Meatloaf Pie

We're back! And what's the sexiest dish to make for our return? Let's say it together, Meatloaf Pie! Our short little hiatus was nice; I was able to recharge my creative batteries and I even learned the true meaning of Presidents Day. Anyway, what's better than meat? (I'm not asking you, vegans). That's right, meat wrapped in dough! Let's dig in.

Meatloaf Pie

Makes two pies or one pie and a bunch of meatballs

Pie Crust

• 2 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 cup Shortening
• 1/4 cup cold Butter
• 1/3 cup ice cold Water
• 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1. In a large mixing bowl sift the flour, salt and powdered sugar together.
2. Mix in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender or fork. I used a fork because my pastry blender is missing. I'm offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who finds it. Still cheaper than Williams-Sonoma.
3. Once the fats are in small cubes add the water and vinegar. 
4. Form into a small ball. Place in a bowl and set in freezer while you make the meat filling.

Meatloaf Filling

• 1 lbs Ground Pork
• 1 lbs Ground Beef
• 1 lbs Ground Turkey
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 medium Onion minced or grated
• 2 Cloves of Garlic minced
• 1/3 cup Ketchup or Catsup 
• 1/4 cup Brown Mustard
• 1 cup Panko 
• 1/2 cup Carrot minced or grated
• 1/3 cup Zucchini minced or grated
• 1/2 cup Parsley minced
• Dash of Fish Sauce
• Dash of Balsamic Vinegar
• Dash of Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Beef Better than Bouillon
• 1 extra Egg whisked

1. Find a huge mixing bowl. Preheat the oven to 375°
2. Mix all ingredients (except the extra egg) in the mixing bowl with your hands. Clean your hands off on a white couch or a wedding dress.
3. Grab the dough from the freezer. Roll out the pie dough and place in the pie pan. Crimp the edges of the pie.
4. Fill the pie pan with the meat loaf filling. 
5. Make some pie dough lattice to top the pie. Wash the top of the pie with the egg wash.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
7. Drain excess juices (there might be a bit). Let cool and slice into the pie, and serve with Port and Fig Sauce and green onions. 

Port and Fig Sauce

• 7 Dried Figs quartered
• 1/2 medium Onion sliced
• 3/4 cup Port Wine
• plus extra
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt

1. Heat all the ingredients in a skillet over high heat until all the liquid boils out. Stirring occasionally.
2. Place the cooked figs, onion, and juices in a blender. Turn the blender on high. It's gonna be chunky. Add more port to mixture to make it a smooth consistency.
3. Use to top the pie or as a dipping sauce.

Meatloaf Pie Pics by Katy Weaver

S'Mores Meringue Pie

It's summer! Not if you live in New Zealand though, but to hell if it's not summer where you live, it's always s'mores season. Especially if those s'mores are in pie form. 

S'mores are an American classic- millions are consumed every summer, I'm guessing. If you're looking for a summer dessert that's not just fresh berries thrown on some pastry then why not add an extra half hour to your workout tonight and make yourself a s'mores meringue pie?

Sometimes, instead of focusing on the bitter things in life and in the kitchen, you have make something sweet, even if it takes a little more effort than you're use to. The effort in creating this pie really pays off. 

S'Mores Meringue Pie

Crust

• 10 Graham Crackers
• 8 Tablespoons Butter (1 stick) sliced into 1 Tablespoon squares
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Blend the graham crackers in a food processor for a minute or until they have the consistency of coarse sand, or coarse graham cracker crumbs.
2. Add sugar to graham crackers.
3. Add the butter one square at a time, while the food processor is on until there are no more chunks of butter and the crackers are well incorporated.
4. Use the mixture to make a 1/4 inch crust in a pie pan.
5. Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Let the crust cool for 15 minutes while you make the filling.

Chocolate Filling

• 6 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate
• 2 Tablespoons Cocoa
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1/2 cup Cream
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Flour
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water, melt the chocolate, cocoa, water, and cornstarch. 
2. In a medium saucepan heat the cream, milk, butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium high until a low simmer is reached. Add the melted chocolate. 
3. Whisk in the eggs and flour. Whisk until all flour clumps are demolished. Heat until the mixture starts bubbling. Take off heat and use a spatula to fill the pie crust with the chocolate filling.
4. Let cool for 2-3 hours in the fridge.

Meringue

• 4 Egg Whites
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a stand mixer whip the egg whites until they're foamy and make peaks. About 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the sugar gradually to the egg whites. Once all the sugar is incorporated add the vanilla and whip on high for 5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy and forms stiff peaks.
3. Use a spatula to top the pie with the meringue. 
4. Place in oven until the top is golden brown, about 6 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing into the pie.
6. Use a kitchen/propane torch to slightly burn the top. This of course is optional, but I recommend it, because it's fun, looks cool and is pretty unsafe for kids without parental supervision.

The meringue is fluffy and reminiscent of the marshmallows you roasted around the campfire when you were a kid. The chocolate filling oozes off the graham cracker crust and brings back memories of licking your fingers clean after devouring a s'more on a summer evening. The American Diabetes Council requires me to say this: please pace yourself when eating this pie. Enjoy!

All photos by Katy Weaver

Carrot Pie

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Carrot pie is one of those things that shouldn't work, but somehow it does.

Carrots

Whoever came up with the phrase, "easy as pie" was an asshole. They probably never made a pie in their life. I'll admit it; I never bake, I tend to stick with cooking, but I like to expand my horizons and challenging myself, so I thought, "oh, yeah I'll make a pie, how hard could that be?" It was hard, you guys. The crust was a pain, in my crust. If you're naturally talented at baking pie, I salute you. But with most challenging things in life the end result was worth all the struggle.

Carrot Pie

Carrot Pie

Crust

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons of cold water

1. Let's start with the crust. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, mix in the butter, shortening and salt with a pastry blender. Blend until the bits of butter and shortening are about pea sized. Mix in the water. 
2. Once the dough is in a ball like shape, roll it out on parchment paper, I learned this the hard way, parchment paper makes things a hundred times easier.
3. Roll the dough out and put it in whatever pie pan you have sitting around your kitchen. Crimp the edges to make a nice crust.

Pie crust

Filling

• 1 cup mashed carrots
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Boil the carrots until they get soft enough to break apart with with a fork. Strain and mash with a potato masher. Mix in the sugar, milk, eggs, and spices. Mix until well blended. 
3. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Top with the almonds and drizzle the honey over the almonds. 
4. Bake until the edges are golden brown. 

Katy Weaver Photography

Cream Cheese Lemon Drizzle

• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 2.5 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring
• 1/2 teaspoon of milk

1. Mix all these things together.
2. Drizzle over a cooled slice of carrot pie.

Carrot Pie

Slice of pie

Slicin' into that pie

Pie Crumbs

The result of this experiment was a pie that was reminiscent of carrot cake. The crumbly crust added another texture layer that was welcome. It's a great dish to shock people with, at first when you tell them you're making carrot pie they dismiss it, but once they take that first bite they realize what they've been missing. Enjoy!

Pie pics by Katy Weaver. Honestly I think these are some of the best photographs she's taken for this blog yet.