The Farm Chicks

Picnic Pies

Picnics are one of summer's greatest treats, so why not make each picnic delicious? I devised these pies to be highly portable and free of the need for any silverware. The crust is deliciously flaky and the strawberry filling tastes like a sweet kiss of summer. I bet you can't eat just one!

Crust:

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1/2 cup cold water

Combine the flour and graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles course meal. Whisk the egg and water together and mix into the flour mixture until just combined. Transfer to a clean work surface and gently press to form a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, press into a disk shape, and chill for at least one hour.

While dough chills, prepare Strawberry Pie Filling.

Strawberry Pie Filling:

4 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered (cut into eighths if the berries are huge)

1 cup brown sugar (not packed)

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl and stir together until flour and sugar are mixed in. Set Pie Filling aside. Line two large baking sheets with foil or parchment and lightly grease.

Roll out dough onto a floured work surface and roll out to a 1/8" thickness. Use a cereal bowl for a guide, and trace with a knife.

Repeat until the dough is all used up. (Should make about 16-18 dough circles). Divide pie filling evenly between the dough circles, folding and pressing each one closed as you go. Press edges with a fork and prick center for steam to escape. Place the pies on the baking sheets.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is oozing out from steam holes. Remove pies immediately to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely. (They will harden up as they cool to room temperature).

Notes:

These pies will ooze filling as they cook, as the strawberries are very juicy. If you prefer a less juicy/messy pie, don't use all of the juice from the filling mixture when filling the pies.

Your baking sheets will look somewhat - a lot juicy when you remove the pies from the oven. Don't worry, this is normal. Just make sure to remove the pies while they're hot so the filling doesn't stick to the foil/parchment.

I definitely recommend using foil or parchment, rather than placing these directly on the baking sheet. this way, you won't have a huge clean-up when you're done!

Picnic Pies are rustic and don't need to be perfect. They're meant to be enjoyed! :)

Cherry Crumble Pie

I've been jonesing for cherry pie, so today I whipped up my Cherry Crumble Pie recipe. There's something pretty wonderful about having cherry pie in the middle of winter. It's like I'm tricking the system somehow.

You can find my recipe here on Country Living Magazine's website.

Caramel Banana Hazelnut Pie

I recently gathered a bunch of hazelnuts from the farm just down the road which inspired this dreamy caramely creation.  I love the toasty crunch of the hazelnuts paired with the sweet softness of the banana and caramel.  If there were ever a pie that was worthy of a spoon, it would be this one.

Caramel Banana Hazelnut Pie

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Add flour and sugar to a large bowl or food processor.  Cut in butter until it looks like sand.  Stir or pulse in egg yolk and vanilla until combined.  Pour crumb mixture into a 9" pie or tart pan and press evenly onto bottom and sides of the pan.  Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly browned and your kitchen smells like heaven.  Remove from oven and cool.

Caramel:

3/4 cup butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Add butter, brown sugar, and cream to a saucepan, cooking and whisking at medium-high heat until bubbling all over.  Reduce heat so mixture continues to boil softly.  Cook and whisk for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.  Set aside to cool slightly.  (This is a generous amount of caramel.  If you have a little leftover, use it to drizzle on the plate when you serve, or save as an ice-cream topping.  Just keep it in a jar in the fridge to enjoy!)

Bananas and Hazelnuts:

2 bananas, sliced

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped.

Line pie crust with sliced bananas and top with chopped hazelnuts.  Gently pour caramel over bananas and hazelnuts and place in refrigerator to cool completely and firm up.

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon honey

Add all ingredients into a large bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.  Mound Whipped Cream Topping atop pie and serve immediately.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Ooohhhhh, such a sweet, fluffy exterior...

just barely concealing that rich and softly chewy caramely interior.

We must try a slice:

Yes.  Yes you are spoon-worthy.

mmmmmmmm

good night ♥

 

Fresh Cherry Pie

After picking pie cherries, my favorite thing to do is come home and bake them up into pies.  Not only are they delicious in summer, they're also a special treat when frozen and baked up in the winter, when snow is on the ground and a taste of pie is like a mouthful of sweet sunshine.

Fresh Cherry Pie

4 cups pitted pie cherries

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

Pie Dough

Roll out bottom pie crust and turn into a 9" pie pan.  Set aside.

Add pitted cherries to a mixing bowl.  Stir in flour and sugar until completely combined.  (Fresh cherries have a LOT of juice, which will mean your pie will be juicy too.  If you prefer a less juicy pie, just drain off a bit of the juice before you mix in the flour and sugar).

Pour pie filling into pie shells.  (This recipe makes one pie, however, you can double it to make two, if you'd like).

Roll out pie dough and cut into strips for a top lattice crust.  (I use a rolling pie crust cutter that has a scalloped edge, but a knife will work just fine).

Moisten pie dough along the rim of the pie pan, then lay down lattice strips, press into place along edge, and crimp.

Bake at 425 degrees for 40-60 minutes or until crust is browned and the center of the pie is bubbly.

Notes: I like my pies farm-style, meaning they're not thick and perfectly gelled into a firm wedge when you cut into them, rather, the juices run out from the slice, just a little bit.  To get the farm-style filling, I use flour as the thickener.  If you prefer a more gelled pie, substitute 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch for the flour.

I think using tapioca in a pie is a crime.  Pies don't like it either.  It turns their filling lumpy.  When I was a little girl, it reminded me of hundreds of poison oak bumps, in a pie.  If you ever see a pie recipe calling for tapioca, RUN!

Tips:  Line your oven with foil before baking your pie.  Chances are, it will boil over a bit.

Fruit pies are not set until the juice in the center of the pie is bubbling.  If you take it out before the center is bubbling, your pie will be soupy, which will taste just fine, but won't look great.

Make sure your pie is cooled down before cutting, or juices will run.

If your pie is soupy, scoop out the slices with a serving spoon, serve into shallow bowls, and top with vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream.  When you serve it to your guests, name it something cute, like cherry frumble or sour cherry soup.  (Yes! You can make up new words to suit your dessert.  You're the chef! Thing is, when you serve it up proud, no-one will ever know you didn't intend for it to be anything other than the way you're serving it!)

Pie making should be fun.  Don't let it intimidate you and don't hesitate to make it.  After all, nothing is more American than pie, and we don't want our children to lose that tradition now do we?

Sweetie Pies

I've always loved using pie crust to make delicious treats and these are a favorite, for sure!

To begin, prepare your favorite pie crust.  Roll it out in thin strips to cut with a heart cookie cutter:

Add a dollop of seedless raspberry jam to the center of each heart:

Moisten the edge of the heart with water, all around, and cover with another heart cut-out:

Softly press top edge down onto bottom edge, forming a seal, and press sealed edges together with fork tines, all around:

Prick center of each little pie with fork tines and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned:

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature:

Sweetie Pies make the perfect little homemade Valentine treat:

Or, you can dust them with powdered sugar:

And keep them on hand for a tasty little snack...

But you better act quick!  They're so yummy that they'll be going..going...

Gone!

Sources:

The Sweetie Pie tag is from my Valentine Tag Collection, available on my website.

The polka-dot food safe tissue paper is from The Container Store.

The tiny heart treat box is from Martha Stewart.

Peach Fanchonettes

These are a scrumptious take on the classic peach pie, yet more fresh and uncomplicated tasting.  I had never heard of a Fanchonette (which I've now learned is classically a tarte-sized pie, traditionally with a layer of jam, topped with a custard) until I noticed a recipe on a display on the wall at a local cafe.  I had to try it.  This is my adaptation, which is tiny bit creamy, not too sweet, and incredibly delicious.  I hope you'll give it a try!

First, roll out your favorite pie crust.  I used our basic pie crust recipe (don't bake the shells before filling):

Lay out six mini pie pans, face down (I used my mini vintage restaraunt-ware bowls that are oven safe).  Cut a circle around each pan, about 1/4" wider, all around:

Line each pan with the dough, finishing the edges as you like.  (I pressed my edges with a fork).  Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use:

 

Assemble Fanchonette ingredients:

3 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and halved
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Combine all ingredients (except the peaches) together in a small bowl and whisk until combined.  Set aside.  Place fresh peach halves in mini pie shells, cut-side down:

Pour custard mixture over each peach half, dividing mixture evenly among all six pies.  Depending on the size of your mini pies, you may need to double this custard mixture:

Bake pies, on baking sheet, at 425 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden browned and custard is set.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Mini Apple Pies

I love baking pies and especially enjoy making these darling mini apple pies, a tiny version of our Farmhouse Apple Pie.

 

2 1/2 pounds mixed apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pie dough

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Roll out pie dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness.  Lay mini pie pan on dough, top-side down.  Trace around mini pie pans (about 1-2" inches wider than pans) with a knife and cut out.  Drape mini pans with dough. Set aside and keep chilled. Roll the remaining dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Set aside on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and keep chilled. Toss the chopped apples, flour, 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice together and mix until combined. Pour apple mixture into the prepared mini pie pans and top with the remaining dough. Trim, leaving 1/2-inch overhang, fold under, crimp edges and poke holes in top with a fork. Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of sugar; chill for 10 minutes. Bake until fruit is bubbling and crust is golden brown — 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack.  Yield:  3 mini pies

Photo by Thayer Allyson Gowdy.

Peach Pie

A classic and delicious pie.

5 cups peeled & sliced peaches

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of salt

2 discs Pie Dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out one pie dough disc on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness.  Drape pie pan with dough. Set aside and keep chilled. Peel and slice peaches and place in mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and gently toss until all ingredients have been mixed in with the peaches.  Pour filling into pie shell.  Roll the remaining dough to 1/8-inch thickness.  Drape over peach filling.  Trim, leaving 1/2-inch overhang, fold under, crimp edges and poke holes in top with a fork.  Bake until fruit is bubbling in the center and crust is golden brown - 45 - 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack.