SMS: Pumpkin . . . Cupcakes?

Nothing signals fall like a good pumpkin recipe!  These recipes remind me of heavy blankets and cracking leaves—and of course, good eats.  So, of course, I was very excited to see that this week’s SMS recipe involved pumpkin!

This week’s SMS recipe was chosen by Debbie of Everyday Blessings of the Five Dees.  The original recipe was for pumpkin cookie cakes with cream cheese frosting, but I decided to make pumpkin cupcakes instead!  Be sure to check out her scrumptious blog for the pumpkin recipe!  And don’t forget to go drool over all the other SMS’ers mouthwatering creations.

I usually buy canned pumpkin, but I thought I’d be adventurous and make my own pumpkin puree.  It’s too simple!  Buy yourself a nice 5-6 pound sugar pie pumpkin, cut it in half and get to work de-seeding!  Once you’ve scooped out all that gunk, lay your pumpkin halves cut-side down and roast for 1.5 hours at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Once you’ve roasted the pumpkin, flip the halves over onto a cooling rack to cool completely.  Once cool, scrape the pumpkin “innards” into a food processor and puree away!  You’ll have about 2 cups of pumpkin puree to show for your efforts!

*If you save the pumpkin seeds (after you’ve cleaned them), toss them into the 400 degree Fahrenheit oven to bake for the last 10 minutes, while your pumpkin roasts.  Set the seeds aside to cool and use them for a pumpkin seed brittle (recipe below).

These cupcakes are divine!  We’re talking moist, fluffy spice cake with a wonderfully orange hue.  A subtle hint of molasses adds depth of flavor, while cinnamon and nutmeg give the cupcakes that “homey” feel.  To top it all off: a sweet and spicy cream cheese frosting.  And, of course, add a little texture with a sprinkling of pumpkin seed brittle.  Delicious!

For the cupcake recipe, follow the recipe for “cookie cakes” posted on Debbie’s blog.

 

Top the cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 – 2 cups loosely packed powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and mix until a smooth frosting forms.  (Add more or less powdered sugar to suit your sweet tooth.)

Top each cupcake with a piece of pumpkin seed brittle.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 TBS water

1 TBS corn syrup

Pumpkin Seeds, roasted for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix sugar, water, and corn syrup together in heavy sauce pan.  Bring mixture to a boil and allow to boil until the mixture turns amber in color (approximately 8 minutes).  Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and toss in the pumpkin seeds.  Stir to coat each pumpkin seed and then spread the mixture onto a greased baking pan to cool.  Crack the brittle into pieces and use to top each cupcake.

SMS: Sticky Buns

I could write an ode to sticky buns.  They’re just that good.  So, really, I owe a HUGE thank you to Jen of Not Microwave Safe for selecting Sticky Buns for this week’s SMS.  You have made me a very, very happy camper, Jen.  Jen has a fabulous blog, filled with wonderful treats, so it’s really not surprising that she picked such an awesome recipe for our weekly bake-along.

Yeast-a-phobes, fear not: these yeasty buns are super easy (though time consuming) to make.  Jump on over to Jen’s post to get the recipe.  And, be sure to check out all of the wonderful SMS’ers’ creations!

Interestingly, the sticky bun recipe does not call for dissolving or proofing the yeast before incorporating it into the dough.  Rather, you mix the yeast with your flour and incorporate it in its “dry” form.  To err on the safe side (because that’s how I like to err when it comes to yeast), I warmed my milk to 110 degrees Fahrenheit before making my dough.  I also placed my dough in a previously warmed oven for its first rise.  And, man, does this dough rise!

Some of the SMS’ers reported that their dough was very sticky—the quick fix was to add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of flour to the dough.  I found that, though my dough was sticky, after beating it for 15 minutes with the dough hook of my Kitchen Aid mixer, it formed a nice, elastic ball (sticky, but workable).

The original “sticky sauce” recipe calls for making a sauce by bringing maple syrup, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to a boil.  Because I didn’t have any maple syrup on hand, I made a caramel sauce for my sticky buns.  I’ve included my recipe below.

Caramel Sauce

by Elyse

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

2 TBS corn syrup

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup brown sugar

(1) Combine granulated sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium-sized saucepan.  Boil the mixture until it turns a deep amber color, approximately 6-8 minutes, or until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

(2) Remove the mixture from the heat and pour the cream over it.  Whisk the cream in.  (The mixture will bubble vigorously.  Be careful!)

(3) Place the mixture back over medium heat and stir in the butter and brown sugar.  Continue stirring until the butter and brown sugar are dissolved.  Make sure to scrape all caramel bits from the bottom of the pan (continue heating the mixture until the bits are dissolved).

(4) Pour the caramel mixture into the bottom of prepared 9X13 pan, as directed by the Sticky Bun Recipe (see Jen’s Blog for full recipe).

Instead of doing a cinnamon sugar filling in my sticky buns, I did a combination of granulated sugar, brown sugar, and allspice.  It was delicious!

My buns were done after about 22 minutes in the oven!  Flip these bad boys over (caramel-side up), and see how long anyone in your house can resist the deliciousness that is these sticky buns!

Boy oh boy, were they delicious.  My advice to you?  Get in the kitchen and get this dough started!!

Root Beer Buddies…

I’ve bragged about Risa before.  Yes, she has an awesome blog, and yes, she bakes awesome goodies.  But, have we talked about what an awesome friend she is?  Getting to finally meet Risa this past Labor Day was uber-exciting—it was like we’d known each other forever.  In fact, chances are, you can find us chatting at various times throughout the day—everyday—on gchat.

Risa and I recently invested in similar baking books so that we could inspire each other to “make the most” of each book.  We’ll be having our own bake-alongs a couple of times per month.  This week, we needed something quick, easy, and of course, dee-licious.  (Side note: if it takes us as long to decide upon recipes as it did this week, we won’t be able to label any recipe as “quick.”)

Our book choice: the ever-trusty Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.  Our cake choice: the Root Beer Bundt Cake.  You simply must make this cake…um, NOW.  While the root beer flavor isn’t pronounced, there’s a certain “je ne sais quoi” about the cake—an extra tang, a kooky bite that is both surprising and enticing.  Yes, enticing.  Todd and I have been devouring this cake since Friday night, and there’s only one measly piece left in the kitchen right now.  That’s right: an entire bundt cake consumed in almost four nights flat.

The cake is rich and oh-so moist, dense without being too heavy, perfectly chocolatey and indulgent.  And the root beer fudge frosting—amazing.  I want to go for a swim in this frosting; it’s a small wonder that I didn’t scrape the frosting off the cake to eat it by itself—it’s that good, and that easy!

Make sure to go check out Risa’s blog to see how her Root Beer Bundt turned out!

Without further ado, the recipe:

 

Root Beer Bundt Cake

from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

 

For the bundt cake:

2 cups root beer (not diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (*I used light, and it worked just fine…)

2 cups AP flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

(1) Preheat the oven to 350F.  Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick spray, or butter and flour it.

(2) In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved.  Remove from heat and let cool.

(3) In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

(4) In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined.  Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture.  The batter will be slightly lumpy—do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.

(5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small knife (or toothpick) comes out clean.

(6) Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.  Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.

 

Root Beer Fudge Frosting

2 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup root beer

2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

(1) Put all the ingredients in a food processor.  Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth.

(2) Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt in a thick layer.

(3) Let the frosting set before serving.  Serve with ice cream on the side.

*For a looser frosting that you can pour over the cake, decrease the amount of powdered sugar.

SMS: Caramelized Onion, Sage, & Cheddar Muffins

I know, you’re shocked.  Shocked to find a savory recipe on a blog whose philosophy may best be described as “cavities are a small  price to pay for a sugar-coated life.”  However, thanks to my weekly SMS therapy sessions, I’ve been forced from my sweet comfort zone into the depths of savory baking.  Hanaâ of Hanaâ’s Kitchen gets the credit for this miraculous breakthrough.  She selected Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins as her Sweet Melissa Sundays choice, and what a great choice it was!

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not prejudiced against savory foods.  I am an equal opportunity eater.  In fact, I’ve been known to frequent a stellar restaurant, stuff my tummy with savory goodness, and leave without ordering dessert.  But, truth be told, I prefer sweets.  Some people are diehard potato chip junkies, and others fall into the category of I-will-eat-a-bag-of-chocolate-chips-if-no-other-dessert-is-around people.  And, while I have the utmost fondness for potato chips, I fall into the latter category.  I have a passion for dessert.

With that disclaimer, I must admit that these muffins are delicious.  I mean, who doesn’t have a weak spot for caramelized onions -- so rich and flavorful (and sweet) as they melt in your mouth?  And sharp cheddar?  Who can say, “No,” to that?

The recipe begins by making 1 cup of caramelized onions.  Caramelizing onions is super easy—just time consuming.  Below you’ll find pictures of the onions at each stage in the 40-50 minute caramelizing process.  To get 1 cup of caramelized onions, you’ll need about 3 large onions, chopped.  Coat your pan with olive oil (and a dab of butter) and get it sizzling on medium to medium-high heat.  Throw your onions in, get them coated in the oil.

Let them sit for 7-10 minutes.  Toss in some salt and stir them around (the bottom onions should have caramelized).

From there, toss the onions every 2-5 minutes (keeping an eye on the pan to prevent burning).  You also might turn your heat down to low at this point.

Keep the onions cooking until they’ve wilted and completely browned.  YUM!

I also jazzed this recipe up a bit by using 4 TBS of bacon grease in place of 4 of the 10 TBS of melted butter required.  I mean, it’s bacon fat, people.  If we’re trying to convert sweet-junkies to the savory side, we might as well fight dirty.

In addition to the caramelized onions and cheddar, I added about 1 cup of frozen corn kernels to extra texture to the muffins.

Overall, these muffins were absolutely delicious!  Even your diehard sweets fans will love them (and that’s saying something).  So, put down the candy bar for breakfast and grab one of these muffins.  And then be sure to visit Hanaâ and thank her for helping you overcome your savory phobia.  And while you’re at it, visit the rest of our awesome SMS bakers.

SMS: Orange Scented Scones

For me, eating scones is akin to devouring some very yummy memories.  Eating memories?  I can see you’re skeptical.  Bear with me for a hot minute, and let’s do some free association.  Scones are of British descent (just check out Robin’s history of scones).  When speaking of the Brits, you can’t forget about the English.  England just happens to be where I did my study abroad—London, to be exact.  And, it was in London where I happened upon some of my best friends.  And we all know that when you’re hanging out with best friends, you’re bound to make some incredible memories.  Thus, by the transitive property, scones = awesome memories.

Anyway, enough waxing nostalgic.  Suffice it to say that these scones not only tasted deliciously moist and tender, but they also happened to bring back many wonderful memories of London.  (Though, my friends and I were more likely to be found in McDonald’s taking advantage of the 99P Cadbury Flurries than sitting pretty at high tea with a scone in one hand and a tea cup poised in the other.  Right, SP?  Erin?)

Thank you, thank you to Robin of Lady Craddock’s Bakery for choosing the wonderful Orange Scented Scones for this week’s SMS.  At the recommendation of the other SMS bakers, I added extra orange zest to my scones to ensure lots of orange-by punch!  I also only used 1/2 cup of heavy cream (as opposed to 2/3 cup), and my scones turned out perfectly flaky and moist.  For an extra pop of color and flavor, I topped each scone with two blackberries.

I brought out the Novella and some jam to spread on the scones, but Todd and I found that the scones were perfect as is.  Nothing dry about these babies.  I highly recommend that you jump on over to Robin’s blog and get the recipe for yourself.  And while you’re at it, make sure to check out all the other Smears creations!

S’more of me?

Hi guys!  Should I skip the groveling and get to the treats?  No…you want a little groveling?  Okay, then.  Please, please, please forgive my long hiatus from the wonderful blogging world.  I never intended to stay away this long, and I can’t tell you how great it feels to be back.  I’ve missed all of you dearly!

While life is still quite hectic, I’m going to do my best to keep up with regular blog posting.  So, how better to come back to the blogosphere than with a nice, comforting s’more?

I must admit that I was inspired to make s’mores for two reasons: (1) I am quite obsessed with the ooey-gooey delicacy – chocolate and marshmallow goodness sandwiched between two crispy cookies…what’s not to love?  (2) I recently got to meet Risa of Baked Perfection.  We’re pretty much soulmates, which explains our mutual love of s’mores.  Her visit to the Bay Area definitely got me thinking of these campfire treats.

And while s’mores made with store-bought marshmallows and graham crackers are delicious — who am I kidding: instant gratification counts for a lot when it comes to dessert time – homemade s’mores are even better (and they’re easy to make, too)!

So, get your campfire roaring (or your gas stove lit, in my case): it’s s’more time! [Insert s’more dance here.]  For the graham crackers and marshmallows, I used Scharffen Berger’s recipes, which can be found here.

The graham cracker recipe calls for graham flour or whole wheat flour.  I personally love the flavor of graham flour (even though it’s not an ingredient in many commercially produced graham crackers!), and Bob’s Red Mill makes a great one!

The marshmallows were super easy to make (thank you, Kitchen Aid mixer)!  I’d recommend cutting the salt down (or out) of both the marshmallow and graham cracker recipes, although neither tasted salty when paired with some chocolatey goodness.

Overall, these s’mores were a huge, delicious hit!  Make them ASAP!

SMS: Peach Cobbler

Hi, guys!  I’ve missed you over the past week.  I started my legal clerkship this past Monday and have been a bit overwhelmed and preoccupied with “getting adjusted.”  Have no fear, though, I’ll be back to my old posting and commenting self in no time.

In the mean time, I’m going to keep this post short and (definitely) sweet—and of course, to the point.  Andrea of Nummy Kitchen hosted this week’s SMS choice: peach cobbler.  First of all, let me rave about Andrea’s blog.  If you don’t have Nummy Kitchen in your Google Reader, then you’re really missing out.  Go ahead and subscribe—you won’t be disappointed.  Andrea is always posting yummy treats; talk about a delicious blog!

Andrea chose one of the yummiest desserts ever!  Peach cobbler is comfort food to the max!  After a long week’s work, it was a pleasure to indulge in this biscuit-y, gooey, peachy treat.  I crumbled my “biscuits” so that my cobbler would have a more “crumbly” topping.

Pure, unadulterated peach flavor shone through this dish.  To add a bit of crunch and caramel flavor, I sprinkled brown sugar atop the crumbled biscuits before baking.  Delish!  This one is definitely a keeper.  Thanks so much, Andrea, for a wonderful SMS choice.  Be sure to check out the other SMS’ers as we bake our way through Melissa Murphy’s Sweet Melissa Baking Book.

Oh, and super importantly, Caitlin of the Engineer Baker  won the coconut flour giveaway.  Caitlin authors another rave-worthy blog.  She has a splendid sense of humor—and of course, a splendid palette.  Definitely another blog to add to the Google Reader!

Because chocolate and PB were meant to be together…

*Sorry, no SMS this week.  Jaime of Good Eats ’n Sweet Treats chose wonderful Bee Stings, and you simply must check out her wonderful blog (Seriously, not only is the blog itself cute, but you should see the stuff she bakes!  Jaime equals pure awesomeness.) and all of the other SMS’ers.

Allison being a diligent whisker. 

The phone call went something like this: “Elyse, I want to bake.  I’m coming over to bake.”  Short.  Sweet.  To the point.  So, I asked Allison what she wanted to bake.  I should’ve known that such an assertive gal would have a ready answer, “Something with chocolate and peanut butter.”  Well, how could I refuse?  Chocolate and peanut butter?  I knew Allison and I were friends for a reason!

 Allison pouring batter like a champ.

Allison arrived in Berkeley, and I put her to work.  First, we made chocolate cupcakes.  Talk about a super simple recipe!  The cupcakes came together so easily; no mixer required.  We even threw a few peanut butter chips into the mix for good measure.  The cupcakes turned out wonderfully moist with a tender crumb.

While the cupcakes were baking, we beat together marshmallow fluff and peanut butter to make an ooey, gooey, delicious (and sticky) filling.  After pulling the cupcakes from the oven, we carved out the tops and popped little balls of the peanut butter filling into the holes.  The PB-marshmallow mixture is super easy to handle; you can just roll it between the palms of your hands and stuff it down into the cupcake.

Then, we whipped up a marshmallowy, Swiss meringue-inspired frosting.  Fluffy and light, this frosting is the perfect counterpart to the super chocolatey cupcake.  We used an ice cream scoop to assure that each cupcake got a good amount of frosting love, and then, we smooth the whopping dollop out with a knife.

Frosting a cupcake and avoiding the camera (above, below).

Of course, the cuppies were topped with three mini-PB cups (from Trader Joe’s).  Overall, the baking day was a complete success!  Allison is certainly a good luck charm in the kitchen, and heaven knows, sometimes we need a little luck in the kitchen.  The cakes rose.  The frosting fluffed.  What more could I ask for?

*Don’t forget about the coconut flour giveaway.  You can leave a comment on THIS POST until 11:59pm PST on Wednesday, June 3.

Chocolate Cupcakes

From Birthday Cakes

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup warm water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup PB chips, coated in flour

(1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (*I got more than 12 cupcakes from this recipe.).

(2) In a medium sized bowl, whisk the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  Set aside.

(3) Dissolve the cocoa in the warm water.  Using a whisk, beat in the eggs, oil, and vanilla (by hand) until well combined.  Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients just until the batter is evenly mixed.  Fold in the PB chips.

(4) Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them three-quarters of the way full.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean, approximately 25-30 minutes.  Let cupcakes cool on wire rack before filling and frosting.

(5) Carve out the top of the cupcakes with a knife.  Fill the indentation with 1/2 tsp ball of the PB filling (see recipe below).

(6) Using an ice cream scoop, place 1 dollop of fluffy frosting on each cupcake (see recipe below).  Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, smooth the frosting out.

PB Filling

1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth

1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Beat the two ingredients together until the mixture becomes clumpy in consistency.  Use to fill the cupcakes.

Fluffy Frosting

From Birthday Cakes

3/4 cup sugar

3 large egg whites

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

(1) In a double boiler, combine the sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, and salt over low heat.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.

(2) Remove from heat and stir in the extract.  Let the frosting cool completely before frosting cupcakes.

 Yep, that about sums it up.

Challah ’bout a giveaway?

Upon hearing a knock, I opened my front door to find a  pink-clad Lorelei holding the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and two overflowing bowls of risen babka dough (not to mention a large canvas tote packed to the brim with colored sugars, shaped sprinkles, cookie cutters, and the most organized recipe binder upon which I’ve ever laid eyes).  One only wishes all knocks upon the door yielded such wonderful treats (and of course, such wonderful guests).

I really can’t rave enough about Lorelei.  Aside from the fact that she’s always baking up super-yummy treats over at Mermaid Sweets, Lorelei has a heart of gold.  I consider myself quite lucky that she lives in the Bay Area—and quite lucky to call her a great friend.  (Oh, and you should know, Lorelei can roll out babka dough like a pro!  She handles that rolling pin like nobody’s business.)

By now, you’ve probably gotten the hint that Lorelei and I planned a baking date and decided to make a halva-laced babka!  Delicious, right?  Imagine honey-scented halva crumbled atop a layer of nutella and chocolate and chocolate chips, all of which get rolled up into a beautiful, golden babka dough.  Yum!

(So, you might as why this post title involves the word “challah.”  Well, we baked our baked the babka free-form, so it ended up more like a challah than a babka.  Plus, the word “challah” worked better in the title!)

Lorelei gets all the credit for preparing the dough.  She mixed up one batch of lactose-free babka dough and one batch with milk.  While the golden doughs attempted to escape the confines of their bowls, we started making the halva.  I admit to being a huge halva fan.  I love sesame-, semolina-based desserts, and halva certainly covers those bases.  Its crumbly texture and honeyed flavor work miracles on the taste buds.  This halva is a dessert worth making, even if you’re not making the babka.  (But please don’t blame me when you end up eating half the pan!)

(Lorelei thought the babka was super yummy, too!)

Once the halva was made and cooled (read: stuck in the freezer in a desperate attempt to cool it quickly), Lorelei and I divided our doughs in half and then layered them with goodies like nutella, dark chocolate chips, pecans, crumbled halva, and honey.  After a bit of make-shift braiding and a stint in the oven (during which time mouth-watering smells took over the kitchen), we whisked the babkas onto a cooling rack and admired their shiny beauty (thanks egg wash!).  It took huge amounts of will-power to refrain from face-planting into the yeasty goodness.  (Okay, okay, I might have sneaked a bite.)

The verdict?  Amazing.  I found myself tiptoeing into the kitchen throughout the day to tear bits and pieces of the babka from the loaf.  The recipe calls for lemon zest in the dough, and this hint of citrus adds a total depth of flavor to the bread.  The best part?  You can fill this dough with any goodies you like!

To get the halva recipe, go here.

To get the babka recipe, go here.

And didn’t I mention a giveaway?  That’s right: my first give-away.  After baking my latest version of chocolate chip cookies, I got some questions about where to find coconut flour (one of my new favorite ingredients).  Well, fear not, people.  I have some coconut flour for you!  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 11:59pm on Wednesday, June 3, and I’ll randomly select one winner to receive a package of Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour in the mail!

SMS: Sour Cherry Pie

Imagine me with my feet up on my coffee table, left leg crossed over right.  Now imagine my computer resting upon my denim-clad lap.  Now, if you will, imagine me falling asleep at the keyboard.  Yes, folks, I’m in full “relaxation” mode.

You see, one of my best friends Erin arrived in town last night much to my delight.  So, in honor of her visit, we walked part of San Francisco today.  We hit the Castro, Mission, Haight-Ashbury, and then doubled back around to the financial district and Embarcadero.  Count it!  Thirteen miles!!  Hence, the tired, relaxation mode.

Needless to say, that’s also my excuse for getting this blog post up so late.  (And I apologize for any incoherent rambling!)

A big thank you to Michelle of the fabulous blog Flourchild for this week’s SMS choice: sour cherry pie.  (Talk about an awesome, inspirational blog.  Go check it out!!  Oh, and in case you didn’t know, SMS bakes weekly from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book.)  I’ll admit to being skeptical about this pie.  You see, I’m not a big cherry pie fan.  Too much gelatinous, uber-sweet yuckiness.  (Yes, I’m sure many disagree with that assessment.) 

Anyway, that mentality has changed!  I used three cans of Oregon brand water-packed tart cherries, and the pie turned out fabulously.   The bottom crust is a buttery, typical pie dough.  But, the top, oh the top, is a pistachio crumble!  So delicious.  Anyway, I’m super tired, and rather than rave to you about how excellent this pie is, I’m going to do three things: (1) Ply you with pictures of this awesome pie; (2) Send you over to Flourchild to print out this recipe; and (3) Let you go check out the awesome other SMS’ers.