MMMMMM, PIES!

Ah yes, time for good foods and pies. For some reason, for me anyway, pies seem to suit this time of year. The time of year you celebrate good things, family and tasty foods. We also take the time to remember to be thankful for those in our lives and all the good things in life.

So, as I was busy today making pies for two celebrations this coming week, I had a request to post them. I didn't quite get as many made as I'd have liked and I now have a smaller oven than I used to. No matter I got at least 4 pies total made, which is a start. So I figured would share all three recipes.

This first one is a family favorite and one of my two favorites. It's so good and creamy, never lasts long.

Buttermilk Pie

1 pie crust for 8.5 to 9 inch pie pan
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 T arrowroot starch
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, prebake your crust for 10 minutes until it is just starting to turn golden.

In a sauce pan over medium low heat, melt the butter and stir in the sugar and arrowroot. Cook just until the sugar is melted and it's smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium high until fluffy. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla and then gradually add the butter and sugar mixture. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the crust. Place pie on a baking sheet and tent it with foil. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is set.
Let cool fully then refrigerate. Serve chilled


This one has always been my father's favorite, and one of mine. However, most pecan pies are made with corn syrup, so I learned to make it better and corn free. It's hard to leave it alone. Yum!

Pecan Pie

2 cups whole or pieces of pecans
3/4 cup honey
1 cup packed brown sugar
5 T melted unsalted butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 eggs, room temp, lightly beaten
1, 9 inch pie crust, prebaked.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Add the eggs and beat until smooth and a little airy.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and sprinkle the pecans on top. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes until the edges are set and the center is a bit loose. Cool fully on a wire rack.


Recently I was the recipient of some fresh quince. I had never worked with quince before and I was looking forward to making good things with them. They are a very hard dry fruit. The texture is like an apple, only much drier and firmer. They look like a cross between an apple and a pear. They are a good fruit, but really must be cooked to be enjoyed. And they're a very fragrant fruit, especially once you start cooking with them. So my first attempt with them was a vanilla quince butter, Oh My Goodness! Such an exquisite fruit butter, I love it better than apple or peach butter!  As I had some fruit left over I decided on a pie based on a tart recipe I found. I didn't have the large quince some of the stores sell, so I had some smallish to medium sized and this is based on that size.

Maple Caramel Quince Pie

6 to 7 quince, washed well, cored and sliced moderately thin
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup maple syrup

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large stockpot, melt the butter into the syrup over medium to medium low heat. Bring to a simmer and add the fruit. Stir to coat the fruit and simmer until the fruit is quite tender and soft.

Pour into a 8 1/2 inch pie crust that has been prebaked a bit. Spoon in the fruit into the cooled pie shell and pour the maple caramel mixture over. Make your lattice top or place a solid top on with slits in the top.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, tenting the top to keep it from getting too brown.

Let cool well before serving.

And yes, my first attempt I got the outer shell too brown, no matter, it is so fragrant and I cannot wait to taste it.