TWD: Apple Pandowdy

This week some of the bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie made an pandowdy. What is a Pandowdy? It is a pie with just a top crust. And the top crust is usually made with odd shapes/pieces of dough. Which means it is an easy pie to make because you don’t really have to roll out that perfect circle of dough to put on top of the pie. I LOVE that!! While I can make a good crust (usually one of Dorie’s) I can never seem to get it on to the pie just right.

While many bakers choose to use rectangles or triangles I wanted something pretty as it was going to church for our after service treat. I found a small flower cookie cutter and used that to make lots of flowers for the top. It was then brushed with milk (as per instructions) and I sprinkled the top with demerara sugar which gives the top of the pie a pretty texture and shine.

I like apple pie and this was the first time I had made one as a pandowdy. I may just make all my apple pies this way from now on.

I did use a mixture of apples (Ambrosia and Sweet Tango) along with some pears I had canned earlier in the year. There was nothing left after the social hour at church. You may think that is odd but there are only 12 people in our little church and there was another dessert (with lots left).

While I liked the pandowdy I thought it was TOO lemony and I really couldn’t taste the apples. I would rather do it with cinnamon and cardamom. But they like it and that was all that mattered.

The recipe is on page 257 of Dorie Greenspan’s new (and inviting) book – Baking with Dorie : Sweet, Salty and Simple. We are not publishing the recipes as we did with Baking from my Home to Yours. You will just have to purchase her book and join us every other Tuesday.

We had a choice of making the pandowdy or English Muffins.

You can see how the muffins or the pandowdys turned out HERE.

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{EwE} It’s Beginning to Look a lot like…

…Christmas! 

Such a fun time of year.  Lots of presents.  Lots of decorations.  Lots and lots and lots of baking!

So. Many. Calories.  Until you bake with Ellie.  She always has something for you for any occasion.  Including Christmas.  Like Pumpkin Pie!  

We always have pumpkin pie and pecan pie for Christmas.  It’s just a tradition.  But Ellie’s is about 1/2 the calories since it uses a Whole Wheat Crust, low fat {I used no fat} Evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar instead of the usual 1 cup sugar.  

How does it taste?  It’s way too early to cut this pie so I saved just a smidge and baked a small ramekin.  It was GOOD!!  Just right on the sweet.

I think I will make her Angelic Ambrosia, too, (page 290) but it’s way too early to make it for now.  I’ll let you know how it is.

The recipe is on page 275 of Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix.

For more Christmas goodies ->   Eating with Ellie.

Have A Blessed One, Y’all!!

 

{CC#10} Pear Crisp

How did it get to be OCTOBER?  Yes, I know, it follows September but it seems like we just started August!  Whew!

But October is good.  Cooler temps in the Southern US.  Soup time is around the corner.  Lots of different veggies from the fall/winter garden.  And a new cookbook for Cookbook Countdown!

In early 2003 my beautiful daughter traveled to Colorado.  She brought back some souvenirs – one of which was 

and while I wandered through it and marked recipes I never really got around to using it.  Thanks to Cookbook Countdown I am about to remedy that situation.  Starting with a dessert!  Eat dessert first, right?

Creamy Pear Pie Crunch

This was delicious.  Not a pie exactly because it doesn’t have a bottom crust but not a crisp either – according to Ela of Ela’s Family Farm.

I chose this recipe because of the pear trees in the backyard.  I made this right before the season for picking ended so I could use fresh pears but it would be just as good with our canned pears.

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs. corn starch
1/4  1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cream
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 1/2 cups pears, cored and sliced

Crust:

1/2 cup butter – melted
1 – 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour {I used 1/2 AP and 1/2 WWF}
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Mix together the sugar, corn starch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt a bowl. Add cream, lemon juice and pears, mixing well. Pour into greased 8″ x 8″ pan.

Mix crust ingredients together and sprinkle over pear mixture.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

The recipe is on page 182 of Colorado Farmers’ Market Cookbook.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{SRC} In the Kitchen with….

…a creative cook. Someone who loves to create good food for her family. Someone who started a blog because she wanted to share her requested recipes with family and friends. LYNSEY!  Of LynseyLou’s who is making our days delicious!!  And she did.  

Lynsey started blogging in 2008 because she was simply inspired by another blogger.  And, it was her way of sharing her recipes with the friends and family who asked for them.  Lynsey, that’s the same reason I blog.  Keep on, Lynsey.  You have some darn good stuff on LynseyLou’s.

So many good things that, as usual, it was hard to pick just one.  So I went with …

DINNER:  

Spicy Sausage Casserole

Which everyone in the family loved.  Rotini pasta mixed with sausage, lots of cheese, Rotel tomatoes, and onions.  While Lynsey used turkey sausage I used a local smoked sausage.  It was delicious!

A couple of nights later I needed a good filling side:

Sweet Potato Wedges

Roasted in the melted butter and cinnamon.  Perfect.  I am a big fan of sweet potatoes and always stock up when they are in season.  These will definitely see their way into the oven again.

And I saved the best for last:  DESSERT!

Peanut Butter Pie

Which The Man said was the best PB pie he had ever had.  {Thank you, Lynsey!}

Forgive the drizzle on top – it came out way faster than I expected.  But it’s the taste that counts, right?

• 2 Cups heavy whipping cream, divided
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 8 Oz (1 bar) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
• 1 Cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 Graham cracker crust, homemade or store bought
• 1/4 Cup semi sweet chocolate

Place 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream in a medium bowl with two tablespoons of sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.

Place cream cheese and peanut butter in a large bowl and beat on high until combined.  Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and beat until incorporated.  Increase speed to high and beat an additional 1-2 minutes, until mixture is slighly airy.  Gently fold the whipping cream into the peanut butter mixture.  Transfer mixture to the cooled pie crust.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave in 15 second incremints, until completely melted.  Fill a piping bag, fitted with a round tip with the melted chocolate and drizzle the pie with the chocolate.

Whip the remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Spoon the whipped cream onto the center of the pie.  Drizzle with additional chocolate, if desired.

Place the pie in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving, to allow to set     {adapted by Lynsey from Paula Deen}

Lynsey was my assignment for Secret Recipe Club.

Were there more recipes from Lynsey I wanted to try?  You Betcha! But I had to choose just a couple for SRC.  The hardest part of being a member is choosing.  The fun part is discovering new bloggers and their wonderful, tasty recipes.  There is more from The Secret Recipe this month.  Just follow the frog!

WordPress dot com:

 

{CC#9} Refrigerator Pie

aka QUICHE!  And it’s a good one.  AB gives the basics {Software} and then choices for the filling {Secondary Software}  And to make it super simple he suggested a frozen crust.  NICE!

Use a frozen {or fresh} crust .Mix together 2 large eggs, 1 cup half and half, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Distribute the “secondary software” over the crust.  {8 ounces of just about anything!}

I used cubed ham, spinach, sauteed onions, and Gruyere cheese.  If I had only had some mushrooms!

Place the pie on a cookie sheet and place partway into a 350 degree oven.  Carefully pour in the filling mix and slide the pie into the oven. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until it is still jiggly in the middle but set at the edges.

OH! MY!  Pretty much the best ‘refrigerator pie” I have made in a while.

AB also suggests combos like

• cheddar with ham and spinach.
• roasted chicken with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese.
• pepperoni with black olives and green peppers.

In other words – anything goes…

The recipe is from Good Eats: The Early years page 152.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#9} No-Pan Pear Pie

In our back yard there are 4 pear trees. Two with pears just to eat and two for canning. I think the eating pears are better fresh for pies and such because they aren’t quite as hard as the canning pears. I use them fresh as long as I can.

Someone once said if you want to make a great apple pie – use pears. I agree. More texture, often better flavor. I found this recipe for AB‘s Pear pie in Good Eats: The Early Years – the cookbook I am using for September’s Cookbook Countdown.

What AB made was a galette – a no-pan pie. Perfect!  I always have trouble making the pie look nice by messing up the crust on the way to the pan.  No-pan means it is free form with the crust wrapped up around the filling.  So. Much. Easier!

This one is filled with pears, blueberries and lots of flavor.  The  flavor is enhanced by adding Balsamic vinegar to the mix.  So. Much Flavor!

For the dough:
2 1/2 cups {12 ounces} flour
1/2 cup {2 1/4 ounces} stone ground cornmeal
3 tablespoons {1 1/2 ounces} sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided, diced
1/2 cup apple juice

For the filling:
2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced {Mine aren’t Anjou!}
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar {2 ounces} {I used Splenda}
1 pinch grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon {I used about 1 tsp}
2 tablespoons {1 ounce} butter
1 cup {6 ounces} blueberries
1 teaspoon AP flour
1 1/2 cups pound cake, cubed {I used plain yellow cake}
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sugar {I used Turbinado}

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• DOUGH: In a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and put the bowl into the refrigerator.
• Remove 1/2 stick of butter from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
• In a food processor, add the 1/2 stick of butter to the flour mixture. Pulse until the fat completely disappears. Add the remaining 1 1/2 sticks butter in separate batches. Pulse until flour mixture resembles the size of a pea.
• Combine the apple juice concentrate and the cold water. Using a spray bottle, spritz the dough with the apple juice mixture while folding the mixture with a spatula. After about three tablespoons of the liquid, check the dough for consistency. It should hold together when compressed but remain relatively dry to the touch. If it does not bind, add a little more water.
• Remove from the processor and form the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in wax paper or parchment paper and rest in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• FILLING:  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add pears to the pan and toss for 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and continue to toss for 30 seconds. Add sugar and cook until the pears have softened. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and the butter and melt slowly. Fold in the blueberries. Remove from heat. Sprinkle on the flour and combine well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• CONSTRUCTION:  Place dough on a floured piece of parchment and roll out to a 1/4-inch thick disk. Transfer to a baking sheet. Place cubed pound cake in the middle of the dough, leaving a 3-inch margin of crust on all sides. Spoon filling over the cake cubes and top the pears with 1 ounce of cubed butter. Lift excess crust onto filling and repeat in a clockwise fashion until a top lip has formed around the edge of the whole tart. Brush the tart with the egg wash and sprinkle the crust with the sugar.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling begins to bubble and the crust is golden brown.
• Remove from the sheet pan immediately and cool on pie rack.

This was so good.  I wish I had a picture of the whole pie but I guess it disappeared with the pie! Definitely a repeat – often.  Oh!  And it was good warm from the oven with cinnamon ice cream!

The recipe is from AB’s Good Eats: The Early Years page 100.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{Lets Lunch} Fruit Fiesta

When Betty suggested Fruit as the theme for May’s Let’s Lunch I jumped on the FB wagon right away. YES!! Fruit!! I love fruit but I don’t eat it as often as I should. NOT canned fruit, Fresh! Every year we pick pears from our trees and blueberries from our bushes. Hubs plants tons of watermelon and cantaloupe. Usually we have lots and give most of it away, but sometimes, like last year we didn’t have much. The weather!! This year, hopefully, it will be different.

My favorite fruit has always been the cantaloupe. My PawPaw always had two things waiting for me when I went for a visit – Twinkies and, if it was summer, cantaloupe. He was the best PawPaw! So for as long as I can remember I have loved cantaloupe and always associate them with my PawPaw!

Hard to believe but sometimes you can have TOO much cantaloupe. I am always looking for new ways to use them. So, when the Lets Lunch theme was FRUIT I knew I had to share a couple of my favorite Cantaloupe recipes.

For an easy treat how about a Cantaloupe Smoothie

.

1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
+ 1 cup frozen cantaloupe cubes
+2 Tbl Splenda (or 2 Tbl sugar)

Mix all ingredients together in a blender (or Magic Bullet).

This is so refreshing. I drink a lot of these in the summer – IF we have cantaloupe!

Recipe from Low Carb Smoothies by Dana Carpender.

But, there are only so many smoothies you can enjoy.

How about PIE!

Pie!!

Cantaloupe Pie

I always thought Cantaloupe had too much moisture to make pie, but it is more like a squash than an actual melon. It has more substance, so the meat can be made into a pie. I perused several recipes and came up with this one:

1 large or 4 cups ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, pureed. {I diced and put in the food processor, pulsing until smooth.}
1 cup sugar {mine was pretty sweet so I used less sugar, but you need to taste your melon first}
1/3 cup AP flour
1/3 corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
3 egg yolks

Place the cantaloupe puree in a large saucepan over medium heat.
In a large measuring cup whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt and stir into cantaloupe.
Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a low boil and begins to thicken. {Keep stirring constantly or the mix will begin to resemble tapioca, which isn’t a BAD thing, but…}
Beat egg yolks and water together.
Gradually mix some of the hot cantaloupe mixture into the egg/water mix to prevent yolks from curdling.
Pour yolk/cantaloupe mixture back into saucepan and continue to cook for about 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

At this point you need to think about a crust and a topping. Some of the recipes I found used a basic pie crust. Some used a sweet crust. I used a basic pie crust, but I think it would be better with a

Sweet Crust.

1 cup AP flour
3 Tbl powdered sugar
8 Tbl (1 stick)margarine or butter

Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
Place flour and sugar into a large bowl.
Cut in magarine (butter) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Press dough into the bottom and up the sides ofa deep dish pie plate (9″)
Bake crust for about 20 minutes
Set aside to cool.

Once cooled pour the cantaloupe mixture into the crust.

And the topping??

Well, we liked ours with whipped cream, but I also saw some with meringue. And some with a cream cheese/sugar/whipped cream topping. They would all be good with this pie.

This is a good pie. Mine had the tapioca texture, but we didn’t mind that. It tastes like cantaloupe (DUH!!) but it is a different taste.

Keeper in this household.

What else is on the Let’s Lunch Menu? Check with Betty Ann over at Asian in America.

 

{TWD2} Cakes and Pies – Perfect Desserts

I cannot believe it is already the end of August. Where does the time go?? And so quickly!! Swoosh!! It’s gone! And somewhere in there I found a little time to bake. Cakes and Pies.

First – the cake – or cupcakes

January 5, 2010 TWD celebrated it’s second birthday with CAKE!! Not just any cake.

Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake

I made these in July for my friend’s birthday. But instead of cake, I made cupcakes. 6 Cupcakes. 6 Texas Sized cupcakes. With Splenda. They were
delicious! Honest. And with the Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting – outstanding!!

:I decided to make cupcakes so she could take the rest home with her. And they travel better than cakes. I made them with Splenda so she could share with her Hubs who is diabetic.
They were moist.
They were sweet.
They were chocolatey.
‘Nuff said!!
And when I have finished the rest of the TWD recipes I will make there again. Since I made cupcakes they only needed to bake about 25 minutes.

You can find them on page 256 of Dorie’s BFMHTY Laurie hosted that week so you can find the recipe on her page. We had a choice of two recipes that week. I made the other one – Tarte Tatin. Also delicious!!

*************
And this week I made the Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

I have never had a lime pie. Lemon, yes, but not lime. How did that happen? While it looks just like lemon cream pie it is tarter. Much tarter. Of course that could be me. I might not have put enough sugar in it. But it was TASTY!!
I made 1 5″ tart with 1/4 of the recipe of both the filling and the meringue. We don’t like a lot of meringue so I made just a thin layer. And then I got to use…..

which made it fun!! I really need to pull that little instrument out more often.

The group made this little treat on August 25, 2008M. You can find the recipe HERE along with one of many absolutely stunning pies on other pages.

That finishes up all the recipes prior to August 2008. Only one for September so there will be some make-aheads!!

 

{BwJ} Blueberry-Nectarine Pie

For some reason, I don’t make a lot of pies. It’s not because we don’t like them. I mean, what’s not to like. Flaky crust, yummy filling of fruit or custard or nuts. I can make a pie crust. And I dont’ mind if they don’t look like the pictures. I just don’t make pie. My Nana made Pies all the time. And cookies. My Mom was more of a cake and brownie lady. I don’t know! Really!!

Fortunately for The Hubs, who actually loves pie, the TWD group made pie this week. Blueberry and Nectarine Pie.

A double crusted Blueberry and Nectarine Pie to be exact.

Okay, I have to admit mine isn’t ALL Nectarine. Seems like someone ATE my Nectarines and all I had left was a salvaged 1/2. Not to worry. Nectarines and Peaches are very very much alike so I used the Nectarine to cook down with the Blueberries and then used sliced peaches on the bottom. Leslie Mackie, who contributed this recipe to Baking with Julia had us taking 1/2 of the fruit and cooking it down for juice, adding in the remainder of the fruit after cooking the other and then putting into the pie. I cooked down the Nectarine and Blueberries and then placed a layer of thin peach slices on the bottom and poured the cooked fruit and juice over it. Came out just fine. I actually liked the layer of peaches on the bottom rather than mixing it in. But that’s just me!!

Besides using part peaches I also made the pie sugar free. I used Splenda instead of sugar and while I probably didn’t get as much juice it still was good eating. And I could have some since I am trying NOT to eat sugar. (Try that and baking!!!)

I made one little 4′ mini pie (using about 1/4 of the recipe). One night’s dessert and gone. With Vanilla (sugar free) Ice Cream. PERFECT!!!

Thanks to Hilary of Manchego’s Kitchen and Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake for Co-hosing the last selection for July. You can find he recipe on their blogs.

Or…on page 384 of Baking with Julia

I definitely see more pies in our future.

 

{TWD2} Pie and Scones

Today is Tuesday. And while I should be talking about Biscotti I decided to to some more catch-up instead. And I really wasn’t in the mood for biscotti which is what the BwJ Bakers were making for today!!

I love scones so when I saw that there were two scone recipes I missed these were high on my list. Unfortunately the first ones underwhelmed me.

Apple Cheddar Scones

Sorry, Dorie, but these were pretty bland. I used sharp cheddar cheese but I really couldn’t taste the cheese. I used the dried apple, chopped fine, but they ended up being little tough nuggets in the scones. Next time I would use pieces of fresh apple. I served the scones with some Honey Apple Butter we picked up on our last camping trip. Good stuff.

There was this little stand….

…on the side of the road. Anyway, the butter was perfect with these scones.

1/2 of the recipe gave me about 6 really good sized scones. Thanks to The Floured Apron who loves breakfast and choose these for us to bake July 1, 2008. You can find the recipe on her blog and on page 32 of Dorie’s book.

**********************

July 8, 2008, was Blueberry Pie Day!! I have to confess I have never made blueberry Pie. In fact I have never even HAD Blueberry Pie. I KNOW!! I really wasn’t a blueberry fan until recently. Boy, I didn’t know what I was missing. We planted some plants this summer but they really haven’t produced yet. We visited a Farmer’s Market last week and these big, fat, sweet, juicy berries were calling my name!! I had forgotten all about the pie until I got home. It was fate!!

I cannot begin to describe how excellent this pie is. Sweet and creamy. I was afraid it was going to be runny but by the time time pie cooled it was just right!! The berries have everything to do with the way this pie turns out. If we had bought the berries that were tasteless and mealy the pie would have been AWFUL!! But with good berries – good pie! Delicious Pie!! Repeat soon Pie!! Amy….

….GREAT PICK!! Amy has South in Your Mouth and the recipe is on her lovely blog. (Page 361 in BFMHTY) As usualy, I made 1/2 of the recipe and that gave me three 5″ mini pies. This is definitely in our top FIVE from Dorie’s book.