Dessert? Make mine pie!
When I was growing up, Mom usually indulged me with my favorite Sunday meal—fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and peas, and for dessert, apple pie. I was the oldest of three boys in a family of four kids, after all, and Mom made two pies because one wouldn’t last long. If one piece is great, two pieces are fantastic, right? Add some ice cream, please.
This was back in the days when many or most moms made crust from scratch and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on the leftover dough and baked that, as well, for a tasty side treat.
In our house these days, pie is a rare treat. It’s not that my wife, Cheryl, doesn’t like to bake, but just that I’ve come to the point in life where calories and blood sugar levels are reasons to scale back on the desserts. It was pleasant to step into the house the other day, however, and have the aroma of freshly baked pie filling the kitchen.
Apple remains my favorite, with lemon meringue second and chocolate pudding third (add a generous dollop of Cool Whip). Filling out my top 10, in no particular order, are peach, blueberry, cherry, banana cream, pecan, raspberry and yes, mincemeat (what, exactly, is in that?). I love them all.
I realize that I’m putting pumpkin, cocoanut cream, strawberry and key lime in the second 10.
What’s your favorite?
What's that? No one bakes pie in your household? Rock County Christian School, 916 Bushnell St., Beloit, will host Apple Pie Day on Friday, Sept. 28. School families and friends will bake Dutch apple pies as a fundraiser for the school’s scholarship program. Pies cost $11 and can be purchased from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day or by calling (608) 365-7378.
Yum!
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Sep 14, 2012 at 10:32 a.m.
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gpeck- lol mousse?
emmo- good idea. Never stopped there in all of their lives.
Sep 13, 2012 at 4:35 p.m.
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Not for desert, but the wild game pies from McFarlane's pheasant farm are fantastic.
The pheasant pie is my fav...but the others are all great.
Sep 13, 2012 at 4:32 p.m.
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The restaurant next to Carousel Consignments has delicious homemade pie, plus yummy baked goods (cheesecakes etc.) from Mary's Market. The new bakery by Craig High School has excellent bakery too, but not sure if they have pies.
Sep 13, 2012 at 4:10 p.m.
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sounds good!
Sep 13, 2012 at 4:09 p.m.
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Nothing better than a warm slice of rhubarb pie with a scoop of New York vanilla. Haven't had it in ages, for the same reasons you note, Greg. : )
Sep 13, 2012 at 3:26 p.m.
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frogger, sounds OK except for the mouse!
donnaw: If you want to share a recipe, go ahead and paste it in a comment block. I'm sure others would appreciate it. (Or send it to Greg Little at glittle@gazettextra.com, and he'll print it in The Gazette's Every Day page.)
Greg Peck
Sep 13, 2012 at 3:11 p.m.
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$30 must be because they ship it to you. I believe when I drove by a yr or so ago it was about 15-18 ish. You can get a chix pot pie there too- yum!
Sep 13, 2012 at 2:52 p.m.
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Frogger...my mouth is watering! Sounds like a fabulous recipe! That brings up an idea. Hey Greg, what about a recipe column for articles like this?
Sep 13, 2012 at 2:14 p.m.
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Ack! Just checked out the Elegant Farmer...the pies look great but $40?! Only $30 a piece if you buy two. I don't like pie that much. ;o/
Sep 13, 2012 at 1:08 p.m.
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I make a white choc rum(or liqueur of your choice) mouse with Raspberry puree and home-made choc walnut crust that is YUMMY!!!! With home-made whip cream on top and some choc pieces. I guess this could be my fav. I was only thinking of berries.
PB pie at Prime Q is very good.
Sep 13, 2012 at 1:03 p.m.
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I like Cherry, lemon, choc,key lime, rurbarb, pumpkin extra whip cream!blueberry yum.Carmel apple- yum too.
You can take phillo dough and wrap the stuff in there and bake with raw sugar and cinn on top.
Third-eye- yes home-made chicken pot pie.
We used to disect pot pies in home-ec at Marshall.
yes pie crust with cin and sugar!
intrique- I agree.
Some store pies are icky. My parents LOVE logli strawberry pie. I cannot get over that weird glaze junk.
yes elegent farmer pies are YUMMY!!
K &W has them sometimes. Seems this is the season they start doing this.
Sep 13, 2012 at 12:50 p.m.
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Love this article and postings! We needed a little fun today. My favorite is cherry with peach a close second. When I really get hungry for pie I go to Perkins, not as good as home made but will do for a fix. And Door County cherry pie fillinf in a jar is the best! I also have a great recipe from Martha Stewart for a good blueberry or cherry pie that I make once in awhile.
Sep 13, 2012 at 12:03 p.m.
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Gotta go with Key Lime & Pumpkin. Yumalicious:)
Sep 13, 2012 at 11:48 a.m.
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You can get a good pie at Poyer's Market in Fort Atkinson. Baked fresh - they have all kinds.
Sep 13, 2012 at 10:18 a.m.
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My all time favorite is pumpkin. However, my Ma makes a mean apple pie with a lard based crust. Best.Crust.Ever. She uses lard she gets from famers she knows or butcher shops that do their own processing, not the lard from the grocery store which she claims is not the same. Rendered lard is harder to find these days, but when she can get her hands on it she does and we enjoy the treats she makes with it. I'm also a big fan of raspberry with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Sep 13, 2012 at 10:07 a.m.
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In truth I like both, pie and The Gazette.
Sep 13, 2012 at 9:31 a.m.
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Guess you'll have to take that with a grain of salt !
Sep 13, 2012 at 7:04 a.m.
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mgcarguy: Are you saying you don't enjoy pie? This particular blog post has nothing to do with anything you'll read in our print product. I offer the subject for a little light, savory reading to offset the day's dose of bad news.
Greg Peck
Sep 12, 2012 at 10:48 p.m.
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Real pies require lard in the crust!
Of course you'll die of heart disease...but you will live very happy, though shortened life.
Sep 12, 2012 at 4:38 p.m.
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Just when I was thinking of spending my money on a subscription to the Gazette you talk about pie. I have made my choice.
Sep 12, 2012 at 2:15 p.m.
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flivver: I've been buying miniature pies, reasonably priced, this summer from a vendor at the Janesville Farmers Market. A former colleague suggests the caramel-apple pies baked in a bag at Elegant Farmer near East Troy http://www.elegantfarmer.com/ are tops, and it's hard to argue with that. She also says rhubarb pie should be on my list, and she probably is right. Rhubarb mixed with strawberries is OK with me.
Greg Peck
Sep 12, 2012 at 2:07 p.m.
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I agree that grocery store pies are "icky!" With that said - for those of us who don't bake - where can one BUY a decent pie (other than fundraisers selling homemade). I love me a good banana cream or pumpkin but any fruit pie will do.
Sep 12, 2012 at 1:44 p.m.
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I don't believe I have met a pie I did not like (unless it is some icky grocery store kind.)
Sep 12, 2012 at 12:51 p.m.
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My number 1 is Cherry Pie.
Pecan Pie is close, but it must be made right. There are some pitiful excuses for pecan pie out there.
The rest:
3- Key Lime
4- Rhubarb (Not strawberry-rhubarb, all rhubarb)
5- Pumpkin
6- All the rest, berry pies, green tomatoe pies, and fruit pies.
Let's not forget another favorite, pot pies.
Sep 12, 2012 at 11:55 a.m.
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Your mom used to make those rolled up cinnamon things too? I'll beat she used to leave a little cookie dough on the beater for you, too.
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