Pie, pie, and more pie . . .

So, look peeps: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, as I am sure it is for many of you. And I love pie (I mean I do have a heartbeat last time I checked) but I won’t lie: I am not that person who wants pie instead of cake for her bday; I really, really want cake and I basically want it (and cookies and bars and puddings and candy) all the time. I mean, I always bake pies for turkey day, because one’s guests really want to see pies on the dessert spread. But I have been known to sneak onto said spread a ginger chai caramel icebox cake and some chocolatey molasses cookies, when no one is looking. In fact, here’s a pic of me and my dad when I was making said cookies a few Thanksgivings back (sharing it because my dad died in June and we just had a memorial for him last week, so feeling like he needs to make it into this letter . . . )

Anyhow, despite not being one of those pie-obsessed folks, I was tasked with creating a few “vintage” (read: unique, unusual, etc.) ones for Southern Living Magazine and my pie story is in this month’s issue! And it seemed like an awfully good idea to share a few of the recipes with you.

First up is Cranberry Chiffon pie and I have to say it is wildly delish. The filling is tangy and mousse-y — almost like the lightest (prettiest) pudding you ever did see. The crust is a cookie crumb crust made from gingersnaps, which are crispy and spicy. You’ve got smooth and you’ve got crunchy and then you top it all with some ginger whipped cream. You’re welcome. 

I also wanted to share this Possum Pie from my Southern Living feature; as it calls for two of my favorite ingredients: chocolate and cream cheese. The crust is made with pecans and shortbread cookie crumbs and it is toasty, nutty, and rich: kind of like a pecan sandie. It’s the perfect buttery, crispy addition to the pie’s lightly sweetened cream cheese layer (aka “cheesecake”) and the easy dark chocolate pudding filling topped with fluffy whipped cream. 

And might I suggest you use Ghiradelli’s dark cocoa powder when you make the filling for this possum pie, as all of their chocolate products are top-notch AND Ghiradelli sponsors She’s My Cherry Pie - my baking podcast - AND we had the best live podcast event with Ghiradelli in LA last week. Here I am with one of the women from Ghiradelli - my new pal Cynthia Shannon - who I chatted with after the event (and yes I am wearing vintage Pucci, natch). But during the event, I interviewed some fab LA bakers, like Hannah Ziskin, Lara Adekoya, and Leah Chin-Katz. In addition, Rose Wilde and Kym Estrada gave some fab talks and it all happened LIVE at Republique. But let’s get back to pie.

My Apple Cider Vinegar Pie is a little different than your typical apple pie, is much faster to assemble and is extremely yummy. The filling is a creamy, soft custard flavored with apple cider vinegar (trust me: it sounds strange but it is wonderful) and topped with buttery, sweet sauteed apples. The crust is made with some cream cheese, in addition to butter, which amps up the tang of the filling and makes it a breeze to work with.

Finally, finally -  Cherry Bombe’s Cooks & Books happened this past weekend and I again had the opportunity to host a LIVE episode of She’s My Cherry Pie - this time with Yossy Arefi, Samantha Seneviratne, Zoe Francois and Rose Wilde. It was pure joy talking all things baking with these 4, just sayin’.

Alrighty, that wraps it up here - see you in 2 weeks.