*pie party*

what better way to celebrate life than with pie? and lots of it? both of these pies were inspired by my time spent growing up in the Midwest. i adapted them to my current preferences for using less refined and more natural ingredients. the French Silk pie was a standard purchase from our local Bakers Square each Thanksgiving, and the Strawberry Rhubarb heralded summer and sticky fingers and slip-n-slides :)

*french silk pie*

note: this pie contains raw eggs

ingredients

for the pecan shortbread crust

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup turbinado sugar

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

pinch o' salt

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped and toasted

6 T butter, melted

for the filling

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup superfine sugar

2 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

1 t vanilla extract

2 eggs

for the whipped topping**

2 cups heavy cream

4 T powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

2 t cornstarch

bittersweet chocolate, for chocolate shavings

directions

for the crust

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

2. Butter an 8" glass pie plate.

3. Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl and stir.

4. Place the nuts in a food processor (or coffee grinder, which I use!) and pulse just long enough to chop the nuts finely. Do not make a paste of them!

5. Add the nuts into the flour mixture and stir to combine.

6. Add the melted butter and combine well.

7. Press the mixture evenly into the buttered pie plate.

8. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely while you make the filling.

for the filling

1. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.

2. Gradually beat in the sugar until light in color and texture.

3. Stir in the cooled chocolate and vanilla.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating a good three minutes on medium speed after each addition.

5. Spoon the chocolate filling into the cooled, baked shortbread crust.

6. Place in the freezer for one hour or the refrigerator for two hours before adding the topping.

for the topping

1. Refrigerate the mixing bowl and beaters for at least 15 minutes. Keep the cream chilled, too.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch and powdered sugar. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup of the cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for just a few seconds until the liquid is thickened. Scrape into a small bowl and cool to room temperature. Add vanilla.

3. Beat the remaining 1.5 cups of cream just until traces of the beater marks begin to show distinctly.

4. Add the cornstarch mixture in a steady stream, beating constantly. Beat just until stiff peaks form when beater is raised.

5. Spoon the fluffy white topping onto the chilled, chocolate-filled crust.

6. Shave some bittersweet chocolate over the top of the pie (using a vegetable peeler) to make it look all pretty-like.

7. Keep the pie refrigerated until just before serving.

**note: this topping is rockin' because it's a stable topping that won't water out (melt) for up to 24 hours. excellent for pies that remain in the frige 'til serving time OR for making whipped cream ahead of time to serve on the side.

*strawberry rhubarb pie*

ingredients
for the crust
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 t sugar
3/4 t salt
2.5 sticks plus 1 T chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
10 T ice water
for the filling
3 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
16 ounces strawberries, hulled and chopped (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt

one large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 t water (for glaze)
directions
for the crust
1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture turns into a coarse meal.
3. Stir in ice water, 2 T at a time, to form moist clumps.
4. Gather the dough unto a ball and divide into two. Flatten each half into a disk, wrap tightly in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about one hour.
for pie construction 1. Preheat oven to 400F. Combine first 7 'filling' ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.
2. Roll out one dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer it to a 9" deep pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.
3. Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Cut into fourteen 1/2-inch-wide strips.
4. Spoon filling into crust.
5. Arrange 7 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly.
6. Form lattice by placing remaining dough strips in opposite direction atop filling., weaving them in and out if you're into that.
7. Trim the ends of the dough strips even with overhang of bottom crust. Fold the strip ends and overhang under, pressing them together to seal. Crimp the edges decoratively.
8. Brush the glaze over crust and transfer pie to a baking sheet (very important as this is a juicy pie!) Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes..
9. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Serve with a side of vanilla ice cream - deeelicious!