This post is not so much about one pastry followed by a recipe. Instead, I was inspired to write about my love for everything pie. Seriously, I love making it, baking, it, eating it, serving it, or even just looking at it. It's safe to say I'm slightly obsessed.
Every other Wednesday at work is "pie day." By this I mean that I get an order to make three pies for that one day, one of which is gluten free. I have complete liberty to choose the flavor of the pies which has made it a lot more fun, just being able to experiment with various recipes, as well as being able to use any extra produce I have on hand. Fruit pies, cream pies, tarts. Lattice tops, crumb toppings, meringues....any combination is possible. It's great. Having to provide a gluten free option has been cool too; experimenting with nut and dried fruit-based pie crusts, or gluten free crumb toppings are also interesting alternatives!
I'm fortunate to work in an environment where local and seasonal fruit and ingredients are always on hand, which makes the pies all the more special and flavorful. Literally, the fruit I get to work with is amazing. Last week I made honey and fig scones for breakfast using the most fresh and beautiful figs I have seen in a while. A few of the figs didn't make it into the scones, and I take full responsibility for that....
I'm fortunate to work in an environment where local and seasonal fruit and ingredients are always on hand, which makes the pies all the more special and flavorful. Literally, the fruit I get to work with is amazing. Last week I made honey and fig scones for breakfast using the most fresh and beautiful figs I have seen in a while. A few of the figs didn't make it into the scones, and I take full responsibility for that....
I've probably made it clear that my absolute favorite dessert is linzer tart, which, being a tart, is closely related to pie. However, when it comes to pie, lemon meringue pretty much tops them all for me. Apple pie comes in at a very close second.
Everything about a good lemon meringue pie is perfection to me. A sweet, biscuity shell filled with a silky, tart lemon curd and topped with a fluffy, glossy meringue. Above all, there's a fun-factor at the end using a flame to torch the meringue. It's beautiful. The tricky part is making the meringue look great so that when you go to torch it, it looks even greater. The torching process will really bring out any mistakes or imperfections, which may not be a big deal to everyone, but I like to make sure it looks beautiful in the end. My favorite meringue to use is an Italian meringue (yes, there are different types of meringues) and this one is the glossiest and -to me- also the tastiest.
Everything about a good lemon meringue pie is perfection to me. A sweet, biscuity shell filled with a silky, tart lemon curd and topped with a fluffy, glossy meringue. Above all, there's a fun-factor at the end using a flame to torch the meringue. It's beautiful. The tricky part is making the meringue look great so that when you go to torch it, it looks even greater. The torching process will really bring out any mistakes or imperfections, which may not be a big deal to everyone, but I like to make sure it looks beautiful in the end. My favorite meringue to use is an Italian meringue (yes, there are different types of meringues) and this one is the glossiest and -to me- also the tastiest.
My dream is to open a bakery focused on pies and tarts, so one day all of you will be able to dive into these pictures and taste them for yourself!