Chocolate Silk Pie

I don’t know about where you are, but it’s proving to be an exceptionally rainy April around here.  Now, I do love the rain and we certainly need it here in the flush of spring.  But as a gardener trying to get a lot done in my vegetable and herb plots, I need the sunny warm days just as much.  Unfortunately, I also need the sunshine to do my work as a food photographer for this blog as my photos rely on cheerful natural light streaming through my kitchen windows.  As you might be starting to realize, I’ve been running just a tad ragged trying to balance both my loves: food and gardening.  No, no, don’t feel sorry for me.  It’s you who have been suffering for lack of a good post. 

I made this Chocolate Silk Pie a week or two ago when I had that dozen eggs from my friend’s winter CSA share.  I hesitated to share it with you though, not because it wasn’t delicious – indeed it was delectably smooth and chocolaty – but because I made a rather large blunder when preparing the recipe.  Yes, I goofed in the kitchen.  I’m usually rather meticulous about re-reading new recipes a few times to ensure I got everything in there. 

However, this time I was in a hurry to capture the precious light of the late afternoon for the photos.  I thought the recipe said one and a half teaspoons of cornstarch when it really called for tablespoons.  Well, for those of you who know what cornstarch does in a custard-based pie – namely thickening it – you can guess the outcome.  This little pie of mine, with its nutty buttery pecan shortbread crust, was not setting up, no matter how long it sat in the fridge. 

Cult Fruit

Wanna join a cult?  Don’t raise your eyebrows at me!  This cult is one you’ll want to be a part of, trust me.  It revolves around a small golden orb that appears out of a papery vessel that fell out of the sky.  Really!  I swear!  Alright, before half of you click the little “X” in the upper corner of the screen, I’ll stop being goofy.  I’m talking about ground cherries (Physalis pruinosa): a crop that was new to me this year and one that’s got me smitten. 

I was very curious about ground cherries after my mom sent me an article on them out of a newspaper dedicated to farming topics in Pennsylvania. Purportedly, they have been a long-time favorite of the state’s “plain folk” (Amish and Mennonite), especially for pie making.  That being said, I grew up in a valley full of plain folk and never once ran across these delicious little relatives of Solanaceae crops you may be more familiar with such as tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. I decided to give them the end of a row in my vegetable garden to see what they would do.  Let me tell you, these are tough plants!  I rarely remembered to water them because they were hidden by my giant popcorn stalks and while everything else in my garden succumbed to one variety or another of disease or insect, these babies remained lush and producing like mad! 

However, I was completely in the dark about how and when to harvest their little fruits encased in a papery husk not unlike tomatillos or goose berries or, even, Chinese lanterns (they are not the same thing though).  With repeated testing over the season, I finally realized they’re ripening when the husk turns tan/brown.  But the truly ripe ones are the ones that are….wait for it…wait for it… ON THE GROUND!  Ha, I finally understood why they’re call ground cherries! They do have several other common names though, including husk tomato and husk cherry.  Whatever you call them, they’re delicious!

A Slice of Heaven

OH, you wanted some commentary?  Mmmhmmm…

See this pie?  I’m too busy eating it to type right now. 

I’d apologize.  But I’m not really sorry…

Now if you’ll pardon me, it’s time to lick the plate! 

BERRY CHERRY PIE
Adapted from The Practical Encyclopedia of Baking

Filling:
2 C. pitted sour cherries
2 C. blueberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. raw sugar
1/3 C. all-purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t. lemon juice
1 T. butter

Crust:
2 C. flour
1 t. salt
10 T. cold butter, cubed
¼ – ½ C. ice water
milk for glazing

For the crust, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.  Add the butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles a coarse crumb.  Add just enough water to bind the dough, being careful not to overwork the dough.  Gather the dough into two balls and wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap.  Chill for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon in large bowl. Add fruit and lemon juice and stir well. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough balls to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.  Roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer to a 9 inch pie pan.  Trim the edge to leave about a ½ inch overhang.

Pour the prepared filling into the unbaked pie shell. Dot with the butter. Cover with the top crust and flute the edges. Cut small slits or cut shapes in the top as desired. Glaze with milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Place on a baking sheet (to catch any bubbling over).

Bake at 375 F for 1 hour or until golden.  Allow to cool before slicing. 

(serves 8 )