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Sour Cream Brown Sugar Pie with Persimmon and Spice Compote

Sour Cream Brown Sugar Pie

Although it’s been 3 weeks since I last posted I want you to know that it’s Thanksgiving and I’m giving thanks for this little blog. It keeps me sane sometimes, even though I don’t give it all the care and feeding it’s been used to all these years. Still, I couldn’t let the holiday pass without pie. Sour Cream Brown Sugar Pie.

I can’t remember who introduced me to Brown Sugar Pie. I’ve had so many versions that they all seem to run together in my mind. There’s the version made with cream, and the improved version made with buttermilk. I even recall a version so delicious that my host (and my date for the evening), after cutting a tiny slice for me, proceeded to demolish the rest of the pie straight from the tin. “Damn fine pie” I recall him mimicking from a Twin Peaks quote popular at the time.

In this version, I combined both ideas and made mine with sour cream. The sweet and sour tang seems to fit my mood and the mood of the holiday we’re about to celebrate.

Thanksgiving Sour Cream Brown Sugar Pie 

It’s Thanksgiving and I have to wonder, can you carve a turkey without a knife? Could cranberries be weaponized? Do basters ever get shoved where the sun don’t shine? You don’t need a crystal ball to see that this holiday is going to be contentious for some families. Sure, there’s always been that drunk uncle (usually me) who pushes the political envelope a little too loudly. But this year a lot of tables are going to be elbow-to-elbow in “drunk uncle” bravado and there’s plenty of topical fuel to exacerbate the sparring. Especially if you find yourself a blue sheep in a mostly red flock (or vice versa).

Thank God there’s (damn fine!) Sour Cream Brown Sugar Pie this year. I may just eat it straight from the tin. GREG

Sour Cream Brown Sugar Pie

Sour Cream Brown Sugar Pie 

Print This Recipe Total time Yield 8Published
Sour Cream Brown Sugar Pie

Ingredients

  • raw pie pastry (enough to line one 9‑inch pie pan)
  • 1 ½ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
  • ¼ cup finely ground cornmeal
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • fruit compote (as topping, optional)

Directions

Set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400ºF.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle, about ⅛‑inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9‑inch pie plate and gently press it up the sides. Drape any excess crust over the edge, then fold under and crimp decoratively. Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the dough. Chill for at least twenty minutes.

Line the chilled pie pan with parchment or foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and parchment or foil, then continue baking for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the crust is dry and pale-colored. Remove from the oven and set aside on a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the brown sugar, cornmeal, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl mix the sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla together until no lumps appear. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir vigorously until the brown sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the partially baked pie shell.

Transfer the pie, on its baking sheet, to the 350ºF oven. Bake until the custard is barely set and a little puffy, about 45 minutes. Serve warm (not hot) or at room temperature with a scoop of fruit compote (if using) on the top of each slice.

Persimmon and Spice Compote

Persimmon Compote

Print This Recipe Total time Yield 6–8Source Martha Stewart LivingPublished
Persimmon Compote

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Moscato wine
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 4 Fuyu persimmons (peeled, cored and cut into bite-size wedges)

Directions

Bring wine, sugar, star anise, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, about 7 minutes. Add persimmons. Simmer, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer fruits to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Cook syrup until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour over persimmons. Let cool. Refrigerate until chilled (up to 2 days).