For one whole summer, my evenings are free! I can bake on weekdays! So I volunteered to make pies for an office birthday celebration today. I kind of wished that I had checked the schedule out a little more carefully; turns out we were giving a lecture last night, and I wouldn't be home until 8:30 or so.
But what the heck - I can stay up late! And make pies! And I did!
I tried out Cook's Country Buttermilk Chess pie twice; last night's version was too ugly to show in public, so I made another one this morning.
This is the prettier version that made it into the office. The ugly version stayed home, but it's so good that I might have to swallow pride and feed it to others before I eat it all.
Also on the menu was Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate Cream Tart, from her "Baking" book.
Sigh. So good. Worth every arm-aching moment of whipping the cream by hand (I left part of the mixer at home). Luckily, none of this pie was left home. One less temptation.