2008 Woodie Awards
Cooking with Sumner!
Sumner Ellsworth
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Arts & Features
- Page 1 of 1
Thanksgiving is about pies. And turkey, pilgrims and thankfulness, but mostly pies. There's usually only one turkey, but how many pies were there last year? One of my friends traditionally has more pies than people at her family's Thanksgiving dinner.
Here's a good crust recipe (often the hardest part) and some pies to try this year.
Piecrust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
4 - 5 Tbs. ice water
Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening; continue until dime size crumbs form. Add water and collect into balls.
Roll out to about a 1/8 inch thickness between sheets of wax paper (yes, wax paper; no, this isn't the way your grandmother does it).
If you do prefer to roll out with flour, use about a 1/3 of a cup less flour when beginnign the recipe.
Makes 2 crusts.
Apple Pie
8 or 9 apples
½ cup sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cardamom
Caramel, optional
Peel, chop and core apples. In a large bowl, add sugar and spices to apples. This spice combination is just a suggestion; season to taste.
Fill a piecrust with apples. For apples, it's okay if the apples are piled really high, as they will bake down. Drizzle with caramel.
Cover with a second crust, fold over lower crust and pinch together. Cut air vents into the top. Cook at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Pumpkin Pie
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined.
Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, mix in the vanilla, cinnamon and ginger, and beat the mixture until the filling is smooth.
Pour the pumpkin filling into prepared piecrust and bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the center is set.
Cranberry Pie
1 qt. chopped cranberries
½ cup molasses
1 1/3 cups sugar
Dash salt
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. butter
Mix sugar, salt and cornstarch and add to chopped cranberries and molasses. Pour into crust. Dot with butter and cover with top crust. Bake at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes.
Here's a good crust recipe (often the hardest part) and some pies to try this year.
Piecrust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
4 - 5 Tbs. ice water
Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening; continue until dime size crumbs form. Add water and collect into balls.
Roll out to about a 1/8 inch thickness between sheets of wax paper (yes, wax paper; no, this isn't the way your grandmother does it).
If you do prefer to roll out with flour, use about a 1/3 of a cup less flour when beginnign the recipe.
Makes 2 crusts.
Apple Pie
8 or 9 apples
½ cup sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cardamom
Caramel, optional
Peel, chop and core apples. In a large bowl, add sugar and spices to apples. This spice combination is just a suggestion; season to taste.
Fill a piecrust with apples. For apples, it's okay if the apples are piled really high, as they will bake down. Drizzle with caramel.
Cover with a second crust, fold over lower crust and pinch together. Cut air vents into the top. Cook at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Pumpkin Pie
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined.
Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, mix in the vanilla, cinnamon and ginger, and beat the mixture until the filling is smooth.
Pour the pumpkin filling into prepared piecrust and bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the center is set.
Cranberry Pie
1 qt. chopped cranberries
½ cup molasses
1 1/3 cups sugar
Dash salt
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. butter
Mix sugar, salt and cornstarch and add to chopped cranberries and molasses. Pour into crust. Dot with butter and cover with top crust. Bake at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes.
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