Episode 58 - Tarts & Sweet Pies

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Listen to "58 Tarts & Sweet Pies" on Spreaker.

 

Link to the Episode:

Pie generally was a marginal food in the 18th century North American colonies - due to lack of practice, lack of wheat flour and the whole outdoor oven situation.

But tarts - the tiny cute hand held sweetie pies - were doomed from the start.  They are time consuming and delicate - and demanded expensive and hard to source ingredients, so the tiny American Tart was off to a bad start.  

It will make a few appearances, but will never have the chance to develop into its own art.  No bakeries!  Foiled again.

As an advocate of the Grape Pie - check out these recipes.

1) From the ever dependable King Arthur Flour site

Made with concord grapes and everything.
But try with any grapes you fancy.
King Arthur Flour - Grape Pie Recipe

2) From Umami Girl who suggests Grape Tarts that would fit at the 1st savory course - or the 2nd sweet course

You can of course dive deep and make your own
puff pastry - a different pie crust - but
Umami Girl's Grape Tarts are a great starting point


The List of 18th Century Cookbooks etc.

The Art of Cookery Made Plain & Easy - Hannah Glasse

The Compleat Housewife - Eliza Smith

American Cookery: or the Art of Dressing Viands, Fish, Poultry and Vegetables and the Best Modes of Making Puff-Pastes, Pies, Tarts, Puddings, Custards and Preserves, and all kinds of Cakes, From the Imperial Plumb to Plain Cake. - Amelia Simmons
(Respect to A. Simmons - I too try to cram in too much in too short a space.)
Edition with notes by Karen Hess available on Google Books


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