This was made for Thanksgiving dinner 2014
Pecan Pie Bubble Up via Plain Chicken
1 c Karo light Corn syrup
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
1 (12oz) can Pillsbury Grands Jr. Biscuits
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Whisk together corn syrup, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in chopped pecans. Cut biscuits into quarters and toss in pecan mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes.ml#howQqiEQhIh5zC4L.99
Showing posts with label pie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pie. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2015
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
30 Days of Pumpkin-Day Fourteen: Brownie Pumpkin Pie
I'm calling this Brownie Pumpkin Pie, from Brooke Bakes, a pie because I baked it in a pie pan. It doesn't have a traditional pastry crust. This pie consists of a brownie base and a pecan crumble topping with a thin layer of pumpkin pie filling sandwiched in the middle. Seriously, it's three desserts in one.
Mrblocko said it was to be put on the make again list. He rarely says this about any dessert I make. Yeah, he's one of those freaky people who isn't into sugar. At least he's not into sugar like I am. (For the record, I'm into sugar like I'm into breathing.)
I made zero changes to the recipe ingredient wise. I did have to bake it longer than the 40 min suggested on the recipe. It was difficult to tell when the brownie was cooked completely. The toothpick test was inconclusive due to the soft middle pumpkin layer. I decided it was done when the dessert pulled away from the pan and the top stopped looking shiny. If I were to change one thing about this recipe it would be to add some coconut to the topping and some chocolate chunks to the brownie base. Neither of these are necessary, but I think it would send this dessert over the top. Then again, a big ole scoop of caramel or cinnamon ice cream would too!
Pumpkin Brownie Pie from Brooke Bakes
Brownie layer:
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c plus 3 T sugar
1/4 c coconut oil, softened - You can substitute veg or canola oil (I used veg oil)
1 1/2 t vanilla
3/4 c flour
1 T cornstarch
1/4 c dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
Pumpkin Layer:
1 c canned pumpkin
1 t. vanilla
2 T almond or soy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1/3 c sugar
2 T cornstarch
2 t pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/4 tsp. cinn, 1/2 t. ginger, 1/4 t. nutmeg)
Pecan Topping:
1/4 c margarine
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
3/4 c roughly chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9" pie pan or 8x8" square baking pan.
For pumpkin brownie layer, together pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. Add flour, cocoa , cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and mix until smooth. Pour brownie batter into the prepared pie pan and spread it around evenly with a spatula.
For pumpkin pie layer, mix pumpkin, vanilla, and milk in large bowl. In small bowl, mix cornstarch, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix well until all clumps are gone. Pour pumpkin filling on top of brownie mixture in pan. Spread evenly with a spatuala.
For pecan topping, mix margarine, br sugar, flour, and pecans in a small bowl until combined. Sprinkle evenly on top of pumpkin layer.
Bake 35-40 min (I needed 55min), then remove from oven and cool for 20-30 min on wire rack. Move to fridge to chill for at least 1 hr before slicing and serving. Can be served warm or cold. I thought it tasted best frozen.
Mrblocko said it was to be put on the make again list. He rarely says this about any dessert I make. Yeah, he's one of those freaky people who isn't into sugar. At least he's not into sugar like I am. (For the record, I'm into sugar like I'm into breathing.)
I made zero changes to the recipe ingredient wise. I did have to bake it longer than the 40 min suggested on the recipe. It was difficult to tell when the brownie was cooked completely. The toothpick test was inconclusive due to the soft middle pumpkin layer. I decided it was done when the dessert pulled away from the pan and the top stopped looking shiny. If I were to change one thing about this recipe it would be to add some coconut to the topping and some chocolate chunks to the brownie base. Neither of these are necessary, but I think it would send this dessert over the top. Then again, a big ole scoop of caramel or cinnamon ice cream would too!
Pumpkin Brownie Pie from Brooke Bakes
Brownie layer:
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c plus 3 T sugar
1/4 c coconut oil, softened - You can substitute veg or canola oil (I used veg oil)
1 1/2 t vanilla
3/4 c flour
1 T cornstarch
1/4 c dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
Pumpkin Layer:
1 c canned pumpkin
1 t. vanilla
2 T almond or soy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1/3 c sugar
2 T cornstarch
2 t pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/4 tsp. cinn, 1/2 t. ginger, 1/4 t. nutmeg)
Pecan Topping:
1/4 c margarine
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
3/4 c roughly chopped pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9" pie pan or 8x8" square baking pan.
For pumpkin brownie layer, together pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. Add flour, cocoa , cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and mix until smooth. Pour brownie batter into the prepared pie pan and spread it around evenly with a spatula.
For pumpkin pie layer, mix pumpkin, vanilla, and milk in large bowl. In small bowl, mix cornstarch, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix well until all clumps are gone. Pour pumpkin filling on top of brownie mixture in pan. Spread evenly with a spatuala.
For pecan topping, mix margarine, br sugar, flour, and pecans in a small bowl until combined. Sprinkle evenly on top of pumpkin layer.
Bake 35-40 min (I needed 55min), then remove from oven and cool for 20-30 min on wire rack. Move to fridge to chill for at least 1 hr before slicing and serving. Can be served warm or cold. I thought it tasted best frozen.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Frozen Golden Oreo Lemon Yum
There's just something about Golden Oreos and lemon that pair so nicely together.
Then add frozen Cool Whip to the mix?
Sold!
I decided to make a whole huge dessert out of this and prepare it in a 9" Springform pan. I did this basically because I only had a 8x8 pan, so my 9" springform pan was the only dish that was large enough. I bought a 16 oz container of Cool Whip so I decided to use all of that instead of the 12 oz the original recipe called for. I filled the spring form pan all the way to the top.
This made for lovely slices of "cake" that was nearly like ice cream.
Frozen Golden Oreo Lemon Yum adapted from Crazy For Crust
36 Golden Oreos, divided (This is one full package. I may have only used 35 cookies because one might have fallen into my mouth.)
3 T butter, very soft
1 box (3.4 ounces) french vanilla pudding (you can switch up the pudding flavor if you prefer)
1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
18oz Cool Whip
1 cup lemon curd (jarred or homemade) (I used some homemade stuff that never thickened properly, but wound up working great)
Place 20 cookies in a gallon sized plastic zip bag. Seal bag except for 1 corner so air can escape and mash with a rolling pin to coarsely crush cookies. Place cookies and butter in lg bowl. Mix til combined. Place in bottom of 9” springform pan. Wipe out bowl and add pudding mix and milk. Whisk til smooth and set aside for 2 min. Fold in heaping 1 c cool whip. Carefully spread over cookies in pan. Crush all but 2 remaining cookies in a new zip bag. Sprinkle over pudding. Mix lemon curd gently with heaping cup cool whip. Spread over pudding. Spread remaining whipped topping over the curd mixture. Coarsely crush remaining 2 cookies and sprinkle over top. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Turkey Pot Pie
The pie crust recipe I used to make the Fauxberry Pie for April Fools made two crusts. I decided to make Pioneer Woman's Turkey pot pie with the extra one I had stored in the fridge.
I'd never made any kind of pot pie that didn't come out of a cardboard box, so I was pretty excited about how this one turned out.
The recipe calls for a 2 quart casserole dish. As I added extra veggies (corn and peas), my pie filling no longer fit in a 2 quart container! I used the next biggest dish which held 3 qts, my 9x13 baking dish. I just rolled the dough out thinner and longer to make do.
For some reason my pie crust just wouldn't brown like The Pioneer Woman's did. I even baked it for an additional 20 min. Even upon reheating the leftovers in the oven at 350F for 20 min, my crust didn't get that deep dark golden tan. Looks aside this Turkey pot pie was scrumptious. The reheated leftovers were even better than the ones served on the first day. The filling that had oozed out the side got this crust on it that was super yummy. Just writing about it is making me salivate!
I will definitely make this dish again!
Turkey Pot Pie from Pioneer Woman
4 T Butter
1/2 c Finely Diced Onion
1/2 c Finely Diced Carrot
1/2 c Finely Diced Celery
(A few handfuls of frozen corn and/or peas if desired)
3 c Shredded Cooked Chicken Or Turkey
1/4 c Flour
3 c Low-sodium Chicken Broth, Plus More If Needed
Splash Of White Wine (optional) - I omitted because I didn't have any on hand
1/4 t Turmeric
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Chopped Fresh Thyme To Taste (I used a few shakes of dried thyme instead)
1/4 c Half-and-half Or Cream
1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust
1 whole Egg
2 TWater
Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt butter in a large pot over med-high heat, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir them around until the onions start to turn translucent, about 3 min. Stir in meat, then sprinkle flour over top and stir til combined . Cook for 1 min, then add broth (and wine if using) and stir it around and let it cook and thicken. Once it starts to thicken add turmeric, salt, pepper, and thyme (and frozen veggies, if using). Add half-and-half or cream, then stir and let thicken, about 3 min. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off heat. Pour filling into 2 (or 3)-quart baking dish. Roll out pie crust on a floured surface and lay it over top of dish. Press dough so edges stick to outside of pan. Use a knife to cut little vents here and there in the surface of the dough. Mix egg with water and brush over surface of crust. (You will have some egg wash left over.)
Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 25-30 min, til crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbly. To prevent crust from getting too brown, you might want to cover it lightly with foil for first 15 min baking time (I omitted this step).
I'd never made any kind of pot pie that didn't come out of a cardboard box, so I was pretty excited about how this one turned out.
The recipe calls for a 2 quart casserole dish. As I added extra veggies (corn and peas), my pie filling no longer fit in a 2 quart container! I used the next biggest dish which held 3 qts, my 9x13 baking dish. I just rolled the dough out thinner and longer to make do.
For some reason my pie crust just wouldn't brown like The Pioneer Woman's did. I even baked it for an additional 20 min. Even upon reheating the leftovers in the oven at 350F for 20 min, my crust didn't get that deep dark golden tan. Looks aside this Turkey pot pie was scrumptious. The reheated leftovers were even better than the ones served on the first day. The filling that had oozed out the side got this crust on it that was super yummy. Just writing about it is making me salivate!
I will definitely make this dish again!
Turkey Pot Pie from Pioneer Woman
4 T Butter
1/2 c Finely Diced Onion
1/2 c Finely Diced Carrot
1/2 c Finely Diced Celery
(A few handfuls of frozen corn and/or peas if desired)
3 c Shredded Cooked Chicken Or Turkey
1/4 c Flour
3 c Low-sodium Chicken Broth, Plus More If Needed
Splash Of White Wine (optional) - I omitted because I didn't have any on hand
1/4 t Turmeric
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Chopped Fresh Thyme To Taste (I used a few shakes of dried thyme instead)
1/4 c Half-and-half Or Cream
1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust
1 whole Egg
2 TWater
Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt butter in a large pot over med-high heat, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir them around until the onions start to turn translucent, about 3 min. Stir in meat, then sprinkle flour over top and stir til combined . Cook for 1 min, then add broth (and wine if using) and stir it around and let it cook and thicken. Once it starts to thicken add turmeric, salt, pepper, and thyme (and frozen veggies, if using). Add half-and-half or cream, then stir and let thicken, about 3 min. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off heat. Pour filling into 2 (or 3)-quart baking dish. Roll out pie crust on a floured surface and lay it over top of dish. Press dough so edges stick to outside of pan. Use a knife to cut little vents here and there in the surface of the dough. Mix egg with water and brush over surface of crust. (You will have some egg wash left over.)
Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 25-30 min, til crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbly. To prevent crust from getting too brown, you might want to cover it lightly with foil for first 15 min baking time (I omitted this step).
Friday, May 9, 2014
Viscose Pie
Viscose pie? What in the world is that?
It's my feeble attempt at being clever.
Viscose is the European word for Rayon, or synthetic silk.
And today's pie is a fake French Silk Pie.
Yeah, I promise I won't quit my day job.
I got the idea for this pie when I made Avocado Pudding back in February. I kept murdering the avocados with neglect, so it took me a while to get around to actually making the pie.
My husband and daughter absolutely LOVED this pie. I thought it was just ok. Even though they both knew that it contained Avocado, they each claimed they couldn't taste it. I, on the other hand, could taste it occasionally, which weirded me out. It's not like there were big chunks of the green fruit in the pie filling. The filling was 100% chocolatey brown. I couldn't figure out why it tasted like I occasionally got a big bite of avocado.
Perhaps my avocado to sugar ratio was off. Comparatively, the avocados I used for the pudding were much much smaller than those I used for the pie. I also used honey this time, instead of syrup. The syrup had a much stronger flavor, and I think it did a better job of masking the avocado in the pudding than the honey did in the pie.
Viscose Pie
6T butter, melted
10 cinnamon graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs (I used the food processor)
1/4c dark chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli)
2 avocados, pitted and rough chopped
1/4 c high quality cocoa (I like Penzeys)
1/4 c + 1 T maple syrup or honey
1/4 c + 1T chambord (or Baileys or Kahlua)
1/4 t kosher salt
2 T milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond)
8 oz cool whip
more chocolate for decoration
Preheat oven to 375F. Combine butter and crumbs and press into 8 1/2" pie pan. Bake for 8-10 min. Let the shell cool completely before filling.
Melt chips in microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until fully melted. Stir in Cocoa powder. (This prevents the cocoa from becoming a dusty mess when the food processor is turned on.) Place the chocolate in food processor with avocados, syrup, salt, booze and milk. Blend until even color and super smooth. Place in large bowl and fold in 1/2 of the cool whip. Pour this mixture into the pie shell. Top with remaining cool whip and additional chopped chocolate if desired. Chill for at least an hour, but the pie tastes better the next day. Store leftovers in the fridge.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Fauxberry Pie
I tried to be sneaky and make this Fauxberry Pie, from Spoonful for April Fools Day. Blockette knows better now to pay attention when I'm making dinner and caught on to what I was doing.
Although, I did have her going that fauxberries were a real thing.
For about a minute.
Mrblocko and I tease her so much that she catches on quickly these days.
Joke or no joke, this dinner pie turned out amazing.
I used a half recipe of Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust, from Tasty Kitchen as the base. I'm not a big fan of this crust in desserts, but in a savory dish like this, it really works. This crust is super flaky. So much so that Mrblocko thought it was store bought. Blockette loved the crust as well. She wanted me to make her a sheet of crust to slice up and put in her lunch. I said no, because I have a reputation of a mean mom to live up to.
Since this dish is essentially a meatloaf baked in a pie crust, I was a bit worried that it was going to make the crust soggy or be really oily and greasy. To counter this, I dabbed the meat with paper towels as it was cooking. I think I did this 2 or 3 times before I put the potato topping on. I didn't think the pie was soggy or greasy.
I'm thinking this pie needs to be an April 1st tradition from now on!
Fauxberry Pie adapted from Spoonfull
1 pie shell, uncooked (your own or store bought)
"CHOCOLATE" MEAT LOAF FILLING
1/3 c barbecue sauce
1/4 c milk
1 T molasses
1 t cocoa
1/2 t chili powder
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 T veg oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2/3 c bread crumbs
1 lb gr beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
"STRAWBERRY" POTATO TOPPING
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (I weighed my potatoes after they had been peeled and had slightly more than 2 lbs)
1/2 c canned sliced beets (not pickled)
1/4 c milk
4 T butter, cut into pieces
Place pie crust in pie pan and chill in the freezer. Heat oven to 350ยบ. In sm pan, sautee onions in oil. Cook 7 min until translucent. Add BBQ sauce, milk, molasses, cocoa, and chili powder. Cook until lukewarm and cocoa dissolved. In lg bowl, mix all ingredients with hands. Remove the pie shell from the freezer. Transfer meat to shell, spreading evenly with spoon. Bake about 60 min, until meat is cooked through.
While pie's baking, prepare potato topping. Place potatoes in a large pot. Add enough water to completely cover spuds and bring to boil. Reduce heat and at a low boil until tender, about 12 min. While potatoes cook, puree beets and 1/4 c milk in a blender until smooth. Set aside. Drain potatoes and place back into pot. Add butter and pureed beets. Whip with hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, adding more milk as needed. Spread whipped potatoes over top of cooked meat pie with an offset spatula. Slice and serve pie while potatoes are still hot. Makes 8-10 servings. To reheat leftovers cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30 min.
Although, I did have her going that fauxberries were a real thing.
For about a minute.
Mrblocko and I tease her so much that she catches on quickly these days.
Joke or no joke, this dinner pie turned out amazing.
I used a half recipe of Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust, from Tasty Kitchen as the base. I'm not a big fan of this crust in desserts, but in a savory dish like this, it really works. This crust is super flaky. So much so that Mrblocko thought it was store bought. Blockette loved the crust as well. She wanted me to make her a sheet of crust to slice up and put in her lunch. I said no, because I have a reputation of a mean mom to live up to.
Since this dish is essentially a meatloaf baked in a pie crust, I was a bit worried that it was going to make the crust soggy or be really oily and greasy. To counter this, I dabbed the meat with paper towels as it was cooking. I think I did this 2 or 3 times before I put the potato topping on. I didn't think the pie was soggy or greasy.
I'm thinking this pie needs to be an April 1st tradition from now on!
Fauxberry Pie adapted from Spoonfull
1 pie shell, uncooked (your own or store bought)
"CHOCOLATE" MEAT LOAF FILLING
1/3 c barbecue sauce
1/4 c milk
1 T molasses
1 t cocoa
1/2 t chili powder
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 T veg oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2/3 c bread crumbs
1 lb gr beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
"STRAWBERRY" POTATO TOPPING
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (I weighed my potatoes after they had been peeled and had slightly more than 2 lbs)
1/2 c canned sliced beets (not pickled)
1/4 c milk
4 T butter, cut into pieces
Place pie crust in pie pan and chill in the freezer. Heat oven to 350ยบ. In sm pan, sautee onions in oil. Cook 7 min until translucent. Add BBQ sauce, milk, molasses, cocoa, and chili powder. Cook until lukewarm and cocoa dissolved. In lg bowl, mix all ingredients with hands. Remove the pie shell from the freezer. Transfer meat to shell, spreading evenly with spoon. Bake about 60 min, until meat is cooked through.
While pie's baking, prepare potato topping. Place potatoes in a large pot. Add enough water to completely cover spuds and bring to boil. Reduce heat and at a low boil until tender, about 12 min. While potatoes cook, puree beets and 1/4 c milk in a blender until smooth. Set aside. Drain potatoes and place back into pot. Add butter and pureed beets. Whip with hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, adding more milk as needed. Spread whipped potatoes over top of cooked meat pie with an offset spatula. Slice and serve pie while potatoes are still hot. Makes 8-10 servings. To reheat leftovers cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30 min.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
No Bake PB Pie
I love desserts that require minimal effort don't you?
This no bake peanut butter pie from The Domestic Rebel fits that bill.
Not only is it easy, but it's scrumdiddilyumptions to boot. Unfortunately, it fell off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.
But it's not what's on the outside that
counts, its the peanut butter and chopped up peanut butter cups that
counts. Well, the chocolate sauce is on the outside, and that counts
for a lot too.
Maybe my mom was wrong.
It's not what's on the inside or the outside that counts, unless it's chocolate.
Then it all counts.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Pie from The Domestic Rebel
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened1/2 c sugar
1 c creamy peanut butter
1 t vanilla
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
12 regular-sized Reese’s PB cups, roughly chopped (I only had 8 so I didn't have enough to decorate the top)
1 chocolate graham cracker crust
In lg bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar til smooth. Blend in peanut butter and vanilla il smooth and creamy. Gently fold in Cool Whip. Fold in chopped pb cups. Spread into prepared chocolate crust. Fridge 4 hours (the longer it chills, the more firm it’ll be) or freeze 2 hours until firm. Before serving, allow pie to sit on counter at room temp 10 min, to take the chill off for easier cutting. Store covered in fridge for about 2-3 days. I doubt it will last that long.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Apple Snickerdoodle Cobbler
Yet again, I forgot to take a picture of the food I made before we shoved it in our faces and made it disappear.
The Snickerdoodle version of the Apple Cobbler was the brain child of Rachael at Baked by Rachael.
It was good, but I guess I'm not as big of a fan of snickerdoodles as I thought I was. Maybe it was to different from the classic cobbler to win me over completely. I found myself missing the oats!
For not LOVING snickerdoodles, I thought this was a pretty labor intensive dessert. You have to prepare the dough, let it sit, then prepare the apples and then wait for it to bake. It's nearly an hour, of prep time, with chilling the dough, and then 45 min in the oven. It seemed like a long time for what should be a simple dessert. I think I could have made an apple pie in the same amount of time.
While we all enjoyed the dessert, I think I'll stick with the super speedy microwave version of the apple crisp my mom always made. Apple-y goodness in about 15 min. However, if you've got patience and an affinity for snickerdoodles, give this cobbler a try!
Apple Snickerdoodle Cobbler from Baked by Rachael
Cookies:
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/8 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
2/3C flour
1/4C butter, softened
1/3C sugar, plus 1/2C
1 egg
3/4 t cinnamon
Apples:
8C apples (roughly 6-8 apples depending on their size)
1/4C brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F. In sm bowl mix first 4 dry ingred for the cookies. In separate bowl cream butter and 1/3 c sugar. Add egg and then dry ingred. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 30 min (an hour is best) so the dough is less sticky and easier to work with. In sm bowl combine 3/4 t cinnamon and 1/2 c sugar. Set aside. In large bowl add 1/4 c brown sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon. Peel, core and slice apples. Add to brown sugar and cinnamon mix, toss to coat. Transfer to 8x8 dish. Form 1" balls of dough. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place coated dough balls on top of apples, press down to slightly flatten. Bake 45-55 min til apples tender and cookie lightly golden. Cool 15 min before serving. May be stored in fridge several days, if it lasts that long.
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It was good, but I guess I'm not as big of a fan of snickerdoodles as I thought I was. Maybe it was to different from the classic cobbler to win me over completely. I found myself missing the oats!
For not LOVING snickerdoodles, I thought this was a pretty labor intensive dessert. You have to prepare the dough, let it sit, then prepare the apples and then wait for it to bake. It's nearly an hour, of prep time, with chilling the dough, and then 45 min in the oven. It seemed like a long time for what should be a simple dessert. I think I could have made an apple pie in the same amount of time.
While we all enjoyed the dessert, I think I'll stick with the super speedy microwave version of the apple crisp my mom always made. Apple-y goodness in about 15 min. However, if you've got patience and an affinity for snickerdoodles, give this cobbler a try!
Apple Snickerdoodle Cobbler from Baked by Rachael
Cookies:
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/8 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
2/3C flour
1/4C butter, softened
1/3C sugar, plus 1/2C
1 egg
3/4 t cinnamon
Apples:
8C apples (roughly 6-8 apples depending on their size)
1/4C brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F. In sm bowl mix first 4 dry ingred for the cookies. In separate bowl cream butter and 1/3 c sugar. Add egg and then dry ingred. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 30 min (an hour is best) so the dough is less sticky and easier to work with. In sm bowl combine 3/4 t cinnamon and 1/2 c sugar. Set aside. In large bowl add 1/4 c brown sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon. Peel, core and slice apples. Add to brown sugar and cinnamon mix, toss to coat. Transfer to 8x8 dish. Form 1" balls of dough. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place coated dough balls on top of apples, press down to slightly flatten. Bake 45-55 min til apples tender and cookie lightly golden. Cool 15 min before serving. May be stored in fridge several days, if it lasts that long.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Crumble Crust Dutch Apple Pie
I love pie.
LURVE it.
Making the crust...eh....not so much.
The thing is, I'm the only one in the house who really likes pie crusts. Sometimes I just don't want to go to all that trouble when I'm the only one who will truly appreciate it.
Naturally, when I saw this recipe for dutch apple pie from My Culinary Companion that had a non traditional crust, I was all about making it.
You know how Dutch Apple pies have that crumbly goodness on top? Imagine that as the crust, plus crumbled on top of the apples.
AW YEAH!
I guarantee no one will leave their crusts on their plates with this pie. Unless they are aliens. Aliens are weird like that.
The only thing I didn't like about this recipe was the amount of apples. 3 cups of apples for a 9" pie pan? That seemed rather stingy to me, especially when you consider that apples shrink when you cook them. So I increased the apples to a whopping 6 cups!
Crumble Crust Apple Pie slightly adapted from My Culinary Companion
2 c flour
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 c butter, melted
1 t cinnamon
filling
2/3 c sugar
3 T cornstarch
1-1/4 c cold water
6 c diced peeled tart apples (I used
1 t vanilla
1 t apple pie spice
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and butter; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate; set aside.
For filling, combine sugar, cornstarch and water in a large saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in apples, spice and vanilla. Pour into crust; top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting and serving.
LURVE it.
Making the crust...eh....not so much.
The thing is, I'm the only one in the house who really likes pie crusts. Sometimes I just don't want to go to all that trouble when I'm the only one who will truly appreciate it.
Naturally, when I saw this recipe for dutch apple pie from My Culinary Companion that had a non traditional crust, I was all about making it.
You know how Dutch Apple pies have that crumbly goodness on top? Imagine that as the crust, plus crumbled on top of the apples.
AW YEAH!
The only thing I didn't like about this recipe was the amount of apples. 3 cups of apples for a 9" pie pan? That seemed rather stingy to me, especially when you consider that apples shrink when you cook them. So I increased the apples to a whopping 6 cups!
Crumble Crust Apple Pie slightly adapted from My Culinary Companion
2 c flour
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 c butter, melted
1 t cinnamon
filling
2/3 c sugar
3 T cornstarch
1-1/4 c cold water
6 c diced peeled tart apples (I used
1 t vanilla
1 t apple pie spice
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and butter; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate; set aside.
For filling, combine sugar, cornstarch and water in a large saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in apples, spice and vanilla. Pour into crust; top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting and serving.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Sweet Charity Pie
My google-fu must be weak today. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this wonderful, dessert is called Sweet Charity Pie. Is it because the ingredients are cheap? Is it named after a restaurant? What!? I simply cannot stand the suspense!
Regardless of Sweet Charity Pie's nominal origins, I happened upon the recipe at Sweet Treats and More. Apparently, Debbie Mortensen was the creator of this recipe. (But who are you Mrs. Mortensen!?) Well, whoever you are, you have truly invented some jolly good pie.
At first I thought the crust wasn't going to work out. You bake the crust mixture in a 9x13 pan and then put it into a pie crust. I thought that was peculiar. Why can't the crust mixture just be placed in the pie pan and then baked? Perhaps because you need to bake the topping part too? I think the crust would hold together better if it was baked in the pie pan. I wish I could ask Debbie the wherefores and how to's of preparing the crust in this fashion.
A big fan of cherries, I am not, so I used peach filling. The cherry filling tints the top layer so you can see the difference between the fruit-cool whip layer and the cream cheese layer. A darker filling is definitely more visually appealing. Alas, lesson learned. Next time I might try a can of strawberry filling. That way I'll get the colours I want, without having to subject myself to any nasty flavours.
Also, if you do happen to use peach filling, please do not forget, as I did, to cut said peach pieces. It will be much easier to eat that way.
Do make this pie. You shan't regret it.
Sweet Charity Pie originally from Debbie Mortensen
1 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, soft
8 oz cream cheese, soft
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup powdered sugar
21 oz can Cherry Pie Filling (I used peach pie filling.)
1 (8 oz) carton of cool whip
Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl combine flour, pecans, brown sugar and butter. Use two butter knives or a pastry blender to cut in butter. Mix until well combined and crumble forms. Spread crumb mixture into a sheet cake pan and bake for 15-20 min until golden brown, stirring once half way through. Let cool, then press crumbs into a 9 in. round pie pan, reserving 1 c o crumbs for top. Refrigerate to completely cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. In another bowl, combine pie filling and cool whip. Spread the cream cheese mix over top of crumb crust in pie dish. Some crumbs might lift as you try to spread the cream cheese layer. It helps if you dollop the cream cheese mix all over top of crust, then try to spread. Top with cherry pie-cool whip mix. Cover with reserved crust mix.
This post has been brought to you by reading too much Austen-esque literature.
Regardless of Sweet Charity Pie's nominal origins, I happened upon the recipe at Sweet Treats and More. Apparently, Debbie Mortensen was the creator of this recipe. (But who are you Mrs. Mortensen!?) Well, whoever you are, you have truly invented some jolly good pie.
A big fan of cherries, I am not, so I used peach filling. The cherry filling tints the top layer so you can see the difference between the fruit-cool whip layer and the cream cheese layer. A darker filling is definitely more visually appealing. Alas, lesson learned. Next time I might try a can of strawberry filling. That way I'll get the colours I want, without having to subject myself to any nasty flavours.
Also, if you do happen to use peach filling, please do not forget, as I did, to cut said peach pieces. It will be much easier to eat that way.
Do make this pie. You shan't regret it.
Sweet Charity Pie originally from Debbie Mortensen
1 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, soft
8 oz cream cheese, soft
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup powdered sugar
21 oz can Cherry Pie Filling (I used peach pie filling.)
1 (8 oz) carton of cool whip
Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl combine flour, pecans, brown sugar and butter. Use two butter knives or a pastry blender to cut in butter. Mix until well combined and crumble forms. Spread crumb mixture into a sheet cake pan and bake for 15-20 min until golden brown, stirring once half way through. Let cool, then press crumbs into a 9 in. round pie pan, reserving 1 c o crumbs for top. Refrigerate to completely cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. In another bowl, combine pie filling and cool whip. Spread the cream cheese mix over top of crumb crust in pie dish. Some crumbs might lift as you try to spread the cream cheese layer. It helps if you dollop the cream cheese mix all over top of crust, then try to spread. Top with cherry pie-cool whip mix. Cover with reserved crust mix.
This post has been brought to you by reading too much Austen-esque literature.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Dutch Apple Pi(e)
Happy Pi Day everyone! Let's celebrate and eat some pie!
As I had apples in the fridge...way too many apples...I chose to make an Apple pie. I've been battling a head cold and didn't much feel like fighting with a crust I also decided on a super easy funky version of a Dutch apple pie. (Insert Dutch joke from Austin Powers here.)
I found this recipe for an unconventional apple pie from Eat Good 4 Life. The crust is made from the same crumble topping that is usually seen on top of a Dutch Apple pie. Perfectly no fuss for my foggy head-cold brain.
The recipe from Eat Good 4 Life is actually an adaptation of a recipe for dutch apple pie found over at Taste of Home. I made a few changes and my version lies somewhere between the one on Eat Good 4 Life and the one over at Taste of Home.
I really liked how the glaze turned out. I was surprised at how much it thickened up. It looks just like the glaze that you find in the canned apple pie filling. Hooray! (Although I do think it's odd when I'm happy something I make looks store bought. I mean if something is going to look store bought, shouldn't I save myself the trouble of making it from scratch?)
While this recipe does taste best warm on the first day, I suggest that you wait more than 15 minutes to slice the pie. As you can see in the picture above, I have a giant fork acting as a sort of pie filling dam. If you are impatient and cut the pie too early your slice of pie will look like this:
It looks more like an apple crumble than a slice of pie. I mean if you're going to get techincal, it really is a pie-crumble hybrid. If you want it to look like a slice of pie on your plate, have patience!
Here's my version of this pie
Apple Crumble Crust Pie adapted from Taste of Home and Good Food 4 Life
Crust:
1c unbleached flour
1c Whole wheat flour
1c brown sugar
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 stick (8 T) butter
2 T olive oil
2 heaping t cinnamon
Filling:
4-6 c peeled, chopped apples (I used a total of 5 1/2 c Fuji, Jonagold, and Honeycrisp, only because that's what I had. Use apples of your preference. The pie would have been ok with 4 cups, but more than 6 cups would have been too much.)
2 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla
1-2 t apple pie spice (see below)
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 1/4 c water
In a large bowl, combine crust ingredients; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate; set aside. For filling, place prepared apples in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice, vanilla and apple pie spice. In a medium saucepan, combine sugars, cornstarch and water until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 min til thickened. Remove from the heat; pour over apples and combine. Pour into crust; top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Apple Pie Spice from Baking Bites
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
Combine all ingredients for desired mix and blend well. Store in a small, airtight container.
As I had apples in the fridge...way too many apples...I chose to make an Apple pie. I've been battling a head cold and didn't much feel like fighting with a crust I also decided on a super easy funky version of a Dutch apple pie. (Insert Dutch joke from Austin Powers here.)
I found this recipe for an unconventional apple pie from Eat Good 4 Life. The crust is made from the same crumble topping that is usually seen on top of a Dutch Apple pie. Perfectly no fuss for my foggy head-cold brain.
The recipe from Eat Good 4 Life is actually an adaptation of a recipe for dutch apple pie found over at Taste of Home. I made a few changes and my version lies somewhere between the one on Eat Good 4 Life and the one over at Taste of Home.
I really liked how the glaze turned out. I was surprised at how much it thickened up. It looks just like the glaze that you find in the canned apple pie filling. Hooray! (Although I do think it's odd when I'm happy something I make looks store bought. I mean if something is going to look store bought, shouldn't I save myself the trouble of making it from scratch?)
While this recipe does taste best warm on the first day, I suggest that you wait more than 15 minutes to slice the pie. As you can see in the picture above, I have a giant fork acting as a sort of pie filling dam. If you are impatient and cut the pie too early your slice of pie will look like this:
Here's my version of this pie
Apple Crumble Crust Pie adapted from Taste of Home and Good Food 4 Life
Crust:
1c unbleached flour
1c Whole wheat flour
1c brown sugar
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 stick (8 T) butter
2 T olive oil
2 heaping t cinnamon
Filling:
4-6 c peeled, chopped apples (I used a total of 5 1/2 c Fuji, Jonagold, and Honeycrisp, only because that's what I had. Use apples of your preference. The pie would have been ok with 4 cups, but more than 6 cups would have been too much.)
2 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla
1-2 t apple pie spice (see below)
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 1/4 c water
In a large bowl, combine crust ingredients; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate; set aside. For filling, place prepared apples in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice, vanilla and apple pie spice. In a medium saucepan, combine sugars, cornstarch and water until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 min til thickened. Remove from the heat; pour over apples and combine. Pour into crust; top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Apple Pie Spice from Baking Bites
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
Combine all ingredients for desired mix and blend well. Store in a small, airtight container.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Pumpkin Lust Cake
Why is this dessert called "Lust cake?" I'm not certain, but it must have something to do with the fact that once you finish one slice, you lust after more.
I came across the pumpkin lust cake recipe over at Sweet Treats and More. Apparently, the original recipe calls for chocolate or vanilla pudding. This particular version has you using the seasonal Pumpkin Spice flavor of Jello Instant Pudding.
One word of caution, the Pumpkin spice pudding is only available seasonally. The seasonal pudding flavors (Turtle, Gingerbread, Pumpkin Spice, Dulce de leche and Peppermint) are not always located in the regular pudding aisle. At my store, they were in a special area in a center aisle along with other seasonal baking items. If you can't find them at your store keep looking, or better yet, ask!
This dessert tasted like a silky, slightly cheesecake-y version of pumpkin pie. I think I might just like this dessert better than your basic pumpkin pie. That could just be the Cool Whip talking. There's lots of Cool Whip in a Lust Cake.
Another win for this dessert is that the crust didn't get soggy on day two like a pie crust does. I love pie crust, but frankly, it's kind of gross when it gets mushy. The Lust Cake's crust is more like a Russian Tea Cake/Mexican Wedding Cake Cookie. That's probably why I liked it so much. Russian Tea Cakes are like crack for people.
The down side to the Pumpkin Spice Lust Cake is that there is no actual pumpkin in the dish. You can't even pretend that you are being healthy eating a vegetable for dessert. The Lust Cake is all garbage. Yummy scrumdiddlyumptious garbage.
I thought this cake would be difficult to slice and get out of the pan. The crust didn't stick at all, even though I neglected to spray the pan. The pudding and Cool Whip held their own too.
I also feared the cake would collapse once out of the pan. Nope. The remaining cake did not fall when slices were removed from the pan. Everything stayed exactly where it should be without proper support.
Hey, maybe this cake is the secret to keeping a trim body. I mean, everything staying where it should be without support? Isn't that what we're all striving for as we lose our fight against gravity? Move over Spanx, here comes Pumpkin Lust Cake!
Anyhow, Mrblocko convinced me to make a half batch of this cake. I am both happy and sad that he did so. Happy because we do not need a 9x13 pan of this dessert hanging around the house for just the three of us, and sad because I wanted to eat the entire 9x13 pan myself.
Pumpkin Lust Cake - Half Recipe from Sweet Treats and More
1/2 stick butter(1/4 c), melted
1/2 c flour
1/2 c chopped pecans
1 tbs sugar
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 a package), soft
1/2 c sifted powdered sugar
one 8 oz container cool whip
one 3.4 oz package Jello Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding
1 1/2 c cold milk
Nutmeg for sprinkling
Crust: Combine butter, flour, chopped pecans and sugar and press into 8x8" baking dish. Bake at 375 for 10-15 min. Let cool completely.
Cream Cheese Layer: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 3/4c cool whip until smooth. Spread over cooled crust.
Pumpkin Layer: Mix pudding mix with cold milk, whisking for several min. Set in fridge 5-10 min to thicken. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining cool whip. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Cut into squares and serve. Keep refrigerated.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Caramel Banofee Pie
I am not a big fan of bananas. Ever since I was pregnant with Blockette the smell and texture just does not agree with me. However, if you freeze the banana and smother it in something gooey and delicious...count me in.
Caramel Banoffee Pie from a Blogable Life most definitely fits into that category. Dulce de leche makes EVERYTHING better. Even bananas.
I used up my last jar of dulce de leche to make this happy little fella. Oh was it ever worth it. The caramel is sooooo good, I didn't even care about the bananas.
The recipe says to make your own whipped cream. I didn't feel like doing that so I just used cool whip. I happen to like cool whip. Let me say it again. I LIKE COOL WHIP. I'm trashy that way. Go ahead and revoke my foodie card. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last.
This dish could be really labor intensive or a quick super cheater extravaganza. Yes, you could make your own crust, whipped cream, dulce de leche, and crush up your own heath bars and feel proud at your make it from scratchy-ness. OR, you could buy a premade graham cracker crust, a can of dulce de leche, cool whip and a bag of heath bits. I think I fell somewhere in the middle on this one, making my own crust, and ddl, but using cool whip and heath bits.
This pie got a double thumbs up from the whole family. I made this the last time my mom came to visit. I think she enjoyed it too. At least she was nice enough to eat a piece at every meal until the pie was gone. Oh the sacrifices a mother endures for her daughter!
Luscious Caramel Banana {Banoffee} Pie from a Blogable Life
1 (approximately 5 ounce) packet graham crackers, crushed (about 1 & 2/3 cups in total)
1/4 granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 ripe bananas
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
2/3 cup Heath English Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits (more or less to taste)
to make the 9-inch graham cracker crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar and melted butter; mix well. Firmly press crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pieplate. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 7-9 minutes. Remove pieplate from oven and allow crust to cool.
to make the caramel filling: Preheat oven to 425 F. Pour sweetened condensed milk into another 9-inch pieplate. Cover entire pieplate tightly with aluminum foil. Using a jelly roll pan, fill pan with about 1/4-inch of water, then set foil-wrapped pieplate in center of pan (to create a water bath) and place in a preheated 425 degree F oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until condensed milk is thick and caramel colored (adding hot water to pan as needed). When done, remove pan from oven, remove foil from pieplate, and set aside to cool slightly.
to make the pie: Thinly slice 3 bananas (into about 1/8" slices) caramelized milk over bananas. Cool at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour. Using an electric mixer, beat heavy whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over caramel layer. Top with a generous sprinkling of Heath English Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits. Carefully wrap the pie with plastic wrap (so as not to smash the pie) and place in the refrigerator to chill at least 3 hours before serving.
Caramel Banoffee Pie from a Blogable Life most definitely fits into that category. Dulce de leche makes EVERYTHING better. Even bananas.
I used up my last jar of dulce de leche to make this happy little fella. Oh was it ever worth it. The caramel is sooooo good, I didn't even care about the bananas.The recipe says to make your own whipped cream. I didn't feel like doing that so I just used cool whip. I happen to like cool whip. Let me say it again. I LIKE COOL WHIP. I'm trashy that way. Go ahead and revoke my foodie card. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last.
This dish could be really labor intensive or a quick super cheater extravaganza. Yes, you could make your own crust, whipped cream, dulce de leche, and crush up your own heath bars and feel proud at your make it from scratchy-ness. OR, you could buy a premade graham cracker crust, a can of dulce de leche, cool whip and a bag of heath bits. I think I fell somewhere in the middle on this one, making my own crust, and ddl, but using cool whip and heath bits.
This pie got a double thumbs up from the whole family. I made this the last time my mom came to visit. I think she enjoyed it too. At least she was nice enough to eat a piece at every meal until the pie was gone. Oh the sacrifices a mother endures for her daughter!
Luscious Caramel Banana {Banoffee} Pie from a Blogable Life
1 (approximately 5 ounce) packet graham crackers, crushed (about 1 & 2/3 cups in total)
1/4 granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 ripe bananas
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
2/3 cup Heath English Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits (more or less to taste)
to make the 9-inch graham cracker crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar and melted butter; mix well. Firmly press crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pieplate. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 7-9 minutes. Remove pieplate from oven and allow crust to cool.
to make the caramel filling: Preheat oven to 425 F. Pour sweetened condensed milk into another 9-inch pieplate. Cover entire pieplate tightly with aluminum foil. Using a jelly roll pan, fill pan with about 1/4-inch of water, then set foil-wrapped pieplate in center of pan (to create a water bath) and place in a preheated 425 degree F oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until condensed milk is thick and caramel colored (adding hot water to pan as needed). When done, remove pan from oven, remove foil from pieplate, and set aside to cool slightly.
to make the pie: Thinly slice 3 bananas (into about 1/8" slices) caramelized milk over bananas. Cool at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour. Using an electric mixer, beat heavy whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over caramel layer. Top with a generous sprinkling of Heath English Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits. Carefully wrap the pie with plastic wrap (so as not to smash the pie) and place in the refrigerator to chill at least 3 hours before serving.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Bacon Onion Apple Tart
First off, HAPPY PI DAY!!! I know that a tart is not a pie, but let's just say it's close enough! I mean it's got a pie crust and a filling. What more do you need?
I have had a tart pan for over a year and have been too chicken to use it. I asked for it in hopes that if I had one it would encourage me to make things that had a pie crust. Then maybe I would get better at making pie crust and not be afraid of it.
Aside from my crust phobia, I was really wanting to make a savory tart. The thing about savory tarts is that most of them do not contain meat. Meat is mandatory. That was proclaimed by Mrblocko. This particular tart, from Evil Shinanigans, is an onion apple and bacon tart.
There is a heated debate as to whether or not bacon is classified as a meat. I say since it came from a 4 legged animal it classifies as meat. Mrblocko says bacon is a side, not a meat. Where he got this absurd notion, I have no idea. I think perhaps it may be a faulty side effect of having a "Y" chromosome. Anyhow, I won this round of the meat/side dish debate and the onion, apple and bacon tart was approved for dinner fare.
I did make a few minor changes to the original recipe. First, I used half a package of bacon. The recipe calls for 3 slices of thick cut bacon. I knew that wasn't going to fly with the meat-a-saur husband. Three slices of bacon for a whole tart would definitely fall into the "side dish" and NOT the meat category.
Second I used 2 medium onions. This brought the onion measurement up to about 1 1/2 cups. The apple I used was also particularly large and wound up being about 1 1/2 cups as well.
How on earth did this all fit into the 9 inch tart pan the recipe calls for? Easy. My tart pan happens to be 11 inches. Something I didn't realize until after I was already mixing up the dough.
After I finished panicking about how I had ruined dinner, I decided to see if the dough could be spread out in my 11 inch tart pan. It did! Hooray! I didn't even have to fuss or fight with the dough hardly at all. Double hooray!
Along with my tart pan, I got some ceramic pie weights. I used those for the first time as well. The pie weights didn't work as well as I had hoped. I am positive that it was because there simply weren't enough of them. The pie weights were most likely designed to cover the area of a 8 or 9 inch pie plate, not 11 inches. Next time I think I will use pennies as weights. Then I can be sure I have sufficient surface coverage.
As a result of the lack in pie weights my crust shrank a bit before I added the filling as you can see below.
Fortunately the crust shrinkage was not a problem. The filling didn't over flow or make the crust soggy. Everything turned out great. The tart was a big hit with Blockette and Mrblocko. The leftovers even tasted good cold. I am now ready for my next tart adventure, I just have to convince Mrblocko that a meatless tart is acceptable for dinner. Yeah, it could be a while before I make another tart, at least a savory one for dinner.
Onion, Apple and Bacon Tart from Evil Shenanigans Serves 6
Crust:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and kept very cold
3-4 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1 cups sliced yellow onion
1 cups peeled and sliced tart apple, such as Granny Smith
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
Prepare the crust. In a bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, and cheese. Add the diced butter and rub it into the flour to combine. Add three tablespoons of the ice water and mix to moisten. If it seems dry add the remaining water and mix.Turn the dough out and form a thin disk. Wrap with plastic and chill 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400F. Once chilled roll it out 1/4″ thick and press it into a 9″ tart pan and dock the bottom of the crust with a fork. Place in the freezer for ten minutes to set the butter then line with parchment or foil, add pie weights or beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the crust is lightly brown.
Allow to chill as you prepare the filling. In a heavy skillet cook the bacon, over medium heat, until crisp. Add the onions and apples and saute until they soften, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. In a bowl whisk the eggs and milk together with the spices until well blended. In the tart shell spread the bacon, apple and onion mixture. Top with the shredded cheeses, then pour over the egg and milk mixture. Bake at 400F for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is puffed and golden. Cool for ten minutes before slicing and serving. It is also very tasty at room temperature.
I have had a tart pan for over a year and have been too chicken to use it. I asked for it in hopes that if I had one it would encourage me to make things that had a pie crust. Then maybe I would get better at making pie crust and not be afraid of it.
Aside from my crust phobia, I was really wanting to make a savory tart. The thing about savory tarts is that most of them do not contain meat. Meat is mandatory. That was proclaimed by Mrblocko. This particular tart, from Evil Shinanigans, is an onion apple and bacon tart.
There is a heated debate as to whether or not bacon is classified as a meat. I say since it came from a 4 legged animal it classifies as meat. Mrblocko says bacon is a side, not a meat. Where he got this absurd notion, I have no idea. I think perhaps it may be a faulty side effect of having a "Y" chromosome. Anyhow, I won this round of the meat/side dish debate and the onion, apple and bacon tart was approved for dinner fare.
I did make a few minor changes to the original recipe. First, I used half a package of bacon. The recipe calls for 3 slices of thick cut bacon. I knew that wasn't going to fly with the meat-a-saur husband. Three slices of bacon for a whole tart would definitely fall into the "side dish" and NOT the meat category.
Second I used 2 medium onions. This brought the onion measurement up to about 1 1/2 cups. The apple I used was also particularly large and wound up being about 1 1/2 cups as well.
How on earth did this all fit into the 9 inch tart pan the recipe calls for? Easy. My tart pan happens to be 11 inches. Something I didn't realize until after I was already mixing up the dough.
After I finished panicking about how I had ruined dinner, I decided to see if the dough could be spread out in my 11 inch tart pan. It did! Hooray! I didn't even have to fuss or fight with the dough hardly at all. Double hooray!
Along with my tart pan, I got some ceramic pie weights. I used those for the first time as well. The pie weights didn't work as well as I had hoped. I am positive that it was because there simply weren't enough of them. The pie weights were most likely designed to cover the area of a 8 or 9 inch pie plate, not 11 inches. Next time I think I will use pennies as weights. Then I can be sure I have sufficient surface coverage.
As a result of the lack in pie weights my crust shrank a bit before I added the filling as you can see below.
Fortunately the crust shrinkage was not a problem. The filling didn't over flow or make the crust soggy. Everything turned out great. The tart was a big hit with Blockette and Mrblocko. The leftovers even tasted good cold. I am now ready for my next tart adventure, I just have to convince Mrblocko that a meatless tart is acceptable for dinner. Yeah, it could be a while before I make another tart, at least a savory one for dinner.Onion, Apple and Bacon Tart from Evil Shenanigans Serves 6
Crust:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and kept very cold
3-4 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1 cups sliced yellow onion
1 cups peeled and sliced tart apple, such as Granny Smith
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
Prepare the crust. In a bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, and cheese. Add the diced butter and rub it into the flour to combine. Add three tablespoons of the ice water and mix to moisten. If it seems dry add the remaining water and mix.Turn the dough out and form a thin disk. Wrap with plastic and chill 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400F. Once chilled roll it out 1/4″ thick and press it into a 9″ tart pan and dock the bottom of the crust with a fork. Place in the freezer for ten minutes to set the butter then line with parchment or foil, add pie weights or beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the crust is lightly brown.
Allow to chill as you prepare the filling. In a heavy skillet cook the bacon, over medium heat, until crisp. Add the onions and apples and saute until they soften, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. In a bowl whisk the eggs and milk together with the spices until well blended. In the tart shell spread the bacon, apple and onion mixture. Top with the shredded cheeses, then pour over the egg and milk mixture. Bake at 400F for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is puffed and golden. Cool for ten minutes before slicing and serving. It is also very tasty at room temperature.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sour Cream Apple Pie
Sour cream??? In a pie?? That sounds so weird. I was feeling daring, and wanted to try something different for Thanksgiving. (Finally...the last of the Thanksgiving posts!) I had one single pie crust left over from the last pie crust I made earlier, so a pie with a crumble top seemed like a great idea.
I had a slight panic moment when I rolled out the thawed dough from the freezer and it stuck to the wax paper. I just stuck the dough back in the fridge for 10 minutes and it released a whole lot easier.
This photo was supposed to show the creamy center of the pie. I realize that it isn't the best picture but you can see the white in the filling.
Surprisingly, you could not tell that there was sour cream in this pie. Both Mrblocko and I had Blockette convinced that the white stuff was Cool Whip, even though Blockette watched me make the pie. (Cause Blockette couldn't possibly like anything with Sour Cream in it. Sour cream is SoUR and therefor gross.)
The crumb topping is just awesome on this pie. I think the ratio of topping to filling is spot on. I think I may have improved on perfection by swapping the white sugar for brown sugar. Trust me people brown sugar is THE way to go for the topping.
We ate our slices with a small scoop of ice cream. Was this necessary? No. Was it delicious? Ohhhhh yeah. There was much sadness when the pie was gone, and it was gone much too quickly than was good for us. I'll definitely be making this pie again, especially when I have a single crust hiding in the freezer begging to be used.
Sour Cream Apple Pie from Taste and Tell
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups apples, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter
Stir together 2 Tflour, salt, 3/4 c sugar and nutmeg in bowl. Combine egg, sour cream and vanilla in another bowl; mix well. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in apples and spoon mixture into unbaked or par-baked pie shell (depending on preference). Bake 400 F for 15 min. Reduce to 350 F and bake 30 min. Remove pie from oven. Increase temperature to 400F. Combine 2/3 c sugar, 2/3 c flour and 2 t cinnamon in bowl. Cut in 4 Tbutter until crumbly, using a pastry blender. Sprinkle crumb topping over pie. Return to oven and bake 10 min more. Cool on rack.
I had a slight panic moment when I rolled out the thawed dough from the freezer and it stuck to the wax paper. I just stuck the dough back in the fridge for 10 minutes and it released a whole lot easier.
This photo was supposed to show the creamy center of the pie. I realize that it isn't the best picture but you can see the white in the filling.
Surprisingly, you could not tell that there was sour cream in this pie. Both Mrblocko and I had Blockette convinced that the white stuff was Cool Whip, even though Blockette watched me make the pie. (Cause Blockette couldn't possibly like anything with Sour Cream in it. Sour cream is SoUR and therefor gross.)The crumb topping is just awesome on this pie. I think the ratio of topping to filling is spot on. I think I may have improved on perfection by swapping the white sugar for brown sugar. Trust me people brown sugar is THE way to go for the topping.
We ate our slices with a small scoop of ice cream. Was this necessary? No. Was it delicious? Ohhhhh yeah. There was much sadness when the pie was gone, and it was gone much too quickly than was good for us. I'll definitely be making this pie again, especially when I have a single crust hiding in the freezer begging to be used.
If you want to step out of the box and into deliciousness, head on over to taste and tell for the sour cream apple pie recipe.
Sour Cream Apple Pie from Taste and Tell
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups apples, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter
Stir together 2 Tflour, salt, 3/4 c sugar and nutmeg in bowl. Combine egg, sour cream and vanilla in another bowl; mix well. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in apples and spoon mixture into unbaked or par-baked pie shell (depending on preference). Bake 400 F for 15 min. Reduce to 350 F and bake 30 min. Remove pie from oven. Increase temperature to 400F. Combine 2/3 c sugar, 2/3 c flour and 2 t cinnamon in bowl. Cut in 4 Tbutter until crumbly, using a pastry blender. Sprinkle crumb topping over pie. Return to oven and bake 10 min more. Cool on rack.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
My 1st totally from scratch pie
We had planned to visit an Apple Orchard in October as a reward for Blockette's extra good behavior. Sadly, the Apple season ended early this year and we missed out. I told Blockette that I would make her a pie and she could pick out the apples at the grocery store. Luckily, she took the disappointment well, and said that it sounded like fun. (OK, so I told her we were also going to her favorite restaurant, Noodles and Company, for dinner. That was what she probably thought sounded fun.)
I let Mrblocko pick out the apple pie recipe from my huge binder of "to do" recipes. He chose Recipe Girl's Deep Dish Dulce De Leche Pie. This recipe did not include directions on how to make a crust so I went on the hunt for that as well. I settled on Sylvia's Perfect Crust from Tasty Kitchen.
Out of all the possible pie crust recipes in the world, why did I choose this one? Well, I tried a butter crust back in December when I made Pies in a Jar for my uncle for Christmas. The crust was a bit sticky and hard to work with, but I didn't know if that was because I was trying to stick them in tiny jars. I also chose this recipe because it didn't require any butter. I had enough butter to make the pie, but then I wouldn't have any left for the other things I wanted to make later in the week. Butter was about $3 at the store and I refuse to pay this much. I'd rather just stock up when it goes on sale. Did you know butter on sale tastes better? Yup, it's a scientific fact!
The reviews for this pie crust were spot on. Not only was this a very simple crust to prepare, but it resulted in a tender, flaky crust. This was all fine and good, but well, it just didn't have the rich flavorful taste that a butter crust has. It was fine for the Dulce De Leche pie because it was so sweet. The flavors in the pie completely overwhelmed the crust. In fact, had to eat some of the crust by itself so I could actually taste it. Even though the crust was not the best tasting crust on the planet, I would absolutely recommend Sylvia's Perfect Crust to a new baker. The lack of fighting with the crust makes up for any lack of taste. I will keep searching for my ideal tasting crust, but keep this recipe in my arsenal when I want a no fuss pie crust.
What about the pie as a whole? It was delicious. I warned Mrblocko before we cut into the pie that this was my first pie that I made 100% from scratch so he shouldn't have too high of an expectation. I told him I even made the Dulce de Leche myself in the crockpot. Do you know what the man said, "Well did you milk the cow yourself too?" Don't worry I smacked him upside the head good for his SASSY mouth.
As for the recipe for Deep Dish Dulce De Leche Pie, I thought it was very straight forward. It was supposed to be a deep dish pie, but it seemed to have enough filling for a regular pie. I think if it was a deep dish pie it would be skimpy on the apples. Or maybe the cups of apple are supposed to be heaping? The only change I made to the recipe was to bump up the cinnamon to 1 tsp.
For some reason the top didn't get as dark as I would have liked. At one point I did put foil on the top of the pie as the recipe states. I was fearful that I would burn the crust. I wish I had kept it off to get a slightly deeper tan. The crust was crispy enough for my liking so it was just an aesthetic thing.
One thing to remember about this pie, as with most pies, you absolutely need to let the pie cool before you slice it. Cooling lets the pie set up. I once had a disaster of a pie that was like soup, partially because I cut it while it was hot. The pie was still slightly warmer than room temp when we cut into it. We just couldn't wait any longer! It was just set enough for it to come out in a complete slice. The pie was even better the next day when it had sit in the fridge overnight. I am totally not ashamed to say that I had a nice hearty wedge for second breakfast!
Deep Dish Dulce de Leche Apple Pie from Recipe Girl
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
7 to 8 cups of peeled, sliced apples (I like Granny Smith & Braeburn)
1/2 cup dulce de leche (canned or homemade)
2 Tablespoons apple cider
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
double crust for 9-inch pie (purchased or homemade)
egg white mixed with 1 teaspoon of water
coarse sugar for top, optional
Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, mix sugars, cornstarch, spices and salt. In a large bowl, toss apples, dulce de leche, apple cider and vanilla . Add dry ingredients and toss to combine. Between waxed paper, roll out pie dough as large as possible keeping it a good thickness. Line deep dish pie pan with crust and let it hang over sides. Brush with egg white mix. Add filling and spread out evenly.
Roll out 2nd crust a little bit too, place on top of pie. Crimp edges to seal. Brush with egg white mixture. Cut a few holes in top crust for venting. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Bake for 30 min. Then turn the temperature down to 375F. If pie is browning, cover with foil and top with a pie-crust-shield to prevent crust edges from burning. If you don’t have a pie shield, just cover the whole thing with foil. Bake for another 30 min. Remove pie from oven and cool on rack for several hours to allow filling to set.
*If wish to convert to regular-sized pie (not a deep dish), reduce apples to 5 c and use slightly less dulce de leche.
Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust from Tasty Kitchen
1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 min til resembles coarse meal. In small bowl, beat egg with fork and pour it into flour/shortening mix. Add 5 T cold water, 1 T white vinegar and 1 t salt. Stir gently til all ingredients incorporated.
Separate dough into 3rda. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½" thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal bags and place in freezer til needed. (If using immediately still a good idea to put in freezer 15-20 min to chill.)
When ready to use dough to make crust, remove from freezer and allow to thaw for 15 min. On floured surface roll dough, starting at center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½" larger in diameter than pie pan.
With a spatula, lift dough carefully from surface of counter into pie pan. Gently press dough against corner of pan. Go around pie pan pinching and tucking dough to make a clean edge.
I let Mrblocko pick out the apple pie recipe from my huge binder of "to do" recipes. He chose Recipe Girl's Deep Dish Dulce De Leche Pie. This recipe did not include directions on how to make a crust so I went on the hunt for that as well. I settled on Sylvia's Perfect Crust from Tasty Kitchen.
Out of all the possible pie crust recipes in the world, why did I choose this one? Well, I tried a butter crust back in December when I made Pies in a Jar for my uncle for Christmas. The crust was a bit sticky and hard to work with, but I didn't know if that was because I was trying to stick them in tiny jars. I also chose this recipe because it didn't require any butter. I had enough butter to make the pie, but then I wouldn't have any left for the other things I wanted to make later in the week. Butter was about $3 at the store and I refuse to pay this much. I'd rather just stock up when it goes on sale. Did you know butter on sale tastes better? Yup, it's a scientific fact!
The reviews for this pie crust were spot on. Not only was this a very simple crust to prepare, but it resulted in a tender, flaky crust. This was all fine and good, but well, it just didn't have the rich flavorful taste that a butter crust has. It was fine for the Dulce De Leche pie because it was so sweet. The flavors in the pie completely overwhelmed the crust. In fact, had to eat some of the crust by itself so I could actually taste it. Even though the crust was not the best tasting crust on the planet, I would absolutely recommend Sylvia's Perfect Crust to a new baker. The lack of fighting with the crust makes up for any lack of taste. I will keep searching for my ideal tasting crust, but keep this recipe in my arsenal when I want a no fuss pie crust.
What about the pie as a whole? It was delicious. I warned Mrblocko before we cut into the pie that this was my first pie that I made 100% from scratch so he shouldn't have too high of an expectation. I told him I even made the Dulce de Leche myself in the crockpot. Do you know what the man said, "Well did you milk the cow yourself too?" Don't worry I smacked him upside the head good for his SASSY mouth.As for the recipe for Deep Dish Dulce De Leche Pie, I thought it was very straight forward. It was supposed to be a deep dish pie, but it seemed to have enough filling for a regular pie. I think if it was a deep dish pie it would be skimpy on the apples. Or maybe the cups of apple are supposed to be heaping? The only change I made to the recipe was to bump up the cinnamon to 1 tsp.
For some reason the top didn't get as dark as I would have liked. At one point I did put foil on the top of the pie as the recipe states. I was fearful that I would burn the crust. I wish I had kept it off to get a slightly deeper tan. The crust was crispy enough for my liking so it was just an aesthetic thing.
One thing to remember about this pie, as with most pies, you absolutely need to let the pie cool before you slice it. Cooling lets the pie set up. I once had a disaster of a pie that was like soup, partially because I cut it while it was hot. The pie was still slightly warmer than room temp when we cut into it. We just couldn't wait any longer! It was just set enough for it to come out in a complete slice. The pie was even better the next day when it had sit in the fridge overnight. I am totally not ashamed to say that I had a nice hearty wedge for second breakfast!
Deep Dish Dulce de Leche Apple Pie from Recipe Girl
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
7 to 8 cups of peeled, sliced apples (I like Granny Smith & Braeburn)
1/2 cup dulce de leche (canned or homemade)
2 Tablespoons apple cider
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
double crust for 9-inch pie (purchased or homemade)
egg white mixed with 1 teaspoon of water
coarse sugar for top, optional
Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, mix sugars, cornstarch, spices and salt. In a large bowl, toss apples, dulce de leche, apple cider and vanilla . Add dry ingredients and toss to combine. Between waxed paper, roll out pie dough as large as possible keeping it a good thickness. Line deep dish pie pan with crust and let it hang over sides. Brush with egg white mix. Add filling and spread out evenly.
Roll out 2nd crust a little bit too, place on top of pie. Crimp edges to seal. Brush with egg white mixture. Cut a few holes in top crust for venting. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Bake for 30 min. Then turn the temperature down to 375F. If pie is browning, cover with foil and top with a pie-crust-shield to prevent crust edges from burning. If you don’t have a pie shield, just cover the whole thing with foil. Bake for another 30 min. Remove pie from oven and cool on rack for several hours to allow filling to set.
*If wish to convert to regular-sized pie (not a deep dish), reduce apples to 5 c and use slightly less dulce de leche.
Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust from Tasty Kitchen
1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 min til resembles coarse meal. In small bowl, beat egg with fork and pour it into flour/shortening mix. Add 5 T cold water, 1 T white vinegar and 1 t salt. Stir gently til all ingredients incorporated.
Separate dough into 3rda. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½" thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal bags and place in freezer til needed. (If using immediately still a good idea to put in freezer 15-20 min to chill.)
When ready to use dough to make crust, remove from freezer and allow to thaw for 15 min. On floured surface roll dough, starting at center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½" larger in diameter than pie pan.
With a spatula, lift dough carefully from surface of counter into pie pan. Gently press dough against corner of pan. Go around pie pan pinching and tucking dough to make a clean edge.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Stargazer Pie
Dude...I made an entire pie. You would think with all the bajillions of servings and slices I got from this one pie, I would have managed to take at least one picture of the darn thing. Nope. El Dork-a-rino! Everytime I dished up servings this weekend, I realized as we were all eating our slices that I hadn't taken a picture of it. I told myself that was ok because it was a big cake and I would have plenty of opportunities to take a picture. Apparently not.
Last night as we were all halfway through our pieces I said, um these are the last pieces of the cake and I didn't get a picture of any of it. Bah.
The cake was very very good and rich and sweet and chocolatly and rich. Did I mention it was rich? The base was chocolate chip cookie, topped with a cocoa boosted double chocolate brownie. Then there was a layer of chocolate. Then, a chocolate ganache layer, topped off with whipped cream.
You could consider this cake to be a cheater recipe. The base is premade cookie dough, and the brownie is from a box. I figured if we are being cheater cheaters then why not cheat completely and use cool whip. So I did. This was my birthday cake so I is the boss. And I said it too! So check it out!
I liked this cake, but I'm not so sure I would make it again. The first time I ate a piece, I gave myself too big of a slice. I felt sick all night from the uber rich chocolatey sweetness. I think 15 years (or more)ago , this would have been my favorite dessert. Now, I think it is just too much.
If you like chocolate-y sweet rich desserts, head on over to Dozen Flours for the recipe (and pictures) for Glenn's Stargazer Pie.
Glenn's Stargazer Pie From Dozen Flours
Crust
1 16.5 oz tube of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, softened
Brownie Layer
1 box of Betty Crocker Triple Chunk Brownie Mix (my preference)
1/2 cup of cocoa powder, sifted
3 tablespoons of lukewarm water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of almond extract or vanilla if that's all you have
Cream Cheese Truffle Layer
1 cup of milk semisweet chips
4 oz of cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
Whipped Cream Layer
2 cups of whipping cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (give or take) of chocolate curls or other garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 or 9 1/2" springform pan with butter. Spread cookie dough into bottom of pan, making one big even cookie. It will be a little on the thin side, but don't worry, there will be enough. Use a fork to tamp it down. Stick it in the freezer.
Mix brownie mix and cocoa powder in big bowl. Add water, oil, eggs, and almond extract *just* til dry ingredients absorbed. Be careful not to over mix! The batter will be somewhat lumpy.
Remove springform pan from freezer and add brownie batter right over top. Bake 34-38 min til toothpick inserted into center of brownie comes out *almost* clean -- just a few bits of brownie sticking to the toothpick is okay. You want it to where it's not raw in the center and doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan a bit. You want it just a tad bit less baked than you would a normal brownie. Remove from oven and promptly sprinkle about a 1/3 c chocolate chips over top. Let it sit for a minute or two and once chocolate chips are soft, evenly spread over top of brownie's surface. Cool on counter.
While pie cooling, microwave remaining chips on low power on 30 sec intervals til chips melted, stirring well each time. Set aside. Cream butter, and cream cheese together for 1 min. Add vanilla and stir again. Add melted chocolate, one big t at a time til totally incorporated into cream cheese. Spread cream cheese mix over top of pie and store it uncovered in refrigerator for an hour.
About an hour or two before serve pie (or when totally cooled off), whisk whipping cream on high til soft peaks form. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix again til combined. Spread evenly over top of pie. Grate chocolate directly over top , sprinkle chocolate curls, or embellish with chocolate sprinkles. Cover and put it back in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.
When ready to serve, run thin knife/spatula around edge of pan to free from outside ring. Gently remove ring and serve. Let it come to room temperature at least 1/2 hour before serving. You'll know it's ready to serve when you're able to cut it from the center fairly easily.
Last night as we were all halfway through our pieces I said, um these are the last pieces of the cake and I didn't get a picture of any of it. Bah.
The cake was very very good and rich and sweet and chocolatly and rich. Did I mention it was rich? The base was chocolate chip cookie, topped with a cocoa boosted double chocolate brownie. Then there was a layer of chocolate. Then, a chocolate ganache layer, topped off with whipped cream.
You could consider this cake to be a cheater recipe. The base is premade cookie dough, and the brownie is from a box. I figured if we are being cheater cheaters then why not cheat completely and use cool whip. So I did. This was my birthday cake so I is the boss. And I said it too! So check it out!
I liked this cake, but I'm not so sure I would make it again. The first time I ate a piece, I gave myself too big of a slice. I felt sick all night from the uber rich chocolatey sweetness. I think 15 years (or more)ago , this would have been my favorite dessert. Now, I think it is just too much.
If you like chocolate-y sweet rich desserts, head on over to Dozen Flours for the recipe (and pictures) for Glenn's Stargazer Pie.
Glenn's Stargazer Pie From Dozen Flours
Crust
1 16.5 oz tube of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, softened
Brownie Layer
1 box of Betty Crocker Triple Chunk Brownie Mix (my preference)
1/2 cup of cocoa powder, sifted
3 tablespoons of lukewarm water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of almond extract or vanilla if that's all you have
Cream Cheese Truffle Layer
1 cup of milk semisweet chips
4 oz of cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
Whipped Cream Layer
2 cups of whipping cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (give or take) of chocolate curls or other garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 or 9 1/2" springform pan with butter. Spread cookie dough into bottom of pan, making one big even cookie. It will be a little on the thin side, but don't worry, there will be enough. Use a fork to tamp it down. Stick it in the freezer.
Mix brownie mix and cocoa powder in big bowl. Add water, oil, eggs, and almond extract *just* til dry ingredients absorbed. Be careful not to over mix! The batter will be somewhat lumpy.
Remove springform pan from freezer and add brownie batter right over top. Bake 34-38 min til toothpick inserted into center of brownie comes out *almost* clean -- just a few bits of brownie sticking to the toothpick is okay. You want it to where it's not raw in the center and doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan a bit. You want it just a tad bit less baked than you would a normal brownie. Remove from oven and promptly sprinkle about a 1/3 c chocolate chips over top. Let it sit for a minute or two and once chocolate chips are soft, evenly spread over top of brownie's surface. Cool on counter.
While pie cooling, microwave remaining chips on low power on 30 sec intervals til chips melted, stirring well each time. Set aside. Cream butter, and cream cheese together for 1 min. Add vanilla and stir again. Add melted chocolate, one big t at a time til totally incorporated into cream cheese. Spread cream cheese mix over top of pie and store it uncovered in refrigerator for an hour.
About an hour or two before serve pie (or when totally cooled off), whisk whipping cream on high til soft peaks form. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix again til combined. Spread evenly over top of pie. Grate chocolate directly over top , sprinkle chocolate curls, or embellish with chocolate sprinkles. Cover and put it back in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.
When ready to serve, run thin knife/spatula around edge of pan to free from outside ring. Gently remove ring and serve. Let it come to room temperature at least 1/2 hour before serving. You'll know it's ready to serve when you're able to cut it from the center fairly easily.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Peanut Butter Fudge Pie
I love desserts that don't require me to heat up the house with the oven in the summertime. This No Bake peanut butter pie definitely fits the bill. I wanted to make a nice dessert for Mrblocko for Father's Day weekend. (Yeah, I know that was weeks ago, but I'm slow in writing up these posts.) Not only was this pie great because It didn't require the oven, but it was quick and easy to put together. Oh, and it was delicious too! Can't beat that with a stick.
I first saw a peanut butter pie recipe over at Pioneer Woman. Then I stumbled across one at Disney's Family Fun and Blisstree. They were all slightly different and I couldn't decide which one I thought was the best so I combined them all and came up with the following recipe:
No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
1 (6 oz) pre-made Graham cracker crust (or make your own)
1 (8 oz) package of softened cream cheese (I used neufachel)
1/2 c sugar (I used white but I think brown would give the pie a darker color)
1 c peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/2 c milk (I used skim)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 c (one 8 oz tub) cool whip (I used low fat)
1 (11.5 oz) jar hot fudge ice cream topping
10 Hershey's dark chocolate with peanut mini candy bars. chopped
peanuts for garnish
Heat your hot fudge topping so it is runny enough to stir. Let cool slightly. In the meantime, with an electric mixer, combine sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Then add peanut butter, milk, and vanilla. Blend until combined. By hand, gently fold in the cool whip, in 2 parts. Do not over mix or you will get a runny mess. Pour half of this mixture into your pie crust, level this out with a spatula. Then, carefully pour your hot fudge over the top of this. (I used about 3/4 of the container, because I wasn't sure if there was enough volume in the pan for the whole thing.) Carefully spread the fudge topping to the edges. Next, pour the remainder of the pie filling over the topping. Spread out to cover all the fudge. Top with chopped chocolate and peanuts. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Serve once the pie has set.
A word of caution, if you think your pie isn't setting up quick enough you can stick it in the freezer. However, if you leave it in there for too long it will be as hard as a rock and impossible to slice. You'll have to leave the pie on the counter and go run an errand to Home Depot or some such nonsense. By the time you get home your pie will be slice-able again. Hooray!
I first saw a peanut butter pie recipe over at Pioneer Woman. Then I stumbled across one at Disney's Family Fun and Blisstree. They were all slightly different and I couldn't decide which one I thought was the best so I combined them all and came up with the following recipe:No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
1 (6 oz) pre-made Graham cracker crust (or make your own)
1 (8 oz) package of softened cream cheese (I used neufachel)
1/2 c sugar (I used white but I think brown would give the pie a darker color)
1 c peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/2 c milk (I used skim)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 c (one 8 oz tub) cool whip (I used low fat)
1 (11.5 oz) jar hot fudge ice cream topping
10 Hershey's dark chocolate with peanut mini candy bars. chopped
peanuts for garnish
Heat your hot fudge topping so it is runny enough to stir. Let cool slightly. In the meantime, with an electric mixer, combine sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Then add peanut butter, milk, and vanilla. Blend until combined. By hand, gently fold in the cool whip, in 2 parts. Do not over mix or you will get a runny mess. Pour half of this mixture into your pie crust, level this out with a spatula. Then, carefully pour your hot fudge over the top of this. (I used about 3/4 of the container, because I wasn't sure if there was enough volume in the pan for the whole thing.) Carefully spread the fudge topping to the edges. Next, pour the remainder of the pie filling over the topping. Spread out to cover all the fudge. Top with chopped chocolate and peanuts. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Serve once the pie has set.
A word of caution, if you think your pie isn't setting up quick enough you can stick it in the freezer. However, if you leave it in there for too long it will be as hard as a rock and impossible to slice. You'll have to leave the pie on the counter and go run an errand to Home Depot or some such nonsense. By the time you get home your pie will be slice-able again. Hooray!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Frozen Raspberry Lemonade Pie
I wanted to make a simple dessert AND I wanted to try something new, but not spend an arm and a leg on ingredients. That really narrowed things down. While I was browsing my lengthy "to make" list, I came across a recipe posted last summer by Susan over at Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy called Frozen lemonade pie.
This pie seemed to fit the bill exactly. I already had graham crackers, butter, cool whip and lemonade concentrate. The only thing I had to buy was the condensed milk. Lucky me, I just happened to have a coupon for condensed milk! Awesome!
Every other time I had wanted to make this pie I decided against it because I didn't think it would survive the long journey to our friends or family's houses. I was right. This is a pie that needs to stay frozen. It melts quickly on a hot day, and this is a refreshing dessert for a hot summer day.
I made a few slight changes to this recipe. First, since I had graham crackers in the pantry, I made my own crust instead of using a premade one. I used 10 whole cinnamon crackers and 6 T of butter. All you have to do is crush the crackers, melt the butter, and mix them all together. Then you pat the mixture into the pie pan of your choice and bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.
Second, I only had a 8 oz tub of cool whip instead of the 12 oz required in the recipe. To make up for this I used my 8 1/2 inch pie pan. (Why is this pie pan 8 1/2 inches? Not a clue.) This made the crust extra thick and decreased the volume needed for the filling. I also used slightly less than a full can of sweetened condensed milk, and slightly less than 6 oz of concentrated juice.
Third, I decided to use raspberry lemonade instead of plain lemonade. Since I can only find concentrated raspberry lemonade in 12 oz containers, I used slightly less than half a can. Instead of tossing, or refreezing the rest of the concentrate, I just make half a pitcher of juice.
So, was this a tasty dessert? Don't let the lack of a photo fool you. The pie didn't last long enough for a picture. I can't wait to try a limeade or pink lemonade version.
Frozen Lemonade Pie from Sticky, gooey, creamy, chewy
1 large-size store bought graham cracker pie crust
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen
1 teaspoon candied lemon peel for garnish (optional)
In a medium bowl, add chilled sweetened condensed milk and Cool Whip and fold gently. Add frozen lemonade and continue to gently fold. Do not let the mixture become soupy.Pour mixture into the pie crust and freeze for several hours or overnight. Garnish with candied lemon peel, if desired.
This pie seemed to fit the bill exactly. I already had graham crackers, butter, cool whip and lemonade concentrate. The only thing I had to buy was the condensed milk. Lucky me, I just happened to have a coupon for condensed milk! Awesome!
Every other time I had wanted to make this pie I decided against it because I didn't think it would survive the long journey to our friends or family's houses. I was right. This is a pie that needs to stay frozen. It melts quickly on a hot day, and this is a refreshing dessert for a hot summer day.
I made a few slight changes to this recipe. First, since I had graham crackers in the pantry, I made my own crust instead of using a premade one. I used 10 whole cinnamon crackers and 6 T of butter. All you have to do is crush the crackers, melt the butter, and mix them all together. Then you pat the mixture into the pie pan of your choice and bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.
Second, I only had a 8 oz tub of cool whip instead of the 12 oz required in the recipe. To make up for this I used my 8 1/2 inch pie pan. (Why is this pie pan 8 1/2 inches? Not a clue.) This made the crust extra thick and decreased the volume needed for the filling. I also used slightly less than a full can of sweetened condensed milk, and slightly less than 6 oz of concentrated juice.
Third, I decided to use raspberry lemonade instead of plain lemonade. Since I can only find concentrated raspberry lemonade in 12 oz containers, I used slightly less than half a can. Instead of tossing, or refreezing the rest of the concentrate, I just make half a pitcher of juice.
So, was this a tasty dessert? Don't let the lack of a photo fool you. The pie didn't last long enough for a picture. I can't wait to try a limeade or pink lemonade version.
Frozen Lemonade Pie from Sticky, gooey, creamy, chewy
1 large-size store bought graham cracker pie crust
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, keep frozen
1 teaspoon candied lemon peel for garnish (optional)
In a medium bowl, add chilled sweetened condensed milk and Cool Whip and fold gently. Add frozen lemonade and continue to gently fold. Do not let the mixture become soupy.Pour mixture into the pie crust and freeze for several hours or overnight. Garnish with candied lemon peel, if desired.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Apple Butter Pie
This was the other pie I made for Easter dinner. Doesn't it look just like a pumpkin pie? The base is made from apple butter. I am not the biggest fan of apple butter, but Mrblocko loves it. I made this pie with him in mind.The apple butter pie recipe comes from the blog Baking Bites. Usually recipes I find on there are a huge success. This one, not so much. I think this due to two things. First, it looks so much like pumpkin pie, I kept expecting that flavor. I think my taste buds were disappointed. The second problem was that I made this pie the day before. The crust got super soggy and gummy. This is definitely a pie you make and eat on the same day.
Mrblocko said there are other things he likes much better and that I should pass on making this particular pie again. I was very surprised to hear that considering his regard for apple butter. Even more surprising was Blockette's reaction to the pie. She loved it! She wanted seconds and begged me to make the pie again. If I make this pie again, I'll make it in a mini pie size just for her.
Apple Butter Pie from Baking Bites
1 9-inch pie crust (vanilla crust recipe below)
1 16-oz jar apple butter
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until very smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until center is mostly set (jiggles slightly when nudged) and a sharp knife inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Cool to room temperature before slicing and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before serving. Serves 8-10
Vanilla Wafer Crumb Crust
1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine ingredients and stir well until mixture resembles wet sand. Pour into 9-inch pie shell and press into a firm, even layer over the base and sides. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until browned. Cool completely before using. Makes 1 crust.
Apple Butter Pie from Baking Bites
1 9-inch pie crust (vanilla crust recipe below)
1 16-oz jar apple butter
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until very smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until center is mostly set (jiggles slightly when nudged) and a sharp knife inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Cool to room temperature before slicing and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before serving. Serves 8-10
Vanilla Wafer Crumb Crust
1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine ingredients and stir well until mixture resembles wet sand. Pour into 9-inch pie shell and press into a firm, even layer over the base and sides. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until browned. Cool completely before using. Makes 1 crust.
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