07 Apr
Banana Cream Pie and Tips on Pie Crust
Posted by Michelle as Cream, Custard and Nut Pies | 10 Comments
If I were given this recipe and told that I had to come up with my own name for the pie, it would be Bananas Foster Cream Pie. With the exception of setting bananas on fire, the flavors in this pie are reminiscent of the classic dessert, Bananas Foster. In place of a typical vanilla pastry cream, Dorie subs out the white sugar and uses brown sugar, and adds cinnamon and nutmeg for an extra punch of earthy flavor. As I was whisking and whisking, and smelling the cream as it thickened, I couldn’t help but think that this pastry cream would be a perfect pairing for so many fall-inspired desserts – anything from apple to pumpkin, and everything in between.
27 Jan
Lemon Meringue Pie
Posted by Michelle as Cream, Custard and Nut Pies | 78 Comments
This month’s Daring Bakers challenge was the classic Lemon Meringue Pie, chosen by Jen at The Canadian Baker. As beloved a dessert as it is, I am not a fan of lemon unless it is squeezed into my water. I was contemplating foregoing this month, but then my sister told me that she would be stopping by for a visit, and she loves a good lemon meringue pie. Finally, a reason to make the pie!
I have never made a lemon meringue (or any type of meringue) pie before, so I had no preconceived notions about what to expect. I had, however, been hearing some rumblings of problems with this pie from other Daring Bakers who had made it early in the month. Having no experience with lemon meringue pie, I was becoming a little apprehensive. However, I forged ahead and went through with the recipe as it was written. I am happy to report that I had no problems with the pie. Aside from the crust shrinking on one side (“There was shrinkage!” – for all of you Seinfeld fans), the lemon curd came together perfectly and the meringue was beautiful. My sister and her friends all loved the pie and said it was wonderful.
To see how the rest of the Daring Bakers fared with the pie, check out the Blogroll.
I actually think this was the best job I’ve done at preparing pie crust (I can usually never get it that smooth!) and I wanted to document it, so here’s a little tooting of my own horn:
My sister, Lauren and her (our) friend, Alanna, enjoying their pie (I told you girls you would make the blog!):
