Baking a Pie.....or Five

When I decide to bake pies it always goes something like this:

Oh, we have a pumpkin left. I think I'll make a pie.

Hmm. Will one pie be enough? Better make two.

Dear me...just to be safe, I should make two recipes of dough.

oops......now instead of simply whipping up a couple of pies, I now have 5 crusts to fill.

Yes, that is exactly how it went one afternoon this week. I always overestimate, so ended up with many piepans, and without an exact idea of what to put in them. I only had enough pumpkin puree for two pies, so I finally decided to do one mock mincemeat (that was easy, as I had some mincemeat all ready that we had canned a couple of years ago...) and then (my favorite) custard pies. Yum!

 There is just something so fun about pie-making. I love to make them as pretty as possible, and experiment with decorating the tops in various ways. (And you must wear a checkered apron. That makes everything better.:)

Piecrust

(makes 2)

Mix-

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

Cut in 3/4 c. shortening

Add - 7-8 Tb. cold water

Mix until it just all comes together. Don't overwork.

Take half the dough and roll out thin with a rolling pin. Use a thin spatula to carefully raise the dough off the table and flip it over on to the pie-pan. Press gently down into the pan. Trim the edges with a butter knife and then crimp with your thumb and first two fingers. (at least that is what I do! :)

For the shortening, I prefer to use some type of oil. I've been using cottonseed oil, but this time we were out and I used a mild olive oil, and it was wonderful! Easiest, smoothest, stretchiest pie dough I've ever worked with. And since it was so mild, there wasn't a strong taste. So, I think I may be switching to olive oil permantenly...

Mock Mincemeat Pie

1 1/2 c. raisins

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and sliced

1 Tb. orange zest

1/3 c. orange juice

1/2 c. apple cider

3/4 c. white sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

2 soda crackers, finely crushed

Preheat oven to 425. Stir the raisins, apples, orange zest, orange juice, and apple cider together in a pan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in the sugar, spices, and crackers until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use, or pour into pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven, then reduce oven temp to 350 and bake until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes more.

For mincemeat, I think you are really supposed to do a complete top crust, but...

I love using mini cookie cutters for pie tops!

The other day I made a blackberry pie and used a star shaped cookie cutter for the top - it looked quite patriotic and pretty.

This particular leaf shaped cutter came from the cute Fall Leaves set.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

I learned a valuable lesson while chopping up pumpkins. (after a cut and bleeding finger...)

 DON'T try to peel the pumpkin fresh. Instead, half, clean, and cube the pumpkin with the peel on, boil the cubes until soft, and after they are cooled and drained, THEN peel and puree them.

So. Much. Easier. (and safer) Wish I had been doing that all these years. Sometimes I feel really dumb. *ahem* Anyway. Now I know.

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

3 eggs, beaten

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. ginger

1/4 t. nutmeg

2 t. vanilla

salt

1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. honey (or 3/4 c. sugar)

Mix all together and pour in uncooked pie shell. Bake at 350 until center is firm.

Coconut Custard Pie

4 eggs, beaten

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

3/4 c. shredded coconut

Mix and pour into uncooked crust. Bake at 350 until firm and and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

This particular coconut variation of custard, I just tried for the first time. It was excellent! The recipe came from a great little recipe book called 'The Lost Art of Pie Making".

 

It was a nice treat for the boys when they came home from work to see all the pretty pies just waiting for supper to be over! (but they didn't last long....)

What is your favorite type of pie? Any pie-making secrets you'd like to share?



How to make Crumpets

Crumpets are a delicious breakfast or tea-time treat. I first heard them mentioned while watching a British  movie - and I wondered 'What are crumpets??' So, I looked up a recipe and suddenly we had a new favorite! Basically crumpets are a small, round yeast pankcake that goes perfectly with butter and honey!

So - here's how to.....

Ingredients:

6 Tb dry yeast

3/4 c. warm water

3 t. sugar

1 c. warm milk

12 Tb butter melted, divided

3 eggs

3 c. flour

1 1/2 t. salt

In a mixing bowl, dissolve  yeast in warm water. Add sugar, let stand for 5 minutes. Add the milk, 3 Tb. butter and eggs, mix well. Add flour and salt, beat until smooth. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. (note - do not cover with a towel - the dough will stick to it like crazy! Plastic wrap would probably be better)

After it rises it will be very bubbly, runny and 'alive'. It's sort of creepy, actually.

Brush griddle and clean wide-mouth jar rings with butter. Place rings on griddle; heav over medium/low heat.  

Ladle bater into each ring. Leave some room for it to rise. cook until bubbles begin to pop and the tope appears dry. Remove rings, turn crumpets and cook until stides are golden brown.

Serve warm or let cool on a wire rack and toast before serving.

Inside they are very soft and porous, so they are best split open and topped with butter and honey or jelly!

Pears, pears, pears.....

We finally got our huge tablefull of pears all put away. It was quite a job, and stretched out over the whole week.

Some of the pears we canned plain ready to be put into pies, etc:

Halving and coring

Slicing

Slices sitting in a solution of water and ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder) to keep them from browning

Jars packed and waiting for lids. Next we will pour a hot solution of water, sugar, and spices into the jars, then they go into the canner for 10 minutes of pressure.

Finished! Canned pear slices in a light syurp.

Out of  16  jars, only one didn't seal. So - we made a cobbler that night to try them out. It was yummy! Looking forward to lots of pear desserts this winter...

Next I'll share a recipe for pear mincemeat......

Homemade Granola Bars

This is one recipe you simply must try. You can see the original recipe at the lovely Alisa Burke blog.

Here is the recipe with the changes I made:

2 c. seven grain mix (oats + other goodies, you could just use oats)

1 1/2 c. sliced almonds and walnuts

1/2 c. unsweetened dried coconut

Mix the above together and toast on a baking sheet at 350 for 5-10 minutes.

In a sauce pan stir together 1/3 c. butter, 2/3 c. honey, 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 c. sugar, and 1/2 t. cinnamon. Let boil for about 30 seconds.

Apples that we dehydrated last summer were the only type of dried fruit I had on hand - so I added 2 cups of chopped dried apples. (tomorrow I"m going to try using chopped fresh apples...)

Mix liquid and apples with oat mixture. Spread out on a highly buttered baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, until browned on top. Cut them into squares and get them out of the pan as soon as they have started to harden.

They were so good - we ate them for supper.

Yum!

Scottish Shortbread

On Friday afternoon I attended a tea-party at a friend's apartment. It was quite lovely to see old friends and to meet new ones. For my contribution to the dainty buffet I brought my special Scottish shortbread. Scottish because that is where shortbread was supposed to originate, Scottish because that is part of my ancestry (okay, yes from a couple of centuries back, but I still like to say it!) and Scottish because of the amazing thistle-motif shortbread stone ware pan.

This was one of my special Christmas presents from a few years ago. It was meant to go into my hope chest - but it was so cute, I just had to keep it out and use it!

It' a stone pan/cookie mold, quite small decorated with the national flower of Scotland.
It's from Brown Bag Cookie Art and they have so many other cute designs...

Just look at all the darling shortbread pans!

So here is a mini-tutorial on shortbread. It's such a good dessert to whip up when one doesn't have many fancy ingredients in the house.

Classic Shortbread

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/3 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour (unsifted)

Using the back of a large spoon, (I use a fork) cream the butter until it is light. Cream in the powered sugar, then the vanilla. Now work in the flour.

Knead the dough on an unfloured board until nice and smooth. Spray the shortbread pan very lightly with a non-stick vegetable oil spray. Put the ball of dough in the middle of the pan, and working out from the center, firmly press the dough into the pan.

Prick the entire surface with a fork, and bake the shortbread right in the pan at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until it is lightly browned.

Let the shortbread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you loosen the edges with a knife and flip the pan over onto a wood cutting board. If the shortbread does not come right out, hold the pan upside down over the cutting board and firmly tap one edge of the pan against the board. This should loosen the shortbread and it should drop out.

Cut the shortbread into serving pieces while it is still warm.
(Recipe found here)

Out pops the shortbread - perfectly decorated and lovely, then you already have the little lines molded in where you can cut them into perfect wedges. (I really like this as I always have a hard time cutting desserts into even shapes :^)

Do you have a favorite dessert recipe?

Introducing: Design Your Own Regency Dress

Now available!

 Design Your Own Regency Dress kits!

The companion to Design Your Own 1860s Dress!

A beautiful kit that Jane Austen fans, historical costume enthusiasts and girls of all ages will enjoy! Pages of designs ready to trace and color to create your own unique ensembles!

Start with the model sketch attired in proper Regency undergarments, then add a skirt, bodice, trimmings, shawl, a bonnet, and much more! The possibilities for creativity are endless! Mix, match, and trace to create thousands of unique ensembles, all historically correct for the Napoleonic era. Have fun designing dresses while learning about the fashions of the time period.

Included in this package:

6 sheets of black and white drawings featuring:

a Model, Hairstyles, Skirts, Bodice Options, Fabric Designs, Hats, Bonnets and Caps, Bodice Trimmings, Chemisettes, Spencers, Robes, Shawls, Jewelry, and more!

12 sheets of tracing paper, 1 sheet of notes and instructions

Also great for seamstresses who want to learn how to put their designs on paper!

So many combinations! Recreat your favorite Jane Austen characters or plan your next sewing creation!

Watch the short how-to video to see how the dress designer works!

(Also shows sneak peaks of the Regnecy kit!)

How to Make Pickles

Since I have had a couple of requests for a pickles tutorial - here it is! Hope you find it useful, and please feel free to ask questions about anything that isn't clear. :^)

Before you begin: Wash thouroughly as many glass jars as you think you will need. They can be quart or pint size. Wide mouth jars work the best for pickles. Make sure you have enough lids and rings to match.

Tools that make things alot easier: Magnetic lid lifter, jar funnel, jar lifter

Now, wash your cucumbers. If they are small enough, you can leave them whole, or you may want to chop them into slices or spears.

 In earch quart size jar place:

-1 tablespoon of dill seed

 -About 2 tablespoons of fresh dill weed (if available)

-1 tablespoon salt 

-1 tablespoon chopped garlic (optional)

-1 or 2 washed grape vine leaves (optional - helps keep pickles crisp)

Pack the cucumbers tightly into the jars. Don't be afraid to really squeeze them down and fit as many in as possible. Just make sure you don't have any sticking slightly up over the top. :^)

Spread out a dry towel on a clean work surface and place all of the jars spaced a little apart from each other on the towel.

Now - count up how many jars of cucumbers you have. You will need half as much liquid as you have jars. So - if you have 16 quart jars, you need to make 8 quarts of brine.

The brine needs to be 2/3 vinegar and 1/3 water.

So, for 8 quarts of brine that would be 5 1/3 quarts vinegar and 2 2/3 quarts water

For homeschool moms who wish for the exact formula :

Vinegar: 2/3 x 8 quarts/1 = 16/3 (divide bottom into top and you get 5 1/3 quarts of vinegar)

Water: 1/3 x 8 quarts/1 = 8/3 which equals 2 2/3 quarts water 

Mix the brine in a pan on the stovetop and bring to a rolling boil.

Also place your clean lids and rings into a saucepan of water and bring to a boil.

When the brine is has been boiling for at least a minute, take it off the heat and place it near your jars. Take the sauce pan with the lids off the heat as well. You have to work rather fast here because you don't want everything to cool off. (but be extremely careful! you can get burned) Dip a glass measuring cup into the brine and begin filling the jars within about 1/4" of the top edge of the jar. Place the funnel over the jar you a filling. Fill all the jars, and then wipe the round glass top edge of the jar with a clean, damp cloth. (you don't want any water droplets or bits of dill to get in the way of the seal)

You can use a dry towel to grasp the hot jars as you place a lid and ring on each and screw down tightly. (use the magnetic lid lifter to get the lids out of the boiling water) Turn each jar upside down on the towel and let cool about 30 minutes. Then turn right-side up. To test if your jars have sealed press on the middle of  the lid. If it pops up and down, it is not sealed. If it is curved downward slightly towards the middle and does not pop when pressed, it is sealed.

You can either store unsealed jars in the fridge, or you can waterbath them to seal. To water bath, place the unsealed jars in a canner or large pot and fill with water to just over the jars. Boil for about ten minutes. Use the jar lifter to remove from the boiling water and let cool.

Remove rings from sealed jars and admire your lovely pickles! Store in the pantry for about two weeks before eating. Yum!

Summer at the Ranch

What have we been up to here at the ranch?

Our garden has been rather slow this year - but we are harvesting a nice bunch of cucumbers. And kind friends have shared so much wonderful produce in the past few weeks - we've been hopping trying to get it all stored away, preserved, pickled, dryed, sliced or whatnot. :^)

Chopping up cucumber spears and garlic

Packing the jars with cucumbers, dill seed (saved from last year) and salt

All ready for the brine!

In the draw behind our house is a rather large thicket of wild plum bushes! With all the rain we have had this year, it's been an amazing crop. We've already been to pick four times, and plan to go again tomorrow!

The plum thicket is quite prickly and crowded - so it's often quite an ordeal to pick plums. Especially when one must constantly be on the look-out for wasps, rattlesnakes, and wild hogs. Eek!

The plums are about the size of a large walnut. Quite tart usually but with a delicuous sweetness of flavor. Guiltily I shall admit that I probably eat as many as I pick!

My 5-gallon bucket about 3/4 full of lovely plums.

We always make plum jelly which turns a beautiful bright red color - quite delicous on homemade bisquits! We also use much less sugar than the recipe calls for - we like to keep a bit of the tartness. :^)

This week we've been doing peaches too. More peaches than I have ever seen! My right hand was so cramped from peeling and slicing that I was afraid it was going to stiffen up. *whew* thankfully we have all of them put away in the freezer  now, awating their fate as pies and cobblers. :^) We made jelly from the peach peels. Yum!

Yesterday was corn-day. Now it's all sliced off and in bags in the freezer.

Today it's apples. 3 big boxes of apples. I think we are going to dehydrate most of them. Should prove interesting.

Recipe: Coconut Macaroon Bars

Time for me to share my latest recipe discovery!

One afternoon last week I made this delectable dessert to take to a friend's house that evening. The recipe is from MyRecipes.com and is actually called Lemon-Scented Coconut Macaroon Bars. Except I prefer to leave off the 'lemon-scented' bit. Sounds too much like a candle.

I was a little afraid what with the delicate beating of the egg white topping, it would be difficult - but I was pleasantly surprised! If you can make brownies - or cornbread - this recipe will be a cinch.
The only change I made was to use unsweetened flaked coconut instead of sweetened. The bars were absolutely delicious - very light not overly sweet - but very flavorful. The lemon and coconut flavors are wonderful! Do be careful not to over-cook the crust - and have fun spreading the topping! I did! It was like playing with snow that doesn't melt. :^) Enjoy!