Let’s Talk Food: The taste of fresh pie is a memorable moment

What food do you remember? Is it your first taste of caviar, fresh pasta in Italy, roast pig on Christmas or a steaming bowl of chowder on a bitter cold winter day?

I have many great food memories, and almost all of them are of simple, tasty dishes made with love and care. So, when I noticed on my calendar that Saturday had been designated as National Pie Day, my memory went into high gear.

My husband and I were spending a summer vacation in Vermont. Our favorite pastime was to gather up all the weekly newspapers in the region for information regarding festivals, outdoor farmer’s markets and church suppers. A nearby town was having an all-day church supper and we headed out to have a late lunch after which I would visit all the thrift shops and antique emporiums.

There was no need for directions since as soon as we entered the town limits the heavenly aroma drew us to the scene of this culinary adventure. For $5 we scarfed down New England clam chowder, cider roasted ham, corn pudding, Indian pudding, barbecued chicken and chicken pot pie. Mammoth dishes of potato salad, cole slaw, fresh vegetable salads and mountains of home-baked bread, biscuits and rolls were passed around “boarding house” style.

The day before this feast, the entire congregation had gone forth into the forests and surrounding countryside to gather wild blueberries, which were turned into luscious pies. The two-crusted pie, fresh from the oven had a crust that crumbled into flakes of flavor as the fork touched it. Issuing forth in a stream of deep purple perfection from the crust was a warm oozing of fresh, wild blueberries married to lemon juice, sugar and just a tad of thickening. Each forkful resonated with sweetness enhanced by tartness. Homemade vanilla ice cream melted into the warm pie.

Although I cannot go forth into the forest and gather the wild berries, I will conjure up a recipe and on Saturday will celebrate one of my fondest food memories. Treat your family and friends with a homemade pie this Saturday — but a store-bought will do just as well. This is my favorite blueberry pie recipe. I love this crust: It does not require rolling out and is tender and tasty.

Blueberry pie

Crust ingredients

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup butter

Filling ingredients

1 cup sugar

1/3 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1-1/3 cups water

6 cups blueberries, divided

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons butter

Topping ingredients

½ pint whipping cream

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Crust preparation

-- Blend crust ingredients well. Press into 9-inch pie pan.

-- Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven until lightly browned.

Filling preparation

-- In a saucepan combine sugar, salt, cornstarch and water. Mix well. Add 2 cups blueberries. Stirring constantly, cook until very thick.

-- Bring to a boil. Stir in lemon juice and butter. Remove from heat.

-- When cool add the 4 cups of berries. Taking care not to break berries, mix thoroughly and chill.

-- Shortly before serving pour filling into crust and frost top with topping (see preparation below). This prevents the crust from becoming soggy.

Pie is attractive with whole berries garnishing the top. Serves 6 to 8.

Topping preparation

Beat whipping cream until thick. Blend in vanilla and confectioners’ sugar.

Ask Doris

Q: I love Wynn’s coconut cake and asked for the recipe. They did share that it has a whipped cream frosting, but that was about all. Do you have a recipe for a coconut cake that is as moist as theirs?

— Julie Wolfe, Naples

A: I agree. Wynn’s coconut cake is the greatest, and whenever I want a special treat, I head for its bakery section. And you can’t blame Wynn’s for not sharing the recipe for one of their best sellers. However, I have a fabulous coconut cake recipe that will make you a star in the kitchen.

This recipe comes from Key West where the cake is a Christmas tradition among the Conchs.

Fresh coconut layer cake with lemon frosting

Ingredients

1 cup shredded fresh coconut

1 cup whole milk

Liquid drained from a fresh coconut

2 cups sifted cake flour (such as Wondra)

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

-- Cover the shredded coconut with the cow’s milk, cover the bowl and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

-- Drain the coconut, pressing out the milk. To the coconut liquid add enough of the milk drained from the shredded coconut to make 2/3 cup. Set this and the shredded coconut aside.

-- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottoms of two round, 8-inch layer cake pans.

-- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

-- Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually and cream together until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one; beat the mixture thoroughly. Stir in the vanilla and shredded coconut.

-- Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the liquid ingredients in halves; start and end with the dry ingredients. Stir only enough after each addition to blend thorough. Do not beat.

-- Pour into pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the surface spring back without retaining an impression if lightly pressed in the center with the fingertips.

-- Allow pans to stand on racks for 5 minutes, then turn out the cakes and allow to cool thoroughly before frosting.

Note: This is such a delicious, delicate cake that despite tradition that requires a snowy frosting, this cake is also marvelous un-iced. The batter may also be baked as a square loaf or in 2 dozen cupcake pans.

Fresh lemon frosting

To enhance this delicious cake, I use a real Florida frosting using Meyer lemons. They are currently in season. Regular lemons are also suitable.

Ingredients

3 egg whites, room temperature

6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon white corn syrup

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (no white membrane)

1½ cups shredded fresh coconut

Preparation

-- Beat the egg whites at high speed until soft, glossy peaks form. At medium speed add the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Return speed to high and beat until soft, glossy peaks form.

-- In a small pan bring the corn syrup to a boil and allow it to cook briskly without stirring it until it reaches 239 degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a drop spooned into ice water forms a soft ball. If any crystals have formed on the surface of the pan, wipe carefully with a damp cloth. Then pour the syrup on the egg whites in a slow, thin stream, beating constantly. Beat until the frosting is sooth, thick and cool. Beat in the juice and rind.

-- Cut the layer cakes horizontally in 4 thin layers. Arrange a layer on a cake plate, cover with the frosting and repeat until all the layers have been stacked. Frost the sides and of of the cake, sprinkle all over with the shredded coconut. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

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Doris Reynolds is the author of “When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet was Fried” and “Let’s Talk Food.” They are available for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. E-mail: foodlvr25@aol.com

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