Pie Dough Sushi

 I used to love when my mom made pie dough. Wherever we were in the house, she'd come find us, forearms dusted with flour, with a handful of little scraps dipped in sugar. 

There's something wonderful about the simplicity of raw dough dipped in sugar. The butter makes it melt in your mouth and if you dip it in sugar, the crystals give a quick bite that's a wonderful contrast to butter's creaminess. 

I'm older now and should probably know better than to eat so much raw dough.  Especially given the number of pies I bake on a regular basis...  But this is one vice I'll probably never give up :)

In order to feel less guilty about this habit, my dad and I gave it a fancy name. It's not snacking when there's a recipe involved, right?

Pie Dough Sushi

1. Arrange dough scraps on a plate. 

2. Sprinkle liberally with sugar and cinnamon. 

Mini Peach Pies- Or How to Make Sunshine

Sometimes life is gray and dreary. Especially Rhode Island in November. Why not make some sunshine? 

I recommend these mini peach pies.

Start with peaches' vibrant rosy gold

Dark brown sugar brings the warmth

Grand Marnier and lemon juice amp things up- 

none of that weak, washed-out winter sunshine here!

In fact, why not sprinkle some lemon zest over everything.

It'll bring that extra glimmer that's everywhere in August

and nowhere to be found in November.

Pour that warm, golden, shimmery mixture into a buttery, sugary crust.

Voila! Sunshine!

Take that Autumn!

Mini Peach Pies

1 batch pie dough with some sugar mixed in

4 cups chopped peaches 

3/4 cups sugar

2 tbs Grand Marnier

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp salt

grated zest of 1/2 lemon

1. Roll out pie dough and place inside pie shells, making sure to leave some    extra dough for the top crust. 

2. In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients except lemon zest.

3. Ladle mixture out into pie shells.

4. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

5. Cover pies with lattice work crust.

6. Sprinkle a little extra sugar all around.

7. Bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes, or until the top crust becomes golden.