Tday and Buttermilk Pie Crust

My kids were coming to visit this holiday. So mom got to cook the Tday dinner first time in a couple yrs. Sadly I haven't  been feeling well lately so I fell way behind. I usually bake the day before and prep as much as I can so I can start right in on my stuffing Tday morning and get the bird in the oven early. That just didn't happen this time.

But I did manage to bake my pies. I made two pumpkin (my guys request) and one apple. I tried a whole wheat pastry flour recipe for the pumpkin. It was ok, better than the usual. But I'm not sure Ill make it again.

You see I really hate pie crust. Its a necessary evil to encase the filling to me. I may eat the top and sometimes the bottom but never the crimped parts. To me its just tasteless........until now. This recipe I believe will be my new heirloom family pie crust recipe. EVERYONE loved it. Heck I loved just smelling it after it baked. But eating it was even better. So here it is.

Buttermilk Pie Crust (double crust)

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour (I use unbleached, organic)
1 tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1c. butter, frozen (yes I said frozen)
1/2c. cold buttermilk
1-2 tb. cold water
1 lg. egg, beaten

Grate the frozen butter. Grating keeps it very cold and so makes a flakier pie crust. Once grated put in freezer till ready to use. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix buttermilk and egg together.

Remove frozen butter from freezer and toss with flour mixture. Use a pastry blender to mix it in thoroughly but make sure its still cold. Add buttermilk/egg mixture and mix well. Add a tb. or so of water to moisten the dough enough to stick together. You may need more or less depending on the moisture in the air. You dont want it wet, just holding together.

Pat into a ball and cut in half. Roll one half out carefully and line pie pan with it. Roll out remaining half, fill pie plate with filling and top with second crust. Crimp and bake according to your filling recipe directions.

Apple/Blackberry Hand Pies

I've been making snacks for my bf's lunches lately. Last week was Zucchini Bread. But this week it was running out and I knew I had to bake something. I had a bag of Granny Smith apples around here that needed to be used up. I did plan on making Apple Jam but Ive been kind of busy lately so they have been sitting there. Now I know he loves apple pie and I know he loves blackberries. I picked alot of blackberries last year with my friend. This is the last bag of frozen tho so I'm using them sparingly. This yr. I hope to pick much much more. I'm just going to have to find some new patches.

But in the process of thinking of something different to bake I remembered seeing a recipe long ago for Hand pies. They are sort of like those Hostess pies you could buy years ago, individual little pies. Sort of like Pop tarts but of course much better. And so I decided to create my own. I didn't want to use plain old pie pastry even tho many recipes called for that. I just felt it might be a bit too fragile. And I don't much like pie pastry either. I also wanted the pastry to be a little sweeter. So I decided to use Pate' Sucree. Its lightly sweetened and much sturdier due to eggs binding it. Turns out it worked perfectly.

I didn't have a round cutter to make lg. pies. I was going to do square instead. And then I remembered a lg. heart cutter I had so I used that. Honestly while they are cute, it was a bit tedious so I think next time Ill just cut squares. After all these were just for his lunch. However a sweet thing happened due to them being heart shaped so you might want to do this. When I packed his lunch, I put two pies in since they are not real big and he works outside doing construction. I figured he would be hungry. And I stacked them at first on the plastic wrap, then thought, no I better not. He takes it in a paper bag and it might get crushed. So I laid them next to each other in a hurry and a bit of serendipity happened. The two heart halves made a whole heart which I decided to wrap just like that. I thought to myself.....aww how sweet.

And when he came home he told me about the heart, He thought it was so cute too. Who would have thought he would even notice? BTW he said the pies were really good. So here's my recipe and I'll be making these again. Also I just realized today that unless you take turns flipping which side of the heart over the filling, you wont get hearts. I only did a couple differently and didn't realize that. But of course I wasn't doing it originally to make hearts. But if you are then be sure to flip every other one over differently.

 Apple/blackberry Hand Pies... Makes 16

Pate Sucree
Makes one 11-to 12-inch or two 8-to 9-inch or two 14-by-4-inch crusts or about 16 hand pies (depends on the size of your cutter)

    2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    3 tablespoons sugar
    1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
    2 large egg yolks ( reserve whites to use for brushing on dough when baking)
    1/4 cup ice water

Measure flour, sugar and butter into a bowl. With pastry blender, cut butter into the flour until it looks crumbly and the size of small peas.  

 Mix egg yolks with the water and pour into the flour mixture. Toss with a fork till the dough begins to hold together. 

 Press some together to see if it holds the shape. If it doesn't, add 1 Tb. extra water at a time till it does. Take dough from bowl and make two balls, wrap with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator  to chill for 1 hr. 

 Preheat oven to 375 or 350 if using a convection oven.

Filling:
2 lg. apples, peeled, cored and diced small (I used what I had Granny Smith)
2c. blackberries, mine were frozen, picked this summer :)
1/2c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tb. flour

Mix well. 

Roll half the dough out onto a floured board. (Keep the rest chilled and also chill any scraps to reroll.)  I rolled mine on floured  parchment cuz I didn't want the flavors from the board to get in the dough. (I use my butcher block daily for all kinds of things.) Roll thin but not so thin you can see thru it. I used a lg. heart shaped cookie cutter to do mine. You could use any size cutter or just cut into squares or rectangles.  

Take the leftover egg whites from the dough and mix with a bit of water. Brush on each dough piece. This helps it seal. Scoop about a Tb or two of filling depending on the size of your dough pieces. For my heart shapes I used a scant 1/4 c. measure.  

Fold dough over and bring edges together to seal. You might have to pull the dough and stretch it a bit to make it fit. That's ok. Use a fork to press the edges together and prick the top for steam holes. Brush with egg white mixture again.

Depending on the size of your pies, you could put 5-6 of them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Juices will run out a bit so the parchment helps keep them from sticking. Bake about 20min. but check as you get closer to the end time. Depending on the size you make you might need less or more time.  

 Remove from oven and put on rack to cool. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar to serve. If you like them sweeter you could make an icing to drizzle on them. 

*** I used Granny Smith apples cuz its what I had here but they were quite tart. If you want a sweeter apple taste use a sweeter kind of apple. I bet the Honey-crisps that come out in the fall would be awesome in these.

This is Not your Gramma's Pie Filling!

Several yrs ago I found a recipe for an Apple Cider Pie. It was awesome and from that day on, I would make this pie for Thanksgiving. http://mermaidstreasures.blogspot.com/2007/09/apple-cider-pie.html

But this requires you to boil down a bottle of cider to make a thick syrup to add to your mix. Sometimes I just dont have time. And then I ran across a recipe for canned pie filling. I just bought several lbs. of Honeycrisp apples. These are a fairly new apple but very tasty to eat out of hand. They are sweet and yet a bit tart, very, very good. And so I decided to make some pie filling to keep on hand, using these apples.

I can never leave a recipe alone. I read them and then think ooooo I could use this or .......maybe Ill add this and change that. And so I did this with the filling recipe only I added the things that would make it the wonderful apple cider pie filling instead so I could have that anytime. Now you dont cook the cider down for this, it gets thickened tho. But it tastes heavenly!

Apple Pie Filling  Makes 7 qts.

4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 cups apple cider
Juice of one lemon
7 quarts peeled, cored and sliced apples (about 7lbs.) (Toss with some Fruit fresh or Vit. C.)

Place a rack in the bottom of a large stock pot. Fill pot with hot water. Sterilize 7 1-quart canning jars, 7 lids, and 7 rings by placing on rack, jars upright. Bring water to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Remove with a holder and allow jars to air-dry. Save water for processing apples.

(Sorry for fuzzy pic but this is the thickened syrup to fill the jars with)

Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cider in a large saucepan. Place over high heat and cook until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

 Tightly pack apples into sterilized jars. Slowly pour syrup over apples, covering them completely. Gently tap jars on counter top to allow air bubbles to rise. If syrup doesn't drip down, run a butter knife around the sides and up and down till it starts to fill in. Keep doing it till the jar is full. Leave 1in. head space. Be sure to wipe off rims and threads of jar so it will seal good.  Screw lids on jars.

Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Add more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes.
Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight (lid doesn't move up or down at all). Sealed jars can be stored for up to a year.

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Ok , I tested this today. I used one jar and made an Apple Streusel pie..........it was the bomb! This apple filling is the best Ive ever had. The Honeycrisp apples were very good too.

Apple Pie with Oatmeal Pecan Streusel and Butter Crust

This pie is a compilation of a couple recipes. This is the first time however that Ive made an all butter pie crust and I just love it. You could smell the buttery, cinnamony aroma in the house and I was just dying to have a piece. I like the idea of oatmeal added to the streusel. While it is a dessert, anything that can make something like this just a wee bit healthier is always good. :) It made the streusel a bit chewier too which I liked. And of course the pecans added just worked good with all the buttery flavor going on. This is a winner!!

Apple Pie with Oatmeal Pecan Streusel and Butter Crust

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Juice of one lemon
3/4 c. sugar........I use half reg. white sugar and half dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
3 tb.flour

Pour juice of one lemon over sliced apples in lg. bowl. Toss to coat. Add rest of ingredients. Mix all together. Let sit while making rest of recipe.

Butter Pastry Pie crust

6 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. granulated sugar
3/8 tsp. table salt
4 oz. (8 Tbs.)  butter, room temp.
3 to 4 Tbs. ice water

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a rubber spatula or a fork to combine. Add the butter to the bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture using pastry blender or two forks till crumbly. Add water and toss with a fork till all water is absorbed. Press into a ball and refrigerate while making streusel.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Oatmeal Pecan Streusel

4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. table salt
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
1/2c. pecans, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture. When butter is absorbed thru out the mixture toss in the pecans. 

 

Roll out pie crust on a floured board and fit into a 10inch pie plate. Crimp edges. Sprinkle 1 tb. flour over the bottom of crust. Pour apples into prepared crust and arrange so its evenly distributed. Take handfuls of streusel and squeeze together before sprinkling on top of apples in pie. Do this to make large streusel crumbs. It will be crumbly but to get some chunks and some not......the squeezing helps. Distribute this evenly over apples and put in hot oven. Bake for 55-60min. or till crust is browned and pie is bubbling. Serve warm or cold.

Rustic Almond/Peach Galette or what to do with a bag of peaches....

Yesterday somebody rang our doorbell and my bf got to it before me. Some boys handed him a bag of peaches right from the tree, still had a few leaves as you can see. I'm not sure what boys they were but its probably someone lil man played with. I got to the door late and didn't really see them good. So it sort of bugs me cuz I don't know who to thank. But it was nice of them.

I find out tho my bf doesn't like peaches. OMG.........they are my fav fruit, that and nectarines. If I get a choice of one of those I always pick them. I have to use them soon and my bf left again for a few days. Every time I think its the last trip....there's another that's supposed to be the last trip lol. So while hes gone I figure I might as well bake something with these. I decided on a galette instead of just a pie. I wanted something special since there's less than a dozen peaches.

I wandered online looking at peach recipes and picked a lil of this and that and decided to put it together to make my own. Here's the result.

This galette is awesome. Its not real sweet and yet its rich. The pure peach flavor comes thru followed by a bit of almond and sweet. The crust is a bit crunchy due to the cornmeal and tastes alot like shortbread cookies but not sweet at all. I didn't make the topping but you can if you want.

The crust is thicker on the sides but with spreading the almond paste up the side you get some of that with it. This is rich but so good.

Rustic Almond/Peach Galette Makes 6-8 servings

For almond paste:
1/2c. whole almonds
1/2c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg

For crust:
1 1/2c flour
1/4c. yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tb. sugar
10tb. unsalted butter
Ice water if needed

For filling:
8 fresh peaches, peeled and pitted, then sliced
A nice drizzle of honey..maybe 1-2tb.
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Topping after baking:
1c. creme fraiche or sour cream
4tb. sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
For the almond paste put almonds and sugar in a food processor and process till ground fine. Add extract and egg and process till blended. Put in a sm. bowl for later.
For crust put first 4 ingredients in the processor and mix well. Add the butter all at once making sure its still cold when you add it. Process till butter is worked into other ingredients and beginning to hold together. Add ice water a tb. at a time if needed to make the dough stick together. Chill dough while making filling.

Peel and pit peaches then slice into 1/2in thick slices. Drizzle with the honey and cinnamon and mix well. Put aside.


I used one 10in. pie plate. Take dough out and sprinkle board with flour. Put dough on flour and roll gently. This dough is sticky and doesn't roll well but at least try to get a rustic circle to put in the pie plate. You wont be able to roll it out completely. Put the partially rolled dough in the pie plate. Press from center out to sides to make it fit the pan. Work your way up and let the edges roll over the pie plate and look messy. Its alright, its a rustic pie and the raggedy bits wont matter. Patch and push as you go till it covers the pie plate and has some hang over.

Spread the almond paste in the bottom. Work some of that partially up the sides too. Then top with the peach filling. Gently bring the ragged edges over the pie. Pull the dough away from the edges too so its a flat pie. Patch if you need too and don't worry. It all looks good after baking and part of the charm is its rustic. When you have it done how you like, sprinkle some sugar over the whole thing and put in the oven.

Bake for 40-50 min. till brown and bubbly.

Mix sour cream and sugar and top the galette if you like. Honestly tho it doesn't really need it. This just adds another layer of flavor tho.

Sea's Creamy, Crummy Blueberry Pie

We love blueberries around here so when I went to Costco. this week I bought a big container full. When I got it home I realized, that was a lot of blueberries. I'd freeze them for later on but I'm trying to clean out the freezers for the move. So I decided to try to use as many as I could in a pie. I found a recipe for a creamy blueberry pie and made some changes. This is what I came up with:

Creamy Crummy Blueberry Pie Makes 1 10in. deep dish pie

5 cups fresh blueberries
1 (10 inch) deep dish pie crust
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tb. white sugar
1 tb. flour


1. Combine the 1tb of white sugar with the 1tb. flour. Roll out pastry and fit to pie plate. Trim edge decoratively. Sprinkle the sugar/flour mixture over the bottom and sides of the pie shell. This is to absorb any extra juices and keep the crust from getting soggy.

2. Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, cinnamon and salt. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, stirring until blended.

3. Place blueberries in pastry shell, and spoon sour cream mixture over berries.

4. In another bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Cut in butter or margarine with pastry blender until mixture resembles course meal.

Sprinkle this mixture over sour cream mixture and berries in the pie shell. We like big crumbs so I squeeze some together in my hand first , then sprinkle the chunks over the berries.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Rosehips

I bought a pound of dried rosehips from an herb supplier. Ive had them in tea and like them so I thought Id like to have some on hand here. I have roses growing all the time on my property and have never done a thing with the hips. So since its winter and Im thinking of spring I thought Id like to gather a few recipes I would like to try using rosehips. Hopefully some of these will inspire you to use them too.

Rose Hips-

The rose hip and rose haw, is the pomaceous fruit of the rose plant, that typically is red-to-orange, but might be dark purple-to-black in some species. Contrary to the fairly common myth, rosehips are not poisonous.

Rose hips of some species, especially Rosa canina (Dog Rose) and R. majalis, have been used as a source of Vitamin C. Rose hips are commonly used as an herbal tea, often blended with hibiscus and as an oil. They can also be used to make jam, jelly, marmalade and wine. Rose hip soup, "nyponsoppa," is especially popular in Sweden. Rhodomel, a type of mead, is made with rose hips.

Some species of rose are sometimes referred to as rose hip, including Rosa canina (dog rose), R. rubiginosa, and R. moschata (Musk-rose)

Kodiak Rose Hip Tea

Rose hips give a fruity hint of floral flavor to lightly spiced hot tea. If you are so inclined, spike it with a bit of Grand Marnier for a delicious hot toddy.

* 1 tea bag
* 1 Tablespoon dried rose hips
* 3 to 4 whole cloves
* Sugar or honey to taste
* 1 cup boiling water

Preparation:
Steep tea bag, rose hips, and cloves in boiling water for five minutes. Remove hips and cloves. Reheat if desired. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey. Yield: 1 serving

Drying Rose Hips and Rose Hips Puree

4 cups of rose hips

Preparation:
Just after a frost is the best time to gather rose hips. Snap off the tails as you pick,or later when you reach home. Spread the hips out on a clean surface and allow to dry partially. When the skins begin to feel dried and shriveled, split the hips and take out the large seeds -- all of them. If you let the hips dry too much, it will be difficult to remove the seeds. If not dry enough, the inside pulp will be sticky and cling to the seeds. After the seeds are removed, allow the hips to dry completely before storing or they will not keep well. Store in small, sealed plastic bags. These will keep indefinitely in the freezer or for several months in the refrigerator. They are packed with vitamin C and are good to munch on anytime you need extra energy...or a moderately sweet nutlike "candy."

Making Puree:
Use soft ripe rose hips (the riper they are, the sweeter they are). It takes about 4 cups of rose hips to make 2 cups of puree. Remove stalks and blossom ends. Rinse berries in cold water. Put them into a pan and add enough water to almost cover. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Press through a sieve or strainer. All that does not go through the sieve is placed in the pan again. Add a little water, enough to almost cover, if you want a thicker puree, add slightly less. This time heat but do not boil so vigorously. This will dissolve a little more of the fruit so that it will go through the sieve. Press again and then repeat the process one more time. By now, most of the fruit should have gone through the sieve leaving only seeds and skin to discard.

Drying Puree or making "leather":
Line a cookie sheet, 12 by 17 inches, with plastic wrap. This size cookie sheet holds approximately 2 cups of puree. Spread puree or fruit leather evenly over the plastic but do not push it completely to the sides. Leave a bit of plastic showing for easy removal. Place on a card table or picnic table in the hot sun to dry. If the plastic is bigger than the cookie sheet and extends up the sides, anchor it with clothes pins so it will not flop down and cover the edges of the leather. Puree should dry in the sun six to eight hours.

Rose Hip Apple Sauce

* Apples
* Rose hip juice

Preparation:
Cook apples for making sauce in rose hip juice, or cook rose hips and apples together and puree them using a sieve or other straining device to remove the seeds. Proceed with standard applesauce recipe.

Rose Hip Crumble Pie

* Pastry for single-crust 9-lnch pie
* 1 cup dried rose hips
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1-1/2 cups sifted flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* Dash of salt
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1-3/4 cups brown sugar
* 2 egg yolks, beaten
* 2 egg whites
* Pecan halves (optional)

Preparation:
Prepare pastry and line a pie pan. Soften rose hips in milk.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream in shortening and brown sugar, mixing well. This makes a crumbly mixture - reserve 1 cup for topping. To the remainder add the egg yolks, milk and rose hips. Beat the egg whites until peaks hold form. Fold into the berry mixture. Spoon into pie pan and sprinkle with the crumbly topping. Garnish with pecan halves, too, if you wish.

Bake at 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.) for 35 to 45 minutes or until pie appears well done. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Rosehip Jelly

* 4 quarts ripe rose hips
* 2 quarts water
* 1 package pectin crystals
* 5 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup lemon juice

Preparation:
Simmer rose hips in water until soft. Crush to mash, and strain through a jelly bag. Should make about 4 cups of rose hip juice.

Add to juice, lemon juice and pectin crystals and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. Stir sugar in at once. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove jelly from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Pour jelly into hot sterilized jars. Yield: about 5 cups

Rose Hip Nut Bread

* Juice of 1 orange plus water to make 1 cup
* 1/2 cup chopped raisins
* 3/4 cup seeded and chopped wild rose hips
* 2 Tablespoons melted butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1-1/2 cups flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup nuts or sunflower seeds

Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix the orange juice, raisins, rose hips, butter, vanilla, and egg. Sift together and then add the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended but do not overmix or bread will be dry and heavy. Gently stir in nuts or sunflower seeds. Spoon batter into a well-greased 5 x 8-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F. ( 175 degrees C.) for one hour. Yield: 1 loaf

Rose Hip Soup

* 1 quart rose hip juice or puree (fresh or canned)
* 2 to 4 Tablespoons honey
* 1 to 3 Tablespoons lemon juice or homemade cider vinegar, optional (Omit if using canned juice or puree.)
* 1 Tablespoon potato starch, cornstarch, or tapioca granules
* 6 (about) Tablespoons sour cream or yogurt, optional

Preparation:
Heat the rose hips juice or puree, honey, and lemon juice or vinegar. Adjust amounts of honey and lemon juice or vinegar to give a lively sweet tart flavor.

Mix the starch or tapioca in enough cold water to moisten it, and stir it in. Cook till the soup thickens slightly and clears. Float a spoon of sour cream or yogurt in each bowl of soup when it is served. Yield: 5 to 6 medium bowls

Variations
Using Dried Rose Hips:
Soak l/2 cup dried rose hips in a quart of water for a few minutes, then cook till soft. Mash with a fork and strain, reserving liquid. Add another cup of water to the pulp. heat to a boil, then strain. Combine the juice from both strainings and use for making the soup.

Rose Hip Pudding:
Add honey to taste, and increase starch or tapioca to 5-6 tablespoons. After it has thickened pour the pudding into individual dishes or into a serving dish to cool. The flavor is brisk and very fruity.

Rose Hip Syrup

* 4 cups rose hips
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup sugar

Preparation:
Wash rose hips thoroughly. Remove stems and flower remnants. Boil hips and water for 20 minutes in a covered saucepan. Strain through a jelly bag. Return clear juice to kettle. Add sugar. stir well and boil five minutes. Refrigerate until used.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

This year for Thanksgiving I tried a new pie. We just love pumpkin pie but I found out my bf love pecan pie too. So I stumbled across this recipe and mentioned it to him. He thought it would be awesome.........and it was!

Its a Pumpkin Pecan Pie and OMG IT WAS HEAVENLY. It is my new favorite pie and one Ill be making every yr. from now on. Its so good it didn't even need whipped cream. I think that would have just dulled down the flavors.

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Layer:
* 3/4 c canned pumpkin
* 1/2 c granulated sugar
* 1 egg
* 2 tb sour cream
* 2 tb egg nog
* 1/4 ts ground ginger
* 1/2 ts ground cinnamon
* 1/8 ts ground cloves
* 1/8 ts ground nutmeg
* 1/4 ts salt

Pecan Layer
* 1/2 c dark brown sugar packed
* 3/4 c dark corn syrup
* 2 eggs
* 1 tb butter melted
* 1 ts vanilla
* 1 c pecans halves or pieces

For Pumpkin Layer: In med. bowl, whisk together pumpkin, granulated sugar, egg, egg nog, sour cream, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

For Pecan Layer: In separate bowl combine brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, butter and vanilla and mix until smooth. Stir in pecans.

To Assemble: Spoon pumpkin mixture into unbaked pie shell, smoothing top. Then very carefully spoon pecan layer over top, being careful to keep layers separate.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 350 and bake pie 25 to 30 minutes longer or until filling is slightly puffy and pecan layer is just set. Cool on wire rack.

***This year I found something called Pumpkin Spice eggnog. I found out I like it in coffee. Its not a bad substitute for the Starbucks latte. This pie calls for a bit of eggnog too and I thought why not use that also. Its not alot but I figured it could only add to the pie flavors with the spices of its own.

Steak and Kidney Pie

The cooler weather is coming and it makes me think of casseroles. Not everyone likes kidneys so I know not everyone will be interested in this recipe. I can say however this dish is excellent. My mom used to make kidney stew and it had a distinctive smell in the house. Some say it smells like pee, I think its just because they think of what it is and smell that. However the best kidneys to use are lamb or veal kidneys. They are much smaller and tender. My mom used to buy beef kidneys tho and cleaned them and cut them up. I grew up with that and since I love strong flavors it never bothered me.

However this recipe calls for the lamb kidneys and I have used them. It is much better with those. You can soak the kidneys in milk for a hr or so tho. It is said that will tame the smells and strong flavor some.

I once made this for a potluck. We used to have different kinds of potlucks at the Yacht club where we had our sailboat. This wasn't one of 'THOSE' kind of yacht clubs, we were the poorer folks . So we made our own fun. Someone suggested having an English Potluck. I laughed because I know about food and knew ........ummmmmmm how many things could possibly qualify for that? But I volunteered to make Steak and Kidney pie.

I had to search all over just to find any kind of kidneys for it around here. That sort of surprised me because I know on the east coast that stuff was always right there in the stores. Different out west I guess. But eventually I found enough to make this dish. Another sneaky reason for offering to make this was, I figured no one would eat it. Since I don't make it just for myself, I expected leftovers to bring home :) I thought I was being so sneaky and smart.

There was none left!!!!!!!! Honestly ......and they knew what it was too! And I heard them say ....omg you gotta taste this!! to others. So I know for a fact this is a good recipe. It was given to me by a dear lady I knew who belonged to our Ladies gourmet group in NJ. We would meet once a month and have a themed meal, with recipes we all had to cook and bring. My friend Myra had an English meal featuring this dish. She was an English lady who had been married to an Egyptian man and lived in Egypt awhile too. Myra has passed on now but her dishes go on. THANK YOU MYRA FOR SOME GOOD RECIPES!!!

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

3lbs. stewing beef (chuck takes awhile, round is shorter cooking time)
1 lb. lamb or veal kidneys
1 tb. flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 can beef bouillon and 1 can water
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 c. red wine
Puff pastry ( I just buy it in the frozen foods area)

Cut beef and kidneys into small cubes, roll in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry in a bit of oil to brown and seal in juices. Saute onions next. Add broth, water, wine and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer slowly till meat is nearly tender. Put meat in casserole. Cover with puff pastry. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 25 min., then lower heat to 300 degrees for a further 10 min.

Aunt Marthas Tropical Fruit Pie

Yes there really was an Aunt Martha. The lady in the middle of the picture here is her when she was still alive. My Uncle Frank is sitting next to her. He was my dads oldest brother. Aunt Martha used to make this pie for picnics when we had them. They were so good on a hot summers day that it became a regular request when we knew she could make it to a party. This can be made into two 8in. pies or 12 tarts. And it can be frozen ahead of time too. We actually even like it frozen cuz its like eating ice cream.

I looked online tho for a picture of it since I don't have any here right now. Its summertime and I haven't made any yet. I was rather surprised that I couldn't find any pictures since its made with some store bought items. This picture I found tho is very close to what it actually looks like. The filling looks just like this when done only of course its a wedge, since its a pie......or round if you use the tarts.

I even looked on the Cool Whip site and the Eagle brand site. So I don't know if this is her version of another kind of pie out there or she just made this up. Either way, Aunt Martha was a good cook and when we make this we think of her.


Tropical Fruit Pie Makes 2 8inch pies or 12 tarts

1 lg. container Cool Whip
1/2 pt. sour cream
1 small 14oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4c. lemon juice
1 small can mandarin oranges
1 small can pineapple chunks (or tidbits if you can find them)
1 small jar maraschino cherries, chopped
2 graham cracker pie crusts (8in.) or 12 graham cracker tart shells

shredded coconut

Drain fruit and chop. Mix first 4 ingredients. Add chopped fruit and mix well. Fill graham cracker crusts. Refrigerate 3-4 hrs. Top with coconut (opt.)

Sometimes when I know Ill be busy Ill make these and freeze them. They keep well. Then when you need a dessert, just thaw a few hrs in the refrigerator. I will say it does taste good frozen too, just like ice cream.

CHICKEN PIES IN POTATO CRUSTS

1 (24oz) pkg. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

6 tb. butter or margarine, melted

1 1/2 tsp. salt - 1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 c. chopped onions

1/4c. butter or margarine

1/4c. flour

2 tsp. instant chicken bouillon

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. dried basil

2c. milk

3c. chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1c. frozen peas

Thaw the potato by pouring boiling water over them. Drain well, pat dry with paper towel. In bowl combine potatoes, 6tb. butter and salt and pepper. Press mixture in bottom and up sides of 6 ungreased 10 oz. casseroles or sm. crocks. In a fry pan cook onion in the 1/4c. butter till tender but not brown. Stir in flour, bouillon, Worcestershire and basil. Add milk, cook and stir till thick and bubbly. Stir in the chicken and peas. Divide amongst the casseroles. Can be made ahead and refrigerated at this point for several hrs., if desired. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 30-35min. or till potato crusts are lightly browned.

You can try different veggies added to this like corn or maybe add some frozen carrots to it with the peas. You could also add some cheese if you like things with a cheese sauce on them. Also try different herbs, thyme and a bit of rosemary would be good. You could mix some into the potatoes too. Its pretty much open to whatever you have in the house. I have frozen these to microwave later but if you need the crocks for other things then you might want to find something else to bake them in, like maybe some foil containers. I never liked chicken pot pies till I had this. I dont like the pastry crusts .

Meyer Lemon Pie ............YUM!

I have a Meyer Lemon bush in my yard. I always said when I came to CA. I was going to have one. For some reason I just didn't in my first house.........then when I moved to this town I planted one at the old house my ex kept. It was slow to produce but in a couple yrs it did. The day I left one of the movers who moved me asked if he could have some. Since it was now my ex's house and I really didn't care I said sure help yourself to as many as you want. The man picked a case of lemons! There were still some left on the bush too.

Then I moved here....I started doing some landscaping when I moved here 7yrs ago. I decided to plant another Meyer Lemon bush. Again it took a couple of yrs and I was just dying to have my own again. Finally about the 3rd yr. it took off. What you see up there is whats on it right now. Ive been using them all winter too. I kept promising my bf a lemon pie and yesterday I finally decided to do it. What you see below is my results.

MEYER LEMON MERINGUE PIE 8 servings

1 c. white sugar
2 tb. all purpose flour
3 tb.. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. water
2 lemons, juiced and zested, finely mince the zest
2 tb. butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 (9in.) pie shell baked
4 egg whites
6 tb. white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make filling: In a med. saucepan, whisk together 1 c. sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and zest. Cook over med. high heat, stirring frequently, till mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Take off heat and stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small mixing bowl and gradually add about a 1/2c. of the hot sugar mixture. Whisk briskly into egg yolks otherwise eggs may scramble. This is to temper the eggs so they don't cook immediately when added back. Slowly whisk egg yolk mixture back into sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly till thick. Remove from heat and pour filling into baked shell.

To make Meringue: In a lg. glass bowl, whip egg whites till foamy. Slowly add remaining 6tb. sugar and continue to whip till still peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust. Bake in preheated oven for 10 min. or till meringue is golden.

I was feeling lazy tho and didn't want to make pie crust and had no store bought in the house. (Yes I use them alot, they are good and save time). but I did have some frozen puff pastry in the freezer so I took it out to thaw while making the other stuff. One sheet wouldn't cover the pie plate so I took a chance and doubled them and rolled them together. When I placed it in the pie pan I just tucked any overhanging edges under. I wont do it this way again. It was too thick and while the pastry tastes ok.....its really hard to cut with a fork! Me and the man were laughing at that last nite.... so if you use puff pastry, use one roll it well and hope for the best. It was an experiment for me. Otherwise the pie was just delicious!


This was what that pie shell looked like before filling. It puffed up so much I thought the filling might not fit but it was ok.


Adding the butter to the cooked and thickened sugar mixture.

Ingredients to finish filling.......beat those yolks, add a bit of that hot stuff to it and beat well again then pour and whisk back into that pan and finish cooking.


Pie shelled filled with finished lemon filling.


Ready for the oven, topped with meringue.


TA DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA .........FINISHED PIE.

Pie filling nice and firm not running when sliced , totally YUMMY!

ABOUT MEYER LEMONS

If you like the tang of lemons, but not the pucker, Meyer lemons are for you. They are not nearly as tart as conventional lemons, and their peel is slightly sweet. Like a regular lemon perfected, the color and juice are amped up and the peel is thinned down.

Like so much citrus fruit, the Meyer lemon was originally found in China. In 1905 the US Department of Agriculture hired Frank Meyer as a plant hunter and in 1908 he "discovered" the Meyer lemon in Peking (now Beijing). It is believed that the Meyer lemon is a hybrid between Citrus limon, the lemon, and Citrus reticulata, the mandarin orange. It is a very hardy plant and bears fruit from November through April.

Meyer lemons are great in many recipes where you would normally use regular lemons like souffle, lemon curd and with seafood, but you can also do so much more with them. The easiest way to use them might be in salad dressing. Because they aren't as tart as regular lemons they make a fruitier more complex vinaigrette. The peel is also very desirable so I recommend using it in recipes like marmalade or candied peel. If you end up with more than you can use, consider making Moroccan preserved lemons or freezing the juice in ice cube trays to use later.