Pass The Pie

Pass The Pie
Warm or cold, plain or à la mode—sink your teeth into these unique and nutritious harvest-fruit desserts

By Lisa Turner
Photos by Rita Maas

Ever since the early Romans' first rendition of pie—goat cheese with honey in a rye crust—this culinary classic has been a favorite. Medieval Italian diners feasted on savory mixtures of beef, raisins, and spices baked in a crust. Sixteenth-century Brits fashioned the first fruit "pasties," transporting the pie during the 17th century to America, when settlers brought their recipes to the colonies. By the time the Pennsylvania Dutch perfected the art in the early 18th century, the beloved pastry had become an American tradition.

Simpler than soufflés and more traditional than tortes, a freshly made pie has become the mark of a great baker. Simpler than soufflés and more traditional than tortes, a freshly made pie has become the mark of a great baker, and the gold standard for the end of a meal. Yet pie baking does not need to be intimidating. The secret is in fresh, seasonal ingredients, and in following a few simple tips.

First, start with a reduced-fat crust to trim calories and fat. Fill the crust with an assortment of fall's luscious, healthy fruits: crisp apples, juicy pears and figs, tart cranberries, and heart-healthy nuts—using organic, whenever possible. Leave peels on for extra fiber, and sweeten the mix with honey, date sugar, maple crystals, or unrefined cane sugar instead of empty-calorie white sugar. Top off your creation with low-fat organic ice cream, frozen yogurt, or refreshing soy ice cream. The five simple, healthy recipes here will make baking as easy as pie.

Raspberry Pear Pie

Serves 8 / Autumn's harvest of Anjou, Bosc, and Bartlett pears gets a colorful lift from juicy raspberries. Make sure pears are ripe, but still firm, for the best results.

2 Light and Flaky Crusts, unbaked
2 pounds (5 medium) pears, cored and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons grape juice
1 pinch salt
2 cups frozen raspberries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pastry disk to make an 11-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold edges under and crimp decoratively. Bake crust until golden, about 25 minutes. Cool on rack.

2. While crust is cooling, combine pears, honey, grape juice, and salt in a medium pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pears are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool. Add raspberries, flour, and 6 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar; stir gently to blend.

3. Transfer filling to pie crust. Roll out second pastry disk and arrange on top of pie. Fold edges of top crust over bottom crust, press edges together, and crimp. Cut eight slits, about 1-1/2 inches long, in top crust, radiating outward from the center.

4. In a small bowl, beat together egg and milk to make glaze. Brush crust with glaze and sprinkle with remaining unrefined cane sugar. Bake 30 minutes, then cover edges with foil. Continue baking 30 minutes more, until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles. Cool on rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories:455 calories % fat calories: 25 Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 58mg Carbohydrate: 80g Protein: 6g

Apple and Cranberry Lattice Pie

Serves 8 / Brimming with juicy apples and tangy cranberries, this lovely pie is best served fresh out of the oven— à la mode is a must!

2 pounds Braeburn apples, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unrefined cane sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 Light and Flaky Crusts, unbaked
2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine apple slices, 1/3 cup unrefined cane sugar, cranberries, and lemon juice, and toss to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour. In a separate small bowl, combine remaining flour with brown sugar and butter, and mix with fingers until crumbly.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pastry disk to make a 12-inch round. Fit into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate, leaving an overhang. Spoon apple mixture into shell. Top with butter and brown sugar mixture.

3. Cut second pastry in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the halves into a thin, 12-inch round, and, with a fluted pastry wheel, cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Repeat procedure with second half.

4. Carefully weave dough strips in a lattice pattern over pie. Trim edges of lattice flush with rim of pie plate. Roll dough overhang from bottom pastry up over lattice edges and crimp decoratively. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon unrefined cane sugar.

5.Bake pie in middle of oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until top is golden and filling is bubbly. Cool on rack and serve warm.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 513 calories % fat calories: 31 Fat: 18g Saturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 47mg Carbohydrate: 85g Protein: 5g

Persimmon Pie

Serves 8 / This super-simple Southern favorite has a rich, creamy texture with a minimum amount of fat. A scoop of pomegranate ice cream completes this unusual and beautiful dessert.

4 medium persimmons
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 large egg
1 egg white
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups low-fat or whole milk
1 Light and Flaky Crust, unbaked

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Quarter and, if necessary, seed persimmons. Scrape pulp from skins into a blender. Purée with lemon juice until very smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, beat together whole egg, egg white, and unrefined cane sugar. Stir in salt, milk, and persimmon pulp. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry disk to make a 12-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, fold under and flute decoratively.

4. Pour filling into crust. Bake for 10 minutes at 450°F, then reduce heat to 350°F. Continue baking for 30 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden. Cool on rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 257 calories % fat calories: 26 Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 46mg Carbohydrate: 43g Protein: 5g

Pomegranate Ice Cream

Serves 6 / Bottled pomegranate juice is available at many specialty stores and supermarkets. To make your own, place pomegranate seeds in a blender and pulse gently to just break the juice sacks, but not enough to pulverize the seed pits. Pour into a strainer set over a bowl and press the mixture with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible; discard the pits. Four medium, ripe pomegranates should yield about 1-1/2 cups juice plus 1/2 cup seeds.

1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
1-1/2 cups pomegranate juice
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1. In a medium saucepan, heat orange juice over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Add unrefined cane sugar, and stir until dissolved. Stir in pomegranate juice; remove from heat and refrigerate until cool.

2. Combine chilled pomegranate juice mixture with milk and process in an ice cream maker until thick, about 15 minutes. Add pomegranate seeds. Finish processing. Serve with persimmon pie.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 194 calories % fat calories: 14 Fat: 3g Saturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 11mg Carbohydrate: 40g Protein: 4g

Hazelnut, Cranberry, and Pumpkin Pie

Serves 8 / Studded with hazelnuts and brilliant cranberries, this pumpkin pie is a colorful break from the traditional version. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a cup of chilled eggnog.

1 Light and Flaky Crust, unbaked
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons arrowroot
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup canned pumpkin
6 ounces evaporated skim milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unrefined cane sugar
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry disk to make an 11-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold edges under, forming a decorative rim. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. In a medium pan, combine orange juice, cranberries, and honey. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve arrowroot in cold water. Stir in 1/4 cup of cranberry mixture, mixing until well blended. Pour back into saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin and milk, and stir until mixed. Stir in egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and unrefined cane sugar. Mix well, then gently fold in cranberries.

5. Fill crust and bake for 15 minutes at 425°F. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes more, or until filling is set and crust is lightly browned. Sprinkle hazelnuts on top of pie during last 5 minutes of baking. Cool on rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 307 calories % fat calories: 32 Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 43mg Carbohydrate: 48g Protein: 6g

Fig Pie

Serves 8 / Juicy figs laced with fragrant spices star in this pie, memorable for a taste that is savory rather than sweet. Serve it as dessert, or try it with dollops of goat cheese and a sprinkle of toasted walnuts as a novel appetizer.

2 Light and Flaky Crusts, unbaked
2-1/2 pounds fresh figs, stemmed and quartered
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pastry disk to make a 12-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving overhang. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. Place figs in a medium bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.

3. In a small bowl, combine unrefined cane sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well, sprinkle over figs, and toss to mix. Transfer fig mixture to pie crust and dot top with butter.

4. Halve second pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the halves into an 11-inch round. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Repeat with second half.

5. Carefully weave dough strips in a lattice pattern over pie. Trim edges of lattice pastry flush with rim of pie plate. Roll dough overhanging from bottom pastry up over lattice edges and crimp decoratively. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden. Cool on rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 416 calories % fat calories: 29 Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 35mg Carbohydrate: 70g Protein: 6g

Light and Flaky Crust

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie crust / This flaky, moist crust has less fat than a typical crust, but no less flavor. For best results, make sure the butter is very cold.

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
5 - 5-1/2 tablespoons ice water

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring lightly with fork after each addition until dough is formed.

3. Pat dough into a smooth round disk. Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.