Open-Faced Apricot Pie

  

   Woe is me! Why does it feel like baking is really just a series of mini disasters? Why does it take a-l-l day to make one tiny thing? It used to be easy before I started this project. And I finally understand why you’re supposed to make a large, 9 in. pie – because a big pie and a small pie take the exact same effort, but with the big pie you end up with MORE PIE.

     I bought apricots several days ago at the local supermarket. They’re a true rarity (I don’t think I’ve ever had them fresh, and I only know what they are because various soaps and lotions come “apricot-scented”). I’m glad I snatched them up because the next day they were all gone and the whole section was replaced with more cherries (I did not have to rush with the cherry pie!). But then, I decided to make the nectarine pie first and stuck the apricots in the fridge…  And yesterday morning, I found that 3 of the 8 had gone mushy :( My heart sank. I started making the apricot pie before I acquired any more casualties. Still, I didn’t have enough for a whole pie, and had to settle for a medium-sized tart. The 3 mushy ones will have to be turned into apricot jam for future recipes. 

Blind-baking the crust with dried beans. Yes, I did manage to “spill the beans” afterwards, and two of them got wedged into the hinges in the oven. But the crust came out as crisp as a cracker, so I’m happy. 

               All dressed up and ready to go into the oven. The foil protects the crust from burning. 

Um, this was a small pie, so it’s not at all unusual that two skinny girls gobbled down two thirds in one sitting. I have to say, the pie tasted very… standard. Classic in a clichéd sort of way. Good going down, but not too memorable afterwards. Strange, I’ve never had apricot before. Are they all starting to taste the same now?