Pies

Daring Bakers: Tarte Tatin

This is one of those classic desserts that I can’t believe I haven’t made before!  Thanks again, Daring Bakers, for getting me to try something new and delicious.  And so beautiful!

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 For the March Daring bakers’ challenge, Korena from Korena in the Kitchen taught us that some treats are best enjoyed upside down. She challenged us to make a tarte tatin from scratch.

Since I of course didn’t make this until 2 days before the posting date and I am off to visit family for the weekend I am going to keep this post pretty short.  The recipe worked wonderfully well and I had no issues whatsoever.  I would do it all the same the next time around.

Except for the apples.  Mine were HUGE and I used the recommend 6 called for and had a bunch left over.  You want more apples than the pan can hold since they do cook down, but I had probably 2 apples worth of slices left.  That being said, I’d rather have too much than not enough.

The recipe for the pastry is easy and bakes up so flaky I know I’ll be making it again.  I can’t believe I almost cheated and used a frozen puff pastry!

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The caramel is a time consuming but fun project!  Forgive these photos, but I thought it would be helpful to see the process.  If I didn’t know the stages the sugar would go through I would’ve thought something was going terribly wrong.  So, no need to worry when the sugar gets all nasty and clumpy and looks like nothing good can come from it.  Something very good is coming.  Just keep stirring and be patient.

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The apples get wonderfully soft in the rich caramel.  A scoop of plain vanilla bean ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to this rich dessert.

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After arranging the apples and letting them cool a bit, place the crust on top and bake.  I wasn’t supposed to let the tarte cool all the way before unmolding, so I was worried that it wouldn’t come out cleanly.  I warmed the pan on the stove very breifly and it came out perfectly.

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This is a beautiful dessert, perfect for impressing your guests!  Or perfect to make for yourself and your baked good-loving toddler when your husband has gone out of town…

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Tarte Tatin

Pastry

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup ( 5 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  • ¼ cup ice cold water

Directions

  1. Pulse flour, butter and salt in a food processor until butter is in pea sized pieces.
  2. Stream in the water until the dough just comes together.
  3. Turn out on a floured surface and press together into a square.
  4. Roll into a 10 inch rectangle.  Fold the top third of the dough down and the bottom third up so that you have 3 layers.  Rotate 1/4 turn and repeat this process 4 more times.
  5. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least one hour, but up to a day.

Filling

Ingredients

  • 4 large or 5-6 medium-sized apples (I used Granny Smith)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • pinch salt

Directions

  1. Peel the apples and cut them into 4-6 pieces depending on the size of the apples. Remove the cores in such a way that each apple quarter has a flat inner side: when placed rounded-side-up, it should sit on a flat base. Place the apples in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and 1/3 cup sugar. This will help draw out some of the moisture from the apples and prevent an overly runny caramel. Set aside for 15 minutes.
  2. Melt the butter in a very heavy, 9” or 10″ oven-proof saucepan over medium heat, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup sugar. Stir with a whisk until the sugar melts and becomes a pale, smooth caramel. The sugar will seem dry and chunky at first, then will start to melt and smooth out. If the butter appears to separate out from the caramel, just keep whisking until it is a cohesive sauce.  This can be a long process, but it eventually works! Remove from the heat.
  3. Preheat oven to 375F.  Discard the liquid that has come out of the apples, then add the apple quarters to the caramel, round side down. They won’t all fit in a single layer at first, but as they cook they will shrink a bit. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, pressing down gently on the apples with a spoon to cover them in the caramel liquid. Move the apples around the pan gently so that they all cook evenly, trying to keep them round side down. When the apples have shrunk enough to mostly fit in a single layer and are starting to soften but still keep their shape, remove the pan from the heat.
  4. With a wooden spoon, arrange the apples, round side down, in a single layer of concentric circles covering the bottom of the pan. Set aside until the filling stops steaming before covering with pastry.
  5. Remove the pastry from the fridge, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, and trim it into a circle about 1″ in diameter larger than your saucepan. Lay it over the filling, tucking in the edges between the apples and the sides of the pan, and cut a few steam vents in the pastry. Place the saucepan on a rimmed baking sheet (just in case the filling decides to bubble over the sides) and place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, then increase the heat to 400°F for 5 minutes.  Keep and eye on it so it doesn’t get too dark.
  6. Remove from the oven and let sit just until the caramel stops bubbling. Immediately place a serving platter (slightly larger in diameter than the saucepan) over the pastry. Wearing oven mitts, grab hold of the saucepan and platter and quickly invert everything to unmold the Tatin onto the platter. If any of the apples stick to the pan or come out of place, rearrange them with a spatula.
  7. The tarte can be served warm from the oven or at room temperature. Suggested accompaniments include vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or crème fraîche.

 

Pie for Pi Day: Blueberry Cream Cheese Streusel Mini Pies

I’m jumping on the Pi day bandwagon!  And why not?  Any excuse to make pie.  And I also happen to love dates that have some numerical-mathematical significance.  3-14-15 and 3.1415!  It’s amazing!  And tasty.

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And oh my goodness.  These sweet little pies are magical.  The best way I can describe them is to compare them to those Duncan Hines boxed mix blueberry muffins with the can of blueberries and the streusel topping.  Making those is one of earliest memories I have of baking something on my own.  If you haven’t ever had them before you are missing something special.

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These came into being so perfectly.  I had a frozen pie crust (this recipe from Smitten Kitchen), a can of blueberry pie filling (don’t judge), a half package of cream cheese and some leftover frozen streusel from kolaches (this recipe).  All of that came together to make something so incredible that I will be making these again without changing a thing.

Aside from making the pie crust there isn’t much work to do.

Prepare the crusts.

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Spread with cream cheese.

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Fill.

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Top.

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Bake.

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You could make this in a regular pie plate, but these mini pie pans are a generous individual size and I really liked the way the pies baked in them.  After the pies cooled they were very easily removed from the pans.  They seem pricey, but are worth it.  They’d be great for pot pies, too.

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Go enjoy Pi day and have a great weekend!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Streusel Mini Pies

Ingredients

  • 1 unbaked pie crust for a 9-inch pie
  • 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 can blueberry pie filling

For Streusel

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter, chilled

Directions

  1. Make streusel: Use a pastry blender to combine sugar, flour and butter.  Chill.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  3. Divide the pie crust into 4 pieces, roll each piece out into a circle that fits into the pan.  Trim the edges.  Freeze for 20 minutes.
  4. Beat cream cheese and 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar together until well combined.  Spread cream cheese mixture into the bottom of each pie.
  5. Top with blueberry filling.
  6. Top with streusel.
  7. Place pies on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the crusts and tops are golden brown.  If they brown too quickly top with a sheet of foil.
  8. Let cool and then serve warm or room temp with vanilla ice cream.

 

 

Fudge Brownie Pie with Graham Crust

I’m working my way through some recipes in the Milk Bar cookbook and really enjoying it so far!  If you missed this post, then check it out now.  Those cookies will blow your socks off.  This is another one that is on the simple side, not at all daunting.  It wasn’t what I expected when I saw “brownie pie”, but was quite delicious and something I’d definitely make again.

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Butterscotch Pie with Marshmallow Thyme Meringue and Pretzel Crust

I broke down and bought Joy the Baker’s newest cookbook.  I kept seeing it everywhere and couldn’t resist that pretzel cake on the cover.  That pretzel cake must have still been on my mind while I leafed through the pages because I stopped dead in my tracks at this pie with pretzel crust.  I needed to do some pie research for Thanksgiving, so I gave this a shot.  Strictly for research purposes…

Butterscotch Pie with Thyme Meringue and Pretzel Crust | Hottie Biscotti

The crust is pretty basic, but uses cold buttermilk instead of water.  I had to add a bit more buttermilk than called for in the recipe to get it to stick together easily, but that is the only issue I ran in to with the crust.  It rolls out nicely and bakes up well.  I love the way the pretzels look lining the crust.  It’s really too bad you can’t see it after filling and baking.

Pretzel Crust | Hottie Biscotti

Into the crust goes a butterscotch filling that is rich and creamy and amazing.  When the first step in any recipe is browning butter you can’t be on the wrong track.  After cooking it has to chill for 2 hours, so be sure to plan accordingly.

Butterscotch Filling | Hottie Biscotti

The meringue is surprisingly good.  I was hesitant to add in the thyme, but was very glad I did.  It’s just noticeable enough.  Not overpowering but you still know it’s there, a slight savory note to balance the sweetness.  And the marshmallow does make it very sweet, which I happen to like.  I think it would be especially good on a sweet potato pie.  As we all know, sweet potatoes and marshmallows are meant for each other.

Marshmallow Thyme Meringue | Hottie Biscotti Butterscotch Pie with Thyme Meringue and Pretzel Crust | Hottie Biscotti

After filling and topping, the meringue gets a nice toast in the oven.  I think I under-baked mine just a bit.  I only let it go for about 4 minutes.  It could’ve used just a couple more for color and for the meringue to get a little sturdier.  When sliced the meringue got a little oozy, which makes no difference in taste but makes for a messy presentation.

Butterscotch Pie with Thyme Meringue and Pretzel Crust | Hottie Biscotti

You can serve this immediately after cooking the meringue, or chill it in the fridge.  I had better luck slicing and serving after the pie had time to chill, and my meringue was more cooperative.

Butterscotch Pie with Thyme Meringue and Pretzel Crust | Hottie Biscotti

The pretzels get a little soggy but still have enough crunch to add some nice texture to the pie.  I love the idea and the look of the pretzels, but this would still be a delicious pie without them.

I am really looking forward to trying more recipes from this cookbook!  Go grab a copy, it’s so much fun to look through and drool over.

Butterscotch Pie with Thyme Meringue and Pretzel Crust

From Homemade Decadence by Joy Wilson

Pretzel Crust

Makes 2 crusts

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk
  • small twisted pretzels (20-34 depending on size)

Directions

  1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.
  2. Add in butter and work in using either clean hands or a pastry blender.  When butter is broken down into pieces roughly the size of oat flakes with some large pieces make a well in the center and add in the buttermilk.  Mix together using a wooden spoon until dough kind of holds together, but is still loose.
  3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, knead into a disc, cut the disc in half and form each into a round.  Wrap each in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.  (You only use one of these rounds for this pie, so use or freeze the other.)
  4. Flour a work surface and roll one of the rounds into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.  Move to a 9-inch pie plate, press gently into the plate and trim the edges and fold or crimp the edges.
  5. Arrange the pretzels on the bottom and up the sides of the pie crust, pressing them slightly into the dough.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and press gently into the pie plate.  Fill the foil with beans, rice or pie weights.
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Bake crust for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for another 5-7 minutes, until it begins to brown.  Cool completely before filling.

Butterscotch Filling

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 egg yolks (whites reserved for meringue)
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

  1. Brown the butter in a small saucepan by heating it over medium heat.  Cook, watching it carefully and swirling the pan frequently until butter begins to brown and smell nutty. Remove from the heat immediately so it doesn’t burn.  Let cool.
  2. In a medium saucepan combine egg yolks, molasses, brown sugar, cornstarch and salt and whisk.  Heat over medium and whisk in the milk.  Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency.  Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.  Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the custard and chill for at least 2 hours.

Thyme Meringue

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 jar marshmallow cream (7 ounces)
  • 4 egg whites
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

  1. Combine the sugar and thyme in a small bowl and use your fingers to rub the thyme into the sugar.
  2. Scrape marshmallow into a large bowl and whisk (at least try to, this stuff is sticky!)
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment whisk egg whites on medium speed until they begin to froth.  Add the salt, then add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time while increasing the speed of the mixer gradually to medium high.  Beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy.
  4. Fold half of the egg whites into the marshmallow to lighten it, then fold in the rest of the egg whites in 3 batches.

Assemble and Bake

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and move oven rack to the middle or top third depending on your oven size.  You want the pie near the top to brown the meringue.
  2. Spoon custard into pie crust and smooth the top.
  3. Top with the meringue and spread just to the edges without covering the crust.
  4. Bake for 4-7 minutes, until meringue has browned to your liking.
  5. Serve immediately or chill for an hour.

Buttermilk Chess Pie

This buttermilk chess pie is declared “the easiest pie to prepare in this chapter” in the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.  And it truly is simple.  It’s also quite delicious, creamy, smooth, rich and downright heavenly.

Buttermilk Chess Pie | Hottie Biscotti

After making this strawberry rhubarb pie and finishing off the last of it recently I was seriously craving more pie.  I’ve typically reserved pie for the holiday baking season, making cobblers more often in the summer.  But that’s just silly.  Pie can easily be a year round food and should be embraced as much now, when the weather is warm, as when it’s chilly out.  While some pies are better for cool weather and some for warmer days, this one can be enjoyed any time of year.  Pairing it with some fresh seasonal berries during the coming months will make it a great summer dessert.

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You can serve this custard pie warm, room temperature, or chilled.  The flavors shine through best when it’s warm or room temp, though.

The crust in this pie, as with most if not all pie, is important and can really make the dessert special.  If you use a store bought crust the dessert will be fine, but if you have the time to make your own it will be extra delicious.  I’ve used this all butter pie crust recipe from Smitten Kitchen the last couple of times I’ve made pie and I really like it.  The recipe makes enough for 2 crusts, so just stash one away for another time.

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The ingredient list is simple and straightforward, you probably have everything in your kitchen right this very moment.  Once you make the crust all you have to do is whisk everything else together, pour it into the pie crust and bake.  So, what are you waiting for?!

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Buttermilk Chess Pie

From America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 pie crust, fit into a pie plate, chilled and unbaked
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon fine-ground cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Berries for garnish
  • Whipped cream for garnish

Directions

  1. Prepare pie crust by fitting it into a pie plate and placing the plate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Place a rimmed baking sheet into the oven and preheat to 375°F.
  3. Whisk all of the ingredients together and pour into pie shell.
  4. Place onto heated cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes.  Top of the pie should be golden brown and center should be just set.
  5. Let cool on a wire rack until just warm or all the way to room temp.
  6. Garnish with fresh berries and/or whipped cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

This past weekend was spectacular.  The weather has been so nice and I am embracing spring in Texas and trying hard not to think too much about what summer will bring.  We spent this weekend at my husband’s family lake house on Lake LBJ, northwest of Austin.  While we were there we took a little trip to Sweet Berry Farms.  It’s in Marble Falls, a quick drive from the lake.  It’s a quaint and fun place to visit for berry picking in the spring and summer.  It’s also where Ben and I got engaged 9 years ago.  Yes, NINE.  So visiting this past weekend was sweet and nostalgic for me.

Berry Picking

We picked strawberries and had a lovely time (except for my son who kind of lost it due to lack of good sleep and just being 3 1/2.)  If you are ever in the area, please make the time to visit, especially during blackberry season.  Blackberry cobbler is what summer is all about!  And other things too, I guess.  But mainly cobbler.

My mother-in-law and I split the berries and my brain was working on all kinds of ways to use them.  I don’t subscribe to Food Network Magazine, but picked up a copy last week to have some mindless reading material for the lake.  When I saw the recipe in the magazine for strawberry rhubarb pie right after we’d been berry picking I knew it was a sign.  Plus I’d never made or even eaten a strawberry rhubarb pie before.  I had to give it a try.

Sweet Berry Farm Strawberries

I had a few hiccups with this pie.  First the crust.  It says to chill it for 30 minutes.  I chilled it for an hour.  I rolled it out between parchment but when I went to transfer it to the pie plate I lost half of it, all stuck to the parchment in a seriously gooey mess.  So I tossed it and decided to try a different crust recipe.  I went with this one from Smitten Kitchen.

Unfortunately I’d already made the filling, anticipating that the first crust was going to work out.  Silly me!  Fruit releases juice when it sits with sugar and lemon juice, and strawberries and rhubarb release a LOT of juice.  I stuck it in the fridge while I waited for my new crusts to chill for 2 hours.  I think 2 hours is the minimum time for pie crust, you just can’t rush that step.  Unless you roll out the dough between parchment first and then chill it in the freezer…wish I’d thought of that…

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After rolling out the new crust I went to fill it.  I used a slotted spoon and left all of the liquid in the bowl.  I had a tough time doing it since I knew that stuff had to be good.  But I am so glad I resisted the urge to add a little to the pie.  As the pie baked it released even more juice and even managed to escape the pie plate and get all over the bottom of my oven and fill the kitchen with smoke.  Fun times.  I can’t imagine the mess if I’d added more liquid.  NOTE:  This is why you put foil under fruit pies when you bake them.

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A lattice top adds something so special to pie.  It takes a little extra time than just a top crust, but is well worth the effort.  A little cream and turbinado sugar on top creates a terrifically crunchy and beautiful topping.  Don’t skip this step.

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After cooling the pie I cut a slice and knew that we were in for a mess.  Maybe the filling could use more flour for thickener?  Or maybe this is just the way it is with this type of pie.  But there was lots of juicy goodness going on that creates a delicious, but not incredibly aesthetically pleasing piece of pie.  The bottom crust was pretty soggy, but the top crust was so crunchy that I didn’t care a bit.  We enjoyed this a la mode, but fresh whipped cream or simply plain would be great.  The filling is tart and sweet but not cloying.  The rhubarb cooks down so nicely and gives a texture to the filling that strawberries alone could not achieve.  And again, that top crust.  Amazing.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie | Hottie Biscotti

So if you find yourself with some strawberries and/or rhubarb this summer, give this a try.  Or these, or this.  Or THIS!  Tis the season!  Why has it taken me this long to try rhubarb?  The checker at the grocery store didn’t even know what it was.  Oh, and if you have access to free or cheap rhubarb, be ever so thankful.  I had no idea it was so expensive, almost $8/pound at our HEB.  Someone tell me, where can I get it for less?

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie | Hottie Biscotti

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Filling adapted ever so slightly from Food Network Magazine

Crust from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 sticks of cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2-3/4 cup ice cold water
  • heavy cream, half and half or milk
  • coarse or turbinado sugar

Filling

  • 1 pound rhubarb, end trimmed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions

Crust

  1. In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar and salt together.
  2. Add in the cold butter cubes and using either your hands or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is relatively evenly incorporated with just a few larger pieces.
  3. Pour in 1/2 cup of the cold water and use either a spatula or your hands to bring the dough together.  Add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems dry.
  4. Turn out onto a clean work surface and work into a nice ball of dough.
  5. Cut in half, take each piece and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least 2 hours.

Filling

  1.  Combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a large bowl and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Assembly

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and place a piece of foil or a foil lined cookies sheet on the lower rack.
  2. Roll one dough ball out (between parchment if you like that method) on the counter into an 11-12 inch circle.  Transfer to a 9 inch pie plate, press into the plate and leave the overhang.
  3. Fill with the strawberry filling.
  4. Roll the other dough ball out into an 10-11 inch circle.
  5. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice the dough into long strips, between 1/2 and 1 inch wide.
  6. Lay out half of the strips on to the pie, evenly spacing them about 1/2 inch apart.  Use strips that are longer in the middle and shorter on the edges.
  7. Peel back every other strip and lay a strip perpendicular to the first set, replace those strips, peel back the others and repeat.  Here is a truly entertaining step-by-step for this. (Complete with toddler commentary!)
  8. Trim off any excess from the lattice work, then fold the overhang from the bottom crust over the edges and crimp everything together.
  9. Brush the crust with cream, then sprinkle with sugar.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 375F and bake for another 40-50 minutes, until filling is bubbling and crust is nicely browned.  Don’t forget to put foil or a foil lined cookie sheet on the rack under the pie!
  11. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing and serving.  Serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

 

Ham & Cheese Quiche with Thyme

Of  course the first thing that comes to mind for me when I have ham around, after ham sandwiches of course, is quiche.  I’ve made ham & cheese quiche before, and you’ve likely seen this combination many times.  But this one is extra decadent and amazing thanks to some super yummy cheese that I had on hand.  I LOVE when a meal comes together without having to try too hard and when you just so happen to have ingredients that end up being delicious together.

Ham & Cheese Quiche | Hottie Biscotti

I had a little block of gruyere and some wine soaked goat cheese left from the Easter cheese tray.  Any cheese would do, but these seemed to take this quiche to a new level of wonderfulness.  Trader Joe’s has a goat cheese gouda that I think would be awesome, similar in flavor and texture to the goat cheese I used.  It’s not your typical soft and creamy goat cheese, this one is soft but still grate-able.

The crust and the base for this came from this America’s Test Kitchen cookbook.  Have you bought yourself a copy yet?  What’s stopping you?  I had to do some things differently with the crust because I started dinner at 5 and it needed to be on the table at 7.  I didn’t have the time to chill the dough for an hour, roll it and chill for 30 minutes, par-bake for 30 and then bake the custard for another 45 minutes.  So I improvised.  The recipe below shows what I did, but if you have the time, chill the dough before rolling and par-bake for a full 30 minutes.  It will yield a crispier crust.

Ham & Cheese Quiche | Hottie Biscotti

The quiche base is not for the faint of heart.  It’s heavy on the eggs, cream and whole milk.  Add in the ham and cheese and you’ve got yourself a quiche that is hearty enough for the manliest of men.  Add in a little crumbled bacon and they won’t have a hard time scarfing down a few pieces.  But it’s not so heavy that you can’t serve it at a ladies lunch.  It’s just too delicious for any sane person to say “no” to.

Ham & Cheese Quiche | Hottie Biscotti Ham & Cheese Quiche | Hottie Biscotti

You can take this quiche base and add in whatever you want to.  Make it vegetarian with mushrooms, spinach, peppers, asparagus, etc.  Use bacon instead of ham, or cooked chicken or other meat.  Play with the herbs as well.  Endless options.  Enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Quiche with Thyme

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into chunks and chilled
  • 4 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks and chilled
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Custard

  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup of cooked chopped ham
  • 4 ounces of shredded cheese, 2 ounces of gruyere and 2 ounces of firm goat cheese such as goat gouda

Directions

Crust

  1. In a food processor combine flour, sugar and salt, and pulse a few times to combine.
  2. Add in the chunks of shortening and butter and pulse a few times until the fat is in coarse pieces.
  3. Add the ice water into the machine, start with 3 tablespoons, pulse a few times, then add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice in between additions, until dough looks like it is just holding together, but not until it is smooth.
  4. Pour the dough out onto a large piece of parchment and pat it together into a disk.
  5. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll the dough out, as quickly as possible into a 12-inch circle.  Peel off the top piece of parchment, then place the pie plate on top of the dough circle.  Turn it all over together and carefully press the dough into the pie plate and peel off the parchment.  Make sure the dough is pressed into the pan evenly, crimp the edges and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  7. Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights, beans or rice.
  8. Bake for 20-30 minutes, prepare the custard mixture while it cooks.
  9. Remove the foil and weights, then immediately fill with the custard.

Custard

  1. Whisk the eggs, milk and cream well in a bowl.
  2. Whisk in the salt, mustard and thyme.
  3. When the crust comes out of the oven scatter the ham on the bottom of the crust then scatter the cheese on top.
  4. Move the pie plate to the oven then pour the egg mixture slowly into the pan until it is almost full.  You may have egg mixture left over if you have a shallow pie pan.
  5. Close the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.  Remove from the oven when quiche is just about set.
  6. Let cool before cutting and serving.

 

Lemon Cream Pie

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this lemon cream pie.  Nothing at all.  Simple flavors, creamy filling, slightly tart and slightly sweet with a crunchy, buttery crust.  There is one lone slice left in the fridge and I am tempted to eat it for breakfast.  It can’t be any worse than a donut, right?

This came about at the last minute the other night when some sweet friends brought dinner for us after I’d been out of town all week.  Since they were bringing everything, I said I’d make something for dessert.  It was 5 o’clock.  As fate would have it, I had everything I needed for this pie, including a box of Mi-Del graham crackers that, in my opinion, took this pie to a place it would never have gone with a box of Honey Maid.  They’re more substantial in texture and flavor and provided a great base for the pie.

I started this pie at 5 and we ate it at 8.  With 2 hours of that being chilling time this pie is pretty quick and easy.  And there isn’t really an hour of active time since cooling time for the crust and pie is factored into the hour.  What I’m saying is that if you’re in a time crunch and want to give something more impressive than a box of Oreos to dinner guests, make this pie.

Lemon Cream Pie

From Real Simple

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces graham crackers
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice (I didn’t get quite this much from the lemons I had, so no worries if you have the same problem)
  • 1 1/2 cups whipped cream
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
  1.  Heat oven to 350° F.
  2.  In a food processor, process the graham crackers until fine crumbs form. Add the butter, granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt and pulse until moistened.
  3. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help.
  4. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are dry and set, 16 to 18 minutes.  Let cool.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
  6.  Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until set in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool and then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
  7. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar and extracts on medium until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread on the pie, sprinkle with the additional zest, and serve immediately.

Buttery Pie Crust (Pate Brisee) and Ham & Cheese Quiche

This is one of the first things you will see as you start preparing this pie crust.  2 whole sticks of pure and lovely butter.  So you know it’s gotta be good.

There is nothing at all wrong with buying your pie dough.  I do it all the time.  Those twin packs of Pillsbury pie dough are convenient and really tasty.  However, if you can find the time to make pie dough from scratch, it is well worth it.  The great thing about this particular recipe is that it makes enough for a double crusted pie so you can use one now and keep the other in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Since I was going to make quiche with this pie crust, I had to blind bake it.  I hate blind baking.  I always feel like my efforts to make an attractive edge are futile.  After putting the dough in the pie plate you have to put in and take out the foil and pie weights which inevitably causes some part of the edge to get bumped.  I am not good at this.  This time I also had a little trouble with the crust sliding down from the top of the plate during baking, so I had to squish the still pliable dough back up to the top of the plate.  After searching a little on this issue I learned that a quick rest in the freezer would have kept it from losing as much of its shape during the blind baking.  An obvious thing that I probably should have known to do, but didn’t.   Even though this crust was far from the prettiest it was delicious.

Thanks to the generous amount of butter, this crust is absolutely delicious.  You just cannot beat the flavor of butter.  The crust is also slightly flaky and the layers just melt in your mouth.  A mix of butter and shortening is supposed to yield a more flaky dough, so I will have to try that sometime.  The dough comes together quickly in a food processor, but you can also use a pastry blender.  It rolls out easily, but do make sure you dust your surface and rolling pin with flour as you’re rolling.  After a few rolls make sure you pick up your dough and rotate it 90 degrees.  I have the tendency to roll with more pressure when the pin is closest to me and less pressure when it is far away.  So rotating the dough not only helps with sticking, but also with keeping your dough an even thickness.

This recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.

Pâte Brisée

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup ice water, more if needed
Directions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (Or use a pastry blender to combine ingredients.)
  2. With machine running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough comes together without being wet or sticky.  Do not process more than 30 seconds.  Dough should hold together and not be crumbly.  Add 1 tablespoon more of water if it is crumbly.
  3. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface.  Divide in half, place each on a piece of plastic wrap.  Shape into flattened disks and wrap in the plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  4. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.  Place your pie plate on the dough and make sure you have about 2 inches excess all around.  Roll dough onto pin, then unroll into pie plate.
I searched for a healthier quiche just to kind of balance things out since I was using an all butter pie crust!  I found some that used skim milk, but we all know how well those things usually turn out.  Bad.  That’s how.  So I kept looking and found some that used non-fat evaporated milk.  So I decided to combine some 2% milk with some evaporated milk.  I also noticed many recipes that used whole eggs and egg whites.  So I used 3 whole and 3 whites.  The resulting texture was different than the usual whole egg and all milk quiches I have made, but it wasn’t weird.  The flavor was quite good and we finished the quiche off in 3 days.  Feel free to use any meat you have, any cheese, and any vegetables.  Quiche is good for emptying the fridge.  Pardon this bad picture!  Still documenting food with the iPhone and it is getting old.  I miss my camera.

Ham & Cheese Quiche

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup non-fat evaporated milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated white cheddar
  • 1/2 cup chopped ham
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 pie crust

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Blind bake the pie crust for 7 minutes, then remove the pie weights, (rice, beans, etc.) and bake for an additional 4 minutes.
  3. Whisk eggs, whites, milk, salt and pepper until foamy.
  4. Stir in ham, cheese and scallions.
  5. Pour filling into pie crust and bake for 35-45 minutes.  Center can be slightly jiggly, but bake for the longer time if you want a firmer texture.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

 

Peanut Butter Icebox Pie

There are not many combinations more perfect than peanut butter and chocolate.  When I came across this recipe as I was flipping though The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook I immediately stopped and added the ingredients to my grocery list.

There is no baking required and therefore no need to turn on your oven, which is nice for me.  It’s been over 100°F most days this summer.

I changed a few things about the assembly of this pie to make it a little simpler.  If you read the recipe from the cookbook you notice that the assembly requires some marbling of the caramel, peanut butter and cream cheese mixture.  I just put a layer of caramel on top of the crust and then mixed the peanut butter in with the cream cheese.  This seemed to be a fine way to assemble the pie, maybe just not as pretty as the marbling would have been.

I highly recommend putting the peanut butter cups in the fridge or freezer prior to chopping.  This makes life, cutting boards, knives and hands, much cleaner.

As you might have noticed, there is not much sugar in the filling.  I was a little worried about this, but it was perfect.  Who am I to doubt Magnolia Bakery?  Combined with the cookie crust, caramel and peanut butter cups it is just wonderful and not overly sweet.

One of my new guilty pleasures are those Reese’s Minis, and I happen to have a stash of them in the fridge (where I must keep any chocolate with it being so hot this time of year.)  I halved the minis and chopped some unsalted peanuts for the topping.  If I were feeling really crazy I might use salted peanuts as a nice salty contrast.  Something else that might be interesting would be using some of the white chocolate Reese’s…I think it could work.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Icebox Pie

From The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

Filling

  • 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup (1 pint) heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • 6-8 regular peanut butter cups, chopped
  • 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup caramel sauce

Garnish

  • Handful of chopped peanut butter cups
  • Handful of chopped peanuts

Directions

Crust

  1. Combine butter and cookie crumbs in a bowl until crumbs are evenly coated.
  2. Press into a 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Filling

  1. Beat cream cheese until fluffy, 2 minutes.  Add sugar gradually, then beat in peanut butter and vanilla.
  2. Whip the cream in a separate bowl, then fold gently into the cream cheese mixture.
  3. Fold in the peanut butter cups.

Assembly

  1. Remove the crust from the freezer.
  2. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the crust, then spread the filling over the caramel and smooth the top.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 8 hours, or overnight.
  4. To serve, garnish with peanut butter cups and peanuts.