Solar Cooking Archive Discussion Forums

SharonID · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 74 Location: northern Idaho

"Impossible pie" recipes work very well in the gentle heat of many solar cookers. I don't know if these recipes are strictly an American phenomenon, but the first ones to appear were the product of an American baking mix company. They're not really "impossible". In fact, they're not even difficult. What they are is delicious pies that don't need the fuss of a crust, and since most pie crusts involve unhealthy amounts of fat (and won't work well in most solar cookers anyway), impossible pies are generally healthier than the traditional kind. There are many recipes for both sweet and savory (main dish) impossible pies, and you can find a lot of them at: http://www.recipesource.com/ Just go there and set up the search field: impossible +pie

They are ideal for box ovens (though if you have a super box that goes significantly above 300 or so you'll have to watch them more carefully), but if you have a panel cooker that will do things like brownies or casseroles, they should work. You can make them in a dark cake or pie pan, with a matching dark pan used for a lid (binder clips work well for holding the two together), or in a dark, shallow casserole with lid. The round roaster would work, too.

Some recipes may call for a brand-name biscuit mix, but almost any sort or brand of pancake or baking mix will work just fine. I have made both savory (often involving vegetables from my garden) and dessert impossible pies in my Easy Lid, and they worked very, very well. (Since they are egg based and any meats involved are generally pre-cooked, they only need to get to 180F or so to be done.)

So next time the sun is shining and you're wondering what to cook, try an impossible pie!

Regards,
SharonID
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