I Won The Giveaway & Naked Berry Pies
My newest favorite cookbook. Notice the bookmark sticking out? That’s because I’ve already spotted another recipe to try this weekend.
I was pleasantly surprised, well it was more like totally excited when Ryan, over at Ryan Bakes http://www.ryanbakes.com/ held a giveaway for one of her favorite cookbooks and I won! The title, Desserts From The Famous Loveless Cafe. You’ll find the The Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee and opened its doors in 1951. The original owners, Anne and Lon Loveless began by selling fried chicken and biscuits out the front door. The place was small and southern. In 2004 a restaurateur named Tom Morales, stepped in and saved the Loveless from its demise and boy am I happy he hired a crazy good pastry chef named Alisa Huntsman. I noticed she and I have something in common, we are both bee keepers! The Loveless Cafe is southern to a T, with recipes like Peach Upside-Down Cake, Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake, Biscuit Pudding with Drunken Caramel Sauce and Double Coconut Cream Pie. I read the foreword and the introduction and then went straight to the recipes.
The first category is Blue-Ribbon Pies. As I began to flip through pages the book fell open to a recipe for Honey Chess Pie. Be on the lookout for my post when I share that recipe it is incredibly delicious. Today, however I baked Naked Berry Pies in keeping my fresh fruit or veggie theme going this month. They came out of the oven just a little while ago and they are the most adorable little pies ever. Truthfully they are more like galettes but small and easily held in your hand. I can’t wait to have dinner this evening so I can try one of these little babies for dessert! I have a hunch these naked pies won’t last long. Oh and “naked” refers to the lack of a pie pan.
Naked Berry Pies – these are the cutest things ever!
Thank you Ryan, for having a giveaway and sending me, the winner, this delightful cookbook. No wonder it’s one of your favorites, it’s one of mine now too. Readers if you’ve not visited Ryan’s blog please make a point to stop over, particularly if you’ve a sweet tooth. She makes some gorgeous and tasty sweets, often times southern and homey and always worth a peek.
Enjoy!
Naked Berry Pie for one please…
Naked Berry Pies
Adapted from Loveless Cafe
Ingredients:
One sheet unbaked pie dough
2 cups blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or a mixture of these
1/4 cup pure honey
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
Preheat oven to 375*. Line two sturdy baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and grease liners lightly. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each out to an 8-inch circle. Arrange the dough circles on the baking sheets.
Just before you’re ready to bake, place the berries in a medium bowl (I used fresh blackberries). Add the honey, flour, zest, vanilla and cardamom and toss gently until the berries are evenly coated. Immediately spoon 1/2 cup of filling in the center of each dough circle. Gently fold the edges toward the center, pleating as necessary and leaving a 2-inch circle of filling exposed.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until juices are bubbling. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the juices to thicken.
I added honey instead of the 1/3 cup of sugar called for. If you don’t have honey on hand add in the sugar instead.
How fun to win a giveaway! These pies look delicious!
Thank you! It was fun and such a surprise. The book is great too – so I’m really pleased. Thank you for visiting the Orange Bee 🙂
Congrats and these look wonderful.
Thank you! Our summer mode is late dinner – so I am just now about to try my first naked pie….can’t wait!
Oooh your naked pies look so cute! And really, you have to make a recipe called naked pies, right?? 🙂 This looks like another great one to add to the list of ones I want to make from this book. Can’t wait to see the honey chess pie, and I didn’t realize the author was a beekeeper! So cool!
I was happy to see the author was a bee keeper too! Honey chess pie to die for and I’ll post about it soon. The naked pies – yes, one must make these, were yummy – we added a scoop of Blue Bell vanilla to them and it was great.
Your little naked pies are lovely. I love, just love “The Loveless Cafe” On visits I can’t pull myself away from their windowed kitchen. They are so generous there allowing visitors a view or their cooking processes. My favorite place to eat out here in the mid west.
Ha! I’ve never been but will certainly put it on my list for the next time we head east. I was happy to read that the author of the book and pastry chef is also a bee keeper! I’d love to meet her! Thanks for the comment. Try their Honey Chess Pie if you ever see it on the menu – it’s to die for.
When you get a chance you must visit them. So friendly and the food is just outstanding. I have never tried any of their dessert. We just never get to them after eating a meal. They have great portions. I think I have the recipe in a cookbook of theirs, I’ll have to make it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Ahhh…do you have the cookbook I won? Full of desserts and nothing but desserts. I’ve got them on our list of places to visit just don’t know when that will be. My husband keeps a list of all the Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives places he wants to visit – we just tacked on Loveless Cafe!
I don’t have the desserts cookbook from “The Loveless Cafe” but I do have their restaurant recipe book. They have a few of their dessert recipes in it. Love Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives. We too have a list from that show of places we would like to eat at while traveling. You absolutely need to get to the Loveless Cafe, it won’t disappoint. Just good ole southern home cooking. Good for your heart and soul.
Great minds thinking alike!
I could devour each one of these in one sitting! They look fantastic! Congrats on the giveaway. 🙂
Yes – the drawback to a pick up pie – you don’t even have to slice or dig it out of the pie dish! Thank you Kristy!
What a lovely prize, no wonder you are so happy! and the pies look so tasty and a lovely simple recipe too – love dthe use of the seasonal fruit too ! And yes I’m looking forward to a honey chess pie – it will wonderful to see you using your honey!