Lazy Pie

From Miss Mary's Kitchen ....
Lazy Pie


Tasty and easy to make desserts rank high on my list of "must haves" in my recipe collection. My mother's mother, Memaw, was capable of putting a made-from-scratch meal on the table that almost always included one of those yummy desserts.

Getting her to give you the exact measurement of ingredients she used was quite another thing! Memaw was taught how to cook using the sight and feel of the ingredients as measurements, and when she used "measuring" utensils, it was often a spoon from the table setting or a coffee cup used at breakfast. While these were standard measurements in earlier days, converting them to today's units of measure was a process of trial and error, not to mention many hours of joyfully watching and helping my grandmother in her kitchen.

Lazy Pie is not truly a pie but is closely associated to a cobbler. The ability to use a variety of fruits (fresh or canned), and the ease in preparation makes this one of my favorites - you can have it ready for the oven in less than 15 minutes.

If you use fresh fruits, add a compatible fruit juice to fill the measuring cup. The baking of this dessert can be done in advance because it is as good at room temperature as it is hot out of the oven. I must confess, however, that a melting scoop of ice cream over a bowl of Lazy Pie made with cherries is extremely mouth-watering as well as the tastiest treat you can have!

LAZY PIE
Serves 4 - 6

1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 stick butter (1/4 lb.)
pinch salt
2/3 c. milk
2 c. fruit and juice (fresh, frozen or canned)
extra sugar for topping

Place butter in an 8" baking pan, put in 350 degree oven to melt. Into a medium mixing bowl, sift the measured flour. Mix in remaining dry ingredients, and gradually stir in milk to blend thoroughly. Remove pan from the oven, pour batter over butter - do not stir. Pour fruit and juice on top of batter - do not stir. Before putting pan in the oven, sprinkle 1-2 T. sugar on top to create a waxy crust.

Bake for approximately 1 hour until nicely browned.

English Trifle

From Miss Mary’s Kitchen

Many years ago, Norm had a partner in his wine business who was from England. During the course of the relationship, we also came to know his parents. They were truly unique people, and it was a pleasure to know them. When I raved about her dessert at the end of a shared holiday meal, Anne offered me a recipe for English Trifle. It has come to be a Christmas favorite for us.

If I stop for a moment, I can still hear Anne describing the preparation of this dish in her wonderful British accent. She had "Americanized" her recipe over the years of living here, but there were certain standards she held. Of particular note was the usage of Bird's Custard Powder, an English pudding mix that Anne swore by. When I left that night, she gave me a box of this pudding mix so I could try it for myself. Today, I search to find a container of Bird's each time I make the trifle because it does add a distictive flavor, just as Anne described! Another caution in making the dish is to not use pineapple, fresh or canned, in the choice of fruit because it will not let the gelatin to set up properly.

I hope this becomes a tradition at your house!

ENGLISH TRIFLE
Serves 6 - 8

1 pound cake (I use Sara Lee frozen)
sherry (not cooking sherry)
16 oz. canned fruit (no pineapple)
1 sm pkg. flavored gelatin (I use cherry)
1 Birds' Custard Powder box
1/2 pt. whipping cream, whipped

Remove crust from the pound cake and cut into 2" cubes. Make a layer of cubes in the bottom of a trifle bowl (or large glass bowl). Sprinkle sherry liberally over cake, allow to soak in. Drain fruit, saving juice. Pour fruit over cake.

Prepare gelatin using juice from fruit as liquid (add water if not enough). Pour the mixture over the cake and fruit. Cover with plastic wrap, put in the refrigerator to set (overnight if preferred).

Prepare the custard powder according to directions, allow to cool. Pour over all ingredients, cover with plastic wrap, return to the refrigerator for several hours to set. At serving time, top with whipped cream.