Bambi's Apricot Pie with Amaretto

This pie is really a tribute to my grandmother, whom we called Bambi.  Bambi, you say?  Story goes that my oldest brother, Chris, couldn't pronounce "grandma," so somehow 'Bambi' stuck.  It was always cool to have a grandmother with this very unique name.  

Bambi was legend just like this pie has proved to be.  

My uncle used to talk about "Mama's cot pie."  He mentioned once that he thought that Bambi cooked the apricots before placing them in the crust.  I've seen a few old-fashioned pie recipes that call for cooking the apricots in a cornstarch-thickened sugar mixture.  Kinda like the same filling used in lemon meringue pie.  

With that bit of baking 'hint' I knew I could use my strawberry rhubarb pie as a basis for this Apricot Pie with Amaretto.  So easy.

I wasn't sure which type of booze to add to the filling...Initially, I had thought about brandy.  But, apricots and almonds just seem to go so well together.  And, this time it's a hit!  

I think it's fitting, too, that these apricots are from an orchard adjacent to Bambi's property in Esparto, California.  Manas Ranch is located in Esparto, a very small town where my parents were born and raised.  I have many, many fond memories of spending time with Bambi in Esparto.  We'd stop by this orchard, right next to Bambi's almond orchard, pick some cots and drive around Capay Valley eating cots and chucking the pits out the car window.  

Probably the best parts of spending time with Bambi were listening to all the family stories and adventures she had, starting first with her experiences at the speakeasies in Sacramento as well as her teaching me to drive when I was 14.  Pretty cool when you can drive at 14, pass the local sheriff and not get pulled over.

That's what you do in the country.

I know you'll love this fresh and easy pie.  The amaretto really does add a nice depth to the filling.  I also used amaretto in the crust this time with great results.  

I hope you have a chance to make this pie.  For me, enjoying a sweet and silky piece of this memorable pie is truly like coming home.

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Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream

...So, could it GET any better?  Champagne cake from Nugget Market has been a family favorite of mine for well over 30 years.  Yup, I'm old enough to have favorites for that long a time.  I think I had my first taste in my teens, not long after we came back to California.  My grandmother, Bambi, probably picked it up on her way through "town" (AKA Woodland) on her way from Esparto to Davis.  I remember the pink whipped cream frosting and the custard middle.  Light, not too sweet, and lovely.  No problem eating 2 pieces.  Great memories! 

A few years ago, Nugget Market came to my town.  When they opened their doors, I finally felt at home.  I lived near a Nugget Market for years in Davis, and that's where Bambi shopped in Woodland for meats and fancy desserts.  Love those days.  Anyway, as good fortune would have it, I live, literally, down the street and around the corner from "The Nug" or "Nug" for short.  Not only was I now able to get amazing meats and stone oven bread (we NEED real bread here!), finally Champagne Cake whenever I wanted it!  Amazing!!