July 4 and the Peach-Blueberry Cobbler Pie

This fourth of July, I thought I'd put together something a little different for my family. My mom wanted to make a traditional cobbler, but she didn't have the time. I insisted on putting my own spin on her cobbler recipe and throwing some White Lily flour in the mix. What came of it was a pie/cobbler mix that was perfect with some vanilla ice cream.

This is not for the faint of heart though. I cut down on the sugar in the cobbler recipe that my mom gave me, and this was still extremely sweet. To put it together, pick out your favorite fruit pie recipe (this works especially good with berries), bake it at 400F for 30 minutes, then top it with a cobbler recipe (mine is top secret) and turn the oven down to 375F. You'll bake it for another 30 minutes. This is best served right out of the oven. 

Chocolate Chess Pie Pops

Last night, I was working on an order for some pie pop samples, and I happened upon this wonderful discovery: chocolate chess pie makes a bombass pie pop. It can be majorly sweet, so it balances out the crust heaviness of the pop.

How do you do it? All you have to do is quarter a recipe for chocolate chess pie and use it in the recipe I posted a few months back. How does one quarter a recipe for chocolate chess pie? See below. Thank me later.

Recipe for a Teeny Tiny Batch of Chocolate Chess Pie (yields about two dozen pie pops)

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter (4 tbsp)

1/2 oz. of semisweet chocolate (that is half of one of those Baker's chocolate squares, which is what I prefer to use), chopped into chunks for easier melting

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg (you'll use half for the batter and the other half for an egg wash over the pops)

1/4 tsp vanilla

pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Once the butter is melted, immediately turn off the burner and drop in the chocolate. Don't stir. Just swirl the chocolate around until it melts into the butter. 

2. While the chocolate is melting, place the sugar in a small bowl and whisk in HALF of an egg. Just approximate. You don't have to be too crazy about it. Whisk together until blended. Whisk in the vanilla and sea salt. 

3. When the chocolate has melted, whisk it into the sugar mixture. 

4. Place this in the fridge and let it harden a bit (1+ hours). It will be much easier to work with. 

5. Preheat the oven to 325F and bake for about 20 minutes, but otherwise follow all the instructions for making pie pops. I like to use an egg wash and then generously sprinkle granulated sugar on top. 

Note: It's best to bake these near the bottom of the oven so the filling doesn't bubble out. If it does, it isn't the end of the world. You can clean them up after. 

Totally Optional: dip half the pie pop in caramel sauce and top with a few flakes of sea salt. Again, optional, but it will make you a badass.

Georgia Peanut Pie: Peanut Brittle's Older, More Mature Sister

When I first heard about Peanut Pie from Virginia Diner, I was skeptical. It's not peanut butter pie. It's kind of got a pecan pie base. I mean, it sounds like knock-off pecan pie, does it not? But, as per usual, I was terribly wrong. Peanut pie is its own, independent entity, belonging in a peanut-y, sweet-salty category of its own. Unlike super sweet pies like chess pie or some unmentionable cloying apple pies, the roasted and salted peanuts cut through the rich molasses base and balance the whole mix. I've heard many people say it tastes like soft, gooey peanut brittle in a pie crust. So I suppose, as the title suggests, it's kind of like the mature older sister to peanut brittle.

Unfortunately, it's hard to sell people on the concept of a peanut pie in California. I'm not entirely sure why that is, probably having something to do with the fact that peanuts seem less bougie than pecans. But I can't recommend this pie highly enough. Try it out yourself next time you have a bunch of roasted peanuts laying around that you don't know what to do with. You may end up forming a dangerous peanut pie habit.

This is the "Virginia" version. These peanuts came from VA. I like to get mine sourced from Georgia.

Georgia Peanut Pie

Recipe adapted from the Virginia Diner's Peanut Pie

Note: In the picture, I've made a half-pint jar version. This recipe is for a full 9" pie. If you want to make a jar pie, just press the crust lightly into 3-4 buttered jars. The mix should make 3-4 jar pies, depending on the size you use.

Ingredients

1 partially pre-baked pie crust 

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup molasses or sorghum

1.5 cups of roasted, salted peanuts (don't get honey roasted or unsalted or raw or anything funny like that)

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Lightly crush or roughly chop the peanuts, leaving them mostly intact and in a variety of sizes of chunks

3. Beat the eggs and then whisk in the sugar and flour. 

4. Stir in the molasses and butter, then add in the peanuts. 

5. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake 40-45 minutes or until the top puffs just slightly and wiggles just a bit when you move it. The edges should be lightly browned.

6. Cool to room temperature. Serve room temp. or cold with whipped cream.

Happy National Pie Day: I Ate All the Pie!

In commemoration of this monumental national holiday, I baked myself an individual pie in a ramekin and then I ate all of it. Because I can. Hey, the holiday doesn't give me the day off of work, so I earned my own mini-vacation in pie form.

What kind of a pie do I eat if left to my own devices? Chocolate chess pie, of course. It's intoxicating when it's fresh out of the oven. Then I warm up some caramel sauce, drizzle it on top, and sprinkle with flakes of sea salt. My second choice would be banana cream pie, but I prefer to leave my banana cream pies overnight in the fridge before I eat them. And we all know I wasn't going to let this pie sit overnight. It had to be consumed immediately. See the evidence below.

Before stuffing it in my face.

Middle of stuffing it in my face.

The last bite. I eated all of it. And I regret none of it.

National Pie Day has me thinking about some new goals for my pie project in the coming months:

• Get my online store up and running. I've run into some obstacles with this, but I just need to bite the bullet and go one way or the other. I've started with Payvment, but it's pretty limited in terms of turning on and off shipping for individual items, so if anyone has suggestions of better online Facebook shop platforms, I'm all ears. 
• Dream up my spring menu. I can't wait for all the wonderful fruit that spring brings with it: 
• Apricots (only perfect honey-sweet ones though, like the ones I read about in Lucky Peach Vol. 2. That article killed me. David Chang and the whole gang continually prove themselves geniuses.)
• Kiwis
• Early cherries
• The best of Meyer lemons, limes
• Juice-filled, blood red, homegrown strawberries
• Start taking more seasonal subscribers. I'm planning to open up orders for cookie boxes, pie boxes, candy and southern treat boxes (for local customers) and any combination thereof.
• Take more photos and share more recipes!
• Go to more events at 18 Reasons. And by more events, I mean start going to events because I've never been, and that is a damn shame. Like these DIY Dessert events that happen every so often. Caaaake.

So that is what has been on my mind in this long break from substantial blogging. I love the blog, but I want to grow myself and this little project of mine in a lot of different directions, so it's been secondary to other things for a bit. But I promise to check in often. As always, keep in touch! E-mail me, Tweet me, Facebook me for anything your heart desires!

New Menu Page is Up!

I just set up a new menu page, so you can see what all the seasonal offerings are as well as prices!

Just in time for the holidays! You can see it here: MENU.

Also to come: a Facebook page, complete with an online store, where you can order by credit card. 

The Purloined Laptop, Pies in Jars, Pretty Tea Cakes

Want to know what I've been working on? Normally, I'd say you wouldn't care because, like, why would you? But this is really beyond adorable.

Well, to preface this, I've been without a computer for several days. My car was broken into, and poor, forgetful me had left my brand new Macbook in the trunk. Needless to say, whoever broke into my car just popped open the trunk and purloined my precious computer.

So I've been using my phone to take photos and updating remotely. It isn't easy. Excuse the graininess.

Nonetheless, here is the exciting development: I am now doing the cutest ever pies in jars! Last week, I tried out my chess pie, sweet potato pie, and bourbon apple pie, and they worked like a charm. The jars I found are just the right volume and depth to hold up to my normal pie recipes as well.

I sent some out to customers this week, leaving one on a doorstep and mailing one package all the way to Montana. These will cost $6, and, as with all my pies, the sky is the limit. Bacon-maple custard pie in a jar could be yours.

The final package

My apple pie in a jar

I've also been hard at work creating a customized cookie to match my friend Jeni's amazing House Breakfast Tea No. 2. She runs a truly delicious tea company, called SKY Tea. All of her tea is handmade, and her chai is the best I've ever tasted.

So these cookies I'm making are honoring all of the time and care she puts into her masterpieces. The result: a nutmeg-ginger southern tea cake. These are delicate with a spicy aftertaste that wakes up your tastebuds and cleanses your palette for the next sip. They might just be my cookie masterpiece.

The package for the tea cakes, all covered in gold sugar and chunks of my homemade candied ginger 

The cookies are sold in her holiday gift baskets, but you'll also be able to buy them at her market stall in Oakland! This is huge for me! Yay!

Finally, I will be participating in a blogger meetup later this month, which is really exciting for me because I feel like I will finally get a chance to meet some of the people I follow religiously on Twitter, and I will also get to talk about what I truly love: food. Oh, there's free wine too. Forgot to mention that.

Hello, Fall

It's November, and it's finally starting to feel like autumn here in San Francisco. That is, the mornings are a bit foggy but the sun is shining by mid-afternoon. Still, there's a bite in the air at night that is crisper than it was in the summer, cleaner somehow.

Here's a small glimpse into my kitchen and life this fall, and all that I am grateful for as I embark on several new baking projects and adventures in the coming weeks.

The view from my kitchen in the evening as the fog rolls in. I look out over this as I mix together some cookie dough by hand.

Some of the loot and a shopping list from my birthday in October. I got a whole Sur La Table gift basket. 

And my friend Marie handmade me this adorable apron.

Some of my favorite cookbooks that I keep on hand at all times: White Lily's classic, The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, Southern Cooking by Nathalie Dupree, a vintage pie cookbook or two from the 60s, and Ken Haedrich's Pie (I don't know if a better pie cookbook exists)

Plum-Pear Port Mini Pies and Sweet Potato Mini Pies

On Monday night, after a long day at work, I decided to work through some recipes I'd been meaning to try and send them to my friend Mike in Los Angeles for his review (and enjoyment too). My friend Will also came by, and I owed him a pie from the raffle, so I threw together a bourbon apple pie crumble pie for him. He was eating it before it came out of the oven, and brought it to his friend's house, where it promptly disappeared.

For me, fall is all about thanking the summer for all that delicious, vibrant fruit, and turning to warmer flavors like sweet potatoes (or yams), pumpkin, squash, pecans, bourbon and port, and lots of butter. With that in mind, I decided to try out two new recipes, and they were an absolute success: Sweet Potato Pie and Plum-Pear Port.

Placing the Bourbon Apple Pie beside the baby pies and the momma sweet potato pie

Plum-Pear Port in the foreground, and sweet potato just in front of it

Sweet Potato Pie gets its time in the spotlight

And here are the recipes!

Sweet Potato Pies (recipe modified from Paula Deen's)

Mine has less sugar, and you can totally get away with it!

Ingredients

2 cups of whipped sweet potatoes (you'll need about 2 large sweet potatoes or 3 medium-sized ones, and I'll explain how to whip them below)

3/4 - 1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it; brown sugar could also work nicely)

1/2 stick melted and cooled butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out the pastry and transfer either to a 9-inch pie plate or cut with circle cookie cutters and press lightly into buttered muffin tins. Trim and decorate pastry, and then place it back in the fridge to set up. 

2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized cubes. Then steam them for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Once cool, mash with a potato masher (or a wooden spoon or some other mashing implement), then transfer to a mixer and whip them up. You can do this by hand, but I got a KitchenAid for my birthday, and it is the single-best gift of all time.

3. Scoop out 2 cups of whipped potatoes and put into a bowl. Combine with the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. 

4. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

You can add a meringue to this, but I love how it tastes by itself. 

Plum-Pear Port Pies (recipe modified from BHG)

Mine is heavier on the plums because I love their tartness

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Squeeze of a lemon

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 cups chopped plums (I leave skins on)

2 cups cored and chopped pears

2 tbsp port (you can omit this if you feel like it, but add in some more lemon)

1/4 tsp vanilla

Pie crust for either a double-crust pie (you can do a large lattice, or tiny muffin-tin pies like I do)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Roll out the pastry and transfer either to a 9-inch pie plate or cut with circle cookie cutters and press lightly into buttered muffin tins. Trim and decorate pastry, and then place it back in the fridge to set up. 

2. Combine sugar, lemon, cinnamon, a pinch of salt with all of the fruit and allow it to juice for about 30 minutes. Then pour off the excess. Add lemon juice or port and vanilla. Transfer the mixture into the pie tin(s).

3. Roll out the remaining pastry for the lattice crust, or do whatever you want really with the top a crust. A crumble would be a good choice since this pie is REALLY juicy. It could soak up some of the excess.

4. Bake 1 hour-20 minutes if you are baking a large pie, or 1 hour if baking in muffin tins.  

Speakeasy This Friday: Take Your Pie to the Face

The time has nearly come for the house party of the year: Speakeasy as Pie.

I am so incredibly excited - and even more grateful - for everything that is coming together and all the people who have made this possible. Maria and I are in awe of how our communities of friends, neighbors, and random acquaintances with big hearts have supported us throughout this process.

On that note, I want to give an insanely loud shout-out to my best friend Marie, whose excitement and ideas and creativity have really made this possible for me. I don't mean that lightly. I never would have been able to do this without her support. Actually, I never would have gone to New Zealand if it weren't for her either, which would never have led me down this path. Aw, I'm getting all choked up just thinking about it. The point is that I have her to thank for so many things in my life. Love you, girl. 

You wouldn't believe how much love and prep and time has gone into this from so many different people. Here is a small sampling of what we've been doing over the last few weeks to prepare:

• Endless recipe-testing to get the world's best pie crusts and fillings
• Logo and flyer design
• Menu and cocktail consultations
• Collecting an insane number of pie dishes
• Picking up furniture and rugs and tapestries; candles, lanterns, and jars
• Crafting endlessly
• Clearing out the entire backyard
• Eating Oreos for dinner because I'm too stressed to cook anything
• Contacting charities for our raffle
• Clearing out the garage and pretty-fying it for everyone's enjoyment
• Praying to the weather gods for sun and warmth this Friday (it seems to be working so far!)
• Making a dozen pie crusts in rapid succession
• Looking up from all my baking to see the lights of the city through our big, wraparound kitchen windows, then closing my eyes, breathing deeply, and getting back to work
• Yoga to stay focused. Lots of yoga.

Now it is time for me to begin all of my prep work for the food and settle into the excitement. Get ready to dance and party and drink delicious drinks and take some pie to the face!

Can't wait to see you all on Friday!

What's In the Works

I haven't been updating because it has finally occurred to me that I really need to turn my baking into a legitimate "thing" before I begin my real journey. After several weeks of introspection, I realized that I often sabotage my own efforts to be successful. This cannot continue. I need to re-focus and prioritize so my life is not one failed effort after another.

Case A: I dream of going to grad school to get my PhD in American Literature. Yet I am too afraid to look at applications or even begin to do anything besides take my general GRE. The thought of googling "Emory Literature grad school application" gives me the hives. 

Case B: I thought of a brilliant idea at work, but the very idea of executing said idea sent me into a flurry of "No, that won't work"s. I imagine all the ways things could go wrong, and then I just sit still.

Case C: I am unhappy at work, but also afraid of all the possibilities outside of my office. Or the lack thereof, however you want to look at it. 

But, basically, I realized that my lack of blogging was me telling myself that I wasn't worth my own success, and I really need to stop doing that. I have so much unrealized potential, and I need an outlet for all of my creative energy. 

So before I begin blogging again, I want to let you know that I have been hard at work trying to make my dreams a reality. Here is a taste of what is in the oven:

The Speakeasy as Pie Event. Here is the flyer with all the details, designed by my friend Marie with my photograph. 

My electronic business card:

Improving my recipes, and finding the beauty of this bad boy: The Bourbon Apple Pie (so southern it kills me)

...More to come soon, I promise! I just need some time to re-focus. If you follow my other blog, you know that it is almost my birthday, and my birthday is a time of great reflection and re-organizing for me. 

One Day, Ten Varieties of Mini Pies

This wasn't even the messy part

Today I baked 10 varieties of mini pies. It took me about 9 hours total, not including the extra time I took to go for a run in the middle and to bake a batch of peanut butter cookies for a sick friend and an order I am shipping off to Los Angeles in the morning.

Why did I make 10 varietes of miniature pies? Who the hell does something like that? Is that what you're asking? Well, I had an order of two dozen mini pies today, and I wanted to showcase all my best work. The list went as follows:

1. Banana Cream Pie (so. effing. cute. the layers! the wafers fit perfectly! the whipped cream!)
2. Peanut Butter Cream Pie (the essence of comfort food)
3. Blueberry Lemon Curd Pie
4. Pecan Pie with Sorghum
5. Date-Pecan Pie
6. Apple-Pear Pie
7. Strawberry Mint Pie
8. Blackberry-Nectarine Crumble-Topped Pie
9. Lemon Chess Pie (oh, of course!)
10. Peaches and Cream Pie (my favorite... it tastes like peaches on homemade ice cream)

Now I'm sipping on a lemonade with fresh mint in my bed, saying goodbye to this exhausting day

Hello, Monday. You always arrive too soon.

(Extremely Non-Vegan) Inspiration of the Day: Mississippi Mud Pie

I think I need to clean some drool off of my keyboard. 

This baby is from Martha Stewart, as discovered in Matt Lewis' Baked Explorations. 

It looks so complicated, but so so worth the effort. I think if I ever attempt this, I might do a pre-packaged chocolate mousse version. That might balance out the density of the flourless cake better. Not that southern baking is about restraint or even balance. It's about piling on the sugar, flour, eggs, and butter. Still. 

Ugh, me want!

Speakeasy as Pie

Design by Marie Jaen

If you've spent any time with me in person in the last month or so, you have heard me go on and on about pie and/or cocktails and/or how to pair pie and cocktails. 

I am very happy to announce that I will be taking this talk from a mere idea to EVENT next month. Maria and I will be hosting our very own pie speakeasy! 

Why a speakeasy? Because it'll be a full-on invite-only party that starts out in the basement and moves into the backyard, where everyone can feel free to enjoy as much pie, cocktails, and music as they please.

I will, of course, be updating you as more details solidify. If you'd like to attend, shoot me an email at southxsanfrancisco@gmail.com and I can send you a flyer. You will need a physical flyer to get into the part-ay. And you don't want to miss this, I'm telling you.

This event will include the following amazingly spectacular highlights. Plus I'll be there, and I'm awesome. Well, usually. Sometimes. You know.

• A live DJ all night
• Performances by Maria "Songbird" Remos
• The release of Maria's mixtape, Speakeasy as Pie Vol. 2
• Unlimited pie once you get into the party (some of the ideas I have floating around my head are classic apple pie with apple butter cream topping, banana cream pie with dark chocolate ganache, gluten-free/vegan coconut cream pie, pear and apple pie, blackberry pie with streusel topping, pecan pie, and so on)
• Pie pops of several varieties so you can take home a goodie bag to your loved ones
• Cocktail pairings with each pie: expect something with Baileys, a fresh fruit cocktail, and lots of aperol
• Friends and family and loved ones all around in our lovely Bernal Heights home

So get excited for this because, yes, it is finally happening!

Songbird Apple Pie

Last week, my roommate and I (and our respective friends) stayed up until 2 AM decorating this pie for her Speakeasy as Pie Mix Tape cover and our Pie Speakeasy coming up in September. Maria is one of those endlessly creative people who keep me inspired even when I feel like I just want to give up. I had almost dropped this Speakeasy project (which I'll explain in a future post) for a few weeks because things got stressful, but her excitement is infectious.

This pie is for her and for her beautiful voice. I'm lucky enough to hear her sing almost every day.

Maria hard at work

Cutting out the leaves

I used a mixture of Gravensteins and Golden Delicious to get a smooth pie with chunks of crunchy, cinnamon sugar-covered apples

Close up on the songbird

Close up of the handmade leaves

The final product

What I Wish I Were Eating: Marionberry Pie

I had this slice in Portland, OR at Bread & Ink on Hawthorne St. 

Banana Custard Pie with Chocolate Fudge

I spent last weekend in Los Angeles with my lovely friend Amber, and I made her this banana custard pie with chocolate fudge on the bottom crust. We ate it for breakfast for three days, and each time I forgot to take pictures of the final product. Oh well, I tried!

Banana Custard Pie with Chocolate Fudge

Recipe adapted from La Fuji Mama

Pie Crust
1 1/4 cup AP flour
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Custard
1 2/3 cup water
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
3 large egg yolks, beaten
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Fudge Layer
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter

Extras
1-2 bananas, sliced
Heavy whipping cream

1. Assemble the pie crust: Sift together the flour, salt, and sugar. Mix in the butter and shortening (both cut into small squares and kept very cold) until incorporated. Let chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Roll out and place in pie pan. Pre-bake the crust at 350F for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. This is the only time you'll be baking the crust, so cook it to your preference. Let cool slightly.

2. Make the custard: Mix together water and cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in the condensed milk and egg yolks and cook on medium heat until it gets thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add in butter and vanilla until the butter dissolves. Set aside to cool.

3. Make the chocolate layer: Heat the chocolate chips and butter in a double-boiler until melted. Immediately place in the cooked pie crust.

4. Create a layer of bananas: Add the slices to the top of the chocolate layer.

5. Add the custard: Pour the cooled custard over the bananas until it reaches the top of the pie crust.

6. Cool. Chill the pie in the fridge for at least 4 hours. To prevent a film from forming over the custard, place cling wrap over the top.

7. Top with whipped cream.

8. Eat it.

Lemon Buttermilk Pie with Blueberry Topping

When I finished my half-marathon, I celebrated with a nap and a buttermilk pie with fresh blueberry topping. Buttermilk pie has such a homey taste, and it's low-fat. Just because the crust has butter and shortening in it, that doesn't mean it's unhealthy. ...Right?

Best of all, this recipe only requires one bowl to mix the pie. Then just heat up the blueberries over the stovetop.

My mother gave this the stamp of approval. Therefore, it has been deemed worthy of your tastebuds.

This is what the plain buttermilk pie looks like. It's good, but a bit bland. You gotta top it with fruit or whipping cream or chocolate or basically whatever you prefer.

The finished product. This is subtly sweet, not overpowering. I love that.

Lemon Buttermilk Pie with Blueberry Topping

Recipe Adapted from Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Pie by Tartelette

Ingredients
For the pie:
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 stick of unsalted butter (I used Smart Balance actually)
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

For the topping (you can also double the recipe and save some for later, yummm):
2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions
1. Roll out your dough the usual way and pre-bake it in a 350F oven for about 20 minutes. I just put parchment paper over the top and poked holes in the bottom, as I'm too lazy and cheap to buy the pie-specific baking beads or use beans.
2. Whisk together all the pie ingredients in one bowl. Pour the mixture into the prebaked pie shell.
3. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. The center should be set and not jiggly when you remove it from the oven. If the crust browns before the center is done, cover it with foil.
4. Allow the pie to cool. While the pie is cooling, place half the blueberries in a pan on the stovetop and mix together with the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Cook for about 5 minutes or until soft. Then add in the rest of the blueberries and cook for about another minute. Allow the topping to cool as well.
5. Before serving, top the pie with the blueberries and place in the fridge to cool completely.

Take a bite! Or, like me, 3/4 of the pie!

Inspiration for Post-Race Baking

This is the week leading up to my half-marathon, so I will not actually be baking much of anything (unless I find some time between running, doing yoga, working, and volunteering). Instead, I'm looking to the next few weeks, when I will be hosting another pie party, traveling to Los Angeles, spending a week with one of my favorite people on earth, going to Portland, Yosemite, and finally finishing it off with a skydive. I'm thinking August will be pretty epic. Gotta have a cake to celebrate when it's all done!

Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy via Sprinkle Bakes

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Terrine, also via Sprinkle Bakes

Bourbon Peach Hand Pies via smitten kitchen

Bacon Pecan Pralines. Genius. Via Framed Cooks

Authentic Red Velvet Cake via Sweet Endingz

Coconut Cream Tart (a la Tartine) via Bay Area Bites

Pie pops (with a fantastic photo tutorial) via Luxirare

"Georgia Peach" Peaches and Cream Pie

Aerial View of Summertime

White peaches are one of my all-time favorite fruits. I love the way the juice runs down your hands when you bite into a good peach, how the skin falls right off when you blanch them, how they perfume your entire kitchen when you leave them to ripen on the counter top (I have a very small kitchen, mind you). 

But it's hard to find a good white peach in California. They are few and far between. Too many times, they are picked before they are ready and shipped over on giant trucks, either bruised or eternally unripened. So when I found some at the local farmer's market that I could smell from a few feet away, I knew it was time for a peach pie. 

And not just any old peach pie, but a traditional peaches and cream pie, which tastes pretty much exactly like peach ice cream, except it warms your mouth and the fruit almost melts on your tongue. Then the crust adds a contrasting crunchiness that will have you coming back for seconds. Or, in my case, for breakfast, since I've been eating this one before work for two days in a row.

It's also a very simple recipe. So go ahead and try it. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain (literally, you might gain a few pounds after eating the entire pie to yourself, so share it please). 

Pretty crust, sculpted by my talented roommate, Maria, and my wonderful friend, Marie

This recipe also taught me how to blanch a peach, which I highly recommend you do in order to remove the peach skin. It has never been appealing to me to leave the skin on any fruit in a pie, and if you try to remove it with a peeler, you'll lose way too much of the peach-meat. Trust me. 

My roommate made little musical notes with leftover crust (look sideways, you'll see it)

Peaches and Cream Pie 

Recipe Adapted from Nathalie Dupree's New Southern Cooking

PRINT THIS AS A RECIPE CARD!

Ingredients

one 9" pie shell (I used a butter-shortening crust with 1 added tbsp sugar)

4 peaches, skinned and sliced 

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

OPTIONAL: A generous sprinkling of brown sugar

OPTIONAL: Butter and egg for a butter-egg wash

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 9" pie pan. Roll out the pie crust and line the pan with it. 

2. Mix together the flour and sugar. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the crust. 

3. Place the peaches into the crust. Add as many or as little as you want, but I like myself a really, really peachy pie. 

4. Pour the rest of the sugar-flour mixture over the peaches. Pour the heavy cream over everything. Stir the peaches around so they are completely covered in cream. They can be above the cream, but you want them all to have a chance to have a taste of it!

5. OPTIONAL STEP: Sprinkle a generous helping (about 1 tbsp) of brown sugar over the top. Alternatively, you can do this halfway through baking. Cover the crust with an egg wash and butter. 

6. Bake for 50-70 minutes, or until the middle is just set. You'll know it's not ready if you jiggle it, and the middle shakes. If the crust gets too brown, cover it with a ring of foil. Serve hot or cool.

NOTE: If you're not happy with your peaches, add in a nectarine or two instead. You want the brightest, juiciest fruit for this. 

This is what the pie looked like after I took a slice for breakfast yesterday morning. Then I ate said slice while watching the sun rise over San Francisco. Not too shabby. I love my city. I love my pie.