By Darren Kirby, Author of Pie Iron Recipes
First, a big Thank You to Carma for asking me to be a part of Pie-Palooza! I was really excited when she asked because I love pies, and I love talking about my favorite way to make pies.
When you think of pies, most people think of the lattice covered cherry or apple pie. Maybe you even picture it cooling on the window sill. But have you ever cooked your pie over a fire?!
Cooking your pie over a fire is easier than you think, all you need is a pie iron cooker. A pie iron cooker is basically a clam shell made of either iron or aluminum, and it is attached to 2 metal rods that end in wooden handles. This allows you to cook your pie without burning your hands, similar to a marshmallow fork.
Okay, great, you say, but when would I make these? Well, I’ve been using them for nearly 4 decades when I go camping. I used these when I was a kid, and loved making them. Now as an adult, I enjoy them because they are fun, but also because you can put nearly anything you like in them and they’ll be delicious!
But you don’t need to go camping to use pie irons. Even having a fire in your backyard is grounds for breaking out the pie irons. What a fun afternoon you’ll have with your friends, mixing and matching different fruit fillings and sharing each other’s concoctions. Going to the beach? Make a bonfire in the sand and cook your favorite pies. And they make a great conversation starter, as people will see what you’re doing and want a closer look. More than likely you’ll have someone say “Hey, I remember using one of those as a kid!”.
So, how do you use these pie irons? They are really easier than you think. You only need a few ingredients to make yummy dessert pies. This recipe comes straight out of my book Pie Iron Recipes and is a basic one that you can modify with your favorite fruit filling. Here are the ingredients needed for the recipe Basic Fruit Turnover:
- Bread
- Can of your favorite fruit filling
- Butter
Yes, just 3 ingredients! Hey, I told you this was easy. Now you need to assemble everything in the pie iron itself. First, open the pie iron and if possible, separate the 2 halves, laying them both flat on the table. Next, follow these 4 easy steps:
- Add a slice of butter to one-half, then cover with a slice of bread
- Add some fruit filling to the bread
- Add a slice of bread on top of the other slice, then put a slice of butter on top of that bread
- Close up the pie iron with the other half, then cook over the fire until golden brown
A little tip when you are cooking your pie: check it often. The nice thing about pie irons is that you can pop them open to check on your bread. Like roasting a marshmallow, you are aiming for a nice, deep golden brown finish to your bread. Make sure to get both sides cooked.
And that’s all there is to it! Yummy, tasty pies cooked over the fire. This gave you the basics, but in my next post, which will go live on March 21, I’ll give you one of my most favorite dessert recipes, along with some extra tips and tricks to make your pies amazing.
Enter to Win a copy of Pie Iron Recipes!
Did you enjoy this post? Are you itching to start cooking with a pie iron? Would you like to receive a copy of Darren’s book to get you started? For free? Darren Kirby has graciously offered to give one copy of his book away to a lucky reader. All you need to do to enter is sign up for Darren’s email list. Everyone who signs up between now and the end of March 2017 will be entered into a drawing to get a copy of Pie Iron Recipes in paperback.
Enter to Win Now!
About the Author: Darren Kirby
Different. Eccentric. Odd. Loud. Irreverent. Fun. While none of these words have been used to describe the author, he nevertheless attempts to entertain people in his own unique way. A student of people, of ideas, of the world, he hopes to entertain for a living through his writing. Fortunately, his wonderful wife and slightly unusual cat both support his efforts.
Darren has been writing professionally for more than nine years, has published 15 titles of fiction and non-fiction, taught a self-publishing class at a state university, and has recently consulted on a new book about Prince’s early life. His book Pie Iron Recipes is one of the most popular books on the topic.
Create Your Own Unique Pie!
Does pie making daunt you? Are you wary of deviating from any pie-recipe you find, for fear that you’ll ruin the flavor of the resulting pie?
It doesn’t have to be that way!
Pie-Palooza 2017 is brought to you by Your Perfect Pie, a cookbook that breaks down pies into easily made component parts so you can unleash your pie-making creativity. Available on Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Grab your copy today and start creating your perfect pie!
Miss previous posts? Find links to them here.
Maija Inveiss is a senior studying journalism, strategic communications and French at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Taking her love of baking and journalism, she has created the column “Get Baked” in the Badger Herald, which features her misadventures in baking and love. On a weekly basis, she creates brand new recipes. She loves cheesy baking puns, laying out in the sunshine, stress baking whenever possible, trying to convince her roommates to let me get a cat and trying new restaurants around Madison! 
A pie is any dish with a crust, either on the top, the bottom or both, and the crust can be made from crumbs, meringues, biscuits or pastry. Pies are almost always cooked in a shallow dish with sloping sides.
A tart is another type of pie. Tarts are always open-faced and usually have a pastry-style crust. Small tarts are sometimes called tartlets. Originally, pies were deep dish and filled with meats, while tarts were meant for dessert. However, after the American Revolution, when sugar became scarce and housewives needed to be thrifty, shallow pies of all types were developed because they required less filling.
Baking brings up so many wonderful memories for me. There is something wonderful about the smell of freshly baked … well, anything filling up the room. Cookies, sweet breads, yeast breads, you name it. And the best thing about baking at home is that you can create fantastic treats on a budget. Here are some tips for baking at home on a budget while also making your sweets taste and look professional.
