save a life

in 2007, i received the CIA book as a birthday present. it was my first baking book, and the very first recipe i attemped was the cherry pie, because i wanted to make it for the class christmas dinner.

i made the pie so many times, and this time i decided to do it again.

from fresh cherries, cute open, split apart and the seeds pulled out. gently simmered in a thick sauce until soft and nutmeggy fumes pervade. that's homemade butter there being stirred into the filling.

filling the pie shell with the cherries, and then weaving a lattice over the pie. i remember the first few times i made pie i was so inexperienced and the kitchen was often so hot that the dough always softened and turned mushy and it was so frustrating that i let the lattice weave go haywire. in some way that was very homey and pretty.

but now i know the refrigerator is a friend in piedom, and i chill the pie as and when the dough becomes too unmanageable. now the lattice weaves are always nicely done. i also tried to place a cherry design in the centre. can you see it? it's a pair of cherries with their stalks!

the pie filling boils and bubbles. this is crucial - the boiling ensures that subsequently the filling will thicken and set up when it cools. i tried to use beranbaum's method of placing the pie directly on the oven floor. but this pie turned out a soggy bottom, which was disappointing, but tonghin says the cherries were nice. and i like the top crust.

and, a dorie greenspan vanilla pound cake.

the batter is highly lickable and delicious. i used both vanilla seeds and vanilla extract for a full vanilla punch.

midway through the bake, used a bench scraper to score the centre line and help the cake to split along the middle perfectly. or you could really let it split haphazardly. the cake was soft and moist and the crumb was very fine. but i still miss the sara lee pound cakes.