If you caught Marie’s roundup of our Cuddle Cake last week, you’ll know that she has imagined Rose and Woody reading our bake along blog posts, shaking there heads, and wondering why we can’t follow instructions. I’m afraid my post this week will fit into that head shaking category. ย Our Back and Bluebeery Pie features a crust made with cream cheese. I didn’t even try it, but I did make a double batch of the berry filling. It may compromise my status as an Alpha Baker, but my new boss did provide this quote on my efforts, “You can say the Rector approves. . . mightily!” So I have that going for me.
The Baking Bible only has one vegan recipe. Every week our vegan daughter watches me crank out yummy baked goods, mumbling under her breath that I could adapt them to be vegan, so this week I did. No big deal, my old standby pie crust recipe made with shortening (ugh) rather than butter. (My grandmother used to use lard when the family lived on a ranch, not vegan at all.)
Enough about my bootleg crust. This filling is amazing!!! I have never been a fan of berry pies, but I couldn’t have been happier with the result. I used frozen blackberries and fresh blueberries (on sale this week), and the outcome was black and blue perfection. The filling was fruity and stayed where it should when the pie was sliced. It didn’t run; it didn’t flatten out. A real winner.
My second batch of filling went into fruit pierogi. The church staff had a post-Epiphany party, because there just isn’t time for a staff party while you’re getting ready to celebrate Christmas with 1000+ of your closest friends. One of my colleagues asked if I planned to bring pierogi to our potluck dinner. That started the wheels turning.
I’ve made fruit pierogi before, but this was the nicest fruit filling I’ve ever worked with. When you’re trying to wrap pastry around a filling, the firmer the filling, the better. I cooked it on the stovetop over medium heat for 15- 20 minutes, and then chilled it before turning it into the Polish specialty. ย I boiled the pierogi, and then browned them in butter. I served them with a sauce made with sour cream and brown sugar (to taste – about 2 cups sour cream to about 1/2 cup light brown sugar). This sauce is great on fresh fruit too.
The Black and Blueberry Pie filling was a big hit, twice!
In most of my food related blog posts, you’ll find a recipe, but not in posts about The Baking Bible. I have the Kindle version, and I think you’ll find many recipes you’ll want to try. Consider adding it to your collection.
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznaล, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com,ย she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
faithy
Lois, your pie looks amazing! No soupy-ness (is there such a word? Lol!). Perfection! How did you do the filling for the pierogi? Won’t the berries burst or leak when you boil them? Must have tasted yummy!
polishhousewife
No soupiness at all! I brought the filling to a boil, Faithy, and simmered a bit to cook the filling since it wasn’t going to get a long baking time.
Jill
Your pie looks gorgeous! Being from Ohio, where Pierogi’s are a staple, I love the idea of a dessert version. I must try it!! Great job on both, and for thinking outside the box. ๐
polishhousewife
Thank you. ๐ My husband is from PA, Jill, so we knew pierogi before we went to Poland, but the dessert pierogi were something new for us. It’s usually a summer dish.
Catherine
And did your daughter appreciate your effort? Is shortening margarine?
Those pierogi look fantastic but they must be a lot of work. Those lucky church workers!
polishhousewife
Thanks, Catherine. She was very appreciative — bought some vegan whipped topping to go with the pie.
Pierogi are very labor intensive. Like tamale making its best done by a large group, so they’re often made for holiday gatherings.
Catherine
I just realised my post looks a bit odd. That’s two separate questions not some smart Alec comment. ๐
polishhousewife
No worries, not odd at all. ๐
Vicki B
I LOVE Pierogi!!!! I mean seriously love them. As a vegetarian, I’ve only had cheese and potato. So desperate out in Iowa I used to order them from the Schwann’s guy. I would so love to try your fruit ones. You know, my mother was an incredible pie maker, works of art really, and she only used Crisco. My daughter reminded me of that and I seem to remember Crisco makes a “healthier” version in stick form. I tried the Earth Balance baking sticks and they were simply horrible. Inedible. I would love to find an easy to roll coconut pie crust. I think the flavor would be better.
polishhousewife
I’ve used coconut oil to make vegan biscotti and a yeast dough, but I don’t think I’ve used it for pie crust. Let me know if you have a recipe that works!
Vicki B
P.S. Do you make jam? Would you know how to turn the filling into jam?
polishhousewife
I made jam a couple of times in Poland. One Polish version of raspberry jam uses no added pectin. You simply cook the fruit down (with sugar) until it’s very thick. At the last minute you add a bit of brandy. Nice for a brunch. For this, I would use the berries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar,and cook it down, stirring constantly, of course.
Rose Levy Beranbaum
looks fantastic! i’ve gotta know: did you defrost the blackberries? i’m assuming you didn’t need to concentrate the juices if you did. i’ve never had to so i’m dying to know as it seems you’re one of the few who didn’t have soupiness!
polishhousewife
Thanks, Rose! I didn’t defrost the blackberries. They went in the mix frozen.
Rose Levy Beranbaum
Thanks so much–that’s great to know!
Jean
Both of those desserts look wonderful.
polishhousewife
Thanks, mum! We finished off the last today.
Patricia @ ButterYum
I’m not a big fan of the cream cheese crust. It’s nice to work with, but I like the flavor of an all butter crust better. Anyway, I love that you made fruit pierogi – such a great idea!
Patricia @ ButterYum
http://www.butteryum.org/roses-alpha-bakers/2014/12/21/tbb-black-and-blueberry-pie
polishhousewife
Thanks, Patricia! I’ll give it a try at some point.
Katya
The Rector Approves! Best new book title I’ve heard in a while. I won’t speculate on genre.
polishhousewife
Hahaha, I’ll try to remember that!
evilcakelady
i’m not a fan of berry pies, either, so your post gives me hope i’ll like it when i make it! did your daughter like the pie?
polishhousewife
She loved the pie, ECL. She picked up a coconut whipped topping and had a blast. I made a blackberry pie years ago, and I felt like it was all seeds. Maybe because I was using wild berries.