Mrs. Hyde's Heavenly Pies

I didn't intend to become a baker. I have been an insurance professional for twenty years and most of our household food was not cooked by me. I've seen how much work goes into food preparation and shunned it. I just wanted a place to go for coffee, chat with a friend and have a good piece of pie. Sound's like a small thing - until I began looking for the place with pie on their menu.

There is not a single bakery/cafe in respectable driving range selling pie.

That was the beginning of an idea that would not go away. I forgot how much I loved baking when I was much younger. It was a sleeping gift. After all, to bake is to eat and get fat. Yet, this community pie lack persists. I've picked up store bought pies and taken them to friends to share. They were mediocre at best.

I finally decided to bake a few pies last year and discovered the joy of handmade crusts made without nasty hydrogenated oil that the human body cannot digest. Coconut oil, organic butter, organic everything! Oh my! I'm ruined now! I must bake now and solve the problem of pie-less-ness among us.

My first pies were organic fresh pumpkin. I never knew pumpkin pie could be so heavenly!

Still, I stalled. I need a shop where I can bake and not have to schlup pies around. I need the funding to start it up. To own a business is to marry it. Those were my excellent reasons to procrastinate. Yet, this will not go away.

It's small beginnings but I'm baking now. Because there is are no providers of pies made with organic foods...except me.

You can buy an inexpensive pie at the grocery store. They are ALL made with hydrogenated oil in the crust and a load of preservatives. I know pie isn't health food - but it doesn't have to be bad for you.

Here are the ingredients in my crust:

Organic flour,organic butter,organic coconut oil , unprocessed cane sugar,purified water,organic apple cider, kosher salt

I search the web, cooking light and other places for recipes then I develop my own organic version. No artificial sweeteners. No bad stuff. All yummy!

I'm just starting, so my packaging and marketing is not slick. It's all about the pie.

Want one? Tell me when and where by FB message.

November pies:

Organic pumpkin ginger coconut

Organic spiced pumpking (more traditional)

Maple Bourbon Pecan

Organic Maple Apple Cranberry

$25 for a 10".

This week I'll experiment with 5" deep dish pans and let you know how those come out.

Spinach Feta pies

My first spinach pie was brought to me by my a boss I had in the 70's. Mrs. Shashaty (his wife)made such a wonderful tasting hand pie I couldn't believe I was loving spinach! I've never found a match but have been trying since that day. Hala's Bakery has a close version for about $9. The cost has inspired me to attempt my own. I am not a fan of the the ones made with phylo dough. How do you cut that with a fork? I found one using pizza dough on Food.Com which sounds promising. http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-greek-style-spinach-and-feta-turnovers-154190 I'll add some pictures after I'm done. I think I'll freeze one before baking as an experiment. Well, here goes!

QUITTATA CUPS

This is what you get when you mate a quiche with a frittata.

An egg dish baked in muffin pan that I think you'll love!

You don't need perfection. This is suppose to be easy with several options.

Ingredients/Tools
Muffin Pan* , measuring cup, 1 quart bowl, 1 small frying pan
Olive oil
1 large not-so-fresh biscuit*
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 slices deli ham OR 2 links sausage OR 2-3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
2 slices or 1/2 cup (ish) grated white cheese ( Muenster, Havarti, Monterrey Jack, Swiss or Mozzarella)
4 eggs
3/4 cp milk
salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, Tabasco sauce

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 and Prepare pan:
Coat muffin tin with non-stick spray

SLICE biscuit a little thinner than a regular bread slice and place in each cup to form a loose liner
SAUTE onion and peppers in olive oil - yield should be about 6 tbsp. cooked
spread about 1 tbsp into each cup.

COOK meat , then spoon even amounts into each cup
COOK spinach until it wilts ( start with a a couple of handfuls of fresh) , then spoon evenly into each cup
BEAT beat well the following, then pour evenly into cups
eggs
cup milk,
salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano ( a hearty 3 dashes of each)
several drops of Tabasco

TOP each cup with enough cheese to cover

Bake for 30 minutes. Let rest for at least ten minutes, then serve.

Enjoy!
Refrigerate leftovers, reheat in microwave for about 1 minute.


* You can switch ingredients for what you have, or like:
Sausage, bacon or ham
Spinach or broccoli
For bread, use what you have: dinner rolls, buns or just good old regular bread - They'll slice easily if a kept in the fridge.
If you have no muffin pan, a cake or pie pan will do. Just add enough time to baking so middle is done and doesn't run when you slice it - about 15 min more.