Although pies have apparently become the "new cupcake" over the past few years, I've never really gotten into pies. Sure, I like a standard winter pie like pumpkin or sweet potato, and custard pies are pretty great, but I have never really become a pie connoisseur, let alone a pie master.
Enter the Elsen Sisters and their wonderful bake shop, Four & Twenty Blackbirds, and even more wonderful cookbook, The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book. Four & Twenty Blackbirds is a popular bakery and cafe in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and Emily and Melissa Elsen, the co-owners, also recently opened a new outpost in the Brooklyn Public Library's central location.
I have to admit that while I've had the opportunity to sample Four & Twenty Blackbirds' popular pies, I was never truly blown away by them. Sure, they were probably among the best pies I've ever had, but I didn't feel the intense need to go back for their pies.
My pie revelation didn't come until friends gave us the Elsen sisters's pie book, and boy, oh boy, not only did this book make me feel like a pie master, it also made me feel like a pie aficionado. And this feeling occurred after only attempting one of their pies – the fantastic Buttermilk Chess Pie. The first result was so great that I ended up making the same pie twice in one week!
I modified my two attempts at this pie by using up the remaining graham cracker crumbs from the Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake to substitute a spiced graham cracker crust for the cornmeal crust.
I followed the directions for Four & Twenty Blackbirds' gingersnap crumb crust for assembling and baking the crust. I was slightly worried about the small gaps in the crust after pre-baking it, but it ended up being a great holder for this silky pie filling.
The other substitution I made was to use vanilla extract for the vanilla paste, but didn't feel the final pie was missing anything. It was incredibly silky (straining the mixture is a must!), and particularly flavorful after cooling completely or even after settling in the fridge for several hours. The first time we ate the pie, just after it was slightly warmer than room temperature, the flavors weren't as complete as when we ate the leftovers.
The second time I made the pie, I did follow the suggestion to sprinkle a bit of cinnamon and sugar on top of the pie during the baking cycle, and the wonderful aroma that spread through our apartment was definitely a sensation I'd like to repeat when I make this pie again.
I look forward to baking my way through this entire book – hope you all will join me in this 2015 effort as well!
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