Sunday, March 27, 2011

A Black and Blue Pie

I've been feeling uninspired and a 'lil blue lately, probably because I haven't had much "me" time. But this morning I woke up to the sound of light rain, a bit hopeful for what's to come. Not that there are any grand plans, or an event taking place; just a quiet moment before the cup 'o joe. Today was the day I'd get back in touch with myself and concentrate on what I think I've lost over the past year or so. That passion and zest I used to hold closer to my heart, so what a better way than to bake my way through this transition? So, off I went to my weekly trip to Trader Joe's, not sure of what I'd be making but I did have a craving for pie. Thought the blackberries and blueberries were quite fitting for curing the blues. I took my time with this pie, an all day event. I started with the crust, after a wonderful soak in the hot tub with the rain coming down. Inspired. My cat, Kisa, loves to sit on a mini ladder in the kitchen watching the action.Not having found the perfect crust recipe yet, I tried a new one that used apple cider vinegar. In the past my crusts were good, but never that flakey perfection I've been trying to crack. So I took my time with it, used the food processor but only pulsed it about 10 times, and kneaded the rest by hand.Next I made a batch of freshly whipped cream. In my opinion, this beats the heaviness you get with ice cream and I like being able to control the sweetness. I tend to not likes things too sweet and usually lessen the amount of sugar significantly. My favorite ingredient to add to cream? Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, that I got a Surfas or you can also buy it online at Amazon. There's nothing like those delicious specs of vanilla to make your Sunday a little better. The pie was compiled, put into the oven and just like life, it came out a bit messy. To be honest, more like pie soup. Crust was amazing, buttery and flakey. However the berries took a beating, maybe they just represent what I've gone through in the past year or so. But I suppose life is never just based on aesthetics, it's what's on the inside that counts. And let me tell you, this pie was delicious.

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