Midsummer offers hot and hazy days, ever-running sprinklers, cooling lemonade and perfect pies. Yes, even in the midst of a heat wave, a fresh, home-baked pie can entice. Especially when made with fresh fruits of the season.
Janet Slaughter of Park Ridge used this knowledge to advantage recently in the 4th Annual Perfect Pie Contest sponsored by Ann Sather restaurants. She called her entry ”midsummer fruit pie,” combining peaches and blueberries in a plain but perfect flaky double crust.
It was simple but effective. The judges loved it. Slaughter walked away with the top prize of $200 and the chance to gloat when her pie is served along with the other fine pies on the Ann Sather menu.
”I thought the peaches and blueberries would be a good combination,”
the winner explained. ”And I got the idea for the midsummer title for the recipe when we were visting Chicago`s Andersonville (neighborhood) during its midsummer festival.”
She said the crust is a basic recipe that she has been using ever since she began cooking from the original ”Betty Crocker Cookbook.”
”I think that was back in 1958,” she said, laughing. ”It`s not so much the recipe for the crust that is important, it`s how you put it together, the technique.”
Slaughter says one trick is to mix in half of the shortening first with a pastry blender (”Mine is 30 years old,” she said), then mix in the remaining shortening. ”That makes it flakier. And always use ice water.”
Another fruit pie, a simple peach version, won second place and $100 for Francine Ellin of Evanston. Third place and $50 went to Kathryn Lesser of Chicago for her lemon cream chiffon pie.
In all, 41 pies were brought from all over the city and suburbs to the restaurant in Andersonville, where a panel of judges sat at individual tables, each with a pitcher of water, a scoring sheet and 10 pies to judge on appearance, taste and texture.
Debbie Tunney Buffington was in charge of the contest, running pieces of pies from table to table, explaining the scoring system and keeping the judges in line.
”This was the best response ever to our contest,” she said. ”And it seemed that berry pies are definitely popular this year. Last year it was apple pies.”
In addition to the berry pies, a good assortment of cream pies-peanut butter, lemon, key lime-lined the counter of the restaurant. And then there were the more experimental pies: Maple tofu cheesecake pie, blackberry rhubarb custard, mango-rhubarb, peach schnapps, gingerbread almond with lemon sauce and lingonberry meringue.
But when it comes down to it, simple pies are the best, the judges found. In the winning pie, the peach flavor still came through, despite the somewhat stronger flavor of the blueberries. Slaughter adds a teaspoon of cinnamon to the filling along with sugar and the flour to thicken it.
As for that flaky crust, she divulged another secret: ”Adding too much flour when you roll it out also can make it tough, so I roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap. No extra flour is needed.”
Although some of the entries worked and some didn`t, according to the judges, the contest was all good fun. A real pie adventure.
Here are the three winning recipes for your own eating adventure:
MIDSUMMER FRUIT PIE
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 to 50 minutes
Yield: One 9-inch pie
Janet Slaughter won first prize with this recipe in Ann Sather`s Perfect Pie Contest.
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh peaches, peeled, diced
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. For crust, mix flour and salt. Cut in half of shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Cut in remaining shortening. Sprinkle with ice water and mix lightly with a fork until a ball forms.
2. Roll out 2/3 of the dough on a floured surface in a circle to fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Ease into pan, leaving overhang untrimmed.
3. For filling, mix flour, sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Add fruit and mix well. Pour into pie shell.
4. Roll out remaining dough and cover pie. Pinch edges tightly to seal and flute edges. Cut vents in top for steam to escape. Bake until crust is lightly browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 10 minutes before serving.
FRAN`S FRESH PEACH PIE
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: One 9-inch pie
Francine Ellin of Evanston won second place with this simple fresh fruit pie.
Filling:
6 large, very ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
6 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Milk
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. For filling, combine peaches, sugar, tapioca and cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss lightly and let stand at least 15 minutes. 2. For crust, put flour and shortening into large mixer bowl. Mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over and mix just until mixture forms a ball. Roll out about 2/3 of dough between sheets of waxed paper to fit a 9-inch glass pie plate. Ease into pan, leaving overhang untrimmed.
3. Pour peach mixture into crust. Dot top of the peaches with the butter or margarine. Roll other piece of dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut into lattice strips and arrange over top. Pinch the edges tightly to seal. Crimp to form a decorative edge. Lightly brush lattice strips and edge with milk.
4. Bake until crust is golden and fruit is bubbling nicely, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
LEMON CHIFFON CREAM PIE
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours
Yield: One 9-inch pie
Kathryn Lesser of Chicago won third place for this refreshing lemon pie.
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon rind
1 prebaked 9-inch pie shell
1. Combine 1 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, gelatin and salt in medium saucepan. Add water, stirring until smooth. Whisk egg yolks lightly then add to cornstarch mixture along with lemon juice and butter. Heat to a boil over medium-high heat, then cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and, stirring, add 1/3 cup of the cream and the lemon rind.
2. Transfer to a glass or metal bowl and place in a bowl of ice water. Chill until mixture holds soft mounds but does not set.
3. Meanwhile, beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until whites are thick and glossy. Whip remaining 2/3 cup cream until it holds soft peaks. Gently fold egg whites then cream into lemon mixture. Transfer to baked pastry, mounding it slightly in the center. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
Test kitchen note: Raw egg whites could contain salmonella. If desired, they may be eliminated and replaced with an additional 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks.
