MISERABLE MERINGUE

In yet another tale of a frugal beginner cook, there would be that of a failed baker.

One technique that Old Mother Frugal did acquire growing up was the skill of making a pie crust from scratch.

Many bakers have their favorite tips to a successful pie crust and the continuous learner in me can still acquire a good tip here and there.

The most recent tip that came my way was before filling an unbaked pie crust, place it in the freezer for 20 minutes and the result will be a flakier pie crust! 

Until then, the only tips that had come my way for a successful pie crust were using Crisco from the blue and white can along with ice water when preparing the dough.

You might wonder, why is knowing how to make a pie crust a good frugal skill when there are a variety of frozen pie crusts readily available for purchase in the frozen food section of the grocery store.

Those do cost money and being frugal is all about using what you have on hand. In an emergency, purchased frozen pie crusts will suffice as a vehicle for your recipe. No judging here.

Pie crusts can be used for desserts as well as for dinners. With eggs, milk and leftover cubes of ham and Swiss cheese or broccoli and cheese, a quiche is a wonderful dinner or breakfast.

As a young bride, my problem was not the crust. It was the meringue. Oh, it whipped up nicely and looked amazingly wonderful as it sat atop the lemon pie filling. I placed it in the refrigerator and proudly took it out to display it for my loving, new groom to adore when it was time for dessert.

But much like the facial expression that confronted me when served boiled hamburger, lemon meringue pie was received with the same quizzical expression.

“Aren’t you supposed to bake this”?

Really? Darn. How did I miss that step in the recipe!

Quickly my new groom was realizing he did not marry Julia Child.

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: Not every two-crust pie recipe needs to be made with two-crusts. If you are looking to cut calories [frugality takes on many roles], make a single-crust pie. For example, generously grease a pie plate and add your pie filling, such as apples. Then, cover the apple mixture with the single-crust and bake. If you like pumpkin pie but not the calories of the crust, generously grease the pie plate before adding your pumpkin pie mixture and bake

                              HAM, BROCCOLI and CHEESE QUICHE