Christmas cooking with love

Duryea carries on southern traditions with her pies

By Kathryn Rice

Janis Duryea brings her love of baking and family traditions together every time she bakes a pie.

This Tulsa, OK, native was transplanted to Maryville nine years ago. She brings good memories of eating pie with her dad, who just turned 95, her mother, grandma and uncle. Every family meal at the Duryea’s features pies.

Vacations and trips will include trying pies at different restaurants as part of the experience. She and her husband will take an additional 100- to 200-mile side trip, time allowing, to try out pies.

She makes pies to carry on the family tradition. Duryea makes the traditional recipes. Her dad loves gooseberry and rhubarb pies, not strawberry rhubarb, but rhubarb pies. Her husband likes a tart lemon meringue. She also loves to try new recipes.

“The holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without pumpkin and cherry pies,” Duryea said.

Tips she wants to share include:

• Chill ingredients.

• Cut butter or shortening into 1/2 inch cubes, freeze.

• Use ice water; don’t add ice to flour.

• Mix in chilled bowl or food processor.

• Roll out between sheets of waxed paper.

• Use dowel rods as depth guide for desired thickness.

• Roll pastry from middle, in one direction, rotate pastry to make circle.

• Cornstarch in fruit pies makes a clearer filling.

• Chill pie 15 to 30 minutes before baking for a flaky crust.

• A pizza stone in the oven aids in even oven temperature.

• Use silicone or aluminum pie ring to keep edge of pie from burning before pie is done. Aluminum foil can be used.

And finally:

• There is no shame in using a quality store-bought crust.

Here are two of Duryea’s favorite recipes.

Gooseberry Pie

4 C. gooseberries

1 C. sugar

3 T. + 2 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Double crust pie shell

Mix sugar and cornstarch, add gooseberries, stir until coated. Let sit for 15 minutes or until it makes syrup; add spices, stir. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate, top with second crust. Slit to vent. Chill for 15-30 minutes.

Bake at 400º for 15 minutes, reduce to 375º, bake for 45 minutes or until golden.

Cherry Pie

1 1/4 C. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

5 1/2 C. fresh or frozen unsweetened pitted cherries

1 tsp. cinnamon, optional

Pastry for double crust pie

In bowl stir together sugar and cornstarch. I add cinnamon to my filling. Add cherries, gently toss until coated. Let stand 15 minutes or until syrup forms, stirring occasionally.

Transfer to pastry-lined pie plate. Top with second crust, cut slits for venting, crimp edges as desired. Brush top with milk, sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes until golden brown.