#13: Mango Chili Pie

The initial inspiration for this pie were the really nice mangoes that were on sale at the market.  Had I realized that this would be ''lucky'' pie number thirteen...I might have gone with a pie that was less of a gamble.  :o)

When I got home with my mangoes, I googled ''mango pie'' and discovered that mango pie tastes a lot like peach pie, which I love but I wanted a pie that would be distinct from the one that I would later make when peaches are in season.

With this in mind, I knew I had to stay away from cinnamon.  But would removing the spice be enough?

That's when I started to look for just plain mango recipes, which reminded of a simple mango street food – fresh mango spears sprinkled with lime juice, salt, and chili powder – which lead me to the Mango Chili Pie.

So I took an apple pie recipe and reduced the sugar since mangoes didn't seem to need as much.  Then I replace the lemon juice with lime and swapped the spices for a combination of chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt (to enhance flavor, not to add saltiness).

The end result still reminded me of peach but it had a nice heat that finished each bite but didn't burn your mouth.

Next time, I'll see if this can go a bit more sour – less or no sugar?  I'm also wondering if I use a sweeter crust and then sprinkle salt on top rather rather than sugar just to give each bite a bit of pop.

#12: Spinach and Ham Pie

Believe it or not, after about 3 months of pies...I'm starting to crave something different. So yes, this week, I have a savory pie for you -- Spinach and Ham Pie.

I began my search by googling "ham pie".  (How could anyone go wrong with a search like that?)  This lead me to a recipe from Martha Stewart and figured it would solve two problems -- satiate my savory pie craving and work as my contribution to our family Easter dinner.

The first time I did this recipe, I followed it exactly (sort of), which included using the food processor to make the crust.  <GASP!>  I know.  However, I was very careful to not over-process the dough.  So even though they said to process until a dough ball formed, I stopped short of that and brought it all together in a separate bowl.

The dough came out fine, I could still see chunks of butter/cheese it the dough disks that I wrapped to chill.  But I think, if you're not paying attention, it's probably really easy to let this go too far.  So the second time I made this pie (for Easter), I did it by hand...no problemo.


Another thing I liked about this recipe is that it uses spinach, which is in season right now.  However, with all the washing and de-stemming and cooking and chopping and squeezing...it soon became quick clear.  I should have used frozen, chopped spinach to cut the process in half.  Comparing my first (fresh spinach) and second pies (frozen), you can't taste the difference.

No matter what kind of spinach you use, though, you have to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  Yes, you end up with something that looks like a road apple.  But if you skip on this step..even in the slightest, you will have a soggy bottom crust.  Period.  (Worried about squeezing out all the nutrients?  Save it and put it in a smoothie or something.  Just don't leave it in your pie.)

The end result?  Wonderful.  The original recipe says it makes 8 servings but when I served it for Easter, I doubled it so for those who (like me) were happy to combine a bit of pie and ham to make the perfect bite.  Plus, where were extra slices for those who (like my husband) could easily just eat the pie all on its own.

#11: Shaker Lemon Pie

In honor of Π (Pi) Day, I decided to make a Shaker Lemon Pie because not only are Meyer Lemons in season but the pie actually uses the entire lemon.  (I know, no waste.  It's the Shaker way.)

Because you're using the whole lemon, I guess the key here is definitely the Meyer Lemon, which is milder and has a thinner rind.

The recipe I found at Smitten Kitchen suggested using a mandolin but mine is either old or cheap because trying to cut paper thin slices just left me with a juicy mess.  So I decided to skip trying to be a speedy ''ninja'' and opted to go with patient ''Tai Chi'' master and slice the lemons by hand.

You DO have to plan ahead for this recipe since the lemons need to macerate in sugary lemon juice for 24 hours.

But it's worth it!  The end result is like eating a custard/marmalade love child -- which is a good thing.

I still have more lemons on hand so I'm going to try freezing the ''Day One'' lemon mixture.  Will let you know in a couple months if summer Meyer lemon pie is doable.

Metal vs. Glass

One question has been nagging me for a while -- which is better, metal pie pans or glass ones?

Glass is definitely prettier. Plus, I don't have to worry about scratching the pan when cutting into it.

But my brain says otherwise. (Step inside my head, would you?) Metal is a conductor of heat so cooking would start immediately. Glass, on the other hand, is an insulator, which would delay cooking.

Since my Dutch Apple Pie only required half of my dough recipe, I decided to make two pies and settle the issue once and for all.

That's right -- Pie Thunderdome! Two pies enter. One pie leaves.

Okay, actually I just took both pies to work and asked the guys to weigh in.

The final decision?  Metal.

What was the deciding factor?  As you may guess, the glass pan had a soggy bottom <gasp!> (I know!) -- probably due to the delayed cooking. (I case you're keeping score at home, that would be Brain - 1, Pretty - zero.)

#10: Dutch Apple Pie

So when I think ''Dutch Apple Pie'', I think apple pie with a crumble top.

Checking out Wikipedia, though, it looks like ''Dutch-Style Apple Pie'' refers to the use of cinnamon and lemon juice.  Normally, a Dutch Apple Pie has a lattice top.  the streusel top is just an association that exists in the United States.  Go figure.

Well, I did the good, ol' American Dutch Apple Pie, with all it's streusel top glory because if something is wonderful on it's on, it can only get better by adding a bunch of sugar on top.  Right?  :o)

Actually, I loved the fact that I do a single batch of pie dough and get TWO apple pies out of it.  I guess you can say, that's another way to go ''Dutch'' with an apple pie.  :o)

#9: Banana Cream Pie

So in honor of National Banana Cream Pie Day I wanted to actually make a Banana Cream Pie.

The one thing that I find disappointing about most Banana Cream Pie recipes is that they don't use an actually banana cream.  Instead, they take a vanilla cream and then add sliced bananas.

That was until I found this Banana Cream Pie recipe in my "Momofuki Milk Bar" cookbook by Christina Tosi.  Not only did it use bananas but it used flavorful, ripe bananas.

Another thing I found interesting about this recipe was its use of a blender to pure and mix.  Love it.  (Especially bringing out the blender then just becomes an excuse to have milkshakes.)

I did cheat and use a store-bought Oreo cookie crust but mainly because I'm still scarred from my chocolate crumb crust debacle from last week. (Have no fear.  I'll get over it soon.  I just didn't want to tackle that along with the time pressure of hitting National Banana Cream Pie Day.)

The end result was good.  A nice banana flavor that went well with the chocolate cookie crust.  If you want a little more zing, you can top it with whipped cream for visual flare or drizzle with chocolate sauce for a tastebud overload.  :o)