American

Mike DiGrassie recalls, “We used to have blueberries growing all over our camp. The birds went crazy over them. When I tried picking some for myself there was always some bird eyeballin’ me.” Due to the high cost of blueberries, this is the most expensive whole pie at Mrs. Rowe’s—but you can still get a deep blue slice for the regular price of $2.75.

Eric Brown, an employee at Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant and Bakery for eleven years, asked his mother for his favorite grape pie recipe and she graciously offered it to us—for all true pie lovers and bakers are generous in spirit and love to share recipes. When Mildred Rowe was a child, she often picked wild grapes, which used to grow plentifully in the Appalachians. “Mother told us how they fought the wild turkeys for the grapes,” says Mike DiGrassie. This recipe calls for Concord grapes since many of us don’t live near a wild grape patch. It’s one of the few grape pie recipes that doesn’t require peeling the grapes.

Crabapples grow abundantly in Appalachia and in other parts of the South. It takes a lot of these small apples to make 6 cups, but for people who love tart apples, this tiny powerhouse of a fruit is unbeatable. Depending on where you live, the season starts in August and sometimes continues into early winter. Whenever crabapple season occurs in your area, make it a point to slip this unusual treat into your yearly pie rituals. To core the crabapples, slice off the blossom end with a paring knife and cut around the core in four cuts. This will leave a squarish core, which is much easier than trying to halve and core the crabapples. If you can’t find crabapples, substitute tart apples, such as Granny Smith, and coat the diced apples with the vanilla, lemon juice, and water right away, instead of sprinkling them on after the pie is filled.

If you like the flavor of sour apples, cut the amount of sugar in the filling to 1/3 cup. If you want to enhance the sweetness, serve with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. This recipe comes from Cynthia Craig, a longtime baker at the restaurant.

Peach season is fleeting, but this seasonal pie is so delicious that you should slip it into your summer any way you can. If the edges of the crust begin to brown before the rest of the pie, cover them with foil. Enjoy plain or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This pretty pie is reminiscent of the toffee apples that were a fairground favorite in Mrs. Rowe’s day. The brown sugar delivers a gooey, sweet flavor. For an extra treat, serve with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream.

This moist and crumbly pie has a consistency almost like a coffee cake. As a result, unlike most pies, it’s safe to cut into this one when it’s slightly warm. As with all prebaked pastry crusts, it’s important to cover the edges with foil or crust shields while the filling bakes, so it doesn’t burn. Walnuts, almonds, or pecans work nicely with this pie.

This pie offers a perfect blend of apples and raisins. You can add the sweet icing, which is a surprising and delightful touch—or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a blisteringly hot, Southern summer day.

You can crush the crumbs using a food processor, rolling pin, or kitchen mallet, whichever you prefer. This crust should be baked before filling. If you use pie weights or beans to keep the crust from bubbling during baking (highly recommended), remove the paper and weights for the last few minutes of baking so the crust will brown well.

This versatile crust, which is extremely easy to make, adds zip to any pie, and its enticing flavor offers many intriguing possibilities. In this book it’s paired with the Never Fail Lemon Pie (page 73), but you can also try it with pies like Cinnamon Sugar (page 84), Willard’s Chocolate (page 80), German Chocolate (page 79), Peanut Butter Custard (page 83), Peanut (page 92), or Layered Ice Cream (page 96). You can crush the crumbs using a food processor, rolling pin, or kitchen mallet. This crust should be baked before being filled.

The vinegar in this crust is a flavorless stabilizer, making the dough more forgiving and patchable. In addition to being easy to work with, it also tastes great—even butter-loving pastry fans enjoy the flavor.

Mildred’s light touch took years to master. Too much flour will make the dough tough. Use just enough to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. Make the dough ahead of time and place it in the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. If you don’t have a pastry blender, you can use a fork here, as well as your fingers—if you start with cold hands and work fast. The more the shortening melts, the less flaky the crust will be.

A simple pie crust with countless creative possibilities, the Chocolate Cookie Crust has been paired with the Frozen Strawberry Margarita Pie (page 90) and Grasshopper Pie (page 94) in this book, but also consider using it with any of the lemon or peanut butter pies, or even the Spicy Pumpkin Pie (page 48). You can crush the crumbs using a food processor, rolling pin, or kitchen mallet. This crust should be baked before filling.

This crust, which has a nice tangy flavor, can be used in any recipe that calls for Plain Pie Pastry (page 17) or Vinegar Pie Crust (page 19). It’s a good idea to chill the crust for at least 15 minutes before baking; this will help the crust stick together better.

Bakers have long swirled dark and light batters together to make marbleized cakes. This version, baked in cupcake tins, relies on equal parts milk and cream for richness. Creating the two-tone appearance is as easy as a few strokes with a knife or skewer. There’s no need to be precise; each cupcake’s unique pattern is part of its charm. They’re pretty enough to leave unadorned, but if you prefer, drizzle the cupcakes with milk glaze (page 63) or top with dark chocolate frosting (page 302).

The maple is among the most prized trees in the American Northeast, beloved for its bright fall foliage as well as the syrup made from its sap in the spring. Here the crimson autumn leaves are cast in marzipan and placed atop maple-flavored cupcakes and frosting. Keep these cupcakes in mind for Thanksgiving or a leaf-peeping picnic in the country. Unfrosted cupcakes, still warm from the oven, are great for breakfast. For where to find the leaf cutters, see Sources, page 342.

Although the flavor might seem unusual for a cupcake, sweet potatoes have long been pureed and baked into desserts, such as sweet potato pie. This playful rendition of a traditional Thanksgiving side dish—complete with mini marshmallows and candied pecans on top—will appeal to anyone who loves the sweet, earthy flavors of root vegetables. Serve the cupcakes as one component of a holiday dessert buffet. If you like, bake and mash the sweet potatoes the day before you make the cupcakes; let cool completely and refrigerate, covered.

This festive dessert was created for a Hanukkah celebration. To make the design, place a star-shaped cookie cutter on a frosted cupcake, then fill in with vibrant blue nonpareils. You could, of course, modify this idea with other cookie cutter shapes—just make sure they’re no larger than three inches wide, so they’ll fit atop a cupcake.