Maple Walnut Pie

This is a very autumnal pie, with the nuts and the maple, but I decided I couldn’t wait that long to make it!

I have to say, the maple is rather an ingenious addition to the pie. I once made a pecan pie with walnuts (sounds like an oxymoron!) because they were the only nuts I had on hand. But it wasn’t very good because the walnut skin left the pie tasting a little bitter, and I vowed to stick with the sweeter pecans in the future. However, in this pie, the maple scent covers the bitterness really well and further brings out the full flavor of the nuts. I’d even say that it’s a notch above the regular ole pecan pie for me… This may just become one of my favorites! (Not in the least because it’s relatively simple to make.)

With a dollop of softly whipped cream. Mmmmm…heaven in your mouth!

Saturday morning brunch with fresh fruit and ham-egg toast cups. Yum!

Dried Cranberry Walnut Crostata

I am a bit distracted these days. Lots to do, but sorta lost as to how. As a side effect, I think that my posts will get shorter and shorter, until perhaps only the pictures remain… But the baking must go on! I find that it is a very “grounding” activity for me.

  

This, too, was for the office. We had some dried cranberries lying around, so I took them home and baked them into a crostata. It was very similar to the Christmas cranberry galette (I have no idea what makes one a galette and the other a crostata), except it was maybe a bit sweeter and crunchier. And less Christmassy for some reason. But just as delish!

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I was introduced to a new app that churns out a comic version of your picture. Pretty cool!

I love the juxtaposition of the comic and the real.

I almost expect the piece to taste “funny” :)

Shaker Lemon Pie

This was quite an unusual pie for me. I’d never heard of shaker lemon pie before, or even imagined a pie like this. But it seemed to be in the repertoire of concoctors of American cuisine, as evidenced by its presence in the Pie Bible and the websites of Martha Stewart and Smitten Kitchen, three authorities I have arbitrarily designated as all-American. So, definitely worth trying at least once!

It basically tastes like lemon marmalade pudding encased in pie crust. Interesting, right? And it’s super easy to make. The filling is just 2 lemons sliced paper thin, a terrifying amount of sugar (I think this was the most I’ve ever used for a single recipe), and eggs. And the result is a texture-ful, custardy pie that is mostly sweet, sorta sour, and slightly bitter (because of the pith, but I suppose that’s the beauty of any marmalade).

I took this pie to the office, and it disappeared within minutes. The happiest moment for a baker! Someone commented that it tasted like yuzu tea in a pie. At first I was like, oh this is way better than yuzu. But then I thought, yuzu! Brilliant! I think I might try this with yuzu next time, and invent a Korean variation ;)