DESSERT

[ploverwing]

That makes sense but they also tasted horrible.

They taste very different from the bright orange ones. I now find that those taste horrible compared to the dark ones. Of course, I get a really good version, very sweet and apricot-y, from Rancho Vignola, they are the best I've ever had. But if you love the bright orange ones, these may just not be your thang.

 

[TBB]

I agree. Those are also great. Their 2-lb box of fresh dates is also excellent. Not a fan of their apricots which are oddly dark for some reason.

I love dates, Medjool dates are currently my snack of choice when I’m craving something sweet after supper (or lunch, or breakfast, or any of the bits in between). It’s amazing how caramel-y and delicious they are, and I can almost convince myself that all that sugar doesn’t count because, obviously, they’re FRUIT Although I’m slightly concerned that if I carry on like this they might break my digestive system.

 

[ploverwing]

I love dates, Medjool dates are currently my snack of choice when I’m craving something sweet after supper (or lunch, or breakfast, or any of the bits in between). It’s amazing how caramel-y and delicious they are, and I can almost convince myself that all that sugar doesn’t count because, obviously, they’re FRUIT Although I’m slightly concerned that if I carry on like this they might break my digestive system.

Dates (in moderation) are actually pretty good, as far as dessert items. They've got a lot of nutrition value, and high in fibre. Yes, they have sugar, so definitely not ideal for diabetics, but they're a pretty reasonable sugar because they're not quite as straightforward as straight glucose or sucrose to digest.

 

[Yukio]

Pie is my thing. I love making them. I like it best when they have the right balance of tartness too. I make pies two at a time because, duh, you get twice the amount of pie for just a bit more effort than to produce but a single pie.

What is the best pie filling? I give highest marks to Italian plums (or Damsons or Zwetsche) because they are super easy to slice and pit, tartness is ace, and the filling has an incredible rich fuchsia color after baking.

Other faves are rhubarb, and apple. Yum!!!

 

[Yukio]

I didn't answer the poll, because my ideal is in the balance of sweet and tart with a slight amount of salt to make the sweetness that more fabulous.

 

[ploverwing]

What is the best pie filling? I give highest marks to Italian plums (or Damsons or Zwetsche) because they are super easy to slice and pit, tartness is ace, and the filling has an incredible rich fuchsia color after baking.

Our go to is blueberries. We have lots, and it's a similar profile - tart, gorgeous colour, easy to process (even more so than Italian plums). We use cinnamon and ginger with our blueberries in pie, and yes, we bake our blueberries. It used to piss off my mom so much when she'd go to a restaurant and order "fresh" blueberry pie and it'd be like a tart: baked shell, raw blueberries in gel. She hates eating raw blueberries. I don't, so I was pretty happy to be the recipient of the offending pie slice.

We also have cherries some years, and we do a blend of mostly tart with a few sweet cherries, and oh my, that is also delicious. But we only ever get a couple of pies at most (so far... we have young trees) from our crop, whenever we get a crop. Where we live, stone fruits and apples/pears are a real hit and miss: the weather is very often miserable at exactly the point where the flowers are out and the bees are trying their darndest. Blueberries we have no problem (so far) with harvest, they flower just that little bit later in the season and we usually have pretty good success.

 

[ploverwing]

I didn't answer the poll, because my ideal is in the balance of sweet and tart with a slight amount of salt to make the sweetness that more fabulous.

Fair enough!

 

[TerryM]

Pie is my thing. I love making them. I like it best when they have the right balance of tartness too. I make pies two at a time because, duh, you get twice the amount of pie for just a bit more effort than to produce but a single pie.

What is the best pie filling? I give highest marks to Italian plums (or Damsons or Zwetsche) because they are super easy to slice and pit, tartness is ace, and the filling has an incredible rich fuchsia color after baking.

Other faves are rhubarb, and apple. Yum!!!

Yum, I love Damson plums. We had a tree when I was growing up, and Mom made pies and jam. I've not found a match for that tart/sweet jam.

 

[Jan D]

Strawberry Rhubarb is my pie of choice. I love the combination of tart and sweet. Especially if the pie has melt-in-your-mouth crust. Heaven.

 

[TBB]

Dates (in moderation) are actually pretty good, as far as dessert items. They've got a lot of nutrition value, and high in fibre. Yes, they have sugar, so definitely not ideal for diabetics, but they're a pretty reasonable sugar because they're not quite as straightforward as straight glucose or sucrose to digest.

Woohoo!!

 

[Mike Dollarsign]

One time I didn't have enough cans of pie filling nor enough fresh fruit to make a pie, so I took one can of apple, one can of cherry and one can of blueberry pie fillings, kept them separated as much as possible and brought the completed pie to my mom's place and she loved it so much, especially when she got a slice with two different fruit in it. I tried as best i could to get one flavor at a time so she could have her double fruit slice...and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, of course.

 

[ploverwing]

Does anyone else like a chunk of cheese with their cinnamon apple pie?

 

[Jan D]

When I was younger and still living in Nova Scotia, I frequently remember having a slice of cheddar on my apple pie. When I moved to Vancouver, BC, I rarely ate apple pie, since I couldn’t find any that matched the perfection of my mother’s homemade pies. Eventually, the habit of adding cheese simply fell by the wayside. In the 29 years I’ve been living in the U.S., I don’t think I’ve seen a single person put cheese on their apple pie - which makes me wonder if it’s a Canadian thing…

Wow, I haven’t thought about apple pie with cheese in years. Thanks for the walk down memory lane, Amie!

 

[ploverwing]

Wow, I haven’t thought about apple pie with cheese in years. Thanks for the walk down memory lane, Amie!

You're welcome!!

I don't think that apple pie and cheese is as common as it used to be, and I think it depends on your family's heritage (e.g. I think maybe families with a British Isles heritage may have been more inclined to have this as a possibility in their upbringing - that's from my limited experience).

When I moved to Vancouver, BC, I rarely ate apple pie, since I couldn’t find any that matched the perfection of my mother’s homemade pies.

I think a part of the reason that apple pies don't taste so great is that people have to use commercially available apples: those which have a single flavour profile, store ok for transport, and look gorgeous. Those don't make the best apple pies: you need something that blends tartness and tanins and sweet and other flavour complexity. Plus texture, the texture of a good apple pie apple is usually different than that of a commercially available eating apple. It's useful to live near someone with a heritage orchard, or near a farmers market where someone sells heritage variety apples. Those people know the right apple for the job: best eaten fresh off the tree, best stored and eaten at Christmas, best used for baking, best for making cider, etc.

Also, for some reason (and I don't mean religious), lard has gone out of favour. Lard makes the best pie pastry IMHO. Yes, you can add butter, but shortening is just a no go for me. Anything commercially made also has ridiculous amounts of unpronounceable chemicals, too. Plus sugar - gah, what is it with sugar?! I understand that dessert needs some sweetness, but wow, it's kind of gotten out of hand when the only flavour note is sweet. Bleagh.

 

[TimWilson]

I think maybe families with a British Isles heritage may have been more inclined to have this as a possibility

As a nerd in general, and pie nerd in particular (among many other particular nerderies), I can confirm that cheese on apple pie is indeed British in origin. I learned this living in NEW England, where this tradition is very much alive and well.

If you yourself intend to stay alive and well, it best be Vermont Cheddar, thank you very much. Feel free to disagree if you are outside New England, but otherwise, I've done for you everything I can.

 

[Mike Dollarsign]

I've never had cheese with my pie, but my mouth is watering just thinking about it. If apples are on sale next week, i'll pick some up and make a pie. Haven't had one since Christmas.

 

[TerryM]

Diners offered cheese with apple pie when I was growing up, and that was in the South. The combo was just ok to me, but then I'm sure it wasn't Vermont cheddar, which I quite like and will try next time I'm near an apple pie.
My favorite apple pie came from a now defunct California restaurant chain called Bakers Square. All their pies were completely over the top. The apple came with heated toffee sauce, vanilla ice cream and toasted pecans. Talk about excessive sugar. I'm sweating just thinking about it.

 

[ploverwing]

The apple came with heated toffee sauce, vanilla ice cream and toasted pecans. Talk about excessive sugar. I'm sweating just thinking about it.

Woah. Diabetic coma.

 

[Wiggy]

... If you yourself intend to stay alive and well, it best be Vermont Cheddar, thank you very much. Feel free to disagree if you are outside New England,...

Oh my, Bakers Square pie. The French Silk was killer.

Back to the response: Living about 20 minutes south of the Wisconsin border has its advantages! We are almost "cheddar-heads" but are generally referred to by another name, which I will not repeat here. You in WI know...

Our pie apples (and cherries) are tart! I have never had cheddar with apple pie. How is that served?

 

[ploverwing]

Our pie apples (and cherries) are tart! I have never had cheddar with apple pie. How is that served?

Slice of pie topped with thick slice of cheese (and yes, a proper cheddar is definitely the preferred option). You kind of take a bit of pie with cheese on your fork and eat them together. I've never eaten the pie steaming hot with cheese, I let it cool down a bit first, still warm but not piping.