apple hand pies with cheddar crust

This recipe is a variation on this recipe. I made it recently for a book gathering.
Cheddar Crust:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup (firmly packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut butter into small pieces and work into flour mixture with your hands or a pastry cutter until the flour looks and feels like wet sand. Mix in cheese in the same manner. Start by adding three tablespoons of water and mixing the dough. Add the last two one at a time so the dough holds together but is not too wet. Pour it out on a cutting board (you will still have some dry pieces) and fold it over on itself five or six times, just until it comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least thirty minutes.

Apple Mixture:

4-6 Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
1/4t cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
butter

Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. You want the apple pieces to be about a half inch square so they will easily fit in the muffin tins. Combine sugars, salt, and cinnamon and toss with apples. Add lemon juice and toss again.

Divide the crust in half and roll out to about an 1/8 of an inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter about the size of the muffin tin. You should be able to get twelve. (you may have to re-roll the scraps for the last couple.) With your hands, press the disc out so it fits in the bottom of the muffin tin and comes up the sides almost even with the top. Fill each crust with enough of the apple mixture that it mounds above the muffin tin, then dot the top of each one with butter. Then roll out the other half of the crust and cut twelve more rounds and place them on top of the apples. Press then down to form the top of the pie, but you don’t have to make sure they are sealed; they are more like little lids. Brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake in a 350 oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool before trying to remove from muffin tins.

Peace,
Milton

caramel custard pie

I found this recipe in The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, though I did make a little extra custard to see how it tasted – and I’m not sure I melted the caramel as well as they intended for me to do. Nevertheless, here’s the recipe:

Preheat oven to 425.

1 pie unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 egg yolk, beaten

Partially bake the crust for 15 minutes, weighing it down to keep it from puffing. (I put parchment paper on the bottom and then fill it with loose change because I’m too cheap to buy pie weights.) Remove it from the oven, take off the weights, brush it with the egg yolk, and return it to the oven for five more minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 350.

1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs

Mix the sugar and eggs together in a bowl until well combined.

1 3/4 cups milk or cream (I used half and half)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup butterscotch chips or caramel chips

Heat the cream, salt, vanilla, and caramel in the microwave until the caramel is melted. I did it in two minute increments and whisked the mixture in between. Pour a little of the mixture into the eggs and sugar, while the mixer is running, and then a little more, and so on to keep the hot mixture from cooking the eggs. Pour the filling into the pie shell and cook for 20 minutes. The center will look set, though still be wobbly and the custard’s temperature should be 165 on an instant read thermometer. The filling will thicken and set while it cools. Let it rest for an hour or two.

Peace,
Milton

fudge pie

My students said they wanted a chocolate pie for our Thanksgiving potluck on Tuesday, Here’s what I made.

Preheat oven to 375.

1 pie unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Partially bake the crust for five minutes. Set aside.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips, melted (microwave, 2 mintues)
2 teaspoons instant coffee grounds
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add melted chocolate, coffee grounds, vanilla, and salt. When it everything is mixed well, add flour and then the nuts, if you so choose. Pour into the pie crust and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 70 minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton

chocolate pecan pie

1 pie unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 375.

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 /4 tablespoon instant coffee grounds
pinch salt

Mix the eggs and sugars together until creamy, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. In the bottom of the pie crust, spread

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Pour the mixture over the chocolate and pecans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling sets. Let cool for at least an hour before serving.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potato chess pie

I came across this recipe (and now I can't find the link). It combines two of my favorite things.

Preheat oven to 350.

1 pie shell

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until fluffy. Then add

2 tablespoons self-rising cornmeal
1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the cornmeal, then the milk, then the eggs, one at a time. Finally add

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (you can use canned; if you use fresh, don't season them -- just boil and mash.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix well and pour into pie shell. Bake for 50 minutes, until pie is browned and a knife inserted about an inch from the edge comes out clean. The center will still be a bit shaky, but will set up as it cools. Let it stand for an hour or two.

Peace,
Milton

pear and cheddar pie

This is one of the new pies I'm trying this year. I'm sharing it with a neighbor, so I will have to wait for their review, but it sounds good.

1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 400.

6 cups pealed and sliced pears (I used Bosc)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Slice the pears fairly thin and toss them in the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, mix together

1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Add the mixture to the pears and toss until pears are coated. Pour them into the pie shell. Then mix together

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

Pulse the mixture in a food processor until it resembles coarse crumbles. Pour the mixture over the top of the pears. Bake about 45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.

Peace,
Milton

smokin' sweet potato pie

Finding a great sweet potato pie recipe is one of those "Holy Grail" kind of searches for me. Here is my latest discovery, and it's pretty good.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1 prepared pie crust

Line a nine in pie plate with crust, crimping the edges. Line the bottom with foil and pie weights (I use pocket change) and bake for about ten minutes. Set aside to cool.

2 cups sweet potatoes (two medium sized potatoes)

Peel the potatoes and boil them until they are soft. Drain them and pour them into a food processor. While they are still hot, add

2 tablespoons butter

and blend. In a separate bowl, whisk together

3 large eggs, plus two yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

then add

3 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla

and finally whisk in

2/3 cup milk

Slowly add milk mixture to sweet potatoes in food processor and blend until smooth. Sprinkle

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

in the bottom of the baked pie shell and then pour the sweet potato mixture on top. Bake for about forty-five minutes, until center jiggles only slightly when shaken. Cool at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

spirited brown sugar pecan pie

I’ve tried a lot of pecan pie recipes and this is undoubtedly my favorite, first, for using brown sugar instead of corn syrup and, second, for the touch of Scotch in the mix. A little Scotch in a glass goes pretty well with the pie when you serve it, as well.
I must also give credit: I found the recipe here.

1 refrigerated pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line nine inch pie plate with dough and crimp the edges. Whisk together

2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon Scotch whiskey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Then mix in

2 cups pecan halves

Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake pie until filling is slightly puffed and set in center, about 40 minutes. Let the pie cool completely at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

blueberry pie

This recipe is adapted from one I found here.

1 package refrigerated pie crusts

Put one crust in the bottom of a nine inch pie plate; set the other aside.

5 cups blueberries (fresh, when in season; if using frozen, make sure they are thawed and drained well)
lemon juice

Sprinkle berries with lemon juice and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

and then add to blueberries. Pour the whole mixture into the prepared pie shell and dot with

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Put the second crust on top of the pie and seal the edges of the two crusts together, folding them over to make the rim and crimping it. Cut slits in the top of the crust to allow the steam to escape during baking.

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sugar

Brush the top of the pie with the egg and then sprinkle the sugar over it. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let it cool before serving.

Peace,
Milton

awesome pumpkin pie

One of my favorite recipe sites is Smitten Kitchen. This recipe is one I found at her site and changed a bit.

1 pie crust

I would love to tell you I make my own crust every time. This Thanksgiving (or Pie-a-palooza, as we call it at our house), I used the Pillsbury crusts, but if you are using your own, roll out dough on generously floured work surface to make a circle about 1/8-inch thick and big enough to leave at least 1-inch overhang all around pie plate. Press the dough into the bottom of the plate and then fold the overhang under to create the crust around the top. Work around the plate, crimping the crust with your fingers to give it the fluted look; refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil and fill with pie weights or pennies and bake it on a rimmed baking sheet for fifteen minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake it another five minutes or so, until crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove the plate and baking sheet from oven.

Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees.

While the pie shell is baking, whisk together

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk (I used 2 cups of half and half instead of one cup each of cream and milk)
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can (it enhances the pumpkin taste)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt

cook over medium heat until it begins to sputter, stirring consistently and mashing the yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, which will take ten or twelve minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream mixture slowly, until it is fully incorporated. I then take my Braun hand mixer and pureed the mixture until it was silky smooth. You could also use a food processor. When it is thoroughly mixed, transfer the it to warm pre-baked pie shell. Bake the pie (on a baking sheet) for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and ontinue baking until the edges are set, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

pie crusts

This is one of those handed down recipes; it makes three crusts.

3 c flour
1 t salt
1 1/4 c butter (2 1/2 sticks), diced

Pulse the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor until it looks like small beads, then add

1 egg
6 T cold water
1 T white vinegar

Mix until a dough forms. Divide into three equal balls, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least thirty minutes. Roll out the dough when ready. Makes three crusts for a nine inch pie plate.

Peace,
Milton

brown sugar buttermilk pie

I was intrigued by this recipe because they used brown sugar.

1 refrigerated pie crust

Heat oven to 400. Bake the crust about 12 minutes, until golden. Transfer to rack and cool.

1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons all purpose flour

Mix sugar and flour in a food processor, then add

3 large eggs plus one large yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla

until well blended; then add

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons melted butter

and blend again. Pour mixture into cooled crust and bake about 45 minutes, until it puffs and is almost set in the center. Cool on a rack and then chill until cold before serving.

Peace,
Milton

sweet potato pie

I made a couple of these today to share with co-workers.

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 egg white, beaten

Paint the crust with the egg white before you fill it with the sweet potato mixture. This keeps the crust from being soggy.

Preheat oven t0 400.

1 15oz can candied yams
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix everything together in a food processor until smooth. Pour into pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Peace,
Milton

pumpkin pie

Smitten Kitchen has become my favorite food blog. Her pumpkin pie is amazing. You can get the whole deal, crust and all, here, but I opted for a refrigerated crust, so I'm just passing along my version of the pie part.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put pie crust in the oven for about 10 minutes. (I covered mine with a piece of foil and weighted it with pocket change.)

2 cups half and half
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together in medium bowl. Set aside.

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground because I’m not a huge fan of fresh ginger)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt

Combine these ingredients and bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. (I then used my hand mixer to make sure the mixture was as smooth as possible.) Transfer to pre-baked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Continue baking until edges are set, 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. (The pie finishes cooking with resident heat; to ensure the filling sets, cool it at room temperature and not in the refrigerator.)

This is worth saving room for dessert.

Peace,
Milton

state fair pecan pie

This is an adaptation of the recipe that won the 1996 State Fair of Texas.

1 1/2 cups pecan halves (5 1/2 oz.)

In a pie plate, toast the pecans for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool.

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, milk, flour, vanilla, and salt. Cook over moderate heat just until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

4 large eggs

In a heatproof bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Gradually whisk in the hot sugar mixture until thoroughly blended. Mix in the toasted pecans and pour into a pie shell. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 350 oven, or until the center is just barely set and the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool completely.

Peace,
Milton

black and blue berry pie

These are Ginger's two favorite berries, so why not put them in a pie?

Thaw and drain

5 cups frozen blueberries
2 1/2 cups frozen blackberries
(since we are not in the season for fresh ones)

Add the following ingredients after mixing them together well:

1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons corn starch

Pour the mixture into a pie shell and sprinkle with

1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

Cover with a second pie pastry round and cut slits in the top. Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes.

Peace,
Milton