Save room for dessert ... beer

Save room for dessert... beer

This holiday season, skip the usual pairings and treat guests to something new “pies and pints.”

T his holiday season, skip the usual pairings and treat guests to something new “pies and pints.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Ethan Buckman, co-owner and head brewer at Stickman Brews in Royersford. “Taking different beers and pairing them with different pies is really, really cool.”

He makes it easy with a beer called Pecan Pie, part of his Bakeshop Ale series.

“It’s a cream ale base, which basically just means a lighter beer. Ours has a lot of oats in it,” Buckman described. “We brewed it with brown sugar, roasted pecans and a little bit of vanilla.”

For apple pie, he recommends a stout like Obesity Epidemic. Pumpkin or sweet potato? Try Dripping with Subtext, a barrelaged wild ale.

“It’s kind of a strange combination,” Buckman admitted, “but the acidity of the beer cuts through the fattiness of those kind of pies, the custard inside.”

Another option: Offer pumpkin times two.

“I feel that the best beer to go with pumpkin pie would be a pumpkin beer,” suggested Joanne Levengood of Manatawny Creek Brewery in Douglassville. “I personally make a chocolate pie for Thanksgiving and would drink a dark stout with it, preferably one brewed with chocolate.”

Her Triple C Stout “would be great.” That’s cardamom, chocolate and coffee.

“Any ‘dessert’ beer would go well with pie, really, but people have different definitions of dessert beer,” she added. “My idea of dessert beers would be high-alcohol, sweet stouts or barleywines, especially ones aged in bourbon or whiskey barrels.”

Architect of the Ruin, a barleywine from Round Guys Brewing Company, complements pumpkin pie, said Lansdale Brewpub chef Wes Gontarek. And for Dutch apple, choose Rye Eagles Rye.

“With rye there’s kind of a spiciness that comes in the grain that balances well with that,” he explained.

So, give pints a chance at the dessert table (and beyond) because “it’s not just a beer and burger anymore.”

Pink Lady & Friends

Ingredients Crust: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup Crisco 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar 1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water Filling: 3 Pink Lady apples 1 Cortland apple 2 Jonagold apples 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Dash of salt 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest Egg wash: 3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon milk Instructions For the dough: Mix ingredients well, roll out dough and place in pie dish. Chill before filling.

Peel and slice all apples thin, so they will stack. Soak in cold water for about twenty minutes with 1 tablespoon of FruitFresh. Drain and put in a large bowl. On medium-high in a heavy saucepan, cook apples, both sugars, cinnamon, salt and lemon zest, stirring to prevent scorching. Remove from stovetop when apples are tender yet still firm. Set aside to cool. Spoon into unbaked, chilled pie crust. Cover top with full crust or lattice, or any other pasty decorations you desire. Whisk together egg yolks and milk for egg wash. Brush on pie-crust top and any decorations made from dough. Option: Sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Bake 425 degrees for 30 minutes cool several hours before cutting.

RECIPE COURTESY OF SUSAN BOYLE DEBARY AND AMERICAN PIE COUNCIL

At The Stroke of Midnight Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients Crust: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup Crisco shortening (cold) 3 to 5 tablespoons cold water Filling: 2 cups pumpkin puree 1 cup coconut cream 1 cup sweetened condensed milk 4 tablespoons Malibu Rum 2 eggs 1/3 cup organic sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon cloves Pumpkin whipped topping: 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in the Crisco until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle flour mixture with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, with a fork. Add water until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Roll out the crust and use a knife and cutter to flare out the edges of the pie crust. Place the crust in pie plate, cover the edges and blind bake the pie crust for 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely while the filling is being prepared.

For the filling: Reduce the oven to 325 degrees. Whisk the pumpkin, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, Malibu Rum, eggs, sugar and salt until smooth and creamy. Add all the spices and whisk in gently. Pour into the prepared crust and bake for 1 hour. Bake until center is almost set but still jiggles slightly. May need up to 15 additional minutes.

For the topping: Whip cream until firm and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Gently fold in the pumpkin puree and cinnamon.

RECIPE COURTESY OF KATHY HANSON AND AMERICAN PIE COUNCIL

Easy as pie

Make this year’s pies the best yet with some tips from the American Pie Council.

-Read the entire recipe. Make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils and understand all directions.

-Cold ingredients are a must. It also helps to have cold bowls and utensils.

-Chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling. Keeping the shortening cold ensures a nice flaky crust!

-Cold hands will help when handling dough. And whatever you do, don’t overwork it.

-Bake pies in the lower third of the oven. A crust protector or foil will keep edges from overbrowning.

PHOTO BY EMILY RYAN “For pumpkin, you can go a lot of ways,” says chef Wes Gontarek on pairing pie and beer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MANATAWNY CREEK BREWERY Manatawny Creek Brewery started brewing this past summer.

PHOTO BY EMILY RYAN So many pies, so little time!

PHOTO BY EMILY RYAN Serve pies with local brews, and your guests will thank you.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROUND GUYS BREWING COMPANY Sip Architect of the Ruin with pumpkin pie.

PHOTO BY EMILY RYAN Whether a slab pie or traditional one, there’s a beer to match.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STICKMAN BREWS This beer, called Pecan Pie, is part of the Bakeshop Ale series.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STICKMAN BREWS Try pairing Dripping with Subtext and pumpkin pie

PHOTO COURTESY OF STICKMAN BREWS Obesity Epidemic works well with apple pie.