One of my most popular items last autumn was my pumpkin pie. Everyone seemed to want a pair- and I made several batches to compensate! I'm excited to be back in pumpkin pie season- not only because it's such a fun item to make, but also because it means that autumn is really here! It's a very simple make, and one batch will produce 8 charms- perfect for when you're giving a gift, but know you'll need to have one for yourself as well.
Start with a small ball of orangey-brown clay. I made this colour by mixing Fimo Soft Tangerine and Chocolate. I started with about an 8:1 ratio and slowly added more of the Chocolate until the colour was right. I probably ended up with a 4:1 ratio- but when blending with dark/bright colours like black, brown, and red, I always start with half of what I think I'll need.
Squish the ball into a round disc and set it to one side. It doesn't matter too much if it's not perfectly round. This will be the inside of your pie.
For the crust, I find that Fimo Soft Sahara plus a bit of Lemon Yellow and Chocolate is the easiest route to the right colour, but sometimes I just use white and a bit of extra Chocolate to get there. As with the above, it can take some time to get the right colour, and can be the trickiest part of the make. Roll the crust out thinly, and then gently drape it over the disc. Smooth the crust gently over the top to let air bubbles escape, and then work down the sides, until you press in right at the bottom. Cut around the disc with a craft knife.
Now you have the basic pie finished, you can perfect the roundness and smooth the edges. You will have time later to perfect the individual slices but now is the best time to remove imperfections in the clay as much as possible.
Re-roll the crust, this time a bit more thickly. Cut out a square with a tissue blade, and then slice it into about 2mm wide strips. Take a strip from both ends and twist it- starting slowly at first. Try not to lose the square edges. Work in small pieces rather than trying to attack one large crust edge, unless you plan on keeping your pie intact.
Slowly edge the pie, pressing gently around the edge to get a good even look without losing the texture of the twist. Match edges up as best you can but don't worry too much. When you reach the matching point, trim the final piece to fit and then gently ease it into place. Again- you can try to match up the twist of the crust but it won't matter too much if you cut the pie, as chances are your cut will end up right between the edge breaks! Cut the pie into eighths with a tissue blade, just as you might a normal pie.
Yum!
But, if you like whipped cream on your pie, you can take it one more step. Roll out some white dough and cut it into strips like you did for the crust edging, but a bit wider.
Twist the strips like the crust, but then coil them in on themselves until you have a small dollop shape. Trim off any excess strip and tuck the trailing bit underneath.
Place the whipped cream on top of a pie slice, smoothing out any rough edges as you do so to make it look more natural.
Once you've wiped away any stray pieces of dust or fingernail marks, you're ready to bake! Don't forget to poke a hole into the pie from the "side" of the crust (if you want your slices to hang pointing downward) before you bake.
Aren't they cute?
I also did a little experiment and made a smaller, uncut pie. I cut a piece out most of the way to create a visual effect of a cut slice, but left it still attached. I then added a dollop of cream and inserted a hole to make this pie into a pendant. I also think it could make a great brooch!
So there you have it. Once your pies are varnished, have eye pins glued into them, and are fixed to a chain or earring wires, you will be ready for autumn!
Happy Fall!
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