Mmmmmmm...Pie!

[Sunnyhorse]

When Mr. Sunnyhorse and I moved to this house, 20 years ago in a couple of weeks, we discovered gooseberry brambles, and my grandma was ecstatic because she loved gooseberry pie. I picked berries for her and was disappointed to learn that the end product was NOT worth the shredded fingers that came with the vicious thorns.

[LAX]

I used to despise raisin pie, but my dad loves it and it's grown on me over the years. I prefer butter tarts (like a pecan pie but with raisins instead of pecans) but I don't think I've ever seen a butter pie, which might be a good think since a pie form would probably be over the top sweet and gooey.

Quick poll: Do you top your pies with anything? I'm cool with whipped cream, ice cream, and for apple or raisin pies a nice slice of sharp cheddar. I don't know many people who go with cheese & pie, maybe it's a regional thing?

[chonies]

May 31, 2015 18:27:05 GMT -4 LAX said:

I used to despise raisin pie, but my dad loves it and it's grown on me over the years. I prefer butter tarts (like a pecan pie but with raisins instead of pecans) but I don't think I've ever seen a butter pie, which might be a good think since a pie form would probably be over the top sweet and gooey.

Quick poll: Do you top your pies with anything? I'm cool with whipped cream, ice cream, and for apple or raisin pies a nice slice of sharp cheddar. I don't know many people who go with cheese & pie, maybe it's a regional thing?

Do you have a good recipe for raisin pie? I could totally try it once, for science.

The apple pie + cheese thing is firmly in New England, as far as I can tell. In my old cookbooks, it's kind of alluded to, but the only people I know who actually do it are from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. I usually use whipped cream out of a can otherwise, but it's not mandatory. Like with pie crust, since I like to eat it, I learned to make it. I'm an Ameri-CAN.

[Karrit]

They don't put cinnamon in Apple pie here in the UK. That is all kinds of bland wrong.

[LAX]

chonies, I don't have a recipe since there are so many awesome pie bakeries that do it so much better than I can.
Interesting about the New England thing, my ex is from CT and he thought I was insane with the cheese thing. Cheese & pie comes from my mom's side of the family but they're German American with an English strain from New England a few centuries ago. I had come cheese & pie with some Australian visitors who were certain only Canadians were weird enough to eat pie that way.

ETA: Karrit, do they at least substitute another spice like nutmeg, cloves, or allspice or is it essentially just apples and sugar? I tried a spice free apple pie recipe once which relied on maple syrup and vanilla for flavor. It just wasn't right.

[Deleted]

I used to work in an old folks' home in NJ and the residents would get piiiiissed if their apple pie didn't come with a small wedge of cheese.

[Sunnyhorse]

LAX, I whip cream with a bit of confectioner's sugar to top my desserts. Can't handle Cool-Whip anymore.

[azaleaqueen]

Chonies, the raisin pie I used to make was one-crust with the raisins (I think there were both dark and light ones) in a custard. I'll see if I can find the recipe.

[Oxynia]

May 31, 2015 19:13:28 GMT -4 Sunnyhorse said:

LAX, I whip cream with a bit of confectioner's sugar to top my desserts. Can't handle Cool-Whip anymore.

This is what I do as well. I whip my own cream, and sometimes add a little cinnamon or nutmeg into it, depending on which kind of pie I'm putting it on. For apple pie, I sometimes go for vanilla ice cream, especially when I need that extra gooey goodness.

[mrspickles]

Fresh whipped cream with white chocolate mousse. Best thing ever.