Pies and cobbler and crisps and crumbles, oh my!
A warm welcome into the world of pie-related desserts
Welcome back, hangries! Today I am writing to you about one of my favorite things to make in the kitchen — pies, cobblers, crisps, and crumbles. I think this genre of desserts is more foolproof than home bakers often suspect, and this newsletter is to help you realize that. As summer slowly comes to a close, I reflect on the past few summers of educating myself on this subject and give you some of the best tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way. Although summer produce is the optimal time for most pie and pie-related desserts, lucky for us all, frozen fruit works great in these recipes too. Also, fall is right around the corner which is ideal for an apple crisp recipe I talk about a little later.
Thank you for reading today, and if you enjoy, it would mean a lot to me if you could share this newsletter with a friend who you think would also enjoy! 🥧
Summer pie project
Last year, I embarked on a summer pie project — making a different pie every week — determined to have a summer of pie-filled deliciousness and to improve my pie-baking skills. I made a pie most weeks, and it really did give me confidence making pies and getting creative with it. Plus, it was well timed ahead of Thanksgiving, where I was tasked with baking pecan and pumpkin pies for my family.
When I talk to friends about wanting to improve their cooking and baking skills, my first piece of advice is always to pick out a recipe — something you really like to eat or something that you would really like to be able to make — and practice doing it a lot. Repetition is the best way to refine your process a little bit each time, and deep diving into the techniques involved in one recipe helps to develop skills that can be used in other recipes. Once you master that recipe, you can start to get creative from there by adding your own twists on it.
When I did that with pies, I eventually became comfortable knowing how thick to roll out pie crust, how adding citrus zest to fruit fillings brings out the flavors in the most beautiful way, that you can reduce the juices from fruit on the stove to control the liquid content of your pie, and to always add demerara sugar on top of your baked desserts for that perfect crispy, crunchy bite.
Moving along to cobblers, crisps, and crumbles
This summer, I explored the world of cobblers, crisps, and crumbles — desserts in the pie family sans crust, typically defined by their topping. Cobblers have a fluffy biscuit topping. Crisps have a, well, crispy topping often including oatmeal and brown sugar, and crumbles are very similar but also usually have something like nuts mixed in. What I love about them all is the texture that the toppings provide, which are also usually a little easier to make and manage than pie crusts.
Bringing it to your own kitchen
A few things you’ll probably want before getting started
Book of Pie by Erin Jeanne McDowell — This is a fantastic cookbook for both classic + creative recipes with great step-by-steps. Plus, Erin has Youtube videos with Food52 to walk you through a lot of the recipes!
Pyrex pie plates — I use the ones linked and they’re great. I like glass pie plates so you can easily see how the crust is browning as it cooks.
Pyrex 9x13 baking dish — The best to use for cobblers/crisps/crumbles. These ones have a lid, which are great for storing leftovers in the fridge.
Kitchen scale — A scale where you can measure by grams, ounces, milliliters, etc. makes measuring for recipes so much easier. Definitely a top three kitchen appliance for me!
Some recipes you should definitely try
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE — My personal favorite kind of pie! It’s hard to find rhubarb, which is why I store up during the summer and keep it frozen. If you’re skeptical of rhubarb, when it’s cooked with sugar and paired with strawberry, it reminds me of the taste of sour candy. Crumb topping on this recipe is optional (I haven’t tried it that way yet, but it looks good!). Click here for recipe
APPLE CRISP — As we head into apple season, some kind of baked apple dessert feels mandatory, and I hope you try this one where the orange juice + zest do something magical in this recipe from Ina Garten. Click here for recipe
BLACKBERRY COBBLER — I made this cobbler for a potluck, and it was a major crowd-pleaser. I couldn’t find tarragon when I made it, which the recipe calls for, however it’s certainly optional. Click here for recipe
CHOCOLATE HAUPIA PIE — Peter’s favorite kind of pie from Hawaii! I use the recipe from Alana Kysar’s cookbook Aloha Kitchen (I’ll send you a photo of the recipe if you ask 😉).
ANY FRUIT CRISP — This is a great go-to for whatever fruit you want to use in a crisp, and it’s usually what I love using for strawberry rhubarb crisp. Crisps are very forgiving, so I love the flexibility + creativity this recipe calls for. Click here for recipe
KEY LIME PIE — My family uses the very foolproof + very delicious recipe from the back of the Nellie & Joe’s key lime juice bottle every time. Click here for recipe
GINGER WHITE PEACH PIE — I do not have my exact recipe written down, but follow these steps and you’ll get the gist of it. Make a simple crumb crust using ginger snaps, and add 1 tbsp. of fresh grated ginger into your peach pie filling while, using white peaches instead of yellow peaches.
CHERRY APRICOT CRISP — This almond topping sets this crisp apart, and I loved the use of fresh apricots in this way. Click here for recipe
A few DMV bakery recs
On the topic of sweet treats, I thought I would share some of my top bakeries in DC for a little local feature to round out the newsletter.
Pluma — Located in the Union Market district, I love this little cafe. Their pistachio chocolate croissant + ham and cheese croissant are outstanding. I’m also obsessed with their quiche.
Yellow — Now in Georgetown but I’ve also heard that their original Navy Yard location is operating on a limited basis (with a Union Market location coming soon!). It’s connected to the Levantine-inspired restaurant Albi so it’s a great place to try Michelin-quality food in a more affordable way. Think baklava croissants, breakfast pita sandwiches, and smoked dirty chais.
A Baked Joint — In Mount Vernon, this spot is associated with the DC-classic cupcake bakery Baked & Wired. They have awesome baked goods and their sandwiches are some of the yummiest in the city (get their biscuit sammie for breakfast!).
Tous Les Jours — Peter + I go so often to this place in Annandale. It’s a Korean bakery where they have mastered the “not too sweet” desserts. If you go, make sure to get their cream-filled taro bread. Great spot for getting birthday cakes!
Randolph Pastry — A staple of Arlington, this bakery has really great classics. I remember as a little girl, my parents and grandma bringing home pastries from here, and I would always get their napoleons. Still do to this day!
Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe — German bakery, also in Arlington, that is a must-try at some point, a million different options to choose from and they’re likely all delicious.
Seylou Bakery — I haven’t tried many of their sweets, but this bakery is certainly known for their top-notch bread, which I really do enjoy. They have stands at a lot of farmers markets throughout DC, and I can get their bread delivered through my Rounds subscription!
Others that I want to try ASAP that I thought I’d mention to put on your radar too: Rose Ave Bakery, Saku Saku Flakerie, Manifest Bread, Elle — if you’ve been to any of these, I’d love to hear about it!
Comment with your favorite kind of pie, cobbler, crisp! Thank you for reading, subscribing, and continuing to follow along at @hangrytohappyy on Instagram and @hangrytohappy on TikTok! See you here next Monday! Xoxo 🍑
Pies makes everything butter, right? And your recommendations here make that point clear to all of us. Life is short, eat your pie first.....