It rained a little bit on and off today and Mr. Moon was back over at Lily's, working on the painting, so I decided to do some baking. I've been picking mulberries as they ripen because it's been a slack year for the fruit, and keeping them in the refrigerator. When my collection of berries got big enough to make a pie, I decided I'd better get it done because those berries were not getting any fresher.
I made my pastry and I will admit that I screwed up and put in more butter and shortening than I should have which resulted in a very fragile crust.
La-di-dah.
It's just pie.
I made enough of the pastry to make one two-crust pie and one one-crust pie because I decided to make Mr. Moon a coconut cream pie which is one of his most favorites and why not? If I'm going to get flour all over the kitchen, I might as well get a lot of flour all over the kitchen and indeed I did. I don't know what was going on with me but flour was flying all over the place and when I made the custard for the coconut cream pie, I got cornstarch on the counter too. I do clean as I go but when you're making two separate pies which involve a lot of different steps, you're just going to make a mess and that's that.
I mixed the berries with sugar and lemon juice and flour and put that into the bottom crust and then covered it all up with another rolled-out piece of pastry. That needed to be baked at 425° for fifteen minutes and then the oven needed to be turned down to 350° to continue baking. When I got that pie in the oven, I started in on the coconut pie and rolled out the dough for it and put it in the pie plate and because it needed to be blind-baked, I lined the pie crust with aluminum foil which I then filled with dried lentils so that the crust didn't cave in on itself. I keep a bag of lentils just for this purpose.
That needed to be baked at 425° too so I slid it in next to the mulberry pie but it only baked a few minutes at that temp before I was supposed to turn the oven down which I did but then it seemed like the plain crust just was never going to bake so I turned the oven back up for awhile and honestly- this is not the way to bake.
HOWEVER, needs must, as they say.
While all of that silliness was going on, I made the custard part of the coconut cream pie. I sort of followed the recipe and sort of didn't. I was supposed to scald the milk and then add that to the egg yolks and corn starch and sugar in a double boiler over boiling water and whisk those together until thickened. Instead I nuked the milk and coconut milk I used together until it was about scalding temperature and then added it to the yolks and sugar and so forth in a regular pan and just cooked it a very low temperature, whisking the whole time and it thickened very nicely and quickly without a bit of burning. I added the coconut and vanilla and coconut flavoring and by the time I put it in the crust (which was finally done) it was a beautiful consistency.
And then- on to the meringue!
All the while this was going on, I was checking my berry pie and pulled it out right before the other pie needed to go in to brown the meringue.
I managed to successfully get that done and this is what the pies look like and I am not bragging because they are so far from perfect and I know why and now you do too.
Pecker. How utterly perfect is the name of the man who was responsible for the catch and kills that protected Trump from some of the troubles that his little pecker got him into.
Another Sunday in the books.
I think both pies are beautiful. If questioned, I'd simply say I broke off and taste tested the edge of the coconut cream. It sounds like a very good day i the kitchen. And the bedroom. I think we'll all keep a close eye on Trump this week.
ReplyDeleteNo one's questioning that pie! It tastes so good.
DeleteIt was such a sweet day.
Coconut Cream is my #1. But I don't bake it because I would eat the whole thing. I always scope out the dessert case in a restaurant. What beauties you created.
ReplyDeleteTrump in the hot seat. I'm sure he will be squirming, as much as someone without a moral compass can.
I like coconut pie and coconut cake. And savory foods with coconut milk in them. It's just a very fine fruit, isn't it?
DeleteI wonder if Trump would be diagnoses as a sociopath? There's no doubt he's the King of Narcism.
I love the fact that the judge his not having his nonsense. He needs to behave himself, and I really don't think he's capable of it. Today I read a couple articles on the fact that jury selection has required him to sit there while people are questioned, and some of them have been quite critical in their assessment of him. He's a man who demands adulation, and he is not getting it right now.
ReplyDeleteMaybe his head will explode.
That would be awesome, wouldn't it?
Either his head or his butt. I don't care which.
DeleteSleep Don may nod off and never wake up and wouldn't that be just the ticket! The defense is waiting for Melania to show up to support her man (?) They are thinking that that may sway the jury. Are jurors that dumb?
ReplyDeleteYour berry pie with berries oozing out makes me very very very hungry for pie! That has to be the best pie in the universe!
That would be so awesome! I wonder what the Don bought Melania to convince her to do ANYTHING for this campaign. No matter what she does, it's not going to help him one bit.
DeleteI doubt that's the best pie in the universe. I just hope August likes it.
Your pies look outstanding. Now I'm craving pie for desert. DT in the hot seat is great. I hope the jury and judge throw the book at him.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be amazing if he actually got jail time? I seriously doubt he will. He's not the Teflon president, he's the greased pig president.
DeleteYour pies look delicious, especially the coconut cream pie. I've been on a coconut kick lately, I just can't get enough of it, and I've never had a slice of coconut cream pie. I have no desire to try a slice of store bought coconut cream pie, and I've just never made one. Hmmm. Perhaps I should.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many memes going around right now about "Sleepy Don" and they make me laugh, deeply.
There are tons of good coconut cream pie recipes online. My only advice would be to substitute a can of full fat coconut milk for an equal amount of called-for milk. I do not think you'll be disappointed if you make one.
DeleteYeah. Trump can't be slinging around the "Sleepy Joe" shit anymore, can he?
Those are fine looking pies! I don't the patience to cook like that anymore, not that I ever created anything as delightful as those pies must be.
ReplyDeleteI love to cook. Because I love to eat.
DeleteThose pies are things of beauty. Lucky family.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of feeds, suddenly your blog has completely disappeared from my feed. As far back as I went, no sign. I've been reading you all the time, but the past posts have evidently been wiped. This is weird. I came in here via Google! This will not stand!
How strange that I disappeared from your feed! Am I back now?
DeletePerfection is vastly over-rated and as long as the pies are PERFECT-ly delicious who needs more than that? I noticed you left the stems on the mulberries though. I would go nuts picking those out of my teeth, so I'll share Mr Moon's coconut cream pie instead if that's okay with you.
ReplyDeleteI heard that Trump has been falling asleep in the court room, and not onky that but farting in his sleep so the poor lawyers and anyone else nearby are having to deal with that stench. That alone should be a jailable offence for him in my opinion.
Mulberry stems are stubbornly attached to the berries and it's a pain in the ass to pull or cut them. After you cook them, they're not a problem anyway.
DeleteYes. I've heard about the farting. There are even rumors that he wears an adult diaper and if that's true, the stench could get bad.
Also, your miniature pepper plant may just grow miniature peppers. My daughter has a couple and the peppers are only a couple of inches tall but very tasty.
ReplyDeleteThat pepper is supposed to grow standard size red bell peppers. We shall see.
DeletePies should look as if they have been home baked. That is half the appeal. The other half is the eating and both of those look mighty fine although I am leaning towards the coconut one.
ReplyDeleteDT is an embarrassment to himself and your country. It will be interesting to see the result. And the inevitable netflix doco in years to come.
The coconut pie would not be a mistake as a choice.
DeleteI remember thinking that George Bush was an embarrassment and he WAS but compared to Trump- Jesus.
I'm sure there will be many, many docs on Netflix about this whole situation.
Gorgeous pies...happy frolicking your description gave me a chuckle.
ReplyDeleteI think the word "frolic" is deeply underused.
DeleteI had to look up " coconut cream pie" as I had never heard of it here. Not sure if I would particularly like it! The berry pie.....yes please.
ReplyDeletePS I like the new ( ish) header..nice to see a different aspect of your home.
If you like custard and you like coconut, you would probably like the pie.
DeleteThank you for noticing the header.
Those pies look wonderful. I've always loved baking, in particular, and really wished I had someone to bake for. One of the (few) negatives about living alone, I guess!
ReplyDeleteI RARELY bake anymore, except for bread. But August asked so...
DeleteI meant to comment on your new header, also, Mary. I love that view of your large, beautiful porch.
ReplyDeleteI haven't made a pie in so many years I don't even remember when and I don't think I have ever made a crust from scratch!
Can't remember the last time I "frolicked" either! ;)
You are really amazing!
I adore my porch. It makes me happy every time I open the front door.
DeleteWell, making pies and frolicking are nice things to do but not necessarily necessary for a happy life!
I followed the jury selection on line all last week and I'll be following the trial. last week showed just how senile or demented Trump really is. falling asleep, looking haggard, farting! Trump's pecker problem is two fold, his and the other guy.
ReplyDeletepies look great. I don't make pies any more because there are just the two of us and by the time we get to the last slices everything is soggy. so I make cobbler and crostatas. same goodness just less of it.
Cobblers and crostatas are fine substitutes for pies.
DeleteThe next few weeks are going to be very interesting, aren't they? I wonder if Las Vegas is taking bets for how long it'll take Trump to get kicked out of the courtroom for an outburst.
The pies look good! Although I have to tell you I had a hair on my computer screen (I think from Olga) and when I looked at that mulberry pie photo I thought, "Does Mary know there's a hair on her crust?!" And then I figured things out. I know you would never allow that to happen. :)
ReplyDeleteSadly, even if Trump is convicted, which would be delicious to watch, I'm not sure it will do him in politically. I just don't know what it would take.
Ha! Hairs float around here all the time! Usually cat hairs, though.
DeleteI think that the only thing that would truly stop Trump is death. Maybe a stroke.
YES. A stroke is on my "prayer list."
DeletePerfect pies!! I've never had coconut cream with meringue, only whipped cream on top. The cream pies at Putsch's on the plaza in Kansas City used to be my favorite after rehearsal treat at 10:30 at night. I needed the sustenance having skipped dinner. x0x0 N2
ReplyDeleteA good slice of pie surely can be dinner.
DeleteOh to have you entering the flower shows baking class
ReplyDeleteSo y'all could laugh at my clumsy pies?
Delete