A gifted pie baker at age 13!

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Kristina and I made 2 pies that day.  The other was a classic...Cherry Pie.  Since this is not my favorite pie I have always lightened up the flavor of the cherries with other fruits, in this instance, raspberries.  The result is a pie that almost tastes like jam.  A little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and you have life time memory in the works.

Cherry Raspberry Pie

Makes one 9” pie with a top lattice crust

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees for 20 minutes before baking the pie; bake at 450 for ten minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until brown.

Pie dough

Ingredients

2 cups of flour

1 Tbl white sugar

½ tsp salt

½ cup of unsalted butter, cut into cubes

½ cup of Crisco

¼ cup of ice water

Directions

Blend together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter and Crisco into the dry ingredients until it is the size of peas.  Add the water gradually with a fork.  Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for about an hour in the refrigerator.  Roll one of the dough balls out on a lightly floured surface until it will fit a 9” pie plate with about an inch or 2 of overhang.  Roll out the second ball and cut long strips about one inch wide with a pizza cutter.  This will be the lattice work for the top.  Fill the pie with the following filling:

Cherry filling

Ingredients

2 bags (2 ½ cups each bag) or 5 cups of frozen or fresh, pitted cherries, defrosted overnight

1 bag or 12 oz of frozen or fresh raspberries (defrosted)

1 ¼ cups sugar

1/3 cup flour

2 Tablespoons of tapioca (quick cook)

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, flour and tapioca.  Add the cherries, raspberries and almond extract.  Toss gently until the fruit is coated.  (If using frozen fruit, let it stand for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the fruit is partially thawed but still icy.)

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.  Cover the filling with a lattice top.  Brush the lattice work top and the fluted edges of the pie with one beaten egg and then sprinkle lattice work with 1 Tablespoon of white sugar.  Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Oh my, Coconut Pie

Coconut Cream Pie (the quick version)

My neighbor has been asking me for the past two years if I would teach her how to make a coconut cream pie.  I had time this week so she and I made this pie and also a Cherry-Raspberry Pie.  I don’t believe this one made it out of their house for the family dinner the next day.

I do make my own pie crust for this recipe, but I save time when making the filling.  I usually make the filling first and allow it to chill out in the refrigerator while baking the crust.  When the crust is cooled then I can pour the filling in it and allow a few hours for it to set up before serving.

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 boxes of Jell-O instant vanilla pudding and pie filling (4.5 oz boxes)

1 ¾ cups of coconut milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp coconut extract

1 cup toasted unsweetened, shredded coconut

Set aside another ½ cup or more of toasted, unsweetened, shredded coconut

You will need an additional cup of whipping cream to whip up and place on top of the pie before serving.  (Or if you prefer use canned whipped cream to top pie)

Directions:

Toast 1 ½ cups of coconut in a 350 degree oven until it is golden brown.

Mix all the ingredients together and beat it with an electric mixer for at least 2 minutes.  Fold in 1 cup of the toasted coconut.    Allow pie filling mixture to set up in the refrigerator while you make the pie crust.

Pie Crust (makes one standard 9-inch pie crust)

Preheated oven of 400 degrees

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon fine salt

¼ cup cold, unsalted butter

¼ cup Crisco

¼ cup cold water

1 egg white beaten

Butter

Butter a 9-inch pie plate and set it aside.

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Cut the butter and Crisco into the flour mixture until it resembles small pea size pieces.  Sprinkle cold water over the mixture and toss with a fork.  Gather the dough together into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or longer.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between two pieces of waxed paper until it is large enough to fit the pie plate with an inch of overhang.  Fold the excess dough under and crimp the edges or press the edges down with the tines of a fork.

Tear off a piece of foil about 20 inches long and place it in the pie crust leaving long “wings” on either side.  You will use these wings later as handles to lift out the pie weights.  Fill the foil with either metal pie weights or dry beans (which are reserved only for this purpose, you can’t eat them later).  Bake in a preheated, 400 degrees oven for 15 minutes.  Remove the pie crust from the oven, using the “wings” on the foil carefully remove the weights and foil, set aside, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Take a fork and prick the pie crust all over, about 10 or 15 times.  Put the pie crust back in the oven for another 15 minutes.  Take the pie crust out and paint the entire surface of the crust with the beaten egg white, this is what will keep it from getting soggy.  Put the pie crust back in the oven for 2 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place the pie shell on a rack to cool.  When completely cool, fill, refrigerate for at least one hour.

 Top the pie with whipped cream, canned or fresh whipped, and sprinkle with reserved

½ cup toasted coconut.  Serves 8 or more.

Pie Baking Time

I love to bake pies this time of year.  Lemon Meringue is a favorite of many.  I have found this recipe is my best one:

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

Pie Crust (makes one standard 9-inch pie crust)

Preheated oven of 400 degrees

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon fine salt

¼ cup cold, unsalted butter

¼ cup Crisco

¼ cup cold water

1 egg white beaten

Butter

Butter a 9-inch pie plate and set it aside.

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Cut the butter and Crisco into the flour mixture until it resembles small pea size pieces.  Sprinkle cold water over the mixture and toss with a fork.  Gather the dough together into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or longer.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between two pieces of waxed paper until it is large enough to fit the pie plate with an inch of overhang.  Fold the excess dough under and crimp the edges or press the edges down with the tines of a fork.

Tear off a piece of foil about 20 inches long and place it in the pie crust leaving long “wings” on either side.  You will use these wings later as handles to lift out the pie weights.  Fill the foil with either metal pie weights or dry beans (which are reserved only for this purpose, you can’t eat them later).  Bake in a preheated, 400 degrees oven for 15 minutes.  Remove the pie crust from the oven, using the “wings” on the foil carefully remove the weights and foil, set aside, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Take a fork and prick the pie crust all over, about 10 or 15 times.  Put the pie crust back in the oven for another 15 minutes.  Take the pie crust out and paint the entire surface of the crust with the beaten egg white, this is what will keep it from getting soggy.  Put the pie crust back in the oven for 2 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place the pie shell on a rack to cool while you make the filling.

Lemon Filling

1 cup white sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

A pinch of salt

1 ½ cups cold water

3 egg yolks, beaten (save the egg whites for later)

Grated peel of one lemon

¼ cup FRESH lemon juice

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Mix the cornstarch, sugar, salt, water, and egg yolks together in a sauce pan and place over medium heat.  Stirring mixture constantly, bring it to a boil (about 8 to 10 minutes) then reduce the heat to low.  Continue to cook and stir the mixture for one minute or so until it becomes very thick.  Turn off the heat and remove the sauce pan from the burner. Now you can add the lemon juice, lemon zest and butter stirring the mixture until it is smooth.  Pour the hot filling into the prepared pie crust.  Cover the lemon filling with plastic wrap until you are ready to put the meringue on top.  Make the meringue.

Meringue Topping

6 egg whites separated earlier and allowed to come to room temperature

½ cup of white sugar

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

A pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites until they hold a soft peak.  Beat in the cream of tartar and salt.  Gradually add the sugar a few tablespoons at a time until all of the sugar has been added.  Continue to beat the egg whites until they are thick and glossy but not dry.  Remove the plastic wrap from the lemon filling.  Mound the meringue in the center of the pie, spread it out to the edges and make sure it is touching the crust and sealed all the way around. (If it is not sealed it will shrink and pull away from the edges.)  Use the back of a spoon to make the swirls all over the pie.  Place in the hot oven to brown.  Do not walk away; this will only take a few minutes.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  After the pie has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.  Cut with a wet, serrated knife, wiping off the knife between each cut.

Home Made Biscuits--get 'em while they're hot

Here is my article for the The Bolton Common.  Biscuits are a year round favorite either as a side with a savory dish or sweetened up with honey butter and served for breakfast.  Cut them out with a larger cookie cutter and you could make little breakfast sandwiches out of them.

The Mixing Bowl

By Renee Zarate

The next time you are asked to bring the rolls or biscuits to a family dinner consider making these baking powder biscuits.  Biscuits are considered a “quick bread” because they are leavened with baking powder instead of yeast.   They don’t take long to make and can be frozen weeks in advance of an event and then baked fresh that day.  Unbaked homemade biscuits are great to keep on hand in the freezer for a weekend brunch, too.  Just imagine how wonderful it would be to wake up to the aroma of fresh baked biscuits.  Biscuits are so versatile you can serve them with savory gravy or a little butter with a spoonful of jam.  They are a delicious addition to almost any meal.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Makes 2 dozen depending on size of cutter

Ingredients

6 cups of flour

½ cup of instant non-fat powdered milk

¼ cup baking powder

¼ cup white granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

2 cups of shortening like Crisco

1 ½ cups of water (or a little more)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees for about 30 minutes before actually baking the biscuits.  In a large bowl mix all of the dry ingredients together.   Cut the shortening into the dry mixture with either a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Slowly add the 1 ½ cups of water until the dry mix is moistened; if it seems too dry you can add ¼ to ½ cup more water.  Gather it together in your hands until it forms a ball of dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it 8 to 10 times, until it feels smooth.  Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is ¾” thick.  Using a 2 ½” circle cutter, dip the cutter in flour then cut the biscuits.  Place the biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1” apart and bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the tops are golden brown.

To freeze:  Prepare the recipe as above but do not bake.  Instead place the shaped, uncooked biscuits on a cookie sheet and quick freeze them.  Remove the biscuits from the cookie sheet after they are frozen and drop them into a plastic freezer bag.  When you want to serve the biscuits, preheat the oven to 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Remove the frozen biscuits from the plastic bag (do not thaw) and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1” apart, bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Lights Out

We finally have power restored after 5 days of darkness.  Whew.  The storm came through last Saturday, the lights went out Saturday night at 7pm and were finally restored on Thursday night at 7:30 pm.  I sure do appreciate electricity but we managed just fine with all of our camping gear.  So, you might ask "what was for dinner?"  This was our best effort using a camp stove with 2 burners and a lantern.

Bow Tie Pasta with Salmon

Cook 1/2 of the box of Bow Tie pasta following the directions on the box.  Let it cook until it is just a little al dente or a little chewy.  Save about 1 cup of the pasta water to thicken the sauce if necessary.

Ingredients
6 oz of uncooked salmon
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of fresh green beans, roughly chopped
nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon)
garlic salt (1/2 teaspoon or more depending on your taste)
paprika (a couple of dashes for color)
fresh ground pepper
fresh or dried parsley (a handful chopped if fresh, about 2 Tablespoons if it is dried)

grated lemon peel from one lemon
capers (optional)
Havarti cheese with dill, shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Start by pan frying the salmon in the butter until it is seared on both sides.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add the shallots, garlic and green beans to the same pan taking care not to brown the butter.  Add all of the seasonings to taste then chop the salmon and add it back into the pan with all the veggies, etc.  Cook together until the salmon is cooked through.  Add the perfectly cooked bow tie pasta to the skillet and mix everything together adding pasta water to make a sauce.  Pour the contents of skillet into a serving dish and top the mixture with grated lemon peel, capers, and your choice of cheese.  Serve immediately.
2 to 4 servings