#BookCook Sweeney Todd – “More hot pies! More hot pies! – Part 1”

Is that a pie fit for a king? Such wondrous Sweet and most particular thing?

Sweeney Todd – God that’s Good

A few years ago I set a goal for myself that I was going to learn to cook pies.. ahem bake pies. You see my problem here. I set a goal of 50 pie recipes for myself to bake that year and set to work. I was a frigging fool.

“Making pie is hard ,” she whines.

Seriously, I am physically incapable of doing anything small, makes me ill. Must go big or GTFO. So fifty. le sigh. I made 25 that year. I learned a lot, and can make killer apple/almond pie and a coconut pie that would make you want to “slap yo mama.” All courtesy of this fabulous cookbook Sweetie-licious Pies: Eat Pie, Love Life

However, there is something I have always been a little fascinated with. The weird pie. Well, the weird food anything… Taking something that one would not associate with yummy pie deliciousness, and turning it into something delectable. So in my quest for the weird pie, I have made a pie out of vinegar, one out of avocados, and one out of buttermilk. Now it is time to experiment with meat. I am going to make a classic mincemeat pie. As in a dessert pie with meat and I am going to force-feed it to my family and friends. I am feeling so medieval at the moment.

“[Toby]
Well, ladies and gentlemen
that aroma enriching the breeze,
is like something compared to its succulent source
as the gourmets among you will tell you, of course.
Ladies and gentlemen you can’t imagine the rapture in store,
just inside of this door!
There, you’ll sample Mrs.Lovett’s meat pies.savory and sweet pies,as you’ll see.
You who eat pies Mrs. Lovetts meat pies conjure up the treat pies used to be!
[Customers]”

Sweeney Todd – God that’s Good

The recipe I found (after much digging) is one from the 1861 volume Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management and was a feature in Saveur magazine. The article can be found Here.

Gratuitous picture of Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd. He was frigging brilliant.

MAKES ONE PIE

For the Filling

2 cups finely chopped beef suet

³⁄₄ cup currants

³⁄₄ cup finely chopped rump steak (about 3 oz.)

¹⁄₂ cup raisins

¹⁄₂ cup packed dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. brandy

1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. chopped candied citron peel

1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. chopped candied lemon peel

1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. chopped candied orange peel

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

¹⁄₄ tsp. grated nutmeg

1 ¹⁄₂ granny smith apples, cored and finely chopped

Grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon

For the Crust

Pie Dough

Instructions

In a bowl, combine beef suet, currants, rump steak, raisins, brown sugar, brandy, citron peel, lemon peel, orange peel, lemon juice, nutmeg, apples, and lemon zest. Mix well.

Transfer mixture to a 1-qt. jar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days to 2 weeks.

Make dough, prepare pie crust, and add filling. Heat oven to 350º. Bake until golden, about 1 hour.