Taste of the South Southern Pies & Cobblers 2017

Summer’s the best season for homemade pie thanks to the South’s glorious bounty of peaches, plums, blackberries, and blueberries ripe and bursting with flavor. Stirred together with just the right amount of sugar and a dash or two of your favorite spice, these fruits bake up into a warm and bubbly delight, made even better with a buttery, flaky homemade crust. If you’ve never tackled a homemade pie before, there’s no better time than today. With our no-fail Buttermilk Pie Dough (recipe below) and these easy-to-follow recipes, you’ll be a blue-ribbon baker in no time. But if you like things a little easier (and don’t we all, sometimes?), we’ve got a bunch of effortless cobbler and icebox pie recipes for you. Simply stir and bake, or even better—stir and chill—and you’ve got a…

1. COLD BUTTER—ALWAYS The key to flaky piecrusts is incorporating small bits of butter into the dough without letting it melt. Start by cubing the butter, then freeze it for 10 minutes before incorporating it into the dry ingredients. 2. DON'T OVERDO IT A food processor makes preparing homemade pie dough easy. Pulse cubed cold butter and dry ingredients together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Don’t over-process the butter, which will cause it to melt. 3. GRADUAL ADDITIONS Adding ice water or other cold liquid a little bit at a time allows it to incorporate into the flour-butter mixture evenly. Pulse just until dough comes together to avoid melting the butter. 4. CHILL OUT Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a disk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least…

STEP-BY-STEP Lattice-Topped Pie STEP 1 Place three or more dough strips over pie, spacing evenly. STEP 2 Fold back center or alternating strips. Place one strip across first strips. STEP 3 Unfold folded strip or strips. STEP 4 Fold back alternating strips. Place another strip across first strips, spacing evenly. STEP 5 Unfold folded strips. STEP 6 Fold back center or alternating strips. Place another strip across first strips, spacing evenly. STEP 7 Unfold folded strips. STEP 8 Trim strips even with edges; crimp as desired.…

PEACHES AND CREAM ICEBOX PIE 1½ cups gingersnap crumbs (about 30 cookies) ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 1 (3-ounce) package cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling mix 1½ cups whole milk 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream ½ cup peach preserves, divided ½ cup chopped fresh peaches Sweetened whipped cream Garnish: fresh mint leaves 1. In a medium bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter. Using a measuring cup, press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze for 10 minutes. 2. Prepare pudding according to package directions, reducing milk to 1½ cups. Fold in sour cream. Pour into prepared crust; refrigerate for 10 minutes. 3. Spoon ¼ cup peach preserves over filling; swirl gently using a knife. Stir together peaches and remaining ¼ cup preserves. Top pie with whipped cream; spoon peach mixture over top. Garnish with…

—— CHESS PIE 3 WAYS ——CHESS SHEET PAN PIE Makes 10 to 12 servings Crust: 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed ¼ cup cold water Filling: 6 large eggs 2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3 cups whole buttermilk 1 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 tablespoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg Garnish: confectioners’ sugar 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a 13x9½-inch baking sheet with baking spray with flour. 2. For crust: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Using two forks or a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add ¼ cup water, and knead until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour. 3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 22x18-inch…

PEACH-BLACKBERRY COBBLER Makes about 12 servings Filling: 6 cups peeled, pitted, and sliced fresh peaches 2 cups fresh blackberries 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed Topping: 2 cups quick-cooking oats ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger Vanilla ice cream, to serve 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a shallow 2½-quart baking dish with cooking spray. 2. For filling: Place peaches, blackberries, lemon juice, and vanilla in prepared pan. Add granulated sugar and flour; stir well. Place butter over filling. 3. For topping: In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and ginger; stir well. Sprinkle over filling. 4. Bake until topping is lightly browned and filling is bubbly, about 45…