The Bolton Fair Pie Project

Every year for the past 9 years I have entered exhibits in the Bolton Fair.  Submitting things in the Fair with the hope that maybe I would get a ribbon has been a dream since childhood.  Of course there was no way my parents were going to drive me around to do that sort of nonsense when I was little.  So I feel like I have been living that dream since I moved to New England.

This year I only entered 2 pies.  A traditional New England Apple Pie and a Strawberry-Rhubarb pie.  I am going to post both of those recipes on my blog today.  I found the quest for the perfect apple pie to be much harder than I ever thought it would be.  I do think I finally have a simple straightforward recipe that works.  I think the judge this time thought so too.  I got a first place ribbon for both pies and a Best of Show for the apple pie.  The judge did suggest that next time I add a Granny Smith apple to the mix, which I will gladly do.  The rhubarb pie is so old fashioned I decided to write my Mixing Bowl column based on that recipe.

Traditional Apple Pie

Makes one double crust 9 inch pie

Pastry:

2 Cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup of Crisco

2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/3 cup of iced water

Filling:

10 crisp, tart apples (I used 5 Macouns and 5 Braeburns)

½ - ¾ cup white sugar (depending on tartness of apples)

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon boiled apple cider

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 Tablespoon flour

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Make the pastry:

1. Mix the flour and salt together with a fork in a large bowl.
2. Cut the shortening and butter into the flour with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas.
3. Slowly add the ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough is moist and can be gathered together into a ball.
4. Divide the dough in two and press each half into a disc shape.
5. Wrap dough discs in plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or longer.
6. Roll the bottom crust out first and line a 9 inch pie pan.  Refrigerate while you roll out the second disc, use this for the top crust. 

Pie filling:

1. Pare core and slice the apples.
2. Combine the sliced apples in a large bowl with the sugars, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour.
3. Fill the prepared pie crust with the apple mixture making sure the center is mounded a little higher.
4. Dot the surface with 1 tablespoon of butter.
5. Place rolled upper crust on top, flute edges and cut vent holes.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for the first 15 minutes then reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 45 minutes until crust is brown and apples are tender when tested with a skewer.  If the pie is browning too much or too quickly, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Pie Pops

Last month I did a column for the Bolton Common on cake pops. I couldn't decide which were better the cake or pie "pops". When in doubt bake both and let the neighbors decide which is better. The kids all seemed to enjoy the cake pops the best and the pie pops were a close second. So last month cake and this month pie. Here's what I wrote:

The Mixing Bowl

By Renee Zarate

Summer is a great time to bake fruit filled pies.  However, there are times when just a few bites of pie would be nice rather than eating an entire piece.  This is a fun dessert that even the kids can get involved in making and looks really cute.  You can use cookie cutters to get different shapes or just use a 2 inch circle cutter and keep it simple.  I have found the lollipop sticks at craft stores work perfect.  The craft stores even have little plastic bags with twist ties to keep the “pies” fresh and easy to transport.  You can use your favorite jam as pie filling.  With a box of frozen pie crust in the freezer and a jar of jam from the pantry these treats can be made quickly any time of the year.

Pie Pops

Makes 24 two-inch round pie pops (the shape and size of the cutter will affect the yield)

Ingredients:

2 Pillsbury 9” frozen pie crusts (there are 2 pie crusts in one box)

Jam

24 Lollipop sticks with matching bags and twist ties (found at Michael’s or A.C. Moore)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Follow the directions on the pie crust box.  Unroll the dough on a lightly floured surface.  I used a 2 inch circle cutter but I have also made these using a large leaf cookie cutter.  Place the cut out dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat non stick baking sheet.  Press a lollipop stick in the center of the cut out.  Spoon ½ teaspoon of jam in the center, I used strawberry but you can use whatever your favorite is.  Dip your finger in some water and run it all lightly around the edge of the cut out dough, this will be the glue that binds the top crust to the bottom.  Top the cut out with another piece of dough and press the edges together with the tines of a fork.  When the cookie sheet is full, place the pies in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until they are brown.  Allow to cool on the cookie sheet.  Carefully remove and dust with powdered sugar.  At this point if you choose to put them in the little bags you can do so and either tie with a ribbon or seal with the little twist ties.

Heat Wave!

It is soooooo hot here!  All I can think of is soaking in the cool waters of the Caribbean, sailing around the islands every day, snorkeling randomly.  Drinking icy rum drinks with little umbrellas.  Watching the full moon come up over the water.  Hmmmm....sounds good!

Puff Piece

This week marked an end to my 90 day work experience at BHL in Framingham.  They treated me very kindly while I was there so as a going away gift to my fellow employees I wanted to make them all feel special with some desserts.  On Monday I brought in my fruit and cream filled puff pastry dessert, which I like to call a Napolean, and of course my Chocolate Walnut Torte.  It seems like so many people are allergic to nuts now a days so the puff pastry dessert is an easy alternative, plus it goes a long ways!  It was so yummy I thought it would be a perfect "Mixing Bowl" feature for this month.

THE MIXING BOWL

By Renee Zarate

“PUFF PIECE”

When I was first learning how to cook I thought I had to make everything from scratch.   Puff Pastry scared me to death and took me almost the entire day to make.   With age comes wisdom and I found out that some shortcuts are quite acceptable.   Puff Pastry is definitely one of them!  If you have not already tried frozen puff pastry sheets now is your chance.  It takes all the fear out of preparing a beautiful and delicious dessert that looks like you spent all day in the kitchen when in reality it can be made in less than an hour.

Puff Pastry with cream and fruit filling

½ pkg of a 17.3 oz. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets  (1 sheet) 

Remove one sheet of puff pastry from the box and thaw at room temperature for about an hour before using.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray it with Pam.  Gently unfold the pastry sheet and place in on a lightly floured surface.  Cut the sheet into three pieces using the fold lines as a guide.  Be careful not to drag your knife, just cut straight down on the pastry, this way you will get the maximum “puff” or height out of the pastry dough.  Place on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until it is golden brown.  Cool on a rack and then split each of the three pastry “logs” in half lengthwise.  You will have three tops and three bottoms.  You can fill these buttery, flaky pastries with all kinds of fillings such as:  ice cream, chocolate pudding, whipped cream, fruit, etc.  The following is one of my favorites.

Vanilla cream and fruit filling

2 pkgs (3.4 oz each) of Jello instant pudding and pie filling

2 cups of milk or Half and Half

1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract

1 cup whipped cream or 1 cup of frozen whipped topping (Coolwhip)

1 quart of strawberries or mixed fresh berries cut and sweetened with 1 Tbl of sugar

(Or if you prefer several fresh, ripe bananas cut up instead of berries or fresh peaches when they are in season)

In a medium sized bowl, mix the two boxes of pudding together and blend in 2 cups of milk along with the vanilla, beat for 2 minutes.  After it has set up for about 5 minutes in the refrigerator fold in the whipped cream or the thawed Coolwhip.  (You can add more whipped cream or Coolwhip if you desire.)  Cover this mixture and refrigerate it until you are ready to assemble the dessert.

Place all three of the “bottom” crusts of the pastry logs on the serving tray.  Divide the cream filling into three portions and spread each portion on one of the pastry bottoms.  Ladle your choice of fruit on top of the cream filling then top each with the remaining pastry “tops”.  Sift powdered sugar across the top of the entire dessert tray and you are ready to serve it.

You can refrigerate this completed dessert for up to four hours or serve immediately.  Use a serrated knife for easier slicing, just wipe off the knife after each cut with a wet towel.  It will serve 12 or more.

The Altered Alice Challenge

I love "The Altered Alice" blog and have finally decided to submit a card.  The card I created is the Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland late for the tea party since the theme is "TIME".
First I applied the new Bo-Bunny "Time" paper to the sticky back portion of a sheet of Sticky Back Canvas.  After soaking the canvas in water I rubbed off the paper which left only the clocks.  After allowing the new clock fabric to dry thoroughly, I cut a piece of the fabric off and sewed it to a large ready made background "tag" card which had been edged with brown and blue distress ink (Ranger Broken China & Vintage Photo).
Then distressed and attached a piece of red cardstock with several staples.  Stamped the rabbit on a mailing tag and then stamped clocks (both stamps are from Greetings from Wonderland SL25 by clearartstamps.com) randomly around the rabbit.  Distressed with Tattered Angels glimmer mist, blue, coffee and green.
After the mists dried I glued circles of mica to the clock faces.  I layered the mailing tag on to the card.  Now I added the large metal clock with E-6000 glue and tied a piece of measuring tape ribbon to the top of the card.

Brunch pastries

I love the photos of my beautiful grandsons!  Here's a recipe for one of their favorite pastries, I sent it into the newspaper last week.  When I was visiting some people in Utah 40 years ago the lady of the house had just won first place at the Fair with this showstopper.  It is still one of my favorites all these years later.

THE MIXING BOWL

By Renee Zarate

ALMOND JOY!

Almond Pastry

This almond pastry has a delicate flavor and is so light it melts in your mouth.  It consists of an unusual combination of pie crust and a paste similar to cream puff dough baked together and then simply glazed with an almond flavored icing.  To make it complete just roast a handful of sliced almonds in a skillet until golden brown and sprinkle them over the two pastries.

Pastry:

½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup of flour                           

2 Tbl. water

Choux Paste

1 cup water

½ cup unsalted butter

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten together, brought to room temperature

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut 1/2 cup butter into 1 cup of flour with a pastry blender.  Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of water over the mixture.  Round the dough into a ball and divide it into two pieces.  Pat each piece into a 12” by 3” strip on an ungreased cookie sheet (or if you prefer you can cover the cookie sheet with parchment paper).  The strips should be about 3” apart.  Set aside.

Combine 1 cup of water and ½ cup of unsalted butter in a medium sized saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil over medium high heat.   Remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of almond extract and 1 cup of flour. Return the pan to the heat and stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball, about one minute.  Remove the pan from the heat and add in the eggs all at once, beat the mixture until it is smooth.  (Do not return the pan to the heat.)  Divide the paste in half and spread one half over each of the pastry strips.  Bake for 60 minutes in a pre-heated oven.  The pastries should be a golden brown.  Cool on a rack.  Frost while warm.

Frosting:

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons of softened butter

1 ½ teaspoons of almond extract

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons of warm water

Beat this mixture by hand or with an electric mixer until it is smooth.  Drizzle this over the pastry while it is still warm.

Sprinkle one cup of toasted, sliced almonds over the top of the pastries

My Grand Kids