My mother loved to cook, and when I was growing up, the holidays were her time to shine. I enjoyed hanging around the kitchen when she was baking: I got to "lick the bowl" in which cakes were mixed; I was allowed to take a taste of brown sugar, or grab a handful of raisins.
When Mother baked pies and trimmed off the excess crust from around the pie pan, she didn't toss the pieces in the trash: she baked them and gave them to me. Those bits of crust were always a special treat, so crispy and flaky, just slightly salty. Sometimes I played church all by myself, pretending the crusts were communion bread; Grandma always used to bake the communion bread for Zion Church, and it seemed pretty much like pie crust to me. When my children came along, I baked the crust-trimmings for them, continuing the tradition.
Today I was baking a pie and, as always, I baked the extra pieces of crust. I still love pie crust trimmings, and when Cliff's around, he'll have some too. Maybe it's just another way of keeping in touch with my childhood. Or maybe pie crust really is that good.
My mom also used to give me a slice or two of raw potato when she was peeling them. I didn't really care for raw potato, but I never turned down that slice she handed me, either. I wonder why?
Today I was baking a pie and, as always, I baked the extra pieces of crust. I still love pie crust trimmings, and when Cliff's around, he'll have some too. Maybe it's just another way of keeping in touch with my childhood. Or maybe pie crust really is that good.
My mom also used to give me a slice or two of raw potato when she was peeling them. I didn't really care for raw potato, but I never turned down that slice she handed me, either. I wonder why?
Memories like that are treasures for sure...glad you are keeping up the traditions of your family. I guess that means that your pies are done. My mom too always gave us a taste of a raw potato when she was slicing them up and even better was the cabbage bone... that's the hard center part of a head of cabbage.
ReplyDeleteWe save the trimmings and bake them, too - only I put cinnamon and sugar on mine..
ReplyDeleteThose are good memories. I never could make a decent crust and I've been taught by the best. It makes me a nervous wreck. I love pies but I am so particular. The crust makes the pie. It has to be flaky and divine. I can tell yours is just like that. Don't you just hate oily, doughy pie crusts? Happy Thanksgiving Donna. Anne
ReplyDeleteI LOVED it when you did that. Didn't you sprinkle a bit of sugar on?
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to roll those little strips out and spread them with butter, then sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon before she'd bake them for us. We kids almost liked those better than pie! GREAT Thanksgiving memory-stirrer-upper for me, Donna.
ReplyDeleteMay you and Cliff and your loved ones have a wonderful, blessed, and very Happy Thanksgiving!
oh yum....I made homemade biscuits today. They didn't rise and tasted funny w/o salt. Hubby switched and put the all purpose flour in my self-rising flour jar. lol. Oh well. They were still pretty good doused with butter. ha.
ReplyDeleteThose pie trimming crusts look awesome.
My Mom would salt and bake the leftover pieces of pie dough too, and we'd pretend they were crackers.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading about memories like this, it brings back memories of my own childhood that I'd forgotten about.
ReplyDeleteWe always bake the pie crust trimmings with a little cinnamon and sugar. My grandmother, mother used to and now I do. My favorite holiday moment this year was sharing a small dish of crustless pumpkin pie, I baked with the leftover filling, with my 8 year old boy who up until now has never like pumpkin pie. After it had cooled down, we opened up a tub of cool whip and we would dip the spoon in the pumpkin and then into the cool whip. It was a real treat and he loved it but the fun part was doing it together!
ReplyDelete