Diane : The title pretty much says it all, except for the drama that unfolded for this event. Without having to divulge into too much detail (he was mean to me), here are the facts summarizing the process:
- We need to bake a pie for Krysta’s 3.14 Pie Day. So many pie ideas get tossed around.
- I wanted to make a totally fresh, delectable and light tropical mango pie, full of naturally sweet, juicy mangoes that are riped to perfection. Todd wants to make a macho whiskey pie.
- There’s not enough room for two ego-centric baking hounds in the kitchen making ONE pie. So we need to choose.
- Todd has bigger muscles, has a history of baking kick-butt blueberry pies, the tangerine tree is full of fruit and we didn’t buy the mangoes in time to ripen.
- Todd wins and gets to bake his pie.
- But Diane gets to help wash the dishes, kinda garnish the pie and take the photographs!
Todd: My defense and thoughts…
- Who wants a nice, light pie? Pies should be rustic and filled with tasties that make you squirm with guilt. But they are so damn good you don’t care, and never stop at just one piece.
- My pie isn’t macho. It’s creamy, sexy, and just a little naughty. I love my little whiskey girl. Plus the tangerines are perfect and every woman loves chocolate. That’s who I like to cook for the most, the lovely ladies. It’s more of a seduction pie.
- I do have bigger muscles, thank god.
- I win, I win!
- We still work together, and hopefully have created another tasty others will enjoy. We enjoyed making it, and even made a cocktail with the leftover whiskey, not to mention sampling quite a few of the inebriated tangerine slices.
The pie is basically the combining of several components. A blind baked crust made with both butter and lard. The butter gives the flavor, the lard the flakiness. Next you add a silky, chocolate pastry cream. Carefully slice the tangerines (you could always substitute canned mandarins if there are no good tangerines), place them in a bowl and pour whiskey over them. Garnish the top of the pie with the tangerines, then top your pie slices with fresh whipped cream as you serve. Make cocktail out of leftover whiskey by adding a little triple sec, tossing it in a shaker with ice, then strain & drain. We must say both the pie and the cocktail were “Damn Tasty!” Thanks Evil Chef Mom for throwing down the gauntlet. This was a fun task.
(Chocolate Whiskey Tangerine Pie)
Print This RecipeFlaky Pie Crust Recipe
This is one of the tastiest, flaky pie crusts we’ve had. Easy to make, too. Lard makes pies flaky, butter makes pies tasty. That’s why both are used here. Also, flaky pies like cold temperatures, so keep your ingredients cold even in between steps to help make your crust happy. Makes 2 – 9″ Pies
Ingredients
2 1/4 c (355g) flour
1/2 T (15g) salt
1/2 lb (225g) cold unsalted butter
1/4 c (70g) cold lard
1/3 c (80ml) ice water, approx.
1. Combine flour and salt on a work surface or bowl.
2. Cut up the cold butter and lard into manageable pieces, then add it to the flour and pinch down to hazelnut size pieces with your fingers.
3. Add ice water and mix just until the dough comes together. It should be a rough looking, lumpy ball with chunks of butter still.
4. Flatten the ball to expedite the chilling process, then wrap and put to rest in fridge for at least 30 min.
5. Divide the dough in two, putting one back in the fridge and placing the other dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll out. Occasionally peel back plastic wrap, then place back on so you take out the wrinkles. Roll to about 1/8″ thick and about 1″ beyond your pie tin, then place in tin and finish the edges however you like. Prick the bottom and let rest in fridge for at least 1/2 hour before using.
6. If blind baking, preheat oven to 375º. Carefully line crust with parchment paper, then fill with pie weights of your choice (we prefer beans, they’re cheaper and seem to fill better.) Bake crust in oven for 18 min, or until it begins to show slight browning on edges. Remove foil and weights, then return to oven for another 15 min., or until it’s a nice, golden brown. If you aren’t blind baking, bake as directed in your recipe.
Print This Recipe
Chocolate Pastry Cream & Finishing the Pie (chocolate pastry cream adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook)
This has a million and one uses, including eating straight. You can always add a little dark rum, or kaluha for an adult version. Makes about 2 1/2 c.
Ingredients
2 c (500 ml) milk
1/2 c (100g) sugar
dash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
1/4 c (35g) cornstarch
1/2 lb (225g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 T (30g) unsalted butter
1. Combine milk, 1/4c (50g) sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan and slowly bring to a near boil. In the meantime, whisk together egg yolks, remaining 1/4c (50g) sugar, and cornstarch.
2. When the milk is near boil, take off of the heat & slowly, 1/2 a cup at a time, whisk milk into egg mixture (whisking only in one direction will help prevent lumps from forming). After milk and eggs are fully incorporated, pour back into saucepan and return to medium-high heat. Whisking continuously (again, only in one direction), heat until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour mixture into an electric mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and begin to beat on low speed. 1/4 of a cup at a time, add chocolate and butter. Continue beating, a little faster now, until cooled, @ 5-10 min.
4. Transfer to a storage container, cover w/ wax paper so that paper is in complete contact with pastry cream (prevents skin from forming on cream.) Chill for at least 1/2 hour & up to 3 days. Whisk briefly before using.
5. Very Important! Make sure to lick bowl completely clean before washing. You can not let any on these tasties go to waste.
The Pie
Blind bake your crusts. When cooled, fill crusts with chocolate pastry cream and top with tangerine slices that have been macerated in whiskey for 30 min., then finish pie with fresh whipped cream.
Sharing The Love #3 : Our Fremont Tangerines !!!!!
This fruit laden Fremont tangerine tree is exploding with super sweet jewels. Knowing how many of you out there are still freezing your deriers off, we’re “Sharing The Love” with a little bit of California sunshine via these tangerines. So if you’re in need of a some warm, sweet and juicy citrus sun-rays, we’ll send a couple of these off to you to help welcome Springs arrival. Supplies can be limited though, depending on the demand, so get your requests in early! Just leave your request comment here and we’ll contact you afterward for further details!
Previous “Sharing The Love” Editions:
The Art of Spicing …(This offer is still available)
Garden Fresh Rosemary...(This offer is still available)
Also … We’re celebrating March with Andrea’s “Grow Your Own” event !
Andrea’s “Grow Your Own” is a monthly food blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow or raise ourselves and the dishes we make using our homegrown products. For any of you who are creating dishes from your garden delights, please join in and share your recipes with this fantastic event! So here it is…ta da! …Pieman Todd’s “Silky Chocolate Whiskey Tangerine Pie” is our contribution to this event!
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{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
D’oh! I just remembered I owe you stamps! Sending ‘em out today.
At last i get in. I have been trying to get connected to you blog but it always failed.
Love the pie.
Hi hi My pie isn’t macho. It’s creamy, sexy, and just a little naughty.
Were you talking about me
Just Kidding
Chocolate and Whisky…ooh-la-la. That really does sound creamy and sexy
Happy Cook – Yes, he was talking to you and all the other blogging ladies.
And no, he does not have a brother.
Todd is such a FLIRT !
Back off ladies and girly gent’s….he’s mine !
It looks awesome! I don’t think you can go wrong with a topless chocolate pie! YUM!
I think I’ve got the most ordinary nailed down. I can’t wait to see who gets the spectaular!
Ha ha ha
No Brother that is too bad 
So I guess I don’t need to bring my knives! Thanks you two for doing this, especially if it caused some tension. Macho pie. Macho guy. Stop picking on her.
I want to share! Wanna swap some stuff? My little state has a few things to offer!! Thanks! Lisa
Whew! You guys are as busy as the title of this post
This looks delicious! Really bright and exciting, too.
This looks so beautifully natural.
I feel healthier when I come here, almost as though my bad habits don’t count as much b/c visiting here constitutes as “trying” to make better food choices.
haha.
I’ve always been a fan of the chocolate and citrus combo. Must be nice to pick your own tangerines.
Whoever cut the tangerine slices, immaculate job, bravo!
Sounds like you two always have such a good time in the kitchen! The photos are fabulous, and so is the pie. Well done, guys!
Oh man! Nice one. I love the whole pi day pie blogging concept (I think I blogged about pie crusts last year) and I *totally* blew it off this year. Ugh. Busy week. Next year… I’ll write myself a note. Cheers, y’all!
You had me at whiskey.
Ha! I like the dueling post. Very cute. Are you guys like that in person? I would’ve loved mango pie. Mmm. Can’t go wrong with mangoes.
yumm…whiskey in a pie
the combination looks amazing & so do those tangerine trees. happy pie day to you…3.14159265
I gotta hand it to Todd – this pie is an awesome choice! The gooey chocolate contrasts beautifully with the tangerines on top. Well done guys! (And as ever, I am jealous of your orchard!!)
The pie – tangerines, chocolate, crust – looks awesome! What I love most about pies is the crust and this one looks soooo good in its rustic perfection.
I don’t like chocolate very much, but since there’s whiskey in it, I’m game!
What a lovely pie! Glad to see your site is up and running again!
Wow you guys! You have raised the bar for me as a foodie! I am impressed! And humbled. I am excited to work on my blog (http://danazia.wordpress.com/) more and get it to the caliber of yours. (snort, that will be the day, but can’t fault a person for trying!) I’m excited about trying this pie recipe, sounds like my kind of pie! Looking forward to reading more of your adventures, I’m bookmarking it!
Yours in love of food
Dana Zia
Wow, my boyfriend is going, “HEY you never let me win in the kitchen!” right now. ^_^
But YUM, that chocolate filling does look like silk. Tasty, sweet, chocolate silk. Mmm, silky…
I can has tangerinez? Oh please?? Have you seen it here? All we have is mud!! Say I’m not too late . . .
Pie looks awesome. This event gave me so much trouble, I’m still nursing my burnt hand and bruised ego. Nothing like a attitude filled pie to humble me.
Nothing like a bit of pie-competition… and I love the end result! (Sorry Diane XD) That chocolate pastry cream looks like a dream I once had. So trying this!
What a lovely creation! I can tell there was Diane’s touch in the end though….:) The tangerines look awesome!
Whoo-hoo! that pie has gotta be DEE-lectable, regardless of who won the pie battle. Personally, I think you should have made both pies, and had your own personal 2-person pie-off. Just wish I had a slice of all that flaky, chocolatey, whisky, tangeriney goodness…
My parents have a big tangerine tree in their backyard and are always trying to give away the fruits. Now I have a good reason to take some home!
Oh, that’s a lovely pie – and in celebration of a constant that is one of my favorites
I have to admit that I was really excited when D said she wanted to make a mango pie. I lurv mango. T’s pie would find more eager company with Jeremy (and the dog – but that’s a given). Be nice to my gal pal! *wink*
First, this cake looks absolutely wonderful and I guess it can be better to stand back and just take the photos than to do all the cooking. However, shame on you TODD for not being nice to her! (send him to the dog house)
P.S. I found blooming tea in London! Yippee, thanks for introducing them to me.
Those tangerins look so awesome! wow!my eyes are drooling!
I can’t help but feel like Diane was bullied into saying the pie was good. You know, bullied by those big strong manly muscles. I’d love to see the mango pie some day (though yes, this does look delicious too).
Yes, he can be mean to me! But 99.99% of the time he does treat me wonderfully, like his prized princess. I just didn’t mention that small fact in the post. Oops!
I’m a sucker for any recipe with a bit of booze in it
Beautiful looking crust and pie in general. Tangerine atop a chocolate cream filling make for a unique pie. Unique is good!
Glad your back up and running!
The pie looks so luscious and yummy. I wish we were your neighbors (both for the pie and the tangerines
I just hope that the macho/sexy, creamy pie was good make up food after the drama
I gotta say there is nothing wrong with whiskey and chocolate but I do look forward to the mango pie psot someday! Whew – was I diplomatic enough?
I don’t know which sight it more lovely, the pie or the beautiful tangerines!
Gorgeous pie! I love the chocolate/tangerine combo. That pastry cream looks to die for too. What a great idea!
I will never be able to eat another piece of pie without having the words creamy, sexy and naughty run through my mind….a million thanks. I think I’ll make this for the mister for Easter…then we’ll see how really creamy, sexy and naughty it is! Wish me luck! Nan
Dear Todd & Diane – thank you so much for the box of tangerines, they arrived today and are delicious. What a wonderful treat and how generous of you. Your blog is amazing and so fun!!! I can’t wait to make the naughty pie, at 75 yrs. old that’s the most fun I can hope for!! Thanks again. Best to you both, Carol
Thanks so much for the tangerine treat! You guys are awesome.
You darlings! You have no idea how much the tangerines made my day. I have a horrid case of the flu, and you can’t believe how much better your treat made me feel. I might live now.
I hope it all comes back to you 100-fold!
I can’t tell you how wonderful those tangerines look, and that PIE. Add “luscious” to “creamy, sexy…naughty.”
Thanks for sharing something so delectable with us for Grow Your Own!
I’d love the whiskey in a pie, plus the bonus of my favourite fruit, thats a killer!!! The first photo with the most luscious tangerines and the bottle in the background attracted my attention to this post
YUMMY!
I love both chocolate and tangerine, and together, it is just divine! How I wish I had such exotic cooks as my neighbours
Om my this looks good… I have a just a couple questions to ask. Can this be made without the Whiskey? And I am always trying to find things to hide in my website… (Easter Eggs) and seeing that it is a forum called TangerineFourm.com this would be just fun…
Thanks for your consideration.
Jeff
Hi Jeff. You could easily leave out this whiskey if it isn’t to your taste. Just use straight tangerine or mandarin slices instead of the macerated kind. -WORC