Christmas Pie Fail

I Don't Know from Pumpkin Pie

Recipes in Process

Merry Christmas, All! You might imagine that a food blogger’s Christmas fare would be unfailingly delicious and cooked to perfection. That is true…in our dreams and on a good year. This year, not so much. My lofty idea of having a captive audience rate pumpkin vs. squash pie suffered from beginner’s no-luck. Bruce has gently hinted numerous times before numerous events that cooking something for the first time doesn’t lead to predictable results.  “You’ve made this recipe before?” he asks optimistically. No answer. Unfortunately reason plays a very small role in the creative process.

Every Problem has a Solution, sort of

As Facebook “Like-ers” of Seasonal Eating know, I’ve been soliciting piecrust tips. With your help, the crust rolled out easily and was impressively flaky. However, I’ve only made my Mom’s pumpkin pie once (with a pre-made crust), quite a few years back. And she didn’t use fresh pumpkin (much less butternut squash). Knowing when the filling was done proved most challenging. Not wanting it to be too liquid, I erred on the side of too much baking, and burned the crust. But no matter, I was able to cut off most of the burned spots. Still, overcooked custard-style pie fillings are not ideal. Who knew it would be so unlike Mrs. Smith’s pies, so difficult to overbake because of…who knows what ingredients. Even with reduced crust, the pies looked, um, sad.

Love and Chocolate Save the Day

What’s a cook to do? Of course, in addition to the pies, belatedly whip up a known successful recipe that is completely forgiving. Peppermint-frosted brownies it is! Except that it’s Christmas day and the liquor store/deli (the only market open for miles around) doesn’t have baker’s chocolate. Despite what the owner said on the phone before Bruce went there. And so, Betty Crocker saves the day with a fudgy brownie mix. Made with walnut oil, extra egg, and an extra square of baker’s chocolate, they are a reasonable substitute for homemade. And, just like in the original recipe, the chocolate frosting and peppermint candy topping cover a multitude of mishaps and add a cheery lift.

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. May your days be merry and bright, and may all your cooking mishaps be made right.