I have been making these pies for a very long time, and they are some of my most favorite. One of them is an apple tart, but it still falls in that "pie" category. One uses mincemeat. I do love mincemeat, as does my husband. However, its spices can be a bit overpowering. We would keep servings small, even though loving it. I solved that problem by topping it with a layer of cheesecake, making this the very best of both worlds. And another is a custard type pie, with just enough body. It's fairly foolproof. And it is SO amazingly good! Drool!
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| Frangipane Apple Tart |
The tart is just delightful, and careful placing of the apples makes it just as pretty as a picture. It has its own lovely tart shell, an easy recipe, and is filled first with frangipane, an almond creamy mixture. The apples are placed on top of the frangipane and it is baked. Once baked, brushing the top with a glaze makes it glossy and inviting.
If you prefer to be able to remove the tart from its pan, you will need a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. If it is made in a pretty tart pan, it need not be removed from the pan.
Frangipane Apple Tart
Makes one 9-inch tart
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| Frangipane Apple Tart |
TART PASTRY:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup shortening or lard
3½ - 4 tablespoons milk or water
FRANGIPANE FILLING:
⅔ cup blanched, peeled whole almonds, OR (¾ cup finely ground almond meal)
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
½ teaspoons almond extract
1 or 2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur or Apricot Brandy, optional
APPLES:
4 - 5 medium cooking apples
2 cups water
juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
cinnamon, for sprinkling
GLAZE:
½ cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur or Apricot Brandy, optional
To make pastry: Place the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening or lard as for pie, until you have coarse crumbs. Add the milk, tossing with a fork until the crumbs begin to hold together. Gather the dough together into a ball and wrap in plastic. Chill the dough for 1 hour. When ready to use, roll the dough to about ⅛-inch thickness and fit into a 9-inch tart pan, easing into the fluted indentations without stretching. With a small knife, trim off the edges evenly with the top of the pan. Set in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
To make Frangipane filling: If using blanched, peeled whole almonds, place them in the food processor and process until fine. Add the sugar along with the egg and yolk, melted butter, almond extract and Amaretto liqueur, if using. Process until well combined. If using almond meal, all the ingredients can be all combined in a bowl and whisked together. Pour filling into the crust, spreading evenly to edges. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare Apples: Place water and lemon juice into a bowl. Pare and core the apples. It is best to slice them in wedges from top to bottom of the apples, getting about 6 to 7 slices per quarter apple. Set the slices into the lemon water while preparing the rest of the apples. When ready, drain and blot dry the apple slices. Begin setting the slices into the frangipane filling, placing them so the wider end of each slice is toward the edge. Set them closely and nearly upright. Circle them all around the edge, then fill in the center as possible. Brush the apples generously with the melted butter. Sprinkle them with the sugar and sprinkle on cinnamon as desired. Bake the tart for about 45 minutes, until the apples are nicely tender.
While the tart is baking, prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan, melt together the apricot preserves and the water. Once melted, pass the mixture through a strainer, pressing with the back of a spoon to get as much of the fruit through as possible. Add the Amaretto liqueur if using and stir to combine.
Once tart is baked, while still hot, use a pastry brush to apply the glaze evenly over all the apples, being careful not to dislodge them. Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.
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The next pie I am showcasing here is the Cheesecake Mincemeat Pie. This one just screams holidays, and if you have any love at all for mincemeat, you must absolutely give this one a try. The creamy, mild cheesecake is the perfect foil for the extreme spiciness of the mincemeat.
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| Cheesecake Mincemeat Pie |
In another of those happy accidents, while originally the sour cream was to make another layer over top of the cheesecake, I was so frantically busy trying to get various pies made one Thanksgiving, that I didn't read the recipe properly and just mixed the sour cream and extra sugar in with the rest of the cheesecake ingredients. It came out perfectly. And voila! One less step to fuss with when time is at a premium.
Cheesecake Mincemeat Pie
Makes one 10-inch pie
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| Cheesecake Mincemeat Pie |
1 (10-inch) single-crust pie shell
MINCEMEAT FILLING:
2 cups prepared mincemeat
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 - 2 tablespoons liqueur, optional: orange liqueur or brandy are good choices
CHEESECAKE TOPPING:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. When making the pie crust, make sure the edges are crimped well up on top of the rim of the pie pan. The filling is very generous. Line the shell with foil, gently fitting without disturbing the shell. Fill with pie weights, or dried beans or rice. Blind bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove the foil and pie weights. Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Combine the prepared mincemeat with one tablespoon cornstarch, the walnuts and liqueur, if using. Spread this mixture evenly in the partially baked pastry.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the sour cream, and then the eggs and beat until combined. Add in one tablespoon cornstarch and vanilla, until smooth. Pour this mixture over the mincemeat; spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until nearly set. Cool slightly, then chill for at least 6 hours before cutting.
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The third pie I want to share here is one I have made since my earliest days of baking. It is simplicity itself. It is made with things most often already in the pantry and fridge. It is so delicious that it is hard to credit, with such simple ingredients. What more could one ask of a pie?
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| Chess Pie |
This one is called Chess Pie, though I have no idea where that title may have originated. I found it originally in a little Better Homes and Gardens Pies and Cakes book, © 1966. I have tried altering a few things over the years, though the most notable is the use of lime juice instead of lemon. Sometimes I enhance the lime flavor with 1 or 2 drops of Boyajian Lime Oil, but only occasionally. It makes a thin crust-like top and a thicker lower layer, with the creamiest of custards in the middle. This is a must-try.
Chess Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
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| Chess Pie |
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
5 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell, edges crimped high - filling is generous
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter together with an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer is fine). Add in the flour and cornmeal. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then the milk, vanilla & lime juice and beat well.
Pour the filling into the unbaked pastry shell. Very carefully set into the oven on a middle or lower middle rack. Bake for 55 - 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted between center and edge comes out clean. It should still jiggle slightly in the center.
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.
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