Pies + Tarts Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:12:35 +0000

When I asked what kind of pie is on your holiday tables in December, you had so many delicious suggestions. Chocolate and pecan, in their many different variations, were the most mentioned. So that’s where I found inspiration for these bars, which are easy to make and everything you love about pecan pie, with the addition of a rich chocolate layer, and sweetened condensed milk (no corn syrup) poured over the top before baking. The simple pat-in-the-pan crust has pecans in it as well for depth of flavor, and lard makes it very flaky. I find pie bars to be less intimidating than making pie, and the results are just as delicious. I decided to streamline a typical pecan pie by making a pat-in-the-pan pie crust, using sweetened condensed milk for rich flavor, and adding a single egg to help bind the filling and slightly lightening the rich condensed milk. Bourbon is optional, but also helps cut the sweetness and adds great flavor. Additionally, these bars pack well for holiday cookie boxes. Lard Makes Great Pie Crusts Lard has a lot of advantages in pastry making. It’s ideal for pie crusts (sweet or savory), as it makes a great non-hydrogenated alternative […]

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New-Fashioned Chocolate Meringue Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:59:31 +0000

I have been a pie connoisseur since my early years, although I will admit my tastes have changed dramatically. My Grandma Ethel was known for her incredible pies and her extra flaky crusts, which were always made with lard. She made every classic kind imaginable: apple, peach, blueberry, cherry, and always my dad’s favorite, lemon meringue. I will admit to never enjoying meringue as a child; it was either baked into the pie (which always tasted too eggy to me) or else looked very similar to giant, beautiful piles of whipped cream. I was always fooled. The overly-sweet, sort of bubbly meringue I was served instead was often disappointing. That was until I discovered Swiss Meringue, an incredible light, smooth, balanced meringue that I am now smitten with. It pairs beautifully with chocolate mousse and a flaky crust, making for an incredible bite of dessert. I have used the base of my Black-bottom Chocolate Pie here, but added even more chocolate, and a flaky, forgiving, pat-in-the-pan lard crust that adds clean flavor. Topping this pie with piles of meringue or meringue ghosts is decadent, but delicious. Lard Makes an Incredibly Flaky Pie Crust Lard has a lot of advantages in […]

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Raspberry Rhubarb Streusel Pie Bars

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:43:13 +0000

I’ve always loved using rhubarb as an introduction to Spring baking, and these bars hit all the right notes. You get this amazing contrast between the sweet, jammy raspberries and the tangy bite of rhubarb, which keeps every bite from being too sweet. The easy, press-in crust has an oat base that holds everything together, a sweet-tart, jammy filling, topped with a golden, crumbly streusel that adds just the perfect amount of crunch. When this is in the oven, the whole kitchen smells incredible. These bars are delicious on their own, but I’ll never turn down a dollop of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. More Rhubarb Recipes:

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Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 00:19:28 +0000

Why Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Pie Is Our Favorite This is almost straight-up pumpkin pie; as much as I like this famous dessert, I find a little crunch is essential, so I like to serve mine brûléed. While my children look terrified at the thought of anything other than whipped cream topping their slices, I find most guests enjoy the added layer. But, not to worry! If you just want your pie the old-fashioned way, you can omit the crème brûlée topping and serve with whipped cream. Something To Know This is a recipe from my new book, Baking for the Holidays. I have gotten quite a few DMs and emails about it – there is a typo in the recipe, and I just want to clear up confusion you may be having, and give you the corrected recipe! In the ingredient list, it calls for the pie crust to be fully baked, but in the directions it says partially baked. It should be FULLY baked (I find this helps the bottom crust stay nice and crisp when the pumpkin pie filling is added). If you are worried about the exposed crust getting too dark, you can cover the crust around the edges […]

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Hard Cider Caramel Apple Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 16:29:28 +0000

Apple pie is quintessential holiday fare, and my family would be highly disappointed if it was missing from our dessert table. In my cookbook, Baking for the Holidays, I’ve taken my favorite apple pie recipe (found in The Vanilla Bean Baking Book) and added hard cider and caramel to it, elevating it to superstar level. A Different Apple Pie Making Technique The method I use for making pie comes from Ms. Rose Levy Beranbaum and her wonderful book The Pie and Pastry Bible. Releasing the fruit juice and then cooking it down helps control how much liquid is in the filling and gives it a more concentrated flavor. To release the juice from the apples in this recipe, you’ll mix the cut apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt, and let them sit for a few hours, or overnight. The sugary juice is then strained and boiled down with the hard cider, to eventually be stirred into the caramel. Store-bought caramel can also work to save time, but make sure it is not overly sweet. Can this pie be made without alcohol? If you don’t prefer to use alcohol, the hard cider can be replaced with straight-up apple cider. […]

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Raspberry Puff Pastry Tart

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 21:36:34 +0000

I’m a big fan of this puff pastry tart; it’s flaky crust and creamy center hit all the right notes. The raspberries add a burst of freshness, and are the perfect partner to the pastry cream topping. It’s a wonderful balance of flavors and textures, and would be delightful for Mother’s Day or Brunch. You can make my homemade rough puff pastry, or use store-bought, whichever you prefer! Both will result in a delicious dessert. Here’s my cheater method for this raspberry tart: Simply use one sheet of store-bought puff pastry (look for a puff pastry that has real butter in it for best results) + and this easy cream cheese filling. To make the cream cheese filling: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip 4 oz [113 g] room temperature cream cheese, 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt on medium-high until light and fluffy (1 to 2 minutes). Reduce the speed to low and add 1 cup [240 g] of heavy cream in a slow, steady stream. Once the cream is incorporated, scrape down the mixer bowl, then increase the speed to medium-high […]

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Rough Puff Pastry Recipe

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 21:06:42 +0000

Making rough puff pastry is an easier, straightforward method to making classic puff pastry, which can takes hours upon hours of chilling time. With the method I’m sharing here, you’ll be able to make homemade puff pastry in a much shorter amount of time, without sacrificing the incredibly crisp, puffy layers that we all love. Once you make this recipe, you’ll understand just how much better it is than store-bought puff pastry (which I still use in a pinch, but this is just so good!). How are the flaky layers in rough puff pastry made? A hefty amount of butter is what makes the famous layers puff up in puff pastry, a result of laminating the dough by rolling it and folding it over itself. It’s similar to techniques in biscuit making. What can you make with puff pastry? Anything from pies to tarts, to savory rolls and appetizers! The possibilities are endless. More Puff Pastry Recipes: Peach Puff Pastry Pie (Good Morning) Cheese Danish Slab Pie Puff Pastry Tarts with Twangy Blueberry Sauce Rough puff pastry is an easier method to making classic puff pastry, that takes less time. The end result is super flaky, puffy, and an incredible […]

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Black-bottom Chocolate Mousse Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 02:41:28 +0000

Since Thanksgiving is almost upon us and pie season is here, I decided to make my favorite dessert for the holiday. Chocolate Mousse Pie! And it’s a mash-up of recipes from my 100 Cookies book: the pie crust from French Silk Pie Bars [#63] the chocolate ganache from the Banana Crunch Blondies [#37] and the chocolate mousse filling from the Mud Pie Bars [#64]. This pie is also inspired by Erin McDowell’s newest cookbook, The Book on Pie, which features: “ways to mix pie dough for extra flaky crusts, storage and freezing, recipe size conversions, and expert tips for decorating and styling, before diving into the recipes for all the different kinds of pies: fruit, custard, cream, chiffon, cold set, savory, and mini.” I borrowed her Mascarpone Whipped Cream for this pie, and will maybe always make whipped cream with mascarpone now? It’s incredible. I bake the pie shell in this glass pie plate, and it turns out perfectly flaky. A few things: *Thank you to everyone who voted for 100 Cookies in the Goodreads Choice Awards! *My brother-in-law’s band, The Cascadians, have a new single out, and an upcoming album coming out soon. You can check them out here. *Looking for […]

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 09:35:00 +0000

Edd Kimber’s latest cookbook, One Tin Bakes, is a wonderful book that reduces the required bakeware to just one tin; each and every recipe in the book is baked in a 9 x13 inch baking pan. I am really enjoying this book, and have so many things in it on my baking wish list: Raspberry and Rose Cheesecake Buns, Whisky and Rye Peach Pie, Brown Butter Apricot Crumble Bars, and Raspberry Cheesecake Streusel Squares (which you can find on ZoëBakes), just to name a few. Edd’s preferred tin is this Nordic Ware pan, which I have and love, and use constantly. Notes from the author on this Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart: While I love pastry, sometimes I don’t have the patience or time to make it, so in those times, I turn to cookie crusts – tart cases made with a mixture of cookie crumbs and butter. They’re incredibly quick and simple to throw together, but they do have one down side: they’re not the easies to remove from the tin, so they’re best served in the tin. My way around this is to mix in an egg white, which acts like glue, holding down all of the ingredients together. […]

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Pear Apple Hard Cider Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 01:10:21 +0000

Nigel Slater describes an apple in his book Ripe as a “quick hit,” but the pear as “something to take our time over.” I would have to agree and have always been partial to pears over apples, especially when it comes to pies. Here, however, I’ve combined them; this pie is chockfull of fresh pears, and their juice is cooked down with a good splash of hard apple cider. It’s a fantastic combination, a perfect pie for crisp autumn evenings and then for breakfast the following morning. Other recipes you may enjoy: Apple Pear Cranberry Crisp, Puffed Pear Pancake, Apple Creme Fraiche Pie, Danish Braid with Apple and Cream Cheese, and Blueberry Apple Crumble Bars. ************************************************ A few things: *This past week, my Pan-Banging Cookies (and myself!) were featured on Good Morning America’s Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Week. You can watch the segment here! I still can’t believe it. *I’m very excited about all the Fall Cookbooks that are out/soon to be out! A few favorites on my list: Escapism Cooking, Tartine: A Classic Revisited, Weeknight Baking, Midwest Made, and 365: A Year of Everyday Cooking. *My husband and a good friend of his recently released some music into the […]

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