It's the Grape Pie, Charlie Brown!

Wow! Halloween seemed to go by like a blur! My mom and I spent days upon days decorating our house and preparing food for our annual "Super Awesome Halloween Party Deluxe." This was our third year throwing a big "h-ween" party, and I'm positive that it's been the best so far. We had a great turn out, and everyone had a great time! They loved the food and said our decorations were awesome. Thank you, thank you very much! After all our hard work and anticipation, I was asleep by 10:30! Haha, yeah that's how I roll. I'm a pretty fierce party animal! Anyway, here are a few pictures from the party, followed by an INSANELY good recipe for grape pie... yeah I said it, GRAPE PIE! ;D

Our kitchen... before all the food hit the table!
(Let's play a game called "I spy Josh somewhere in this picture!")The graveyard in the backyard by the fire pit!Me, my dad, and my mom! Desserts from left to right: Honey-Orange Marshmallows, pumpkin-shaped Spritz Cookies, Red Velvet Truffles

For the marshmallows, I added 1 teaspoon orange extract and some orange gel color to the recipe after the link. Our Halloween parties get better and better every year. And I'm pretty sure this year our collection of Halloween decor outgrew our Christmas stuff!!! :D :D

Now on to the grape pie! I made this pie a few weeks ago, and I meant to post it before Halloween, but time got away from me. Anywho, if you've never had grape pie before, you are SO going to be blown away! It got thumbs up from all the girls at work, and mom and dad said it was awesome. It was a bit of work skinning all the grapes for the filling, but the crust recipe was so freakin easy that it made everything worth while. Not only was the crust the easiest one I've ever made, it was pretty darn good. I think next time I'll add a bit of sugar for some sweetness, but other that it's a dream! The filling was a bit soupy, but it thickened a little in the fridge. I even cooked the pie for 10 extra minutes hoping to thicken the filling, but it didn't work. Maybe some cornstarch in the mix will help next time. We'll see, because I'm definitely gonna be making this again! If you like the taste and tartness of Welch's grape juice, you will LOVE this pie!

Cooking the grape pulp and mashing the grape skins...

"Easy-as-pie" crust (yeah I had to go there!)Ain't she purdy???It definitely could've used some refrigeration before the first slice, but it was still delicious as grape soup!!After being in the refrigerator, the slices were a little neater, but still pretty wet. Oh well!

Prizewinning Concord Grape Pie (from "The All-American Dessert Book" by Nancy Baggett)
Makes 1 9-inch pie (books says 8 servings, but we easily got 10 or 12)

Filling
1 cup sugar, plus a little more if grapes are very tart
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups stemmed Concord grapes (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into bits

Pastry
3 cups pastry flour, or 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup cake flour, plus extra all-purpose flour for dusting pastry
Scant 1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup corn oil or other flavorless vegetable oil
1/4 cup cold water, plus more if needed

About 2 teaspoons half-and-half or light cream for brushing on dough top
1 tablespoons sugar for sprinkling on dough top

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the sugar and flour. Holding each grape over a heavy, nonreactive 2­-quart saucepan (to catch the juice), squeeze until the pulp portion pops out into the pan; reserve the grape skins separately. Gently squeeze the excess juice from the skins and add it to the saucepan. If a fine texture is desired, coarsely chop the grape skins; otherwise, leave as is. Thor­oughly stir the grape skins into the flour-sugar mixture and set aside. Bring the grape pulp and seeds and butter to a boil over medium-high heat. Adjust the heat so the pulp simmers gently. Cook, stirring occa­sionally, for 6 to 9 minutes, or until the pulp is soft and mushy and has boiled down slightly. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Care­fully turn out the pulp into a food mill or fine sieve set over a bowl. Press through as much liquid and pulp as possible; discard the seeds. Stir the strained pulp into the grape skin mixture until blended; you should have about 3 cups. Set aside. The filling can be refrigerated in an airtight con­tainer for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before using.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, thoroughly stir to­gether the flour and salt. Stir in the oil with a fork just until incorpo­rated. Add the water, gently stirring with the fork until the mixture is moistened and holds together. It may look streaked, but don't overmix. The pastry should not be at all dry; if necessary, add a bit more water until the mixture is evenly moistened but not wet. Lightly knead and shape the dough into a rough ball with your hands. Divide the dough in half, then shape each half into a smooth disk. Wrap one disk in plastic wrap.

Generously dust the unwrapped pastry disk on both sides with flour. Roll it out between large sheets of baking parchment into a 13 1/2-inch round. Occasionally check the under­side of the dough during rolling and smooth out any wrinkles. Gently peel off the top sheet of paper. Center the round, dough side down, in the pie plate. Gently peel off the remaining paper. Smooth the pastry into the plate and patch any tears, if necessary. Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, trim the overhang to 1/4 inch. Turn out the filling into the pastry.

Generously dust the second pastry disk with flour, then roll it out into a 13 1/2-inch round as described above. Gently peel off the top sheet of paper, then pat back into place. Flip the dough; peel off the bottom sheet. Center the round, dough side down, over the filling. Gently peel off the remaining paper and patch any tears, if necessary. Trim the overhang to 1/4 inch. Fold the overhang under the bottom pastry to form an edge that rests on the lip of the plate. Press the layers together, then flute with your fingers or press with the tines of a fork all the way around. Brush the dough top (not the edges) with the half-and-half, then sprinkle with the sugar. Cut steam vents in the top, using a sharp, lightly greased par­ing knife.

Set the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until nicely browned all over. If the edges begin to brown too rapidly, cover with foil (or a pie shield) during the last few minutes of baking. Transfer the pie to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 2 hours and preferably 4 hours (for neater slices) before serving.

The pie will keep, lightly covered, at room temperature for up to 24 hours or refrigerated for 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.