A Pie Per Week: Gingerbread Pie

Gingerbread Pie

Brian:  We really don't have our pie schedule planned out in advance, nor the pie recipients.  We do have some pies and folks to receive pies in mind, but there is a bit of spontaneity in how each week unfolds.

Recipe from Old Fashioned Pie Recipes

Angie:  While visiting Madison, Indiana last week, I picked up a cook book called Old Fashioned Pie Recipes.  In it, there was a recipe by "Grandmother Richardson."  It seemed like a sign we should try it.  I have altered the name from "Crumb Pie" to "Gingerbread Pie," just because it is more descriptive of the actual flavor.  Also, we doubled the recipe, so the recipe we used will be below.

Parchment Paper Pie Crust

Brian:  You start with an unbaked pie crust, and then you get to work on the ingredients for the pie filling.  Angie has officially fallen in love with the crust she makes with parchment paper.

Sugar, Flour, and Spices

Angie:  In one bowl you mix together the flour, sugar, and spices. You add in your butter, and then get a pasty cutter to add the butter to the mixture.

Combine dry ingredients with Molasses Mixture

Brian:  You then take your baking soda and molasses and mix them together, while adding your water.  One warning, don't wait to long on your water or it might evaporate on you.  Not that I did that or anything... :)  Angie:  twice ;)

Adding the mixture to the shell

Angie:  After you combine the dry mixture with the molasses mixture, you simply pour into a pie shell.  When we first did this, we knew the recipe did not make enough of a mixture.  We double all of our ingredients, since we make two pies, and there was just enough for one pie shell.  So, we put the first pie in and doubled the ingredients again for pie number two.

Brian:  If you like Gingerbread, Gingersnaps, or Molasses cookies, I think you will enjoy the pie.  Since I like all three, you might guess that I loved it.  Cool Whip is a really nice garnish for this pie.

Angie:  My goodness I loved this pie!  It reminded me of these giant gingerbread cookies from the Sugar and Spice shop in the Indiana Memorial Union on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University.  Which made me happy, then thinking about the fact my son drove off this afternoon to spend a pre-admission week at IU, made me a little sad.  Ah, the emotions of a mom who is a year from sending her first baby off to college are kind of like roller coaster.  The pride and excitement of sending him off to start his adult life crossed with the need for him to never, ever leave my side are so conflicting in this momma's soul.

Pie Recipient of the Week:

Our pie recipient of the week is my good friend and co-worker, Lisa.  Lisa is just one of those people who was made for the world of training.  She is passionate about what content she develops, how she is delivering her message, and ultimately the experience of the end user.

She unfortunately hurt herself this week, and I was hoping the pie would also serve as a "Get Well Soon" message.  I'm proud to know her as a friend, and I just hope she got the opportunity to try it!

Recipe:

1 9-inch unbaked pieshell
1 1/2 cup flour
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ginger

In a mixing bowl combine flour, salt, sugar, and spices.  Cut in butter with a pastry cutter.  Set aside.  In another larger mixing bowl stir together the molasses, boiling water, and baking soda.  Beat till mixture becomes foamy and rises.  Stir crumb mixture into molasses mixture.  Mix well.  Pour into pie shell.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 45 minutes until filling is firm.