Sweet Potato Pie

(one 9 inch pie)

For quite some time I have been intrigued by the Cook's Illustrated "Foolproof" Pie Crust, however I have an aversion to making them, so I've been hitting the refrigerated section at the market and grabbing ready made pie crusts despite my better intentions. Today was different. I thought I had one in my refrigerator, but I was mistaken. It's unseasonably cold here in Dallas, and I was reluctant to leave my toasty home just for one item. I had everything I needed right here to make one, so I took the plunge. Hands down, this was the best pie crust I've ever had. It was buttery and flaky and easier (and quicker) to make than I had imagined.

I used regular flour (I was reluctant to experiment on a holiday), but I might try this pie crust recipe again using gluten free flour. I imagine it should work quite well as part of the premise that makes this particular crust successful is the addition of vodka which both inhibits the formation of gluten as well as produces a flakier crust because the alcohol evaporates during baking.

Sweet potato pie is a southern specialty, and in all honesty I prefer it to pumpkin pie. I like adding bourbon to mine, but you can leave that out if you prefer, either way, this pie is delicious!

Happy Thanksgiving!

1 unbaked pie crust, (Cook's Illustrated recipe using vodka)

2 large sweet potatoes, baked and cooled (about 2 1/2 lbs)
*2/3 cup sucanat or brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp bourbon (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cup heavy cream

Line a pie dish with the dough and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Scoop out the flesh from the sweet potatoes; you should have about 3 cups. Place into the bowl of a large food processor. Add the sucanat, eggs, bourbon, if using and spices. Pulse a few times until everything is combined. *Add an extra 1/3 cup of sucanat or brown sugar if you prefer your desserts on the sweet side. This is pretty subjective because personally I think 2/3 cup is perfect. :P

Leave the motor running and pour the cream down the chute. Stop when the cream is combined and you have a smooth thick mixture.

                                   Look at that beautiful flaky crust!

Spoon the filling into the refrigerated pie shell and bake at 400°F. for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° F. and continue baking another 35-50 minutes or until the filling is firm and the pie crust is a golden brown. I use a small counter top convection type oven, you might have to adjust the baking times a bit as I imagine my oven might be faster.

Remove from oven and cool. The filling will have puffed up a bit during baking and will shrink back down as it cools.

Sour Cream Cranberry & Apple Pie

(one 9 inch pie)

Fresh cranberries and crispy apple slices are tossed in sweetened sour cream and topped with a thin layer of streusel.

filling
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 cups fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
4 medium Red Delicious apples, peeled and cored, cut into slices

1 unbaked single layer pie crust pressed into a 9 inch pie dish

streusel topping
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sucanat or brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter (half a stick)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F.

 In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, sucanat, flour, cinnamon and ginger. Add the cranberries and apple slices and toss until they are evenly coated.

Spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared pie dish. You will probably have to mound it slightly.

Combine the streusel ingredients either by hand, cutting in the butter until it resembles a course meal or place everything into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the butter is broken down into very small pieces. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cranberry and apple mixture.

Place the pie onto a cookie sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15 minutes. (My pie was already lightly browned at this point). Reduce the heat to 350°F. and continue baking another 50-60 minutes or until the pie has browned and the filling is hot and bubbling all over.

Remove from oven and cool before slicing. This pie is best on the day it's made.

Pear Frangipane Tart

(6-8 servings)

I've spent the better part of this week in bed. Midweek I had minor surgery which went well, however it took me a few days to recover from the anesthesia. I thought it interesting how I felt almost no discomfort in the area where the cutting was actually done, yet I had a wicked headache lasting several days as well as a sore throat because of a tube they inserted. I'm still feeling tired, but at least I'm up and about today. I baked this tart the day before I had my surgery. It held up really well and I enjoyed a slice of it with milk the day after the surgery.

I had made a version of this tart with ready made almond paste previously, but the market was out of it and the grocer mentioned this method. She suggested twice the amount of sugar and butter, but I reduced both and this tart was fantastic.

3 firm pears
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
2 large eggs

1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

Wash and peel the pears. Slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the core. Brush them with the lemon juice and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place the almonds, sugar and butter into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add the baking powder and eggs. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy looking. Set aside.

Press the pie crust into a 9 inch tart pan and trim the edges. Pour the almond mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly across the bottom.

Slice the pears into 1/4 inch slices and arrange those slices over the almond mixture. See the bottom right photo.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top and crust have browned nicely and the middle feels firm to the touch.

Allow to cool completely before serving. I imagine it would be nice with whipped cream. I had it plain and it was great!

Sour Cream Nectarine Streusel Pie

(9 inch pie)

Ever since I first tasted sour cream in a fruit pie many years ago, I find it difficult to make one, without. This year is no exception. The market was filled with gorgeous looking nectarines (it's the season for them in Texas) so I brought a bunch home for this delicious treat.

This pie is best served the day it's made.

streusel topping
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter, (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Place the flour, sugar and butter into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture is crumbly. Add the almonds and pulse once or twice. Set aside.

sour cream nectarine pie
1x 9 inch unbaked pie shell
2/3 cup sour cream (regular, not low fat or fat free)
1/3 cup brown sugar, or more to taste
3 tbsp flour
1 large egg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch or 2 of salt
3 lb organic ripe nectarines

Line a 9 inch pie pan with the pie pastry. I don't bring the crust all the way to the edges of the pie plate because those tend to get very dark in the oven and I don't like to have to fuss with aluminum strips to prevent that from happening. Set aside

Whisk together the sour cream, brown sugar, flour, egg, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wash, pit and and slice the nectarines. If you prefer to remove the skins first, then drop the whole nectarines into boiling water for about 15-30 seconds followed by a dunk in cold water. The skins should  slip off easily.

Stir the sliced nectarines into the sour cream mixture. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pie pan. Sprinkle the reserved streusel mixture evenly over the nectarine mixture.

Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and continue to bake another 35-45 minutes or until the top has browned nicely and the filling is bubbling hot.

Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing into it.

Lemon Chess Tart

(9 inch tart)

This simple southern tart/pie is delicious. I have come across quite a few recipes for this and most combine brown and white sugars, use eggs and add one to two tablespoons of corn meal which I didn't have on hand today. I used a bit of cornstarch instead. I'm not certain if the addition of lemon is a less traditional version of this dessert which often contained buttermilk and sometimes a small amount of vinegar.

This lemon chess tart in some respects reminds me of a lemon meringue pie.

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp cornstarch
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp minced lemon zest,from 1 large lemon
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup milk


Preheat oven to 375°F.

Press the pie crust into an ungreased 9 inch tart pan and set aside.

Beat together the butter and brown sugar.

Add the white sugar, eggs, cornstarch and salt and beat until the mixture is well combined; about 1.5 minutes.

Sir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and milk.

Pour into the prepared tart pan and bake for 5 minutes at 375°F, then lower the heat to 350°F. Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the custard has set.

Allow the pie to cool completely before serving.

Almás Pite; Hungarian Apple Cake

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I have eaten broccoli with oyster sauce almost every day this past week. I can't seem to get enough of it and  I haven't even tired of it yet. I swapped out green beans one night which were good, but not as good as the broccoli which I love. I decided to bake today so I would at least have something to post about.

My grandmother made this apple cake which is quite popular in Hungary. It reminds me a bit of apple pie in that the filling is in the middle and the pastry is a sweetened version of the classic shortcrust pastry.

This cake is quite easy to make if you have a food processor; both for grating the apples as well as making the pastry dough. I like to add raisins which have been soaked in rum to the apple filling whereas my grandmother added ground walnuts to hers.

Browned Butter Fig Tart

I served this with a bit of crème fraiche (which it didn't need) that I had on hand.

I love fresh figs! I've had them almost every morning for breakfast for the past two weeks. I just eat them straight... sans balsamic vinegar, honey, goat cheese  ....prosciutto.

Figs have been plentiful this year. I still haven't replaced the tree I lost last year to frost, but they have been available at the market at reasonable prices, so I have been returning home with two or three baskets every week.

This weekend I thought I'd try them in a tart. I toyed with the idea of a fig tart with goat cheese and salted caramel sauce...but in the end I decided on figs nestled in a browned butter and sour cream custard, sprinkled very  lightly with cinnamon, brown sugar... and a touch of lemon zest.. heaven!

This tart was very good. The flavour of the figs were pronounced.. you could make out the browned butter with just a hint of cinnamon and lemon ... and the whole dessert was not too sweet. I might make it again next year.. that is if there's enough figs left after enjoying them, just as they are.

Lemon Meringue Tartlets

(12 x 2" tartlets)

I made two batches of these for the July 4th festivities. An unusual choice perhaps, but I had lemons and a strong craving... plus.. I have a cute tartlet pan which fits perfectly in my small convection oven and I wanted to try it out.

When I made the lemon filling, I added the egg yolks right at the beginning and whisked everything until the mixture came to a boil and thickened. I've never seen the need to add them later and that saves a step.

The egg yolks I used were nearly orange in colour, tinting the lemon filling a lovely yellow.

pastry for a 9 inch pie

Lemon Filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2-3 tsp lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
3 egg yolks 
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups water
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut the pastry into circles and press them into the tartlet pan. Allow a bit of the pastry to "hang" past the pan as it will shrink as it bakes. Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry with a fork and bake for about 6-8 minutes or until the shells are browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan.

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, egg yolks and lemon juice in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the water.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil while whisking the mixture. Continue whisking and boil for one minute, then remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Cool the filling slightly, then divide it evenly among the cooled tartlet shells. Set aside and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Beat the egg whites until they begin to form soft peaks, then gradually beat in the sugar and continue to beat until they are stiff and glossy.

I like to scoop a small amount of meringue into a sandwich bag (and cut off a corner) to pipe a small circle around each tartlet ensuring it's touching the pastry.. (that way the meringue won't pull away or shrink from the edges later.)



Use the rest of the meringue to completely cover each tartlet.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the surface of the meringue becomes an even brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Fresh Tomato and Cheese Tart

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(one 9" tart)

This is a great summer dish when tomatoes are at their peak.

crust
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup wholewheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, cut up and chilled
2-4 tbsp cold water

Place the flours and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Remove the top and evenly distribute the butter pieces. Replace the top and pulse as few times until the butter is roughly chopped and mixed with the flour (small pea sized).

Remove the top again and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the flour and butter mixture. Place the top back on and pulse a few more times. The mixture should look like it's about to clump together. If not, then add a bit more water.

Gather up the dough and shape into a flattened ball. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a circle to fit a 9" pie or tart pan. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unwrap into the pan. Press into the pan and remove excess dough from the edges and set aside.

filling
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup roasted or sauteed onions, sliced or chopped
6 oz cheese, shredded (I combined gruyere, garlic cheddar and edam)

2-3 tomatoes, sliced (enough to cover the top)
1 tbsp fresh basil, sliced
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
freshly ground black pepper
salt, to taste (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Combine the garlic, ricotta, and basil. Spread evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.

Scatter the onion over the ricotta mixture and then cover with an even layer of the shredded cheese.

Arrange the tomato slices over the shredded cheese. Sprinkle the sliced basil and parmesan cheese over the tomatoes. Finish off with some freshly ground black pepper.

Sprinkle a bit of salt, if needed.

Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the tart is done.

Pecan Butter Tarts

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(12 large tarts)

I made these for the July 4th festivities; was thinking of making a pie, but am bringing these instead. I Americanized a Canadian favourite, and I'm very pleased with the results!

1 pkg ready made pie crust (2x 9")

1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar, very lightly packed
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract, or bourbon
a pinch or two of salt, (optional)
1 egg
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut out 6 circles from each pie crust, (12 total) and line a 12 standard cup muffin tin with them. I allow the crust to rise slightly above the top to accommodate the large amount of filling. Set aside.

Place the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract (or bourbon) and salt, (if using) into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until well combined. Add the egg and continue to process until smooth.

Divide the pecans evenly among the "tarts" and spoon the filling over them. Most recipes tell you to fill them 2/3 full.. I would say these end up being closer to almost full.

Bake for about 12- 14 minutes or until bubbly and browned. The longer you bake these, the firmer they will be.

Cool them in the tins long enough to be able to run a knife around the edges to remove them for further cooling (about 10 minutes). If you can't get them out for fear of breaking them, then make sure they aren't sticking to the pan (I keep running a knife around them as they cool) and remove them when they have cooled completely.

Butter Tarts

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  (12 large tarts)

There's no way around the sugar for these, but somehow they're worth it. This is the "other" great Canadian dessert which comes to mind whenever I think about Nanaimo Bars.

I'll make puff pastry from scratch, but for some reason I really dislike making pie crust, so I usually look for a ready made one in the refrigerator section at the grocery store.

This recipe makes 12 rather large tarts as I line muffin tins with the dough and generously fill each one. The traditional recipe uses corn syrup, but often I use maple syrup because I usually have some on hand. I'll also use raisins if I can't find dried currants which are harder to find in Dallas. Personally, I prefer the dried currants which are smaller.

1 pkg ready made pie crust (2x 9")

1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup, or maple syrup
1-2 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup dried currants, or raisins

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut out 6 circles from each pie crust, (12 total) and  line a 12 cup muffin tin with them. Set aside.
 
Place the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup or maple syrup, vinegar and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined. Add the eggs and continue to process until well mixed and smooth.

Divide the currants or raisins evenly among the "tarts" and spoon the filling over them. Most recipes tell you to fill them 2/3 full.. I would say these end up being closer to almost full.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until bubbly and browned. The longer you bake these, the firmer they will be.

Cool them in the tins long enough to be able to run a knife around the edges to remove them for further cooling (about 10 minutes). If you can't get them out for fear of breaking them, then make sure they aren't sticking to the pan and remove them when they have cooled completely.