Monday, September 10, 2012

Mama Wants This!


When you live in the country, pie baking is not simply an art.  It's a way of life.  Farm wives must know how to bake a good pie.  Why?  There are tons (and I mean tons!) of bake sales, fundraisers, pie sales, community dinners and other events that require the donation of a pie or two.

One of the first things I was asked by a lovely lady in her 90s when I first moved to the Island was, "Can you bake a pie?"

I'm not kidding.  Being able to have the perfect crust and filling that is not from a can is a must around these parts!

I won't lie. I can make a stellar pie. My pie fillings are perfected to a science.  It's just the crust part I have problems challenges with.  First off, my hands are too hot. For perfect pastry dough, you need cool hands. Second of all, I just cannot seem to get the crust right. Ever.

This is why I prefer baking cupcakes, cakes, and cheesecakes instead of fiddling with pie shells!




I  love this Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake.  It's one of my biggest crowd pleasers.  I could have sworn I got the recipe from Emeril Lagasse's website, but can't seem to find it anywhere on the internet.
I don't really eat sweets, but my husband has a sweet tooth.  This is one of his favourites.  Plus, who doesn't love Emeril, right? The man cooks with such gusto, it's hard not to get drawn in!
Emeril Lagasse is a chef, restaurateur, TV personality and bestselling cookbook author. You already knew that though, right? 

Speaking of Emeril (and my need to learn how to bake the perfect pie for all those bake sales and fundraisers we seem to always have on the Island), I've got my eye on this beauty...



How perfect is that for creating individual sized pies, tarts, and other goodies?  This would be great for all my bake sale needs!  Definitely on my list of Must-Haves!

Emeril's Mini Pie and Cupcake Maker bakes individual treats in minutes.

  • You can bake 4 individual pies or cakes in 8 to 10  minutes.  
  • The non-stick baking surface makes removal and clean up quick and easy.
  • The Ready Light signals when pre-heating is complete and ready to use.
  • Includes pastry cutter to make customized pie crusts for the tops and bottoms.
The Emeril Mini Pie and Cupcake Maker is from T-fal and is available at HSN online, Bed, Bath & Beyond,  Sears, and other retailers.

With Little One being in Junior Kindergarten this year, I'm looking forward to testing this baby out! My little girl loves a good chicken pot pie and this would make it so easy and much faster than the regular way I make my pies!

Disclosure - This is not a sponsored post. I was in no way compensated by T-fal or Emeril Lagasse.  I blogged about this product because it's something I am interested in and wanted to share with my readers. 

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gosh, they have gadgets for everything now don't they? What a neat product!

And I have challenges making pie crust as well. I've only done it once but it was so difficult!

Unknown said...

Love that! Would make it so much easier for little tarts! I used to have a hard time making crusts too, until my awesome cook of a mom taught me her trick that comes out perfect EVERY time! And you use a food processor for it :) No hands needed until you roll it out!

Manager to Mom said...

That chocolate swirl cheesecake looks AMAZING! The fruit adds a really nice touch. With desserts like that, my guess is that no one's missing that extra pie. ;) (But good luck perfecting the crust, all the same! :)

Shayna Murray said...

I'm also a country girl so I get the pie thing, believe me. I consider myself to be a very good cook and can also whip up a pretty tasty pie. I, however, do not bother making my own pastry. It's far too much hassle. I absolutely adore the new Pillsbury pie crusts. They taste way better than any of that frozen stuff you can get (and it doesn't come broken into a million bits) and because it's not "preformed" like the frozen ones and is easy to work with. You can easily pass it off as your own.

Elizabeth L said...

Omg that thing is awesome! I looooove pies but I always use pre-made crusts with my own homemade fillings. Nobody knows the difference. :)

Mom vs. the boys said...

oh little tiny pies, how cute is that!? I prefer cake and cupcakes too, love yours!

Unknown said...

So CUTE!!! There should of been a warning at the top of the page, because I need a sweet FIX! LOL

Unknown said...

Insane Mamacita:
I'm so sad to say that my pie crusts are usually pretty crumbly :( I don't know what I'm doing wrong. LOL!

Unknown said...

Brandi:
Oooooh! Would you mind sharing the recipe, please? I have a food processor!!Ummm...I rarely use it, but I have one!

Unknown said...

Manager to Mom:
That's what I was thinking! Who needs pie when you can have cake?! LOL! Hubs is a pie person, but he's also a cheesecake, cake, cupcake, sweets guy! lol

Unknown said...

Shayna:
Oooh! Thanks for the heads up on the Pillsbury pie crusts! I have used the Tenderflake ones and have received many compliments on the pies. I don't know why I feel badly not having them 100% homemade. It's just that all the other farm wives do it on their own...
LOL. I'm a glutton for punishment.

Kelly @ City Mom said...

This is awesome! I love the inside scoop on the lives of country wives! Awesome!

Canadian Dad said...

Yeah, yeah, the machine looks great! More importantly, I am beyond impressed that you made all of the things in the pictures! Super, super, super impressed!

Country Mouse, City Mouse said...

My Bruce County MIL makes delicious pies, and she is a beef farmers wife:) She's always shocked when I say that I buy pie crusts. lol! I want that TFal appliance, it would be super handy.

Love all your baking. I love to bake too, but I have a sweet tooth and would eat too much.

Mommy Moment said...

Confession...I LOVE baking pies, especially the pie crust. My grandma taught me how and even though she can not make them anymore, she can still enjoy having a piece with me...using her very own recipe!
I will have to make some for you sometime.
{I'm sure you have wonderful memories of special things you learned from your grandma too...Hugs}

Paula Schuck said...

Oh gosh those look delicious!!
I live gadgets like this and adore Emeril too!

Unknown said...

You need cool hands to make a good pie crust? Seriously? See, I know nothing about baking. That T-Fal gadget looks handy. I'd try it for pot-pies too. Yum.

stephanie said...

I've never tried making my own pie crust, although I definitely want to attempt it sometime soon. Good thing - I have cold hands. They're like ALWAYS cold! It's kind of embarrassing when I have to shake people's hands, but maybe they'll come in handy when I have to make pie crusts! LOL

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City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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