Baking
Easy Pastry
This is by far the most successful recipe for pie crust I have ever encountered. I get comments on it all the time, as if I’m some sort of guru… I just followed the recipe.
Baking
Baking
Baking
Pumpkin Pie
Every cookbook needs a simple pumpkin pie recipe, so here it is. This one came straight out of The Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking. which I inherited from my Mother. Published in 1985 and 800 pages thick, it weighs about 6 pounds! Though I’ll never throw it away, a tablet is a little lighter.
The picture above is what I get when I’m not even trying. Deeeeeelicious!
Pumpkin pie
Basic pumkin pie. Works every time.
- 1 8″ unbaked pie shell (see Easy Pastry )
- 1 cup pumkin puree
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1 cup milk (condensed, whole, or half and half cream)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Prepare the pie shell in an 8 inch pie pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Blend pumpkin and spices thoroughly.
- Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Bake for about an hour – pie is done when a knife instered into the middle comes out clean.
- Set aside for filling to cool and set.
After about 1/2 hour, the pie is set and still warm. I feel this is the perfect time to cut into it and chow down. Some whipped cream on top, or ice cream on the side, make a nice addition. Cover leftovers with tin foil. Refrigerate if you feel it’s necessary, but chances are slim it will survive a full day after baking.
I’ll add a picture once I get the fluting of the shell down a little better.
Baking
Turkey Lemon and Leek Pot Pies
This is a great use of leftover turkey, which is in abundance when there are only two in the house. We make these into little pot pies with our pie maker so they are meal size, but obviously you can make a full size pie as well.
Turkey Lemon and Leek Pot Pies
Comfort food for the dead of winter. Quite simple to make, beginning with sautéd leeks and garlic and adding flour to make the roux. Once there, whisk in the wine and chicken stock, and add the peas and turkey.
- 8 cloves garlic (Minced garlic in oil works also)
- 3 medium leeks
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
- 1 tbsp` tarragon (fresh chopped) (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon rind
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (or coffee cream )
- 3/4 cup peas
- 4 cups (approx) turkey – shredded
- Gather your ingredients. Chop the turkey up, wash the leeks, dissolve your chicken stock cube in hot water, etc…
- Melt the butter in a large sauce pan, then add leeks and garlic. Sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes, then stir in flour by sprinkling over top about half, mixing, and then the other half. Add butter if needed.
- Slowly add chicken stock, mixing all the while, then the wine (if using), tarragon, lemon juice, and rind. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and add the cream. Simmer for another 5 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Add peas and turkey, mixing thoroughly, Season with plenty of fresh ground pepper, and salt to taste. This may depend greatly on whether your turkey was brined prior to cooking or not.
- Adjust texture with wine or lemon juice as needed.
- From here you are on your own. We make little pot pies with our mini-pie maker. You can also fill a baking dish and cover with a layer of puff pastry, or small ramekins as well. It’s up to you!
What you decide to do with the concoction once it is thrown together is up to you. It can be frozen as is for use later, or made into pot pies. We have made little pies with our pie maker, and also frozen them for later.
Baking
Dundee Cake
I’ve been making this for about 40 years now, mailing it out, and calling it my “yearly lump”. I started adding cherries a few decades ago… no complaints.
It is the only “fruit cake” that I really like, living half way between fruit cake and Stollen – the heavy bread we would slather with butter Christmas morning for breakfast. Read more “Dundee Cake”
Baking
Easy Pastry
This is by far the most successful recipe for pie crust I have ever encountered. I get comments on it all the time, as if I’m some sort of guru… I just followed the recipe.
Read more “Easy Pastry”