Impossible Apricot Pie

This is an impossible pie variation that uses canned apricots as the fruit and a final glossy apricot-preserve glaze on top. The “impossible” name refers to the self-crusting trick: blend all the ingredients, pour into a greased pie plate, and the buttermilk biscuit mix sinks during baking to form a soft, biscuit-like crust while the eggy custard rises and sets above it.

The blender does all the work. Buttermilk biscuit mix, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, drained canned apricots, and evaporated milk get blitzed for a minute until smooth. Pour, bake, glaze. Twenty minutes of hands-on time spread across the hour.

The apricot preserve glaze is what takes this from rustic to dinner-party. After the pie has cooled, melt half a cup of preserves in a small saucepan and brush across the surface. The glaze sets into a glossy, jewel-toned top that mirrors the apricots baked into the custard.

Use canned apricot halves in juice or light syrup, drained well. Heavy syrup pushes the pie too sweet; juice-packed apricots keep the flavor balanced.

Bake until a knife inserted at the center comes out clean. Forty minutes is the recipe estimate, but custard pies vary; start checking at 35.

Pro Tips

• Use a 10-inch pie plate as called for, not a 9-inch. The recipe is sized for the larger plate; in a 9-incher it overflows.
• Cool fully before glazing. A warm pie melts the glaze and turns it cloudy; a cool pie keeps the glaze glassy.
• Strain the apricot preserves after melting if you want a perfectly smooth glaze. Pulp can clump on the surface.
• Refrigerate after glazing for clean slices. Room-temp pie cuts soft and the glaze smears.

Variations

• Substitute canned peaches for apricots and use peach preserves for the glaze for a peach version.
• Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the blender mixture for a stone-fruit-friendly almond aroma.
• Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds over the glaze for crunch and a frangipane-style note.