Channelling

     I think I'm channeling my mother-in-law.  You see, if she was having company and she didn't think everyone would like one thing, she'd make another something so everyone would be happy.  When our son was going through his fussy eating years the roast beast or her amazing fried chicken would be offset for him with some smoky link sausages. We were all delighted with OUR meal - especially her chicken - but in some convoluted way, he was happy with his meal, too. 
    My favorite story was the time we arrived for dinner and whatever she was serving, I don't remember what it was now,  didn't require a gravy.  But the day before she roasted the beast so she would have drippings to make gravy "just in case someone wanted gravy."  The roast was in the refrigerator in the basement waiting for another day, another meal, but not the one we were having that day.
    I love to bake and as old as I'm getting, and as much as I prefer eating them, pies do give me pause.  It isn't the crust as so many fear, it's that the pie will, well, just turn out.  Especially if it's something I don't make hardly ever.
    Tonight we are going to friends' for dinner.  I said I'd bring dessert.  Just the other day I took a book out of the library called Everything Chocolate and the chocolate pecan pie kind of jumped out at me.  
     The thing that gives me more pause than any part of pies baking is the pre-cooked crust.  The kind you line with foil, weight with pie weights and bake for awhile before the filling is added and then baked some more.   But I read the directions carefully (something I don't need to do anymore with a fruit pie) and proceeded. 

   This crust is make with butter.  All butter.  Nothing else to sully the taste.  I made the dough the day before so it had optimal time to chill.  I rolled it out this morning, lined it with foil, added beans for weight and baked it.   You are supposed to bake with your nose.  If it smells then check it. 
    You KNOW butter makes a beautiful smell don't you?  I checked it.  Directions said at this point take the foil out and bake for longer.  Now, this is the nervous part, but I did it.  After half the time directed, I checked it again and it looked too done.  Take it out, add the filling, pray, and put it in the oven to cook.
    This is the part where I started to channel mother-in-law. 

   Just in case, just in case the chocolate pecan pie crust is burnt, too done, or whatever,  I made another pie.  I wasn't afraid of this crust and I took from the freezer the black raspberries I picked last summer and at that moment remembered I told these friends I'd use them in a pie for THEM so I knew the channeling was working.  I put together this pie to be ready to slip into the oven the minute the chocolate pecan pie was finished.  I know the filling is leaking.  That's how I know a pie is done.  It bubbles and leaks and I love that look on a pie. It means there's LOTS of filling.

When PH saw there were two pies he looked at me like I was crazy until I told him, "I'm just channeling your mother."   "Ah," he said, and walked away.