re.CAP: PI day

RER 3.14.15

Saturday was Pi Day, like super Pi Day 3.14.15, so of course we celebrated, a lot. Instagram, facebook and other social media were flooded with sweet and savory pies, and other super cute pun-inspired treats, which furthered our desire to party it up on Pi Day.

RER 3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

First, it was cherry pie. Sure, we may have cheated by using canned cherry filling and store-bought pie crust, but we would never cheat in math. It was just something fun and easy. To make our pie even more nerdy for Pi Day, I cut out different sized circles to decorate and cover the top of the pie (like this). Turned out super cute and festive.

RER 3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

The second phase of celebration was… you guessed it, a pizza pie! We bought our favorite whole-wheat dough and almost all of our favorite toppings and threw together a pizza (we might have continued the festivities to Sunday with a second homemade pizza…shhh).

Pie Day is everyday to me, but Pi Day is a great excuse to geek out and bake up something tasty (even if it’s fake). Did you do anything special for 3.14?

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3.14.15

RER 3.14.15

MangiaMore: BLUEBERRY pie

RER 7.4.14

Let’s just get this straight, right off the bat— I am not entirely sure I like blueberries or blueberry pie and I am not entirely sure I liked this blueberry pie. This was my first time making blueberry pie, and perhaps even tasting homemade (well almost) blueberry pie. With all that said, our pie was decent— the filling was pretty tasty, but the store-bought crust was far less than tasty.

RER 7.4.14

RER 7.4.14

RER 7.4.14

My boyfriend wanted to make one of these fruit pies for the 4^th of July festivities and I got excited. I like to bake new things and eat baked things. We kind of just picked the first recipe we saw, and used it as the base. Boyfriend wanted to add a few extras: lemon zest, lemon juice and mint. I was like, why the heck not.

RER 7.4.14

RER 7.4.14

RER 7.4.14

It resulted in a very floral filling. The tangy blueberries melted to sweetness once cooked, while the lemon brought back the tart memories. Though subtle, the mint created a rounded edge, adding to the floral brocade.

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The pie was nice, but it was easy to tell we cheated. The crust was just not on the same level as the layered filling, lacking depth, character and love. Unfortunately, that purchased crust was the downfall of the pretty pie, tainting both texture and flavor to displeasure. Next time I make a pie, I will definitely go all out Martha and construct a homemade crust.

RER 7.4.14

RER 7.4.14

What did you bake for America’s Birthday? Have you been taking advantage of the delicious seasonal fruits? Anything good or out of the ordinary I should try with summer season fruits or veggies? Would love to hear from you!

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7.4.14

RER 7.4.14

photo op: HOLIDAY baking

RER 12.23.13

First off, Happy Christmas Eve! Secondly, I’m gonna say right now, there has been a lot of baking in the last few days (so stay tuned for more goodies). I was super lucky to witness the baking insanity that happened this weekend at my boyfriend’s family’s house. They always go all out and I love it. They never make anything that is not delicious and not addictive. Everything they made reminds me of home, the holidays, acceptance and spending time with family and loved ones, no matter who they are. From coconut custard pie, to two different pecan pies, apple pies, kamish bread, brownies… oh dear the list goes on, the baked goods they cranked out this weekend look phenomenal, take a peek! (It's hard not to drool, just a little bit, right?!)

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RER 12.23.13

And I hope you will all follow on facebook, instagram, twitter, tumblr and now pintrest if you don’t already! There will be holiday updates and photos and fun, so check it out!

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12.23.13

RER 12.23.13

MangiaMore: SALTED caramel cheesecake pie

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RER 11.28.13

Well this seems to have been my lucky year. I was able to make a new dessert and present it at our timeless Thanksgiving table. Usually we make a pecan pie and something (that something had been the Minimalist’s Sweet Potato Pie or pumpkin pudding or pound cake). But this year pound cake was decided as one of our two contributions and the pecan pie was being brought, which made room for a little creativity. I was thrilled, my wishin’and hopin’ paid off (and so did my relentless Thanksgiving meal research). It was time to try something new, and I knew exactly what I wanted— Joy the Baker’s Salted Caramel Cheesecake Pie. Sweet, savory, salt, and cheesecake, yes please!

 

RER 11.27.13

RER 11.27.13

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RER 11.27.13

RER 11.28.13

The recipe was not severely difficult (unless you mess up like I did, which could result in double the cheesecake pies), it is just a little time consuming. The crust has to bake and cool before the cheesecake filling can go in the shell. The cheesecake pie has to bake for 50 minutes to an hour, and then cool for 45 minutes in the oven (timing is important if you are planning on making a big, festive meal, because this recipe dominates the oven for a bit). And on top of that the salted caramel and the cake have to be completely cool before assembly. There is just a lot of waiting in between delicious parts.

 

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But in the end, it turned out beautiful ( and sticky). Oddly enough, the cheesecake got better with time, allowing all the layers from the spicy gingersnap crust, to the creamy filly, to the salty sweet caramel, to firm up and assert their presence. The salt helped to balance out the sweetness in the filling, and the spicy crust added another dimension to the other flavors. Even the textures gave an interesting twist to cheesecake; there was more crunchy crust, as it rode up the edges of the pie plate; a thinner layer of smooth and luscious cheesecake, skating in the middle of the pie; and a pronounced layer of the tacky, sticky and fun salted caramel topped with the faintest crunch of sea salt.

 

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It was a definitely a delicious addition. What changes did you make to your Thanksgiving table this year? Any revived sides or new desserts? Any newbies worth keeping?

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12.1.13

RER 11.28.13