Teeny Lamothe wanted
to be a lady pie baker, no doubt because her passion for baking and for pie
came at an early age, happily learned at her mother's side. But how, she
thought, could she accomplish such a feat? Deep in thought, while noshing
on pie, Lamothe came up with the idea for her “Tour of Pie.” She would take a year off to travel across America, learning pie baking
from the nation's finest. The only hitch was getting the nation's finest to be
willing participants. A letter writing campaign ensued, and while the responses
were not quite as enthusiastic as her letters, she did get a smattering of
curious pie bakers to take her up on her offer of a free apprenticeship in
exchange for their knowledge.
Her quest began in Seattle at High 5 Pie where she worked alongside owner Dani Cone, author of Cutie Pies. It continued as she baked her way through nine states, ending in Littleton, Colorado, at the home of her mother for her final apprenticeship.
This book is invaluable to people interested in learning to bake pies, hone their skills, or increase their repertoire. Sections on equipment describe, in detail, what you will need to bake a winner of a pie, from the simple rolling pin and the many variations, to the pastry blender, crust cutter, and crust shield (something that I really do need).
The chapter on The
Elements of Crust is worth the price of this book alone. Amazing detail and
insight is provided along with the secret to a crust flakier than the one your
grandma made, accomplished by substituting the water for vodka, an ingredient that
evaporates more quickly during baking and, as such, yields a lighter, flakier
crust. Venting, decorating, lattice, what to do with excess scraps of crust,
are all covered in fine detail in this chapter. And the recipes! Sweet
crusts, savory crusts, whole wheat crusts, gluten free, sugar cookie, pretzel
crusts, each one more tempting than the other. The section on troubleshooting will help bail you out when your crust has taken an unfortunate turn.
The section on
Crumbles and Creams won my heart! I am a big fan of the crumb topping for
pies, largely because it saves me the trouble of working with two crusts on a single pie. Lamothe provides recipes for a variety of crumble toppings, including a
savory one for pot pies that makes use of boxed stuffing. This I am definitely
going to try! Recipes for variations on whipped cream abound including an
orange version that she suggests pairing with her Chocolate Cream Pie. Imagine
the decadence!
Each well-written,
concise recipe provides information on the proper storage, coverage, and length
of time a pie will last, many include instructions on how to make “teeny” (six inch) pies from the recipe instead of one large one.
The recipes
themselves are truly inspired. Simple favorites share space with those filled
with unusual combinations for the intrepid baker, such as Green Chile Apple Pie
with Cheddar Crust, Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie (Yep, you read that right, and it is delicious!),
Rosemary Caramel Apple Pie, Earl Grey Cream Pie, or the savory Reuben Pot Pies
with a Rye Crumble and Caraway Crust.
I tried two of the
pies, one savory, the other sweet. The savory was the Breakfast Pie with Hash
Brown Crust. I shredded my own potatoes to be able to control both freshness
and size of the shreds. It, on its own, was delicious. Crispy edges give way to
a moist interior with a pleasant potato taste. The filling was satisfying
without being heavy, and a perfect choice for spring with the inclusion of
leeks. I added about a half times more than what is called for (2 medium leeks)
(because I am wild about leeks), and I also chose shiitake mushrooms; a truly
great combination.
For the sweet pie
test, I couldn't resist the Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie (recipe below). I tend to embrace oddball
combinations of ingredients, so surely she had me in mind when she created
this. It's a keeper. People will love this one, definitely recognize the
bourbon (though it does not overwhelm), but will puzzle over why this version
is better than theirs. You can tell them...or not.
I like a cookbook
that I can sit down and read. This book is both readable and informative, with
delicious sounding recipes, and a bit of travel info to boot. Before planning
my next trip,
I'm going to consult
Teeny's Tour of Pies.
Here are the bakeries that she visited, in order:
High 5 Pie, Seattle,
WA
Emma's Organics,
Ithica, NY
Petsi Pies,
Somerville, MA
Sweet Sensations
Pastry, Chicago, IL
Pie Lab, Greensboro,
AL
Bob Roth's New River
Groves, Davie, FL
Pie Shop, Atlanta,
GA
I Heart Pies, Los
Angeles, CA
Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie
6 tablespoons
unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light
brown sugar
3 medium eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark corn
syrup
2 tablespoons
bourbon
4 slices bacon, well
cooked and roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups chopped
pecans
1 recipe pie crust
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in the middle.
Whisk together the
butter and sugar with a wire whisk in a large mixing bowl until mixture is
light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Add the salt, vanilla, corn syrup, and bourbon, and whisk until
everything is fully incorporated. Stir in the bacon and one cup of the
chopped pecans. Set aside.
Lay the crust into a
9" pie dish, gently press it in and trim any excess dough from the edge
with a paring knife, being sure to leave a 3/4" overhang. Tuck the
overhanging dough under itself and crimp. Place the lined pie dish on a
rimmed baking sheet.
Arrange the final
1/2 cup of pecans in a layer on the bottom of the pie shell. Give the
filling one last stir in case anything has settled to the bottom. Pour
the filling over the pecans and bake until the crust and pecans are a golden
brown and the middle of the pie no longer wobbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Let
cool to room temperature until the filling is set, at least 45 minutes.
Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley, but the
opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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