a specific peanut butter. I tried a couple of different varieties, and I'm telling you now, there is no point in making this pie if you don't use one -- and only one -- kind of peanut butter. My taste buds are not as refined as the majority of the public's, but trust me when I say you simply must not use any other variety of peanut butter than Smucker's all natural, smooth peanut butter (or the crunchy if you like something to chew in your pie). That's right, the natural. The kind with the oil on top that you have to stir in. Sure, it is a pain in the bootie to stir, and more pricey than most, but I believe it to be well worth it.
Full disclosure: my test subjects ate the pie no matter what brand I used. My test subjects loved them all and requested more pie, not giving one hoot as to what kind of peanut butter was in it. I love my test subjects and respect their opinions. I just happen to think they are wrong. But that's just how I roll.
I heard a famous pastry chef once say, "Sweet is not a flavor." Boy, did that stick with me over these last two years. Once I grabbed hold of that principal, and started thinking of sugar as a supporting member of the team, and not the star, it really changed the way I tasted things. Because here in the South, sugar gets dumped in things with reckless abandon. (I also went several months without any white sugar at all-- more on that another time). I have even stopped putting sugar in the graham cracker crust. It really doesn't need it. Seriously.
As for the rest of the ingredients, I didn't notice any flavor difference if I chose one particular brand of cream cheese, sugar, cream, etc., over another. And you, dear reader, may not notice a difference no matter what kind of peanut butter you use. I mean, hey, if you like something, you like it. Just go forth and make this pie.
One sleeve of graham crackers (there are usually 3 sleeves in every box)
5-6 tablespoons of real butter melted.
Filling:
One block of cream cheese (8 oz.) softened
1 cup of Smucker's natural peanut butter (be sure to stir it really well before measuring out)
1/2 cup of sugar
teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
Crust directions: In a food processor pulverize the contents of an entire sleeve of graham crackers until fine. Then drizzle in melted butter until the crumbs are coated. Empty out into a pie plate (works in 8.75 inches all the way to 10 inch plate). Using your fingers, work the crumbs along the side until you get the thickness you like, consistent all the way around the pan. Then take a glass with a smooth bottom and press the remaining crumbs against the bottom of the pan. If you feel like using your hands, then just get your hands in there and press everything down until the bottom and sides of the pan is coated. If you don't have a food processor, place crumbs in a resealable bad and smash until you get the consistency you like then mix in the butter, put into the pan and start pressing.
Filling directions: With a hand mixer or spoon, start combining the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until you get one consistent mixture. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, or separate bowl using separate whisk (or clean attachments on your handmixer), whip the heavy cream until you get firm peaks. Once you get the heavy cream to a nice consistency (be careful not to over-whip it, or you'll end up with butter!), put 1/4 to 1/3 of it into the cream cheese/peanut butter mixture, and fold in until the mixture slackens a bit. Then fold in remaining cream until you get a soft, pillow consistent mixture.
Then gently scoop/fold out into the prepared pie shell, and spread evenly. Gently cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the wrap unto the surface, and refrigerate for 4 hours or more.
The original recipe calls for a ganache topping to be poured over the top after it has properly chilled, but I find it beautiful just as it is, or even better with some homemade whipped cream on top. Truth be told, we used a can of Reddi Whip. Whipped cream as a topping just gives it more of a pillowy, cloud-like experience, but use caution as it also makes you feel like you aren't eating much. Before you know it, you will have inhaled it and spend the rest of the night in sweatpants. That may or may not be a bad thing ...
I've been on a cheesecake kick, and have not had much success with making them without them turning out really heavy. I also don't like being committed to watching something bake for an hour or more, plus waiting a whole day for the thing to cool. So making the peanut butter pie inspired me to look for no-bake cheesecake recipes. There are plenty of them out there, but nothing that produced the flavor and consistency I was trying to achieve, so I started monkeying around with a recipe of my own.
Not only did I finally get the result I was looking for, I also started living in adjustable waist pants.
There is a dark side to cooking/baking that no one talks about ...
And keeping with the "pie" theme, I'm just going to call this:
Crust:
See directions for Peanut Butter Pie crust.
Filling:
Two blocks of cream cheese, softened (16 oz. total)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
Directions: Prepare crust and set aside. Place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice in stand mixer (or use hand mixer) and cream together until smooth and well combined. Then pour in heavy cream and whip on high until firm peaks form (do not over beat, or you will get chunks of butter in it ... ask me how I know!). Once well combined, and firm, gently pour/fold out into pie shell. Spread evenly, and place in refrigerator until set (usually takes 2-3 hours).
Get the sweat pants out, and enjoy!
But all is not lost. In these last two years I have not given up on learning how to cook/bake properly, and I've even mastered a few things. Why, in the last few weeks alone not only did I master a no-bake cheesecake and peanut butter pie, but I have fully embraced my need to be more present and aware of how much of my life is slipping by unnoticed. I will keep blogging, I will finish my first book, and I will learn to create more delicious foods. I will fully embrace the clock, and instead of trying to pack as much as I can into any given day, I will count those hours as precious and live each one to the fullest instead of the busiest.
I feel empowered. I feel bold. I feel like eating pie.
Now, pie crusts have been giving me fits, and I have decided to just keep it simple and work with a crumb crust for a while. Because, come on, you would have to try really hard to make a crumb crust bad. And no one would put that much effort into making something bad, right? And with the pressure of making, properly working/chilling, then rolling a pie crust removed from the equation, I could just concentrate on a proper filling.
My first no-bake pie was a peanut butter pie from my trusty Joy of Cooking. And unlike every other thing I have attempted before, I did not modify the recipe in any way-- at first. Then after I made it a few time I became very selective about my ingredients. Very selective. I'm talking, will not make it at all if I don't have a specific peanut butter. I tried a couple of different varieties, and I'm telling you now, there is no point in making this pie if you don't use one -- and only one -- kind of peanut butter. My taste buds are not as refined as the majority of the public's, but trust me when I say you simply must not use any other variety of peanut butter than Smucker's all natural, smooth peanut butter (or the crunchy if you like something to chew in your pie). That's right, the natural. The kind with the oil on top that you have to stir in. Sure, it is a pain in the bootie to stir, and more pricey than most, but I believe it to be well worth it.
Full disclosure: my test subjects ate the pie no matter what brand I used. My test subjects loved them all and requested more pie, not giving one hoot as to what kind of peanut butter was in it. I love my test subjects and respect their opinions. I just happen to think they are wrong. But that's just how I roll.
I heard a famous pastry chef once say, "Sweet is not a flavor." Boy, did that stick with me over these last two years. Once I grabbed hold of that principal, and started thinking of sugar as a supporting member of the team, and not the star, it really changed the way I tasted things. Because here in the South, sugar gets dumped in things with reckless abandon. (I also went several months without any white sugar at all-- more on that another time). I have even stopped putting sugar in the graham cracker crust. It really doesn't need it. Seriously.
As for the rest of the ingredients, I didn't notice any flavor difference if I chose one particular brand of cream cheese, sugar, cream, etc., over another. And you, dear reader, may not notice a difference no matter what kind of peanut butter you use. I mean, hey, if you like something, you like it. Just go forth and make this pie.
Peanut Butter Pie
Crust:One sleeve of graham crackers (there are usually 3 sleeves in every box)
5-6 tablespoons of real butter melted.
Filling:
One block of cream cheese (8 oz.) softened
1 cup of Smucker's natural peanut butter (be sure to stir it really well before measuring out)
1/2 cup of sugar
teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
Crust directions: In a food processor pulverize the contents of an entire sleeve of graham crackers until fine. Then drizzle in melted butter until the crumbs are coated. Empty out into a pie plate (works in 8.75 inches all the way to 10 inch plate). Using your fingers, work the crumbs along the side until you get the thickness you like, consistent all the way around the pan. Then take a glass with a smooth bottom and press the remaining crumbs against the bottom of the pan. If you feel like using your hands, then just get your hands in there and press everything down until the bottom and sides of the pan is coated. If you don't have a food processor, place crumbs in a resealable bad and smash until you get the consistency you like then mix in the butter, put into the pan and start pressing.
Filling directions: With a hand mixer or spoon, start combining the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until you get one consistent mixture. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, or separate bowl using separate whisk (or clean attachments on your handmixer), whip the heavy cream until you get firm peaks. Once you get the heavy cream to a nice consistency (be careful not to over-whip it, or you'll end up with butter!), put 1/4 to 1/3 of it into the cream cheese/peanut butter mixture, and fold in until the mixture slackens a bit. Then fold in remaining cream until you get a soft, pillow consistent mixture.
Then gently scoop/fold out into the prepared pie shell, and spread evenly. Gently cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the wrap unto the surface, and refrigerate for 4 hours or more.
The original recipe calls for a ganache topping to be poured over the top after it has properly chilled, but I find it beautiful just as it is, or even better with some homemade whipped cream on top. Truth be told, we used a can of Reddi Whip. Whipped cream as a topping just gives it more of a pillowy, cloud-like experience, but use caution as it also makes you feel like you aren't eating much. Before you know it, you will have inhaled it and spend the rest of the night in sweatpants. That may or may not be a bad thing ...
Wait, There's More!
I've been on a cheesecake kick, and have not had much success with making them without them turning out really heavy. I also don't like being committed to watching something bake for an hour or more, plus waiting a whole day for the thing to cool. So making the peanut butter pie inspired me to look for no-bake cheesecake recipes. There are plenty of them out there, but nothing that produced the flavor and consistency I was trying to achieve, so I started monkeying around with a recipe of my own.
Not only did I finally get the result I was looking for, I also started living in adjustable waist pants.
There is a dark side to cooking/baking that no one talks about ...
And keeping with the "pie" theme, I'm just going to call this:
No-Bake Cheesecake Pie
Crust:
See directions for Peanut Butter Pie crust.
Filling:
Two blocks of cream cheese, softened (16 oz. total)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
Directions: Prepare crust and set aside. Place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice in stand mixer (or use hand mixer) and cream together until smooth and well combined. Then pour in heavy cream and whip on high until firm peaks form (do not over beat, or you will get chunks of butter in it ... ask me how I know!). Once well combined, and firm, gently pour/fold out into pie shell. Spread evenly, and place in refrigerator until set (usually takes 2-3 hours).
Get the sweat pants out, and enjoy!
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