Summer is meant for fruit pies and ice cream. I was a little worried when I saw the fruit combo for this pie, however. I love a good blueberry pie (thought I don't like raw blueberries). I love a ripe nectarine (though I can't stand them cooked). Somehow, this came together in an amazing fashion.
Although I am sure that the crust recipe in the book is a good one, I stuck to my tried and true Cook's Illustrated vodka pie crust. I know that it works for me every time. I whipped it up and put it in the fridge to chill. In the meantime, I started with the filling. The recipe had me cook up some of the fruit and add the fresh to the cooked. I started with frozen berries, so I cooked all of them to work out some of the moisture. I also added a bit of cornstarch and water to thicken the fruit. I didn't want to take chances. The boy could not stop asking to taste a bit more of the filling - you know - to see if it needed more lemon juice....
My crusts rolled out beautifully. The cooled filling was the perfect amount for my deep-dish pie pan. The boy took care of the egg wash.
I hate when I cut the slits off center. Ah well. It came out looking and smelling delicious!
You'd think I'd know by now not to cut into a pie when it is still warm because the juices all run out and you don't get a solid slice. I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself.
And then the next day, when it was cool and set, I had a bit with ice cream. I even waited long enough to photograph it.
This is a great fruit combo. I would absolutely make it again! Go check out the blogs by Liz and Hilary. They have the recipe. Then go make it yourself.
But not hazelnuts because I hate them. I'm a big fan of biscotti. I love the crunch. Add to that the ease with which these are made, and it's a win.
I threw these together in about five minutes. It was done without the aid of a mixer (I know!) I used shelled pistachios that I buy at Trader Joe's. They are big pieces of nut. I love the color and flavor that they bring to the cookie. The original recipe calls for hazelnut liqueur. I added triple sec because orange really compliments pistachio. The finishing touch was a sprinkle of sparkling sugar. Again, more crunch.
These turned out really well. I didn't bake the cookies for the entire suggested time. The smell told me that they were done enough on the first bake. I cut them into slices and stood them up for the second back. That way no turning is required. They were nutty, crunchy, and just sweet enough for me. This recipe lends itself to a number of variations. I can see it being added to our cookie rotation.
Go visit Jodi of Homemade and Wholesome and Katrina of Baking and Boys to see much better photos and the recipe.
