Pies are seeing a delicious resurgence in Philly

It's been a cupcake world for too long. But I am happy to report it is now finally time to eat pie. And it couldn't have come soon enough.

The art of handmade pie has become a nearly endangered species in recent decades. But for those like myself who cherish the flake of a masterful crust and the satisfaction of pie's "stuff" over cake's "fluff," the Philadelphia region has entered a golden era of promise in a pie tin.

A handful of new shops (and food trucks) is leading the way with both savory and sweet creations layered inside handmade pastry. And many of them come with modern and international inspirations, from luscious chocolate pies dusted with lavender to British-style meat pies, bourbon-butterscotch dream pies, deep-fried hand pies stuffed with coq au vin, and fruit pies brimming with the ripest handpicked local fruit. There's even a new book out this week, Magpie (Running Press, $27.50), by Holly Ricciardi, with recipes from her South Street pie boutique by the same name that helped launch the trend locally three years ago.

Pie's emergence since then has been a slow but steady bake, especially as it continues the struggle to emerge from the interminably long Sex and the City shadow of the ubiquitous cupcake craze. Pie bakers, of course, have their opinions on that topic.

"You can make a cupcake in 20 minutes and ice it in 30," says Magpie's Ricciardi. "A pie takes time."

"Pies are so much better," agrees Molly Johnston of Nomadic Pies in Kennett Square. "They're nostalgic, like eating grandma's home cooking. And you can do so much with them. I have so much fun when so much fruit is in season."

For Shannon Wyffels and Brendan O'Guinn, whose PieStand cart took the best-in-show Vendy Cup at the food-truck competition in 2014, the fruit stuffings inside their deep-fried hand pies have extra meaning: "We pick it ourselves," says Wyffels. "One of our passions is trying to connect to the food."

For British-born chef Sam Jacobson, whose month-old Stargazy on East Passyunk Avenue has been selling out daily of the East London-style "pie-and-mash" plates he grew up with, the entrepreneurial spirit was partly selfish.

"I've been waiting for the 10 years since I lived here for someone to do this," he said. "But once I thought of it, it seemed so obvious this is what I should be doing."

I have to agree. When those flaky pastries are popped out of their imported rectangular tins and set beside deliberately lumpy mashed potatoes with a brothy hot splash of traditional "parsley liquor" tanged with malt vinegar, these pies are among the most satisfying $9 plates of cold-weather comfort in the city.

Until the recent resurgence, pie had become the ultimate slice of wistful nostalgia - a love professed by many, but actually practiced by few. In restaurants, once the pie's most reliable domain, the steady decline of diners (and their scratch-bake shops) contributed to the demise. The homemade variety, meanwhile, had been thoroughly squashed by the 20th-century forces of industrialized food, the rise of the frozen pie shell (thanks in part to Mrs. Smith's, founded in Pottstown in 1925), the convenience of boxed cake-mix and brownie alternatives, and an overall dwindling of spare time for home cooking.

"Our grandmothers were stay-at-home moms who were just different people with different priorities," said Ricciardi. "They cleaned the house, cleaned the clothes, and made everything from scratch. These days, it's more like, 'Oh, I want to write a blog.' "

The most common hesitation, the pie-makers agree, is a fear of making crust. Ricciardi sells out her monthly pie-making classes at Magpie to people who want to learn. But to do it right, there's no way around this fact: "It is a lot of work. ... You need to physically touch it. You totally have to be involved in it."

Industrially produced frozen pies, she says, are produced in huge blenders that overcream the butter, which inhibits flakiness. The virtue of handmade crust is the ability to cut the fat into the flour - at first by pulsing with a food processor, then mixing and folding it carefully by hand just enough, which takes intuition.

"If you don't use your hands," she says, "you don't know when to stop."

The care not to overwork the dough extends to the shaping process, too.

"If you have to reroll it, it has to go to the pigs," says Johnston, whose shop passes on its composted waste to the farms of friends in Chester County, who use it for feed. (Yes, even the local livestock are benefiting from the pie trend.)

Johnston got her start in the business managing Dangerously Delicious Pies in Baltimore, then launched Nomadic almost three years ago as a food truck that still parks weekly at the Phoenixville farmer's market. She opened her charmingly rustic storefront cafe in downtown Kennett Square in February, where "business has exceeded my wildest dreams."

Johnston's big recent discovery was replacing the shortening in her crust (which did not suit the GMO-free spirit of a farmer's market she attends) with organic coconut oil, a fat that's less temperamental than butter, which she says also allows her crust to be rolled without the usual long resting period. In the end, it is not quite as flaky and tender as some of the more traditional crusts I've tasted. But Johnston's gift is really for tasty fillings with subtle twists, from a gorgeous peach-raspberry oozing from the sugar-dusted vents of its lattice crust to an aromatic, lavender-scented chocolate and an awesome chicken pot pie that takes an Asian detour from the American classic with the heat of red Thai curry. (Her quiches are also exceptional.)

Ricciardi is a believer in resting crust overnight. But her recipe is also more traditional, though she uses both butter and shortening to accentuate both dairy richness as well as Crisco's bigger flake. The big lumps of fat can be seen speckling the sheets of dough that are demonstrated in clearly photographed detail with techniques in her book. It includes more than 90 recipes, including her signature Bourbon Butterscotch, which is one of my all-time favorites.

"I hope" this trend, Ricciardi says, "means people are going to start taking some more time and enjoying some of the simple joys in life."

Jacobson, for one, is skeptical that many home cooks will get over the phobia of the messy, flour-covered kitchen that is the hallmark of a busy pie baker.

"That's why I'm not afraid to give you my pie recipe," he says. "Because people buy pies."

We can all be grateful, then, that buying pie around Philadelphia is once again a rewarding thing to do.

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Four places to satisfy your craving for handmade pie.

Magpie Artisan Pie Boutique, 1622 South St., 267-519-2904; iluvmagpie.com. Sweet pies, $5.50-$6 a slice, $30-$38 whole; savory pies, $9.50. Pie-making classes, $65 (sold-out through December).

Nomadic Pies, 132 W. State St., Kennett Square, 610-857-7600; nomadicpies.com. Sweet pies, $5.50 a slice or for 5-inch rounds, $23 for a 9-inch large; savory pies, $8 for small, $34 large; quiche, $6 a slice or $23 for whole.

PieStand food truck, track location on Facebook. Will be at Yards Brewery, Delaware Avenue, on Saturday. Hand-pies, $6-$8.

Stargazy, 1838 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-309-2761; on Facebook. Meat pies, 6-$7; $9 with mash and parsley liquor.

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Makes one 9-inch pie, or 10-12 servings

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1 double flaky piecrust, chilled overnight (see accompanying recipe)

3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick,

half Granny Smith, half Honeycrisp (or other firm, crisp, sweet-tart apples)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch fine salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pink peppercorn

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons sanding sugar or coarse raw sugar, for sprinkling

Vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for serving (optional)

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1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pink pepper. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apples, and toss well to coat the fruit and to thoroughly moisten the cornstarch and sugar so that no dry white streaks remain.

3. Retrieve the prepared bottom crust (in the pie pan) from the refrigerator, and set the pan on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Layer the apples into the pie shell with your hands, tightly stacking the slices into a level, flat-topped mound. Use your index finger to scrape some of the syrupy fruit juices off the sides of the mixing bowl and generously moisten the top edge of the shell.

4. Fetch the prepared top crust from the refrigerator, place on top of the pie, and trim the edges. Gently pinch the edges of the dough together, folding under, and tucking securely inside the lip of the pan.

5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush the top of the pie with the egg wash, and sprinkle with the raw sugar. If you haven't already cut decorative vent holes, use a small, sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut 4 slits, each about 2 inches long, toward the center.

6. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, and bake the pie 20 minutes, then rotate the sheet, and bake 22 to 25 minutes more, or until the crust is golden, the fruit is tender (the tip of a small, sharp knife can easily be inserted into the fruit through the vent holes), and the juices are bubbling up through the vent holes.

7. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack, and let the pie cool and set uncovered, at room temperature, overnight (or up to 3 days), before slicing and serving. Serve at room temperature, or rewarmed in a 425-degree oven, with ice cream and caramel, if desired.

Per Serving with ice cream and caramel sauce (based on 12): 421 calories; 4 grams protein; 76 grams carbohydrates;

45 grams sugar; 14 grams fat; 49 milligrams cholesterol;

288 milligrams sodium; 4 grams dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes one 9-inch pie, or 10-12 servings

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1 single flaky piecrust, chilled overnight

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

11/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon bourbon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

11/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

Lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream, for serving

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1. Roll the pie dough, place in pan, and flute the edge. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill the shell while you prepare the filling.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Combine butter, brown sugar, and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for several minutes to cream the mixture together until it is very light and creamy, pausing occasionally to scrape down the bowl.

4. Add the flour and salt, and mix until no streaks of white are visible, 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture will be heavy and thick, like wet sand.

5. Add the bourbon, vanilla, and lemon juice, and continue mixing on low until well-combined, about 2 minutes, at which point it will be even heavier and thicker, like really wet sand.

6. With the mixer running on low, add the evaporated milk, and mix until smooth and liquidy, stopping often to scrape down the sides, about 2 minutes.

7. In a separate clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites to medium-soft peaks.

8. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the filling (which will now become clumpy), using a whisk to lift the whites up and over from the bottom of the bowl to incorporate without deflating. Use a rubber spatula to slowly and gently fold in the remaining two-thirds of the egg whites, incorporating just to the point that no white clumps or very white streaks remain. Don't overmix; the mixture should be a pale cappuccino color, not uniform from top to bottom (foamier on the top).

9. Retrieve the pie shell from the refrigerator. Set the pan on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour the filling into the shell. Carefully (the filling is very sloshy, so try to keep the tray steady) transfer the baking sheet to the oven, and bake the pie 45 minutes, or until top is deeply browned and puffed and the center is still ever-so-slightly loose (it should wiggle a bit when you tap the edge of the baking sheet).

10. Carefully transfer tray from oven to a wire rack. Let cool completely to room temperature (it sinks as it cools, from puffed-up and pillowy at the edges to level with the rim of the pan; the center will crinkle as it cools and sets), then chill overnight (at least 12 hours and up to 3 days) before slicing and serving. Serve with whipped cream.

Per Serving (based on 12): 295 calories; 5 grams protein;

35 grams carbohydrates; 28 grams sugar; 15 grams fat;

76 milligrams cholesterol; 282 milligrams sodium; no dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes 8 small pies, or one large one

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For the crust:

10 ounces cold butter, diced

12 ounces all purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

5 tablespoons iced water

1 egg, beaten and reserved for pie construction

For the filling:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons cracked black pepper

1 cup beef/meat broth

Salt

For the mash:

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut

4 ounces butter and

1 cup milk, heated together

Salt & white pepper

Parsley liquor

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

1 quart cold water

Malt vinegar to taste

Maldon sea salt

White pepper

1 bunch curly parsley, fresh-picked

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1. Make the crust: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, then add the butter, and toss to coat with flour. With your hands or a food processor, work the butter into the flour, tossing and incorporating any pieces of butter that have settled at the bottom of the bowl, until the butter pieces are no larger than a pea. Drizzle the water over the top, and mix the dough until it just holds together when pinched; add more water if the dough is very dry. Knead the dough gently for a very short time, just until it is smooth and the butter is incorporated.

2. For the filling: Brown the meat and onions. Throw in a small amount of flour - just enough to lightly coat the meat. Deglaze with wine, then add broth, pepper, and Worcestershire. Simmer gently for up to an hour, then season with salt.

3. To assemble meat pies: Roll out dough to 1/8-inch, and line the bottom of 8 small or one large pie tin. After the filling has cooled, fill pies to just below the rim. Use a spray bottle or brush to moisten the rim with water before laying the top crust on top and cutting around the edge with a sharp knife. The edges of large pies should be crimped, but that is not necessary on individual ones. Scraps can be used to make little decorations. Brush top of pie with beaten egg, then chill in the fridge for an hour. When the dough is firm again, place in a 450-degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown, then turn the heat down to 375, and cook another 10 mins for individual, or 20 for a large pie. (Large pies should have a couple of vent holes cut in them with a knife. This is not necessary for the individual ones.)

4. Make the mashed potatoes: Bring potatoes to the boil in salted water. Heat milk and butter together. When potatoes are soft, mash with a hand masher. You can use your prefered method, such as a food mill, if you prefer them smooth, but at a pie-and-mash shop, a few lumps are desirable. Stir in your hot liquid, and season with salt and white pepper.

5. Make the parsley liquor: Make a light roux with the flour and butter. Whisk in a quart of cold water, and bring to a simmer. Add a few generous shakes of malt vinegar, and blend with picked parsley in a blender (be careful to start the blender on the lowest setting with a pulsing when blending hot liquid) until almost completely smooth - you should see very small flecks of green. Add Maldon sea salt to season, and a little more vinegar if you feel it could use a touch more acid.

Note: Traditionally, the liquor was made with the cooking liquid from cooking eels, so if you happen to have some of that lying around, feel free to replace some or all of the water with it. Alternatively, a little fish stock would work.

Per Serving (based on 8): 847 calories; 29 grams protein;

71 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams sugar; 49 grams fat;

188 milligrams cholesterol; 1,503 milligrams sodium; 7 grams dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes one 9-inch pie, or 10-12 servings

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For the filling:

2 cups heavy cream

21/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Zest of one small lemon

2 eggs

1 9-inch piecrust

For the topping:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers

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1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a sauce pan, scald two cups of heavy cream. In a separate bowl, combine the semisweet chocolate chips and the lemon zest. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips, and let stand for 2 minutes, allowing the cream to melt the chocolate. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Whisk in two eggs.

2. Parbake one piecrust at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, scoring the bottom beforehand so that it does not bubble up in the heat.

3. Pour the chocolate mixture into the crust, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until it has just set and is no longer wobbly in the middle. Allow pie to cool completely, then refrigerate.

4. To make whipped cream: Using an electric mixer, combine powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Mix until cream has become stiff.

5. Before serving, top with whipped cream, and sprinkle dried lavender flowers on top.

- From Molly Johnston of Nomadic Pies

Per Serving (based on 12): 381 calories; 4 grams protein; 36 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams sugar; 25 grams fat; 68 milligrams cholesterol; 251 milligrams sodium; 2 grams dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes 2 piecrusts

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2½ cups or 312 grams all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons or 28g granulated sugar

1 teaspoon or 6g fine salt

¾ cup or 170g cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes and frozen

¼ cup or 60g vegetable shortening, in baking stick form, frozen, cut into ¼-inch pieces, and put back in the freezer

½ cup + 1 tablespoon or 130g ice-cold water

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1. Mix: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse the machine 3 times to blend. Scatter the frozen butter cubes over the flour mixture. Pulse the machine 5 to 7 times, holding each pulse for 5 full seconds, to cut all of the butter into pea-size pieces. Scatter pieces of frozen shortening over the flour-and-butter mixture. Pulse the machine

4 more 1-second pulses to blend shortening with flour. The mixture will resemble coarse cornmeal, but a bit more floury, riddled with pale butter bits (no pure-white shortening should be visible).

2. Turn the mixture out into a large mixing bowl, and make a small well in the center. If you find a few butter clumps larger than pea size (about ¼ inch), give them a quick smoosh with your fingers. Pour the cold water into the well. Use a curved bowl scraper to lightly scoop the flour mixture up and over the water, covering the water to help get the absorption started. Continue mixing by scraping flour up from sides and bottom of the bowl into the center, rotating the bowl as you mix, and occasionally pausing to clean off the scraper on the side of the bowl, until the mixture begins to gather into clumps but is still very crumbly. (In very dry conditions, if the ingredients refuse to clump together, add another tablespoon of ice water.)

3. Lightly gather the clumps with your fingers, and use your palm to fold over and press the dough a few times (don't knead - just give the dough a few quick squishes) until it just begins to come together into a single large mass. It will be a raggedy wad, moist but not damp, that barely holds together; this is exactly as it should be - all it needs is a good night's rest in the fridge.

4. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, and gently shape each portion into a flat disk 1½ to 2 inches thick, and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap.

5. Chill: The dough MUST have its beauty sleep - at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. Extra rest is just fine, for up to 3 days before rolling. (At this stage, the wrapped dough can be put in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)

6. Roll: Lightly flour a smooth work surface and a rolling pin. Take a chilled disk out of the fridge. Give it a couple of firm squeezes, then unwrap and set it on the floured work surface. Set the pin crosswise on the dough and press down firmly. Turn the disk 180 degrees and repeat, making a second indentation, forming a plus sign. Use your rolling pin to press down each wedge, turning the dough 45 degrees each time. This will give you the beginning of a thick circle. Roll the dough from the center outward, rotating it a quarter-turn to maintain circular shape, until the dough is a 13-inch, 1/4-inch-thick circle.

7. Carefully fold the dough in half, transfer it to the pie pan, and unfold. Now, without stretching it, set the dough down in the pan so that is flush against the sides and bottom. Use a light touch to help cozy it in. Fold the overhang under to form a 1-inch wall that rests on the lip of the pan with the seam slightly below the pan's top edge. Chill the panned dough in the freezer until firm, 15 to 20 minutes.

- From Magpie: Sweets and Savories from Philadelphia's

Favorite Pie Boutique by Holly Ricciardi

Per Serving (based on 12): 242 calories; 3 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams sugar; 16 grams fat; 31 milligrams cholesterol; 276 milligrams sodium; 1 gram dietary fiber.EndText

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@CraigLaBan

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