# pie goo



## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

for the past couple of days I've been playing with leaf lard and pie fillings....coconut milk out of a can makes flat custard, using 1/2 and 1/2 worked alot better.....chocolate cream pie with cocoa and choc chips turned out GREAT!, the baked choc rasp was good....I'm considering a Mexican choc version with cinnamon and chipotle...anyone have thoughts on combos or techniques that would work well ie...custard or baked fudgy type....

peach and blackberry, butterscotch cream, cherry....I only had a couple of cups of frozen Michigan tart cherries so I rehydrated dried and added them to the frozen left an interesting textural change....thought about just processing the dried so that there is a rich flavor....thoughts?

pyrex vs metal? I've got an abundance of both and have not noticed a major difference. In several recipes I've read that bakers will make the crust, rest for a couple of hours then roll the crust and again refrigerate prior to baking....kinda fussy, is it worth it? Older 90 year women speak of their mom's having pie shells parcooked ready to fill....prior to refrigeration. Not sure how that works with fruit pies, getting the top crust to adhere to the bottom seems like a challenge.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

The response from restaurants that would most likely buy lard is that vegetarians would not eat it......it's great crust....but I can't be the only one ordering it in STL. There has got to be some volume or else the butchers won't mess with it. Though the 35#'s rendered down to approx 20#'s.

I'm going to play with meatpies today should be interesting.


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

Yeah, for 2 crust pies, prebaking doesn't work. I usually roll out my dough right out of the bowl, refrigerate between the parchment, and plop it into the pan after it's thawed a couple of minutes. No need for a second chill. 

I don't use lard (something in my Jewish blood, perhaps), but I do use all butter, and get an amazing light crust. Pyrex is great, because you can see how it's doing on the bottom . They say you should turn your temp down 25 degrees with pyrex, but 've never found this to be true. Definitely go for high bottom heat, esp. if you plan to bake the filling in the crust.

With some custards I make them separate, and add them to the baked shell, but if you plan to showcase the filling (like in a tart, without mountains of whipped cream), you might prefer to bake the filling in the shell, so it's smooth and pretty. It really depends on the look and taste you're after.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

So far the frozen Calhoun county peaches have made killer 2 crust pies.....no spices just butter/cornstarch/sugar (very little) and top with egg wash/sugar.

coconut meragine (dangit just looks like it's spelled wrong) is custard on stove with meragine browned in oven

choc rasp was baked in shell

chocolate cream (major hit) was custard on stove, topped with whipped cream.

lemon curd with whipped cream folded in was put in a prebaked shell...I had an English friend over for tea and she ate 5 pieces!!!!

I'm not thrilled with the coconut. Grating fresh is such a pain. I need Kuan's coconut reamer. 

So, now I'm thinking about baked choc with spices. Or peach with the lemon goo, hmmmm. Joy of Cooking says to put cream of tartar in the meragine...1/4 tsp to 2 egg whites. I've had mountains of whites from all the custard bases that are topped with whipped cream.

May try black bottom, I've got a whole lotta pecans....some treacle/sorghum/cane syrup.....I've not made sweet potato pie this go round....hmmmmm. Really want a killer coconut. I've got bananas ripening too.....remember 20+ years ago the restaurant in Atlanta that had a white choc/banana pie? May revisit it.

Meanwhile I gotta tell you rendering lard is messy and does not make the kitchen smell as good as baked pie. I've finished with the leaf lard and rendered down 100 pounds of berkshire reg lard to make meat pies. pulled ground lamb and shoulder meat to cut into little chunks for texture from the freezer, will add onions, green onions, cayene, possibly potatoes, thyme/rosemary, then see if pork mixed it works better....lard in the crust...should be interesting. I'm trying to talk some friends into making tamales with me....I've not had a good one it a long time.

The next venture will probably be various pates.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

yesterday I picked up a ripe coconut, shredded shelf staple as well as shredded frozen coconut meat....I've got cococnut concentrate from Christmas that looks like lard actually. So, the next step is to infuse the 1/2 and 1/2 I use for the custard with coconut to bounce up the flavor. Possibly lighten it in some way too.....still working on it.


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## foodluvr (Feb 13, 2006)

Shroomgirl, I saw your post re: ideas for Mexican Chocolate Pie. Coincidently I've been thinking about coming up with a Mexican version of chocolate pie also (I'm a home cook). Well, my husband loves chocolate pudding, he's doing Adkins so we always use boxed sugar free pudding. I know, Yuk! Well, when I make this I've been melting unsweetened chocolate and sweetening it up with Splenda brown sugar (which isn't bad). I decided when I made it last time to try to put a Mexican spin on it (for future use in my Mexican Chocolate pie). While melting the chocolate/Splenda brown sugar with a little half n half in a double boiler, I added some cinnamon, ground CORIANDER (NOT CARDAMON AS ORIGINALLY POSTED), and ancho chili powder. I had put the spices into a small container added a little bit of hot water to make a smooth pasty mixture and added this to the melting chocolate. The end result was a very silky smooth textured pudding. The flavors were a great combo (even though I'm not sure CORIANDER is used in Mexican cooking). You know, at first I'd thought about using chipotle chili, but decided that'd give too much of a smokey flavor -- didn't want that in my pie. Also, I've thought I might add some juice of a blood orange (of course, that might take it away from the Mexican theme)... Anyway, it's still a work in progress. Good luck with your venture.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

If you do a side by side with dough that has been retarded and dough rolled out of the bowl. I bet 20 dollars that the dough will rest between each 
action. Please challenge me or trust me, I am master at retarded dough 
best selling flavor this year. Amaretto Peach


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

ok, Pan you lost me...what's retarded dough? Are you saying that the glutin in pie dough does not need to rest/refrigerated between making and using?
Is this all pie dough? 

Gotta tell you this leaf lard is pretty FINE....it's flakey, crisp, holds up structure very well and tastes great(butter added).

I goof off with pastry, can create with some learned experience but am not always up on technical terms.....


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## culinarymd (Apr 24, 2006)

Hello,
I baked many pies in the Army. I followed their recipe card to the letter and it comes out perfect each and every time. I couldn't believe that it would at first. But, trust me, it does. For my first pie ever in Army cook school I let my friends at the barracks taste it. They asked me how many years I had been baking.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

shroom,
don't know what happened to that post. I must of been experiencing AKD.(attention Ka--er disorder) I find that most all doughs need to relax after after each action. There is a noticable difference. don't you agree?


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

yep, so is that retarding? I always read/called it resting.
thought retarding was yeast dough.
long day today, I wanna retard tomorrow....wonder if the boss will let me. Guess I could take off the morning.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Shroom,
You are correct. Over the years my terminology has changed. The main reason is the language barrier in my shop. I tend to use the same word to blanket the generalization of an act. My Spanish is ok but if I'm in a hurry and I tell someone to let the dough rest, I'm liable to find Juan sleeping in the walk-in


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

this is just too tempting.....and if you ask for the dough to retard, does your staff get goofy? oh so not PC.....


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

My pastry chef of 18 years has renamed the word retirement with retarded. He just can't say the word and does not know what retarded means. So every once in a while he'll come out with something like, "what are you worried about, in a few years you'll be retarded"


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

so that's what happens....explains alot.... Juan sleeps in the walkin? for real?


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## nick.shu (Jul 18, 2000)

not quite the professional pastry chef, but here goes:

From what i know, if you rest the dough, you give it time for the gluten/proteins to relax or shrink back or whatever so there is no pulling back during baking or chewiness in the end product.

Retarding a dough (from what ive heard or even simply formed an opinion on) refers not so much to resting, but to preventing further bio or chemical action in developing the dough. As in a yeast action - proving develops the dough, placing the dough in a coolroom and reducing the ambiant temperature RETARDS the yeast from developing the dough any further

Open to comments on this, and not trying to be a "know it all"


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Nick.shu, both Panini and I agree about the pie dough resting prior to rolling out.

I've seen some weird variations, mix rest roll rest bake....or refridge all ingredients including dry...come on isn't that alittle excessive?

Pie is such a beautiful thing....you've got a crust and either fruit or goo/whipped cream or meragine.....bonus is warm fruit pie with vanilla ice cream. That's when you know the world is alright.


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Shroom, tell me more about your Rasp. Choc. Pie. Is it a baked choc. custard with raspberries in it or is a Raspberry pie with bits of choc. in it?


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

choc fudge filling with raspberry compound added in....so it's a baked filling pie.

I can see making it a Mexican flavored one with fudge filling cinnamon, chipotle, and vanilla.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Picked up the end of the rhubarb and the beginning of the strawberries....

Think I'll cook the rhubarb in a orange juice (tangerine would be good too) flavored syrup with vanilla bean (ran out of Nieman Massey paste, gotta get more or figure out how to make it). Anyway cook the rhubarb until crisp tender and thicken with cornstarch (any thoughts about other thickeners?)
Add the strawberries to warm not hot rhubarb. 
Precooked lard crust, vanilla whipped cream. 
that way the goo doesn't overcook fruit and the flavors sing!

Thinking about a dbl crusted rhubarb....vanilla ice cream....ummmmm.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

turned out great the leaf lard crust held up to the rhubarb/strawberry goo....named it "Spring Pie".


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## cheri (Apr 5, 2006)

I've been wanting to do a peanut brittle pie...even though I'm not a peanut lover, seems others are.
Take on your average pecan pie with peanut butter in the cornsyrup mixture using peanuts, not pecans...might cut some of te sweetness...wonder if the peanut butter might prevent the set-up. Serve with marshmallow fluff instead of ice cream or coat the inside of the shell with melted chocolate.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

interesting combo....reeses at it's best! crunch, choc, pb....yum


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## foodluvr (Feb 13, 2006)

They both sound absolutely yummy!:roll:


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Friday I was hanging out waiting for the health inspector making pies...
I wanted to take something for the kids that help breakdown at market.....possibly a derby type pie. But alas there was no corn syrup, but there was sweetened condensed milk. I called my food writing buddy and she googled desserts and came up with a great German choc pie.

heat 1 can sweetened condensed, 1 cup choc chips (I used 60% dark), 1/2 stick butter...until melted. Cool. Add 2 eggs, vanilla, salt, then pecans and coconut. Bake in a raw pie shell 375 for 40 minutes. REALLY GOOD cold the next day. 

So I guess the question is if you are out of corn syrup can you make a pecan pie with sugar? How would you adapt to the loss of syrup? I would assume honey/sorghum/cane all have similar properties to Karo....but with brown and cane sugar as the only sweetner....?

I would have come up with a dessert similar to the German choc pie but I'd not have added the butter to the sw. cond. milk....what did that do chemically to the goo?


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