Homemade Pepperoni Rolls

When I was moving from D.C. to West Virginia, I told people I was trading in my half-smokes for pepperoni rolls, both being the iconic cheap convenience foods of the respective places. Though pepperoni rolls are most prevalent in the Western part of West Virginia, where there's a concentration of residents with Italian heritage, the stuffed rolls are now found throughout the state.



Fairmont baker and former miner Giuseppe "Joseph" Argiro, originally from Calabria, Italy, is credited with creating the first pepperoni roll in 1927. He had observed his fellow miners eating pepperoni with bread while at work, and decided to combine the two into a easily portable pocket food (miners have a history of inspiring delicious pocket foods--if you've ever had a Michigan pasty, you know what I'm talking about). Argiro founded the Country Club Bakery where he sold the rolls, and eventually passed the business on to his son Frank "Cheech" Argiro. It's still in operation today.



The classic pepperoni roll uses pepperoni slices or sticks, rolled in white bread dough (not pizza dough, like stromboli), and does not include cheese. Though perceived as sacrilegious by some, variations can employ shredded pepperoni, cheese, peppers, and even chili. In my opinion, a good pepperoni roll needs no extra flavor or moisture, as the oil of the pepperoni roll is absorbed by the bread, creating that telltale orange hue along the edges. That key pepperoni roll truth is deemed unappetizing to some (like my boss), but delicious to many (like me).

Of course upon establishing myself in the Mountain State, I knew I needed to try my hand at the things, and I found this recipe from Kendra Bailey Morris via American Food Roots. I made them during the blizzard last month, and they weathered us all the way through the storm.

 Homemade Pepperoni Rolls
Adapted from Kendra Bailey Morris via American Food Roots

Ingredients
For the rolls:
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
½ cup warm water
½ cup plus ½ teaspoon sugar
1-2 white potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
½ cup unsalted butter, very soft
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
7-8 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ (about 1 pound) pepperoni stick, cut into thin slices

 For the glaze:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 large egg

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and ½ teaspoon sugar until yeast dissolves. Let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes until foamy.

2. Meanwhile,  place potatoes in a pot with at least three cups of water (enough to make approximately 2 ½ cups leftover potato water) and cook until tender.

3. In a blender, pulse cooked potatoes and 2 1/2 cups potato water in a blender. Add the ½ cup sugar, butter, and salt, blending well. Add the egg and blend 5 seconds more. Let mixture cool to lukewarm.

4. Once cool, pour potato mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitting with the paddle attachment, mixing in the yeast. Slowly add 4 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Add 3-4 more cups of flour and knead until the dough is fairly stiff but still a little sticky. Place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. (Note: the dough will keep in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. Be sure to push down the dough at least once per day.)

5. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Turn dough onto a floured board and cut into quarters. Continue to cut into roughly 40 small pieces. Take a piece of the dough and push it flat into a rectangle. Place 2-3 slices of pepperoni in the middle (overlapping and not stacking) and roll, pinching the ends of the dough to hold the pepperoni inside. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat until you’ve used up all of your dough and pepperoni.

6. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add your egg and mix well. Brush tops of the rolls with this mixture, then bake them until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.



Related recipes:
Breakfast Pizza with Sausage, Greens, and Fried Eggs
Buffalo Chicken Fried Pies
Pretzel-wrapped Sausages with Homemade Beer Mustard
Savory Heirloom Tomato Ricotta Galette

Chocolate Almond Snow Day Cake

I'm currently camped out at my friends' house, stretched out on the couch as I look out the window to a foot of snow on the ground, with much more on the way. I've got a stack of books at my feet, a to-do list on my lap, and between my house and theirs, a stockpile of beer, wine, and ingredients for lemon bars, brownie pie, pepperoni rolls, bourbon snow creams, and leftover gumbo. In my living room, new-to-me cross-country skis are waiting to be waxed and balls of yarn are ready to be knit into a cardigan. There's something about a snow day stretched ahead of me that inspires a childlike possibility-- the hours seem longer, the neighborhood suddenly becomes a mysterious world to explore, and creations-- whether edible, textile, or otherwise-- beg to be created.

I won't linger here long in favor of all the snow day left to be lived, but I remembered this cake I made over the holidays and it struck me as a perfect wintery weather-bound project. Hearty, rich, and not too fussy, it's just the thing I'd want to pair with one of those bourbon snow creams after skiing the city streets. Most of the ingredients are those you're likely to have at home, and you could substitute the almonds for other nuts-- I imagine hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts would all do the trick. When I made this at Christmas, my mom cut out a paper snowflake, which I put on the cake to use as a stencil for a powdered sugar dusting-- another worthy snow bound endeavor.

Chocolate Almond Cake

Adapted from Nigel Slater via The Guardian

Ingredients
7 ounces (200g) fine dark chocolate (60% or more)
1 ounce hot espresso or very strong coffee
14 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces almond meal (or finely ground almonds)

Directions
1. Butter and line 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl over gently simmering water. As soon as the chocolate begins to melt, pour the hot espresso or coffee over it.  Drop the cubed butter into the chocolate and coffee, but do not stir.

3.  Keeping an eye on the chocolate, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cocoa in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

4. Separate the eggs, dropping the egg whites into a large bowl and the yolks into a separate small bowl. Whisk the whites till they are thick and stiff then quickly but gently fold in the sugar with a large metal or wooden spoon and set aside.

5. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and stir to dissolve the remaining butter. Mix the egg yolks together then stir quickly into the chocolate, just until the ingredients come together. Fold the chocolate mixture firmly but gently into the egg whites and sugar.

6. Lightly fold in the flour and cocoa mixture, followed by the almond meal. Work slowly and firmly but lightly, making sure to not over mix. Transfer the batter into the greased and lined cake pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool, then decorate with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!

Related recipes:
Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate Chess Pie
Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Last year I wrote about the origins of the native cranberry and the cultural history of the fruit in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, as studied by Mary Hufford for the American Folklife Center. Now that I'm in West Virginia, I've been learning more about the cranberry glades here in the state-- in Monongahela National Forest and Dolly Sodds Wilderness. On New Years Eve when I was making a a lemon layer cake with cranberry curd and garnish, and my new friend Emily told me that she had harvested some cranberries in Tucker County this year, where Dolly Sodds is located. I assumed that they were the small wild cranberries I had seen up in Maine this September, but she said those she harvested were just as big as the store-bought variety I was using on the cake.

I'm looking forward to being in West Virginia for cranberry season this year, but for this Cranberry Upside Down Cake, I used more of the regular store-bought variety. Cranberries are my favorite thing to bake with in the wintertime-- their tartness is a pie baker's dream and their red hue is a welcome bright spot during winter's doldrums. I highly recommend stockpiling cranberries in your freezer when you can-- they don't always stick around in grocery stores past Christmas.

This cake, adapted from David Lebovitz, uses the pineapple upside down cake/tarte tatin principle, in which the fruit is caramelized in sugar over the stove, the batter or crust is poured over top, and the dessert is baked upside down in the same pan, then flipped so the fruit sits atop. Like ripping off a bandaid, it's best the flip is done in one swift motion and with courage.

I made this for Christmas dessert this year, along with a Lemon Chess Pie and Nigel Slater's Chocolate Almond Cake. It was a big hit, especially with my dad, who I still don't think has forgiven my mom and me for leaving the leftovers at our friends' house the next day.



Cranberry Upside Down Cake
Adapted only slightly from David Lebovitz

Ingredients
For the topping:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups (1 bag) fresh or frozen cranberries

For the cake batter:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 small orange or lemon
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Directions
1. For the topping: Place the butter and brown sugar in a 9- or 10-inch skillet over low heat. Mix and melt together, stirring constantly until the sugar is liquified. When the mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat and set aside.

2. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, cream the 1/2 cup of butter, granulated sugar, and citrus zest on medium-high for 3-5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs one at a time, stopping in between to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract.

4. On low-speed, add half of the flour mixture, the milk, and then the remaining flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.

5. Evenly distribute the cranberries in the cast-iron skillet over the brown sugar mixture (You may need to re-heat the mixture on low if it has solidified). Pour the batter over the cranberries, then use a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed over the berries.

6. Bake the cake until the "top" is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and after 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the cake. Place a cake plate over the top of the skillet and flip onto the plate (have courage!) until the cake releases from the pan. Serve cake warm and enjoy.

Related recipes:
Chocolate Cranberry Chess Pie
Cranberry Chess Pie
Cranberry Pie
Pear Tarte Tatin

Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie

Aside from holiday guides and Molly's beautiful illustrations, it's been a while since I've written a proper post. I do have a fairly justifiable excuse, though: at the end of October, I packed up my D.C. apartment, and with my parent's help, drove the 360 miles to my new home in Charleston, West Virginia. The move was prompted by my acceptance of a state folklorist position with the West Virginia Humanities Council-- a real dream job for me.

Since then, it's been a whirlwind-- a new city, a new state, a new apartment, a new job where I'm building a new program. I got an all-wheel drive car and a Janus-faced tortoiseshell kitten named Wren. I really like it here-- it's friendly and cheap and scrappy and coleslaw is an obligatory topping on all hot dogs. But it did take me a while to settle into my new place. Mainly, this was because the state of the kitchen was not especially conducive to baking, an activity that always grounds me in a new place. However, with my parents' help once again, a good dose of elbow grease, and a coat of paint, my kitchen is now a room where I don't mind spending a few hours, say, baking a pie.



This Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie was the first I made here. King Arthur Flour and Bon Appétit were both touting their Chocolate Cream Pie and I had brought with me an excess of homemade mint extract and peppermint candies from some past baking projects so I adapted the recipe to incorporate these. I had some leftover filling, which I scooped into ramekins for Chocolate Peppermint pots de crèmes, and I brought most of the pie into work the next day-- not a bad way to win the favor of your new coworkers.

Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
For the pie:
Nothing in the House pie crust, halved
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tablespoon peppermint extract (can add more or less to taste)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional (for richer chocolate flavor)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream, divided
2 cups whole milk
1 beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon whole milk or cream, for egg wash
Turbinado sugar, for dusting

For the topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peppermint candies (or leftover candy canes), crushed

Directions
For the crust:
1. Prepare half of Nothing in the House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash and saving other half of the recipe in the freezer for a future pie. Chill dough at least one hour before rolling and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Prick crust with fork all over the bottom. Place pie pan in the freezer for 1 hour to set before baking. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Remove crust from freezer, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake crust for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove paper and weights, brush with egg wash and dust with Turbinado sugar. Return crust to oven and bake for 5-8 more minutes more or until fully baked, puffed, and golden brown. Let cool while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:
1. In a medium mixing bow, place the chopped chocolate, butter, and peppermint extract. Set aside. In a medium saucepan off of the heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup of cold heavy cream until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Repeat with another 1/4 cup of the cream, then whisk in the egg yolks.

2. Put the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the remaining cream and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Pass the filling through a sieve into a bowl to make sure there are no lumps.

3. Place plastic wrap tightly over the surface of the chocolate mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the fridge until completely chilled. Meanwhile, prepare the topping.

For the topping:
1. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until the whisk begins to leave tracks in the bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until the cream holds a medium peak.

2. Transfer the chilled filling to the cooled and baked pie crust and smooth with a rubber spatula. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top of the filling. Chill the pie until ready to serve, then sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.



Related recipes:
Chocolate Chess Pie
Dark Chocolate Lavender Tart with a Lemon Cardamom Crust
Grasshopper Pie
Homemade Peppermint Extract
Peppermint Pattie Tart

Molly Reeder's Kitchen Drawings

A couple of years ago, my friend Mack shot an interview with me as I prepared for our annual Pi(e) Day celebration at my home in D.C. In the interview, I talk about how I learned to bake from my mom and grandmother, so ask Mack was putting together the footage, she asked if I had any photos of them working in the kitchen that she could use as B-roll. I asked my mom, and she scoured albums and photo boxes, and found none. There were pictures of desserts she had made, of my brother and I blowing out candles on homemade birthday cakes, and of the family sitting around the table at Thanksgiving, but there were no images of her doing the actual labor of home cooking. 

That struck me as odd and unbalanced. It may be my folkloric tendencies speaking here, but for me the images of daily work-- in messy kitchens, basement workshops, or leaf-strewn yards-- carry more emotional and narrative weight than the posed and stifled family photos taken during vacations or at graduations and family reunions. They capture us in situ, and convey a story about who we are and what we do and make and value.

So I was particularly excited when artist Molly Reeder contacted me about her kitchen drawing project, in which she illustrating a series of images of cooks and bakers working in their home kitchens. She highlights this labor so beautifully, in grayscale pencil drawings that accentuate the gestures and stances of her subjects as they sprinkle sugar, wash dishes, or consult a cookbook recipe. Molly illustrated a photo of me taken by Mack during those Pi(e) Day preparations of 2014, and is working on an entire series, including the one below of Yossy Arefi of Apt 2B Baking Co. 

I'm honored to be a part of this project which so elegantly illuminates the daily activity of kitchens, and I can't wait to see the final exhibit. You can find more of Molly's work and more about the series via her website and on Instagram.

Christmas Pie Ideas

My trip home for Christmas has been delayed by a pesky migraine, but the upshot is that this extra recovery time offers me chance to squeeze in a little post before the holiday. Things have been busy for me, with a new city and job and all, and I realize my previous post was of a similar bent, just for Thanksgiving, but I'm looking forward to digging back in to some regular posts in the new year. In the meantime, enjoy your winter holiday celebrations, whatever they may be, and hope there's some sweetness to go with it. 

Chocolate
Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Nabs Crust, pictured top left
Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tart
Peppermint Pattie Tart

Fruit & Nut
Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie
Cranberry Pie, pictured bottom right
Fig-Pistachio Tarte Tatin
Shaker Orange Tarts

Preserves & Icebox
Almond & Grapefruit-Ginger Marmalade Crostata
Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly, pictured bottom left
Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte
Speculoos Icebox Pie

Cookies & Cakes
Pea & Corn Cookies
Sandy Spring Sand Tarts, pictured top right
Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Savory
Corn and Black Pepper Crackers
Ham, Gruyère & Caramelized Onion Galette with Fried Egg
Red & Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Tart
Tri-color Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & Rosemary Galette

As always, you can find many more recipes, via the Recipe Index.

Thanksgiving Pie Ideas

This is the first time in ten years I'll have spent Thanksgiving with my family. This past decade of Friendsgivings, celebrated from Maine to Maryland, have always been a rowdy delight and have taught me about how to do holidays at the grown-ups table right-- I hope there are many more in store. But this year I'm looking forward to spending the day at home in Indiana. In the past few years, my family has become particularly fond of Hoosier Mama's Cranberry Chess Pie, so I expect to fulfill a request for one of those, but I'll also likely venture in to new territory-- a Pumpkin-Pecan Pie, Aurora Tart, or Apple Cider Cheesecake, perhaps? If you're also still deciding, here are a few suggestions for your Thanksgiving table-- both savory and sweet. If you don't find quite what you're looking for, check out the Recipe Index, as well as past guides from 2014, 2013, and 2012.

Pumpkin, Squash & Sweet Potato
Delicata Squash Pie (pictured, top right)
Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie
Sweet Potato Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Sweet Potato Speculoos Pie

Fall Fruits
Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Glaze
Cranberry Chess Pie
Cranberry Pie
Red Wine-Poached Seckel Pear Tartlets (pictured, top left)
Persimmon Pie

Chocolate & Nuts
Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie
Chocolate Chess Pie
Cranberry Chocolate Chess Pie (pictured, bottom left)
Pine Nut & Honey Tart

Custard & Cheese
Cranberry Goat Cheese Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust
Kentucky Lemon Chess Pie
Maple Bourbon Buttermilk Pie with Apple Syrup
Pumpkin-Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Salty Honey Pie

Savory
Celery Ham Tart aka Pissaladière
Gordy's Cherry Pepper Spread Galette
Pear, Gruyere & Caramelized Onion Hand Pies 
Puff Pastry Hand Pies with Goat Cheese & Hot Pepper Jelly (pictured, bottom right)
Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Galette

And whether from this list or not, I'd love to hear what you'll be making this Thanksgiving-- I may even have to borrow your idea. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Nabs Crust

  
Nabs. Peanut Butter Crackers. Lance's Toast Chee. Whatever you call them, you are likely familiar with the unnaturally florescent "cheese" crackers that are sandwiched with peanut butter and wrapped in cellophane-- six to a pack. For me, they were the stuff of after school snacks, bought with quarters out of the teacher's lounge vending machine or pulled from my mother's desk drawer while my brother and I waited for her to finish her classroom work. I hadn't thought about those sandwich crackers much since until my friend Emily Wallace, a Nabs devotée, made some illustrations of them for bookmarks. Then a few months ago, while interviewing Richmond chef Travis Milton for a story for Gravy, he mentioned that he'd made some Nabs-crusted pork cutlets and began to wax poetic:

It’s kinda like a fried pork chop pounded up and you just grind up Nabs and the sugar and the peanut butter gets real real crispy and kinda caramelizes and the cracker meal gets good. I’ve also rolled sausage balls or boudin balls in that too. Nabs are one of my favorite things in the world.

This got me thinking-- could I use Nabs in a sweet dish, perhaps as a pie crust? I started talking about it with some friends, but quickly realized that many did not know what "Nabs" were, calling them instead "Toast Chee" or "Cheese and Peanut Butter Crackers." "Nabs" are a shortened version of "Nabisco," who along with Lance, produced varieties of the sandwich crackers in the early 1900s. Nabisco adopted the shortened name used by customers, however in the late 70s and early 80s, they discontinued their "Nabs," leaving those made by Keebler and Lance to become the prominent brands. The "Nabs" moniker is particularly prevalent in North Carolina, as according to Our State Magazine, both Lance and Nabisco had factories in the state, and the crackers were a common quick snack for mill workers who often did not get a break for lunch.



Regardless of what you call them, my rigorous testing proved that Nabs can indeed make a fine pie crust, similar to a graham cracker, saltine, or Oreo crust. I adapted the filling from this Peanut Butter-Pretzel Tart, as Nabs seemed to demand a milk chocolate pairing rather than semi-sweet. The result resembles a Butterfinger, both in richness and flavor. Rather than a peanut butter swirl, you could also do a chocolate covered peanut filling, which would add a nice crunch.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Nabs Crust

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups (about 6 packets) Nabs aka "Cheese" and Peanut Butter Crackers, crushed
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
8 ounces milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (Use run-of-the-mill salted and sweetened peanut butter. If you use natural, make sure it's smooth, and you'll want to add sugar to taste--probably 1/2 cup)

Directions

1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place Nabs in the bowl of a food processor and process until fine crumbs form.  Add melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse until well mixed.

2. Pat the buttery crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing mixture into the bottom and sides to form a pie crust. Place in oven and bake until crust is set, about 10-12 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before adding the filling.

3. For the filling: Put chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set aside. Combine cream and butter in a medium saucepan and place on medium heat until it just comes to a boil. When it begins to boil, pour it over the chocolate, cover the bowl, and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Remove the lid and whisk in the chocolate until it is completely melted and has a ganache-like consistency. Pour it into the cooled pie crust and smooth with a rubber spatula.

4. Meanwhile, warm the peanut butter in the microwave or on the stove until it is slightly runny. Pour it over the chocolate ganache, and drag a butter knife through it to create swirls. Chill for at least 25-30 minutes to set. Serve at room temperature and enjoy.

Related recipes:
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pretzel Tart
Chocolate and Strawberry Pocky Pie
Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Ganache
Speculoos Icebox Pie

Delicata Squash Pie

Since the very early days of this blog, I've asserted that if you're going to make a "pumpkin" pie from scratch with purée from a fresh vegetable, you should make it with squash, not pumpkin. Not only is the flavor generally better-- sweeter and more potent-- the consistency is much preferable-- less watery and less stringy than a pie pumpkin. My favorite squash to use is delicata. The long tubular gourd that's striped dark green and cream, indicates its taste via its name, which means "sweet". Delicatas can be harder to find than butternut or acorn squash (unless you live in Vermont, where they seem to be everywhere), but the quest is well worth it for the resulting pie.

This recipe, which I first made for a Burlington, Vermont "Seamonster Potluck" in 2006, was one of the four from Nothing in the House selected by King Arthur Flour to appear in their fall issue of Sift, alongside my article on the anthropology of pie. It's fitting, particularly as I'm not sure I'd had a delicata until I moved to Burlington, where my friend Andrea cut thin coins of them, topped them with masked celeriac, roasted them, and called it a "delicata cookie"-- one of my favorite savory treats to this day.

Here's the recipe that appeared in Sift, adapted from my original. King Arthur's lovely cream swirl didn't quite work out for me, so instead I whipped some extra cream just slightly, and drizzled it atop the baked and cooled pie.



Delicata Squash Pie

Ingredients
Nothing in the House pie crust, halved
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk or cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten
3 medium (1 3/4 pounds before cooking) delicata squash
Additional evaporated milk or cream, for swirling

Directions
1. Prepare half of Nothing in the House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash. Chill dough at least one hour before rolling and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Let chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Halve the squash lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Bake, cut side down, in a 9 x 13-inch pan with 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. After 30-40 minutes, press the squash with your finger; when it's soft, it's done. Remove from the oven, and when cool enough to handle, scoop out 2 cups of the flesh. Purée until smooth. Increase the oven's temperature to 425 F.

3. For the filling: Combine the evaporated milk or cream, sugars, spices, salt, and eggs. Add to the squash and blend until smooth with a hand mixer or immersion blender. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Add a swirl of cream or evaporated milk on top, or sprinkle with cinnamon for decoration, if desired (you could also drizzle with cream and/or sprinkle with cinnamon post-baking).

4. Placed the pie on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes at 425°F. Reduce the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until the pie is mostly set, and a 1-2 inch circle in the center still wobbles a bit when you nudge the pan. Remove the pie from the oven and cool it completely before slicing. Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or drizzle with whipped cream, if desired.

Related recipes:
Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie
Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie

Red Wine-Poached Seckel Pear Tartlets

A few weeks ago, I attended an American Folklife Center symposium at the Library of Congress, celebrating the release of the new book Ola Belle Reed and Southern Mountain Music on the Mason Dixon Line by fellow folklorists Henry Glassie, Cliff Murphy, and Doug Peach. The book, which I highly recommend, is based on fieldwork by Glassie and Murphy and relates the story of a group of southern musical families who moved to Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania in search of jobs during the Great Depression. Placing Ola Belle and her relatives and descendants at the center, it examines the community of southern traditional music that took hold there and its modern iterations, namely in the music of Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass, and Zane and Hugh Campbell.

As a big fan of Ola Belle, Hugh, and Zane, as well as the book's authors, the symposium a lovely and insightful gathering. My one critique is that I wish there had been more women's voices on the stage. Upon talking about this with my coworker Greg, he suggested I get in touch with Judy Marti, a banjo player, orchardist and last student of Ola Belle's, who also self-published a biography of her that's often quoted in the new book. I emailed Judy and said I was interested in meeting her, learning about her music and farming, and possibly playing some tunes, and she invited my bandmate Nadia and me up to her orchard in Biglersville, PA on a Saturday afternoon.



I wanted to make something to bring to Judy and her husband, and figuring they already had a glut of apples, my eye turned to the quart of Seckel pears I'd bought at the farmers' market the weekend prior. I don't believe I'd baked with them before, and felt they were so remarkable in their size and flavor, that I wanted to preserve and showcase that as much as possible. I remembered seeing a beautiful wine-poached pear recipe on David Lebovitz's blog and figured I could poach these mini pears whole and place them on individual tarts. I found a similar recipe via The Telegraph, and baked these Saturday morning after poaching the pears the night before.



As usual, I was in a rush to finish baking before I head to drive up to Biglersville, but I made it out in time, and it was the perfect crisp and sunny fall day for a trip out of the city. When Nadia and I arrived, Judy took us for a tour of her orchard, which she called a "homestead farm," mostly supplying just enough for her and her family, plus some barter and sales. Then we sat on the deck of her sauna, and she showed us Ola Belle's distinctive picking technique, told us stories about their friendship, and we passed instruments around, sharing tunes with each other.

In the end, I felt a little silly bringing pear tarts to an orchard (that it turns out, also grows pears), but after I left, Judy sent me an email, saying they were "quite good." The tartlets would also do well paired with creme fraiche and could even be brought to the savory side of things with some thyme and goat cheese spread on the puff pastry prior to adding the poached pear. You can make it with store-bought puff pastry or homemade-- Food52 has a great and fairly easy recipe. Either way, the tartlets would be wonderful as appetizers or dessert, for fall dinners or a fancy Thanksgiving feast.

Red Wine-Poached Seckel Pear Tartlets

Adapted from The Telegraph

Ingredients
1 dozen seckel pears
1 1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cup Merlot (or another fruity red wine)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 broad strips lemon rind, pith removed
1 cinnamon stick
8 black peppercorns
11 ounces puff pastry (store-bought or homemade-- recipe here)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Turbinado sugar for dusting

Directions
1. Pour water and wine into a stock pot or saucepan large enough to hold all pears and whisk together with brown sugar. Hit on low, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add lemon rind, cinnamon stick and peppercorns and let simmer on very low-- do not let boil.

2. Meanwhile, peel pears without removing the stalks and place in the saucepan with the wine mixture. Bring liquid just to a boil, then reduce heat to a vert low simmer-- you want the fruit to cook slowly. Gently cook pears, turning them occasionally so every side comes into contact with the wine. They should be tender, but still hold together. Once tender, remove pan from heat and let cool. When at room temperature, transfer wine mixture and pears to a bowl, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours. This will allow the pears to absorb both color and flavor.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and place on a cutting board. Return wine mixture to pot or saucepan and boil until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. With a sharp chef's knife, make lengthwise cuts in pears, about 1 cm apart so slices can fan out slightly.

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass just slightly larger than the pears. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each pastry round with melted butter, then place pear in the center of each round. Sprinkle with Turbinado sugar.

6. Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden. Serve tartlets individually with wine syrup drizzled atop.



Related recipes:
Pear and Cardamom Fig Pie
Pear, Gruyère, and Caramelized Onion Hand Pies
Pear Tarte Tatin
Quince Biscuit Pie

Fresh Wild Maine Blueberry Pie

I've been paying annual visits to my friends Nathan and Clara and their little ones on their farm in Brooklin, Maine since 2008. But I've always visited in the spring or early summer, when the wild blueberries are blooming, but not yet ripe. This year, though, I made my yearly pilgrimage in early September, in what I discovered to be the most glorious season in Maine, with sunny days, perfect temperatures, and the wild blueberries, huckleberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cranberries all ripe for the picking. Even the early apples were ready to be pressed into cider.

One afternoon, we walked out to their blueberry fields with rakes and pails and Nathan taught us how to harvest the berries by running a hand-held rake through the shrubs. The wild lowbush blueberries, vaccinium angustifolium, that are native to Maine and other northern regions of the United States, were a staple of the Native American diet in those regions. According to the Oxford Companion to Food, native peoples ate the berries fresh or sun-dried them to be used in puddings or cakes or ground them into meal to flavor meats and soups. New England colonists called the berries "hurtleberries" or "whortleberries"-- if you come across a period recipe that calls for them, you now know what it's referring to.

The more widespread highbush blueberry was not cultivated until the early 1900s and is generally a combination of highbush, "rabbit-eye," and lowbush varieties. Low-bush berries can be about four times smaller than their domesticated highbush counterparts and lack the tartness, instead packing a sweet, potent punch. Because of this, they are ideal to be enjoyed just fresh as is-- and by the handful.

After we raked several bushels, we lugged our full pails back down to the barn, where Nathan put them through the winnower-- a sort of steampunk contraption composed of various belts and gears, designed to separate the stems and sticks that collect with the berries while raking. 

Clara and Nathan like to make this Fresh Blueberry Pie, layering a quick jam with fresh berries on top, in a baked pie crust topped generously with whipped cream. Their recipe offers the best of both worlds-- cooked and fresh berries, and aside from the pie crust preparation, it comes together quickly, so you can get to eating faster. It would be suitable for any type of berry-- huckleberries, blackberries, raspberries, or maybe a combination for a "Maine in September Fresh Berry Pie."

Fresh Wild Maine Blueberry Pie
From Clara & Nathan of Stoneset Farm

Ingredients
Nothing in the House pie crust recipe, halved
1 quart fresh low-bush blueberries (can also use high-bush blueberries or any kind of berry, really)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Turbinado sugar, for dusting
Whipped cream

Directions
1. Prepare half of Nothing in the House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash and saving other half of the recipe in the freezer for a future pie. Chill dough at least one hour before rolling and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Prick crust with fork all over the bottom. Place pie pan in the freezer for 1 hour to set before baking. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Remove crust from freezer, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake crust for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove paper and weights, brush with egg wash and dust with Turbinado sugar. Return crust to oven and bake for 5-8 more minutes more or until fully baked, puffed, and golden brown. Let cool while you prepare the filling.

3. In a saucepan, mash 1 1/2 cups of the berries with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Bring sauce to a boil and stir until thick. You're essentially making a quick jam, so it should be about the consistency of thick sauce or heated preserves.

4. Gently stir in another 1 1/2 cups of berries until incorporated. Pour into baked pie crust and smooth. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cups of berries and chill until set, at least 1 hour. Serve, as Nathan and Clara say, with "scads of whipped cream."

Related recipes:
Blueberry Buckle
Blueberry Hand Pies
Blueberry Icebox Pie
Blueberry Pie

Peach & Raspberry Pie Biscuits with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

The 1828 Webster dictionary defines biscuits as "a composition of flour and butter, made and baked in private families". Though they've historically been found in home kitchens across the country in varying styles, biscuits are especially a known southern staple. According to Food Timeline and the Southern Foodways Alliance, they've been part of the daily southern meal since the mid-1700s. In some rural communities, particularly in the mountains, biscuits were associated with class, however. Professor and southern food historian Elizabeth Englehardt says that in those communities, cornbread stood in as a cheaper, quicker, and less labor intensive alternative for biscuits.



When I moved to the south, my consumption and production of biscuits probably tripled, but personally, biscuits have always had some northern ties too. Don't tell my southern friends, but my go-to biscuit recipe is actually called "Yankee Biscuits" and I got them from a New England community cookbooks via my friend Clara in Maine. True to regional taste, it contains sugar, but I leave it out unless it's for a sweet biscuit or cobbler top.

While living in Vermont and just getting in to pie baking, I was introduced to the magic of King Arthur Flour. I especially took advantage of their diversity of flours when my friends and I embarked on a month-long "eat local challenge," where as an experiment, we were limited to consuming items from the state of Vermont or within a 100-radius of where we lived.



A few weeks ago, King Arthur sent me a bag of their self-rising flour and some other goodies (including a $25 gift card-- see below) as part of their Better Biscuits Campaign. While their recipe for self-rising biscuits still bears yankee origins, it's produces fluffy, flaky golden biscuits-- all the stuff that can transcend regional differences.

I adapted theirs and Joy the Baker's recipes for these sweet Peach and Raspberry Pie Biscuits with Lemon-Ginger Glaze. They're suitable for breakfast or dessert and could easily accommodate some ice cream or whipped cream, shortcake style.

Peach & Raspberry Pie Biscuits with Lemon-Ginger Glaze
Adapted from King Arthur Flour and Joy the Baker

Ingredients
For the filling:
2 ripe peaches, sliced thin
1-1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla (I used bourbon barrel-aged vanilla)

For the biscuits:
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
2/3 cup cold buttermilk

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2-2 1/2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine filling ingredients: sliced peaches, raspberries, melted butter, ginger, brown sugar, and vanilla, and stir with a wooden spoon. Set aside.

3. For the biscuits, place flour in a medium bowl and whisk in the sugar. Cut in butter cubes with a knife and fork until mixtures the texture of cornmeal and peas. You want to work this as little as possible so the butter chunks remain cold.

4. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in buttermilk. Stir the mixture together with a wooden spoon until it is moist but holds together.

5. On a clean, floured (use all-purpose flour) surface, pat biscuit dough into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick and about the width and length of a piece of paper (8.5x11). You may opt to use a well-floured rolling pin for this instead of your hands. Spoon the filling over half of the biscuit dough, then fold the bare side over top (this will get a little messy). Press the edges and pat into a 6x8 inch rectangle.

6. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into a dozen squares. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, using a spatula. Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown and puffed.

7. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking together the confectioner's sugar, milk, ginger, and salt.

8. Once biscuits are done, remove from oven and let cool at least 7-10 minutes. Drizzle with glaze and enjoy! Biscuits are best served slightly warm and eaten within 2 days of baking. They also freeze and reheat well.

I've pretty much shied away from giveaways for the entire life of this blog, but this one is a pretty sweet deal for bakers from what I consider the best widely available flour mill and baker's resource in the country. King Arthur Flour has generously offered a $25 gift card to their online store, where you can purchase their flours and other baking essentials. To enter, you can either leave a comment below or on Instagram, 1. follow @thehousepie 2. like this photo and 3. tag a friend who would also benefit from some fine baking supplies. We'll give this giveaway thing a shot.

Related recipes:
Apple-Raspberry Pandowdy
Peach-Blackberry Cobbler
Peach Blackberry Pie
Peach-Sorghum Pandowdy with Cornmeal Biscuits
Quince Biscuit Pie