Bites

HONEY WALNUT ORANGE PIE

Easy as Pie

Spice up your pies with these elevated takes on classics

Autumn wouldn’t be the same without the rich, spiced pies that often make appearances. No matter what you prefer to dig into, you can’t go wrong with apple, pumpkin or pecan pies. But if you find yourself returning to the same recipes year after year, you might want a copy of “Pie Camp,” the latest cookbook by James Beard Award-nominated author of “Art of the Pie” Kate McDermott. She takes you through the basics of pie making, from crafting a reliable dough to the best tools you should have on hand. But the real jewels inside “Pie Camp” are the recipes—two of which are listed here. These inventive takes on classics are packed with flavor and sure to be a hit at your table. —liv martin

RECIPES AND PHOTOS FROM “PIE CAMP” BY KATE MCDERMOTT © 2020 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE COUNTRYMAN PRESS, A DIVISION OF W.W. NORTON & COMPANY. PHOTOS BY ANDREW SCRIVANI.

Honey Walnut Orange Pie

MAKES 1 (9-INCH) TART OR SHALLOW PIE

The idea for this recipe came to me in a dream, and when I woke up I couldn’t wait to make it. I took it as a very good omen when “Cook with Honey,” a Judy Collins song I remembered from my early 20s, began to stream on the internet radio just as I was adding in a cup of orange blossom honey, which I had been saving for a special occasion. The combination of the music and special honey made this pie seem magical.

1 cup honey, orange blossom if possible (see Cook’s Notes) 1 tablespoon flour 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter, melted, divided 2 eggs, fork beaten ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional) zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon cardamom ⅛ teaspoon salt 2 cups finely chopped walnuts 1 pound phyllo dough, defrosted (see Cook’s Notes)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. In a medium bowl, place the honey, flour, 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, fork-beaten eggs, vanilla, orange blossom water, orange zest, cardamom, salt, and 1½ cups of the chopped walnuts. Mix together until combined and set aside. 3. Butter the pan with some of the melted butter. 4. Carefully and gently lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough over the buttered plate. The edges will hang over the rim of the pan. Lightly brush with butter. 5. Repeat with 3 more sheets of phyllo dough, brushing lightly with butter after each sheet is added. 6. Lightly press the buttered sheets of phyllo down into the pan. 7. Pour in the walnut honey orange filling, using a rubber or silicone spatula to get the entire delicious filling into the pan. 8. As if they were all one, roll tightly the edges of the phyllo dough sheets that are hanging over the rim of the pan, an inch or so toward the center of the pan, so they form a coil touching the inner edges of the pan.

9. Brush another sheet of phyllo dough with butter and carefully roll it up into one long rope. Lay the rope in a coil on top of the filling. Repeat this step six or seven times more until the entire top of the filling is topped with buttered and rolled sheets of phyllo dough in concentric circles. 10. If you like, take an additional buttered sheet of phyllo dough, lightly scrunch it up and place it in the middle of the pie, tucking it down just a bit into the center of the coils. 11. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of walnuts over the top of the pie. Brush any remaining butter over the top of the pie. 12. Bake for 50 minutes until golden brown. Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.

Cook’s Notes:

n Orange blossom honey has a mild and light citrus flavor. Clover honey, which is also mild tasting, can be substituted. n Defrost delicate phyllo dough in the fridge overnight, and use a light touch when handling. The sheets can dry out quickly, so keep them covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel on top to keep them moist as you work.

Apple Pandowdy

MAKES 1 (9- TO 10-INCH) DEEP-DISH PIE

A pandowdy is a very humble looking pie baked with only a top crust in a deep-dish baking dish or even a cast-iron skillet. You can make it look a little dowdy by breaking up the top of the crust a bit with a spoon. Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream. This is delicious made with pears, too.

½ recipe Roll-Out Dough (see recipe right) butter for greasing baking dish or cast iron skillet 6 to 8 apples, peeled or unpeeled, quartered, cored, sliced or chopped ½ cup granulated sugar, plus 2 teaspoons or more for sprinkling on top ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 gratings of nutmeg ½ teaspoon allspice 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice 1 to 2 tablespoons Calvados (optional) ¼ cup flour 1 tablespoon butter, melted ice cream, for serving

1. Make the dough and place in the fridge to chill. 2. Place a sheet pan or cookie sheet on the lowest rack in the oven and preheat to 425°F. Butter a 9- to 10-inch deep-dish baking dish or cast iron skillet. 3. In a large mixing bowl, put the apples, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vinegar, Calvados and flour, and mix lightly until most of the surfaces are covered with what looks like wet sand. Pour the mixture into the buttered baking dish or skillet. 4. Roll out the dough 1 inch larger than the pie pan and lay it over the apple filling. Tuck the edge of the dough down and inside the baking dish or skillet. Cut a few rustic vents on top of the crust. 5. Brush the top with some melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. 6. Place the pandowdy on the heated sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. 7. Turn down the oven to 375°F, then move the pan onto the middle rack and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes more until you see some steady bubbling around the sides and coming through the vents. Remove from the oven and let cool for a bit. 8. Before serving, break up the top crust a bit with a spoon, spoon into bowls and serve with scoops of ice cream.

Roll-Out Dough

MAKES 2 DOUGH DISCS; HALVE AMOUNTS FOR 1 DOUGH DISC

2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached, plus more for rolling out dough 1 cup chilled fat of your choice, cut into tablespoon-size pieces 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional) ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup ice water, plus 1-2 tablespoons more as needed

1. Make sure all the ingredients are chilled. 2. Put all the ingredients but the ice water in a large bowl. 3. With clean hands, quickly smoosh the mixture together, or use a single blade mezzaluna or pastry blender with an up and down motion, until the ingredients look like cracker crumbs with lumps the size of peas and almonds. These lumps will make your crust flaky. Don’t coat all the flour with fat. You should still see some white floury places in the bowl when you are finished. Work quickly so that the dough still feels chilly when you are done. 4. Sprinkle 5 to 6 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture, fluffing and tossing lightly with a fork as you do. 5. Sprinkle over more water as needed, a tablespoon at a time, and fluff with a fork after each addition until it holds together. When the dough looks shaggy in the bowl, you are getting close. Give some of your dough a firm handshake and see if it holds together. If it does, go on to Step 6. If it doesn’t, add a bit more water if needed for the dough to come together. The dough should feel moist without feeling tacky. 6. Form and pat the dough into a big ball. If it feels a little dry on the outside, dip your fingers into some ice water and pat them on the outside of the dough in a few places. Don’t get it so wet that it is sticky. The dough should feel like a cool clay and firm yet pliable. 7. Divide the dough in half and make 2 chubby discs about 5 inches across. 8. Wrap the discs separately in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 3 days. n