Resurrecting a Recipe

One of my dad's favorite jokes was that he only liked two types of pie: hot and cold. When I began baking, I knew I had to make him one for his birthday. However, I lacked three things at the time: experience, time, and finesse. To solve this problem, I adapted a quick cobbler recipe, and added pie filling instead. I dubbed the revised creation pie bars. Then, I just needed to pick a flavor.

Dad was always sweet on cherries. In the summer, he made the best cherry milkshakes around. Besides heavy whipping cream and vanilla ice cream, Dad's secret ingredient was the simple pre-made canned cherry pie filling. Once I learned how he made them, I was shocked at their simplicity, but they were still oh-so-special. Those cherry milkshakes were the reason I chose the simple cherry pie bar recipe I would make him for years to come.

Cherry Pie Bar Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 21 oz. cherry pie filling (1 1/2 cans premade or equivalent homemade)

Glaze (optional):

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 1/2-3 Tbsp. half and half

Icing (optional):

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. cream cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9in. baking dish.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whip butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs and extracts.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix.
5. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of batter then spread remainder evenly into dish.
6. Top with pie filling and make even.
7. Dollop reserved batter using a tablespoon on top of pie filling.
8. Bake 30-37 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.
10. Once cooled completely, add icing or glaze (optional).

I started making these pie bars ten years ago specifically for Dad's birthday in July. I never had any reason or inspiration to make them aside from Dad. The pie bars were made especially for him, and he never grew tired of them. In the years to come, I'd experiment with different fillings and glazes to change things up, but the original cherry version I started with had already won Dad's heart and taste buds. One year I made a peach version, and although he enjoyed it, he still promptly requested cherry pie bars afterward. Who was I to question his desire to celebrate his birthday twice? It was flattering and refreshing to know that he liked something simple so well, so I whipped him up a fresh cherry batch.

A few years ago though, things changed. I had bought Mom a cheesecake and taken her and the rest of the family out to dinner. Dad told me the cheesecake was good, but asked where his cherry pie bars were. I laughed and informed him those were for HIS birthday, not Mom's! We ate at Mountain State Brewing Company for her birthday, and he kept positing suggestions on where else we could have gone. I laughed and informed him again that we could go there for HIS birthday, but this was MOM'S!

Weird moments in time, statements that are said, etc. are all captured movie clips in my mind now. I look back and think, "Had I known, we would have done that." I know it sounds silly, but I think that about that specific moment in time. Sure, I was completely justified in informing Dad that we were celebrating Mom's birthday in March, and that the things he wanted we would do for his birthday in July. However, Dad wouldn't celebrate another birthday; he'd be about seven weeks shy. I didn't get to make him another cherry pie bar. I didn't get to take him to the restaurant he wanted to go to, so that memory still sticks.

On July 21, I considered making cherry pie bars for his birthday anyway, as was our tradition. However, I thought about it too much and too long. I didn't think it was fair to enjoy his cherry pie bars on his birthday without him. They were always for him. My brother, his friends, my husband, and I all did share in having his favorite beer; a beer Dad would have offered us anyway like he did every time we came over. I would have part of mine just for the sake of remembrance; I never liked the taste of Coors much myself. Dad always loved his ice cream too, so we all went to Tony's afterward. By contrast, I'll tell you that I can definitely eat some ice cream. The one thing aside from photos and shared memorabilia I asked for was his ice cream maker.

"I'll put it to good use, and he'll think that it is funny." I thought with a smile.

Three years later, I've finally found a reason to make pie bars again. Dad and I used to go berry picking a lot, from the time I was young up through college. Even after I was married, my husband and I would stop by and Dad would send us home with a couple rolls of sausage, farm fresh eggs, and a bounty of vegetables and tomatoes from the garden. If berries were available, he'd send us home with some too. He'd ask me to whip up some sort of goodie for him in return, and we wouldn't have to buy groceries for a week. I would joke about it back then, but I'd sure love to have that back now. After Dad passed, my brother took over his farm. He called me with a familiar message.

"Hey Erica, the mulberry tree is loaded if you'd like to bring Leo and come pick some berries."

I readied my family and hopped in the car. My three-year-old was exuberant about seeing his uncle and picking berries. Dad always picked the mulberries, and intended on making jam with them. If he didn't do it himself, he'd find someone to make it for him as long as the birds didn't eat them all up before he could pick them. When we arrived at my brother's place, he had already filled about half of Dad's old red and white plastic water jug. My husband, son, and I finished filling it when he informed us that we could take the container home with us, especially if I wanted to bring him something back that was made with the berries. I considered what I'd make, but one thing stood out in my mind: mulberry pie bars. It was time to resurrect the old recipe as this was an occasion and a version I knew Dad would appreciate.

Mulberry Pie Bars

Mulberry Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 64 oz. freshly picked mulberries (approximate)
• 1 1/2 cups honey (additional to taste)
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 cups water

Pie Bar Dough Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Wash the mulberries thoroughly and remove any remaining stems. This is easiest done via kitchen scissors.
2. In a large saucepan, heat about 2 cups of water.
3. Add lemon juice and berries to sauce pan, and stir frequently.
4. Once the mulberries have mostly cooked down, add honey.
5. Continue to cook until desired consistency is reached.
6. Allow the filling to cool completely, and begin making the pie bar dough.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9in. baking dish.
8. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
9. In another bowl, whip butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs and extract.
10. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix.
11. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of batter then spread remainder evenly into dish.
12. Top with mulberry pie filling and make even.
13. Dollop reserved batter using a tablespoon on top of pie filling.
14. Bake 30-37 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.
16. Serve and enjoy; feel free to add ice cream on the side.

I decided not to add a glaze or icing to this recipe because the natural sweetness of the mulberries and honey was lovely all on its own. I dropped off half of the bars to my brother at Dad's old farm. This week he asked me longingly if I happened to have more left that I froze or anything; he wanted more! I informed him that my husband, son, and I thoroughly enjoyed the other half of the pie bars, so alas we did not have any more. My brother commented that Dad would be happy I was still making pie bars, and personally I'm hoping to pick some more berries so we can all enjoy them again! While it was not Dad's birthday, it makes me remember the simple things in life and how much Dad appreciated them; the times we went berry picking, the hot summers in the hayfield, and all the little moments spent on the farm. We all enjoyed those moments then, and it made the sun shine even brighter and the berries taste even sweeter to focus on them now. For the first time in three years, this recipe was worth resurrecting.