SWEET! NOT sour....
Here's the thing; I am not sure I am a great cook. What I am is a person that cooks A LOT. And having devoted as many hours as I have to cooking, my strength lies in how many recipes I have tried, tested, worked on, worked out and adjusted.
Last week I bought a cookbook devoted entirely to pies. Pies. I had, admittedly had a glass or two of wine when I made this purchase. (Grimacing Face Emoji) What is especially odd, is that I would never, have never, chosen pie as my first choice dessert. Ever. Me? I am a cake girl. (Really I am an icing girl; feeling cake is just a socially acceptable vehicle for icing.) But now that I have this book I am steeling myself to make the most of it, probably before I give it away to some perverse pie lover.
To this plan, I made a pie from the book on Sunday evening, having chosen the recipe solely because I had all the ingredients at hand, and if I am going to eat a pie lemon is one of the more likely ones I'lll choose.
The lemon pie had a lot to perform against. Last weekend I had made lemon squares that were perfection. PER-FEC-TION! They had a buttery shortbread bottom, a perfectly sweet, yet tart, filling, and a sugary, crunchy thin top.
Sadly, the lemon pie, with many, many faffy steps, a Swiss meringue, and the bragging promises of an olympic gold medal winner, was....sour. Ugh. Pie. You let me down again.
But.
I am not giving up on my new book yet. Because more important than the one recipe are the lessons I have learned:
1. I liked the pastry, though it was thin...it was easy to work with. I will compare it to the other pastry I like and maybe make up a combo recipe that will be perfection.
2. Maybe my lemon square filling will be even better as a pie? It's something to try?
3. There are pie/fruit flavour combos that are intriguing in my new book that may revolutionize my feelings about pie.
If only life were just as easy? Hmm... Maybe it is? After all how many times have we been told to Pie, Pie again? (Skull Emoji)
Ooooh. I love to make pies. Looking forward to your pie adventure!!! I have the Pie and Pastry Bible. I once made a mixed berry pie from that book - it took four hours to finish. FOUR! However, it may be the best pie I've ever made. Double crust and the filling didn't run at all. Gorgeous. So much work; I've never made it again. LOL.