The Theology of Pie

The air has cooled and it’s time for cooking.

Soups . . . favorite hearty dishes to comfort . . . and pie.

I absolutely love pie and even more, I love to bake pies.  It’s just so satisfying to make something so lovely that smells and tastes so good with your own hands (although I confess I do cheat and use Libby’s instead of making pumpkin mash by hand).

I’ve learned that the secret to a good crust is a light touch, neither stirring nor rolling the dough too much.

That ‘just right’ sweet spot is a tricky thing to find and takes (at least for me) years of practice.  Maybe that’s what living a faithful life is like – lots of practice bringing increasingly fruitful results.

I hope so.

I hope when God sees the pie of my life, I hear those wonderful words Paul wrote so long ago: well done, thou good and faithful servant.  

May it be so, Lord, may it be so.

Tea and Sympathy

Pray for me.

I am about to make the first scones I have ever made.  And dear Scottish friend Margaret, who shared her time-honored recipe with me, is no longer with us, so I’m out of luck when it comes to my usual custom of the panicked last-minute consult call – time and distance are no matter, but heaven is a bit out of reach for my plan.

If I get it right, none of the ladies in attendance will mistake them for biscuits.

If I get them wrong, biscuits will seem like a fond memory and scones will forever be deemed a good thing abandoned in our successful bid for independence this side of the pond.

So for you brave souls, here’s Margaret’s recipe for scones (with the best I could manage for conversion to US measurements):

450 grams (3 + 3/5 cups) self-rising flour
large pinch of salt
10 ml (2 teaspoons) baking powder
50 g (2 ounces or 1/5 - 1/4 cup) caster sugar (granulated sugar)
45 g (3 ounces or 1/5 cup) butter
1 large egg - beaten
2oo ml (6.76 ounces or 3/4 - 7/8 cups) milk (Margaret preferred using one-half buttermilk)
Optional: add 6 ounces sultanas

Sift flour and baking powder
Rub in fat (butter)
Add sugar
Make well in center and add egg, buttermilk and enough milk to form soft dough

Roll out to about 2 cm (3/4 inch) thickness and cut into rounds.  Place on baking tray and cook at 210 degrees C (410 F) for about 10 - 15 minutes, until golden

And Margaret’s own personal add on:
Plus lots of luck!!

Like I said at the outset, pray for me.  I don’t think luck’s going to do it.