Cream Pies -- Bake-Off VI

[Kerry Beal]

Beth Wilson and I were talking while I was up in Manitoulin and she suggested that cream pies would be a great idea for a bake-off. I've been a little lax at getting around to posting a new bake off, but now that September is upon us, it's time for another to start.

I found myself the other day looking at the CI recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie that I had entered into Mastercook a couple of years ago, and never got around to making. I used to make a lot of desserts that would somewhat qualify as cream pies - chocolate silk, Banoffi pie, Boston Cream pie (though it crosses the pie/cake line), key lime pie.

Two rather different styles seem to fit the cream pie definition, the american fluffy cream pie, and the english custard pie. Both lend themselves well to that most classic of uses - the pie in the face.

RecipeGullet has recipes for Boston Cream pie, Coconut Cream pie and 3 Key Lime variations. There are threads that wax poetic about Macadamia Nut Cream pie, Banana Cream pie, Cognac Cream pie, even one for Tofu Cream pie. There is a reference to an Oatmeal Cream pie that sounds intriguing too.

So let's make some cream pies. I think I'll try the CI Chocolate Cream first.

.

[CaliPoutine]

Great cook-off Kerry

Here is my favorite Coconut cream pie. Its from Cook's Illustrated. The crust is made from animal crackers.

[Catherine Iino]

Try clicking on the pink items in Kerry's last full paragraph. The links are hilarious--especially the one for oatmeal pie.

My favorite cream pie is a banana cream pie made according to a recipe from Sarabeth Levine, of Sarabeth's Kitchen fame. I once donated one to a fund-raising auction and it brought in $80. I'll post the recipe. It's to die for.

[Kerry Beal]

Try clicking on the pink items in Kerry's last full paragraph. The links are hilarious--especially the one for oatmeal pie.

Those are amusing. If you need a little porn in your life just google 'cream pie' as I foolishly did while starting this topic.

[jgm]

What??? No lemon cream pie? Heresy! I might just have to make one to set y'all straight.

Although chocolate is so heavenly. A couple of weeks ago, I made a cherry pie and a chocolate cream pie for a gathering of the local Mustang Club. Husband and I both had a lot of stuff going on that day, so he got to arrive in his shiny red '95 ragtop (18,000 miles, pristine condition) while I skulked up to a parking space in a Taurus. The chocolate cream pie had to stay in the car, though. I'd intended to stop for canned whipped cream (oh hush, I ran out of time) at the grocery in the nearby town where the picnic was being held, but a thunderstorm beat me there, and the grocery was closed due to lack of power. So I picked up the whipped cream on the way home, and it worked out that each of us had 3 pieces of the chocolate pie over the next two days, and we were able to overcome our disappointment of not having chocolate pie at the picnic. Turns out chocolate cream pie can soothe many of the world's hurts and disappointments.

And then coconut. . .I have lovely dreams about coconut cream pie. But I don't discuss them with anyone.

[John DePaula]

Oh, that just looks SO delicious! Mmmmm.

Great cook-off Kerry

Here is my favorite Coconut cream pie.  Its from Cook's Illustrated.  The crust is made from animal crackers.   

←

[sugarseattle]

This thread reminds me of when I worked at Baker's Square in college...after 2 days we had to throw the pies away, so we would sit there around the pie station and make our own creations to wolf down. my favorite was taking the French Silk pie, scraping off the whipped cream, and then taking the glazed strawberries from the fresh strawberry pie on top of the chocolate cream filling. Heavenly!

[dianalane]

Great cook-off Kerry

Here is my favorite Coconut cream pie.  Its from Cook's Illustrated.  The crust is made from animal crackers.   

←

Oh my this pie looks sooo fantastic. I gotta make this pie......

[Chris Amirault]

I'll be interested to know how one prevents browning in banana cream pie, a personal favorite.

[Catherine Iino]

Eat it fast.

Actually, I think the secret is to use bananas that are not too ripe. Not crunchy green, of course, but still quite solid. The pie will keep for a day or so with no problem. After that the whipped cream gets kind of funky anyway.

Chris, you have to try the recipe I posted in recipe gullet.

[Lindacakes]

I've got a recipe from some chef out west, Portland, Seattle, I dunno, for a triple coconut cream pie. Coconut in the shell, coconut in the filling, coconut in the topping.

I'm the person searching for an elusive toffee-ish macadamia cream pie I had in Hawaii.

[jende]

Eat it fast.

Actually, I think the secret is to use bananas that are not too ripe. Not crunchy green, of course, but  still quite solid. The pie will keep for a day or so with no problem. After that the whipped cream gets kind of funky anyway.

Chris, you have to try the recipe I posted in recipe gullet.

←

I don' think I've ever had a banana cream pie sitting around for more than a couple days, but I've always had good luck in layering the banana slices in the filling. In other words, none on top.

[Pam R]

I'll be interested to know how one prevents browning in banana cream pie, a personal favorite.

←

Dip sliced bananas in acidulated water (use lemon juice, not vinegar).

[jgm]

Long, long ago, in a galaxy far far away... college, in other words... I made a banana cream pie, and the bananas seem to have cooked or something. I didn't think the filling was all that hot when I added it, but the banana slices were all but inedible. They were tough, fibrous, --yuck!

I've always wondered what I did wrong. Any ideas? Since then, people have told me they've made many banana cream pies, never worrying about combining hot filling with banana slices, and never had a problem.

[sugarseattle]

I've got a recipe from some chef out west, Portland, Seattle, I dunno, for a triple coconut cream pie.  Coconut in the shell, coconut in the filling, coconut in the topping.

I'm the person searching for an elusive toffee-ish macadamia cream pie I had in Hawaii.

←

That would be Mr. Tom Douglas and the coco cream pie is fabulous, although I have a special weakness for coconut cream pie. Maybe you can tweak it and put some Skor bits in the crust as well and some freshly toasted mac nuts in the filling to get closer to your elusive Hawaiian fantasy dessert?

[blurby]

I've got a recipe from some chef out west, Portland, Seattle, I dunno, for a triple coconut cream pie.  Coconut in the shell, coconut in the filling, coconut in the topping.

I'm the person searching for an elusive toffee-ish macadamia cream pie I had in Hawaii.

←

That would be Mr. Tom Douglas and the coco cream pie is fabulous, although I have a special weakness for coconut cream pie. Maybe you can tweak it and put some Skor bits in the crust as well and some freshly toasted mac nuts in the filling to get closer to your elusive Hawaiian fantasy dessert?

←

I was going to post about this pie as well; available at The Dhalia Bakery. The recipe is available, though I have not made it. The filling is at http://www.books-for-cooks.com/recipes/rc_...glas_kitch.html while it looks like you'll need the rest of the book to get the crust.

[John DePaula]

I've got a recipe from some chef out west, Portland, Seattle, I dunno, for a triple coconut cream pie.  Coconut in the shell, coconut in the filling, coconut in the topping.

I'm the person searching for an elusive toffee-ish macadamia cream pie I had in Hawaii.

←

That would be Mr. Tom Douglas and the coco cream pie is fabulous, although I have a special weakness for coconut cream pie. Maybe you can tweak it and put some Skor bits in the crust as well and some freshly toasted mac nuts in the filling to get closer to your elusive Hawaiian fantasy dessert?

←

I was going to post about this pie as well; available at The Dhalia Bakery. The recipe is available, though I have not made it. The filling is at http://www.books-for-cooks.com/recipes/rc_...glas_kitch.html while it looks like you'll need the rest of the book to get the crust.

←

Actually, here's a slight variant of the Triple Coconut Cream Pie that includes the recipe for the crust: Triple Coconut Cream Pie

[Dianabanana]

I've got a recipe from some chef out west, Portland, Seattle, I dunno, for a triple coconut cream pie.  Coconut in the shell, coconut in the filling, coconut in the topping.

I'm the person searching for an elusive toffee-ish macadamia cream pie I had in Hawaii.

←

That would be Mr. Tom Douglas and the coco cream pie is fabulous, although I have a special weakness for coconut cream pie. Maybe you can tweak it and put some Skor bits in the crust as well and some freshly toasted mac nuts in the filling to get closer to your elusive Hawaiian fantasy dessert?

←

I was going to post about this pie as well; available at The Dhalia Bakery. The recipe is available, though I have not made it. The filling is at http://www.books-for-cooks.com/recipes/rc_...glas_kitch.html while it looks like you'll need the rest of the book to get the crust.

←

Actually, here's a slight variant of the Triple Coconut Cream Pie that includes the recipe for the crust: Triple Coconut Cream Pie

←

Yup. They sell this pie in a mini "pie bite" version, so you can feel all abstemious about it. Except my place is just down the street from Dahlia and I have to pass it to get just about anywhere I want to go, which means I end up buying one coming, then going, then coming, then going . . . .

[jgm]

This weekend, I made the Cook's Illustrated/ATC chocolate cream pie. Excellent, but I didn't like the crust.

The filling is creamy, dense, chocolatey and wonderful.

Maybe I'm just not much of a fan of crumb crusts. I felt it was way too sweet. Next time, I'll use a regular pie crust. But the filling recipe -- definitely a keeper!