Peach Pie-lettes

50 lbs of ripe, juicy, aromatic peaches. What to bake, what to bake? We had already canned 7 quarts of Honey Spiced Peaches and eaten our respective body weights in peach slices, so really what was there left to make? Peach pie...lettes! Earlier that same day Chemist Cuisinier, PhD had tried her first batch of the Best Pie Crust Ever so we decided to make individual peach pies. The combination of the flaky pie crust, fresh peach, and warm spices was heavenly. Couple that with a scoop of vanilla ice cream: absolutely to die for. Simple and delectable, these peach pie-lettes are a must-make!

Fresh Peaches, pitted and sliced

2 T plus 2 tsp All-Purpose Flour

1/2 C White Sugar

1/8 tsp Ground Allspice

1/8 tsp Ground Cloves

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1 9-inch Best Pie Crust Ever

1. In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Add peaches and mix until combined.

2. Divide pie crust disc into 4 equal parts. Roll out thinly and spoon peach mixture into the middle of each.

3. Fold edges towards the middle, overlapping and creasing the corners. Do not fold all the way to the middle.

4. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until insides are brown and bubbly. Let cool completely or just until warm. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Mahlzeit!

-Coriaunty

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

A couple of years ago, I entered a winning pie in a pie competition...and didn't win.  Why, you may ask?  My pie was not pretty enough.  The crust was perfect...golden...flaky...the filling didn't overflow...it was pretty!  I did not, however, decorate said pie crust with pretty shapes and cutouts and junk.  So.  I respectfully disagree with the ruling.  I just think that a pie should win on taste then looks, and not on some pastry cutouts.  Okay. I'm not bitter. Really. 

I have been so excited to make this pie this Summer, but have only just gotten the chance!  I am not a huge fan of rhubarb, but I love it in some things...like this fabulous pie!  My oldest hungry puppy told me that she was way more excited about this pie than about the fudgesicles that I had just made!  You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb, just keep in mind that if the fruit is frozen, it will take slightly longer to bake.  So, if you happen to come upon an opportunity to enter a pie in a competition, this pie is definitely competition worthy.  You might just blow those judges away with your incredible rendition of a classic.  However, to wow them with something unique, the Fresh Pineapple Pie is a winner as well!  Just don't forget the pastry cutouts, huh?

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Pastry for a double crust 9 inch pie

4 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 1/4 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375F.

Fit a 9 inch pie plate with have of the pastry to form a bottom crust.  In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb and strawberries and toss together.  Add the sugar, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and cornstarch, and stir until all of the fruit is coated.  Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared crust.  Place the top crust over the top of the pie (or make a lattice crust by cutting the rolled pastry into strips and weaving them together on top of the pie), and crimp the edges to seal.  For a whole top crust, cut several slits in the top to let steam out.

Place the pie in the oven and bake for about 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes), or until the center of the pie is bubbly (to ensure that the pie is baked through).  If the crust gets too brown, loosely cover with a piece of tin foil until the pie is done.  Remove from the oven and let cool  completely on a cooling rack.  Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy  

Best Pie Crust Ever

I must admit that I scoffed when I first read the title of this pie crust recipe. “The Best Pie Crust Ever?” Please. And it’s quick? Please.

I was reluctant to try it. Two pounds of butter, two pounds of flour? Sure, I know that pie crust freezes well, and as a blue-blooded, card-carrying Costco member, I’m all about doing things in bulk. I just couldn’t wrap my head around this recipe. So I sat on it. And sat on it. And sat on it some more. Until, I had 50 pounds of peaches that were quickly getting overripe in my house. We canned some, we ate some. We made pie.

So, it is with that backstory that I must declare that YES: This is the Best. Pie. Crust. EVER. It was super easy. It was super fast. It was super delicious. It was so flakey and tender, and it puffed when I baked it. I was surprised.

I followed the original recipe exactly. You should go to her blog, it has pictures of the dough progress:
http://confectionsofamasterbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/celebrate-independence-with-best-pie.html

Quick Puff:
2 pounds of all-purpose flour (approximately 7 1/2 cups)
2 pounds cold unsalted butter (8 sticks) cut into small pieces (I actually used salted butter)
1 1/4 cups cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl (very large bowl), combine flour, salt, and butter. Work the butter (with your fingers into the flour until the butter pieces are the size of large grapes. Add the water (all of it) and mix it all together with your hands. Keep mixing the dough with your hands until it sticks together. It will be pretty shaggy. Dump the dough onto a floured surface, and make a square-ish shape. Then, fold the top and bottom over into a tri-fold, like you would a letter. (again, pictures are found here: http://confectionsofamasterbaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/celebrate-independence-with-best-pie.html) Turn it and roll it until it’s thinner. Then do another tri-fold. And then roll it again. You will repeat that process until you have turned and rolled a total of 4 times.

Gesine says that it makes enough crust for 2-double crusted 9-inch pies. I divided my dough into 5 approximately equal sections and froze most of them. I will use them for 9-inch pies later. To use the peaches, though, I divided a section into three pieces and made a free-form type of pie. Cutting into the uncooked pastry dough was fascinating! You could see the layers of butter and flour. These layers contribute to the puffiness when you bake the dough.

Don’t be afraid. This is really easy and really fun.

-Chemist Cuisinier, PhD.

Red White And Blue Braid

My inspiration for this bread came from a couple different things. The first: Chemist Cuisinier, PhD and I did a photo shoot and needed to knead some bread. Can't let all that dough go to waste! The second: Great Harvest's (my fabulous place of work) Red White and Blueberry bread, which employs the use of blueberries, raspberries, and white chocolate chips baked into their white cake bread. I did not want to do a knock-off of this, however, so thus decided to go a mostly completely different route: blueberries (You can't give me too much flack about that. I mean, there aren't many other blue berries), strawberries, and french vanilla, all mixed into a cinnamon roll base (adapted from Cardamommy's cinnamon rolls), then braided together.

The bread turned out much much differently than I expected. It was about 4 times larger and the crust browned rather than keeping its various colors. When cut into, however, the colors were bright and braided. Of the three flavors, the blueberry was the strongest, but they were all fairly subtle. This was disappointing, because I was hoping for very strong and distinct flavors. I found I liked this bread better after it had rested a day. Then I toasted it and spread a little butter on top. Because it was so labor intensive and didn't produce the exact results I was wanting, I don't think I will try this recipe again, but it was definitely a fun experiment and produced a beautiful red, white and blue braid.

1 1/2 C Warm Water
1 Egg
1 pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder
1/4 C Shortening
1/4 C Sugar
1/2 C Mashed Potato Flakes
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 T Instant Yeast
2 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour, plus about 2 cups
1 C Pureed Strawberries
1 C Pureed Blueberries
1-2 T Milk

Combine water, egg, vanilla pudding powder, shortening, sugar, mashed potato flakes, salt, and yeast. Then stir in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead until smooth, about 5-10 minutes. Divide into three equal pieces. In one piece knead in strawberries, and in the other knead in blueberries. They will be very gooey and slimy. Knead in flour until each piece returns to a soft dough. Let rise in three separate bowls until double in size.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet;. After the dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and pat all the air out. Roll each piece of dough into a log that is slightly larger in the middle than on the ends.

Take the three strands and squish together at one end. Braid strands together. Squish the other ends of the strands together, then tuck both loose ends under the braid.

Place on greased cookie sheet, brush with milk, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 20 minutes. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

I have never found a recipe for potato salad that I thought was good enough to make my "go to" list.  Until now, that is.  I came accross this recipe several weeks ago, and have already made it twice, with plans to make it two more times in the next month.  I am so excited!  This is definitely the best potato salad recipe that I have ever had, and is absolutely my "go to" potato salad recipe.


The interesting thing about this potato salad is that you roast (not boil) the potatoes.  It gives them such an amazing flavor, and a little bite that you don't get with boiled potatoes.  This recipe gives you everything that you would find on a loaded baked potato, and the flavor is right on.  This is an easy salad to put together, and will please the whole crowd.  A quick note: This recipe is easily doubled to feed 20 if you are serving a larger crowd.


Loaded Baked Potato Salad


2 1/2 lbs. unpeeled red potatoes, cubed
Garlic salt (to taste)
Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons course ground mustard


Preheat oven to 425F.  Place the cubed potatoes in a well greased 15x10 inch baking pan.  Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are done.  Cool potatoes in pan.


In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese, and green onions.  In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, relish, and mustard.  Pour over the potato mixture and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for several hours, or until chilled.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.  Makes 10 servings.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

I have been sucked in by more ice cream.  Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream is the latest in the Summer ice cream run.  I love ice cream, so making my own ice cream is perfect, as I can make it into whatever I want. The sky is the limit.  For you too!  Choose your favorites and created your own!  This recipe is very simple and requires no eggs, making it a little quicker to put together.  You can use the unwrapped mini peanut butter cups, or you can use regular miniature peanut butter cups and chop them up.


Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream


1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup half and half
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (about 1 8 ounce bag) unwrapped mini peanut butter cups


In a medium size saucepan over medium heat, stir the peanut butter until it softens just slightly.  Slowly add the half and half to the saucepan, stirring constantly to blend it smoothly with the peanut butter (if you add the half and half all at once, the peanut butter may separate and be clumpy).  Once the half and half has been stirred in completely, add the milk and sugar, and stir well to combine.  Stir in the vanilla, then chill the ice cream base in the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours or until completely cold.  


Freeze mixture in an ice cream make according to manufacturer's directions.  When the ice cream is finished freezing, spoon half into a 2 quart sealable container, and sprinkle with half of the peanut butter cups.  Spoon the remaining ice cream over the top and finish off with the rest of the peanut butter cups.  Use a spatula or large spoon to swirl the ice cream together and blend in the peanut butter cups.  Freeze the ice cream for 3 to 4 hours before serving. 


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

White Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream

I have a villainous monster in my house.  His name is Ice Cream Maker.  He directs my thoughts and keeps me captive with only a spoon nearby.  But he is my villainous monster. I think that I am developing Stockholm Syndrome.  We sampled three types of ice cream the night we ate this.  Two were commercial brands, and this recipe was the third.  Everyone favored this white chocolate strawberry ice cream over the other two.  I felt good.  My monster was happy.


This ice cream is so creamy and delicious.  Studded with flavorful strawberries and smooth white chocolate, this ice cream will quickly take over your life.  Until you come upon the next ice cream idea.  Just a quick note, this ice cream did not quite fit in  my 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker.  I had to reserve just a little bit of the ice cream base and freeze it after the main portion had finished.

White Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream


1 pound diced strawberries
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 cups half and half
1 cup whole milk
2 envelopes (1.25 ounces each) white chocolate hot cocoa mix
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3.5 ounces white chocolate, chopped


Place diced strawberries in a medium bowl, and sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons sugar over the top.  Toss gently to coat, and set aside. 


In a large bowl, pour 1 cup of half and half and set a strainer on top.  Set aside.  In a medium saucepan, heat up the remaining 1 cup half and half, milk, white chocolate hot cocoa mix, sugar, and salt.  Stir occasionally until the mixture is hot and steaming, but not boiling.  


Place the egg yolks in a small bowl, and whisk gently.  Slowly pour half of the cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking  constantly to temper the yolks.  Whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan and whisk together well.  Continue to warm the cream base over medium heat until it is almost boiling (but don't boil!), and coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly.


Pour the ice cream base into the large bowl with the half and half, through the strainer.  Add the vanilla extract and diced strawberries, stirring well to combine.  Chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours, or overnight until completely cold.  Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  About five minutes before the ice cream is done, add in the chopped white chocolate.  Spoon the ice cream into a plastic container with a lid, cover, and freeze about 3 to 4 hours, or until thoroughly frozen.  Makes slightly more than 1 1/2 quarts.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy