Pie Time

Friday was Pie Day here at Heston's. Following the success of the blueberry pie on Father's Day, I decided to experiment with baking a run of similar pastries. I wanted to tweak the temperature a bit, as much as is possible with a wood-fired oven. And I got brave and invited our neighbor Shari to join me. I still have a moment of pause when putting other peoples' baked goods into the oven, especially when it is an experiment like this was. What if I burn them? That always runs through my head.

Shari was game and willing to trust me, so she came over with a rhubarb cream pie, and an apple pie. I had prepared two strawberry-rhubarb pies, and with the left over crust scraps, I made a blueberry tart. When I checked the oven, the surface temp averaged about 500 degrees. We bravely put the pies in, and then sat down to wait with a cold beverage and some chips and salsa. The day had been rainy, but the evening was pleasant. The moisture was done, and the temp held enough to sit outside comfortably. Other neighbors had stopped by, too, and so we enjoyed some lively conversation while keeping an eye on the clock.

After about twenty minutes, we checked the tart. Since it was a smaller, shallower pan, I figured it would be done first. It needed just a bit longer, so we left it in there. Some of the pies were showing signs of quick browning on the crusts. We covered those with foil tents, so they wouldn't get burned. Fifteen minutes later, the blueberry tart was done, and the apple pie, too. Not long after, the strawberry-rhubarb pair was ready, and finally, the rhubarb cream pie was puffing up nicely, and so we pulled it out, too.

My main concern was that the heat from the oven's hearth might burn the bottom crust of the pies. Since we needed to check on that right away, we tried the blueberry tart. I needn't have worried, for it was dry and flaky, and just the right color. We cut the tart and ate it in no time. The blueberry filling was done to perfection.

My rhubarb pies waited til the next day to be sampled. I have to admit that I've never been much of a pie baker....One time, Robert went over to Sharlene's to learn how to make them. I wasn't making pie often enough for his taste, so he took the matter in to his own hands. He came home with a beautiful apple pie and presented it to me as a birthday gift from him and Gramma. Wasn't that sweet? The rhubarb pies from the bread oven were great--just the right balance of sweet and tart that we expect from that particular fruit.

Future plans include a pie day at least once a month, and hopefully a pie social sometime this summer. I'm on the lookout for other interested bakers to join me. I'll do my best not to burn anything...so far so good. Care to join me? Just drop me a note or leave me a comment. I'll let you know the next time the oven is ready!