Alas, the last week of pie making has come and gone, and I am left with not a single crumb of my two final pies to spare –thankfully I have the two recipes, photos and the great memories from the culminating banquet.

For my sweet pie I made a blueberry lavender pie (recipe: http://beachtownbaking.com/blueberry-lavender-pie/). After pondering for a while about how to capture the lavender flavor in this pie, I decided on using dried lavender leaves mixed into the blueberry mixture. For additional flavor I added a bit of lemon juice and cinnamon to the otherwise very simple filling.

 

For the crust, I made a basic all-shortening pastry. However, although the pastry dough seemed fine when I put it in the fridge, when I tried to roll it out it was EXTREMELY DRY. I think I had to add at least one full cup of water in order to roll it out and create the top crust decoration.

 

Because of this I was afraid it would be tough and, frankly, inedible. However, the final product was flaky and delicious, which was a huge relief. The pie as a whole had amazing flavor, with the lavender adding a lovely floral undertone to the sweet, fresh blueberries. It was a hit with all my friends and I’m definitely going to make it again!

 

For my savory pie I chose to tackle a salmon pie. I was very apprehensive about making a fish pie, because the concept of an overly fishy flavor sounded repulsive.

 

But I found a recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/salmon-pie-recipe.html) that seemed reasonable, and used a savory pastry dough recipe with butter, shortening, and egg.

 

I bought two 8oz salmon fillets and poached them before flaking them into a mashed potato, parsley, onion, and garlic mixture. After covering the filling with a full top crust, I baked it for about 40 minutes, and the result was a piping hot, delicious and hearty pie.

 

If I was to make this pie again I would definitely add more seasonings, because although the texture was pleasant it was lacking a bit of flavor.

The final banquet was, without a doubt, the most delectable experience I’ve ever had. The creativity, talent and enthusiasm of my fellow pie-makers blew me away, and I left even more inspired to push the boundaries of my baking abilities.

 

I can’t thank my professor, David, for this wonderful experience, and for teaching me the skills to live a Life of Pie for many years to come.