No More Mr. Nice Pie - The Pie Recipes

BLUEBARB PIE

5/17/2019

Makes 1 nine inch pie

1 recipe Classic Pie Pastry for a double crust (see recipe index)

For the filling-

1 pound rhubarb, rinsed, leaves trimmed, sliced ½” thick (a generous 2½ cups)
1 pound blueberries, rinsed, stems removed (a generous 2½ cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
zest of one small orange
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup finely ground instant tapioca
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

egg wash made from 1 large egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water
sanding sugar for sprinkling

On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out one circle of pie dough and fit it into a 9” pie plate. Turn the edges of the crust under itself and crimp decoratively. Set the pie shell in the refrigerator. Roll out the second circle of pie dough on a sheet of parchment paper, into a circle approximately 12” in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, nutmeg, orange zest, cornstarch, and ground tapioca. Add the rhubarb and the blueberries, using a rubber spatula to toss the mixture. Make sure the rhubarb and the blueberries are well coated with the dry mixture.

Retrieve the bottom crust from the fridge. Place the pie plate on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour the filling into the bottom crust. Dot with the butter pieces. Retrieve the top crust from the fridge and carefully transfer the top crust to the top of the pie. Trim the edges of the top crust, fold the top and bottom edges together, sealing them, then crimping them. Cut steam vents in the center of the top crust, then brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Bake the pie on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet from front to back, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and continue baking for
an additional 35-40 minutes, until the pie bubbles up through the steam vents and the crust is golden. (Keep an eye on the pie- cover the top of the pie with a sheet of parchment or a piece of foil if it starts to overbrown.) The pie must cool for several hours before slicing.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN COOKIES FROM OTTOLENGHI

5/14/2019

makes 3 dozen

(the recipe can be halved)

1 cup (120 grams) pecan halves, toasted
1 cup plus 1½ tablespoons (250 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into ½” cubes
1 packed cup plus 2 tablespoons (200 grams) brown sugar
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4½ cups (560 grams) self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
9 oz. (260 grams) dark chocolate chips or chunks

Coarsely chop the toasted pecans and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Place the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugars/salt to the butter and beat on medium speed to combine, then increase speed to high, beating until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down to low and add the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour, beating just until combined, then beat in the chocolate chips and pecans, Turn off the machine, gently bring the dough together by hand; the mixture should come together easily. Use a medium ice cream scoop (or your hands) to form the dough into cookies about 1⅔ oz. (45 grams) each. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least an hour before baking. (Don't skip this step or the cookies will not hold their shape.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

When ready to bake, place the cookies 2½ inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet, (or two baking sheets if you’re baking off all of the cookies.) The dough freezes beautifully; if you’re not serving a crowd, you can bake off any portion of the dough that you need and place the unbaked cookies in a Ziploc bag and freeze them.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet(s) halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown and slightly cracked on top. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on the baking sheet(s) for 10 minutes until firm, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

RHUBARB COMPOTE

5/9/2019

4½ cups rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped with small paring knife
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
zest from 1 medium orange
zest from 1 medium lemon
¾ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Pour the orange and lemon juice through a fine mesh strainer into a non-reactive saucepan. Add the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and cardamom. Cook over medium heat, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens and becomes syrupy. Add the rhubarb and cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, gently stirring the mixture with a rubber scraper. Be careful not to break down the rhubarb by over mixing- it should be tender but retain some of its shape. Remove from the heat, add the orange and lemon zest and transfer the compote to either a rimmed baking sheet or a heatproof baking dish. Let the compote cool in the fridge then cover. Keep refrigerated.

RUN FOR THE ROSES CHOCOLATE PIE WITH BOURBON AND FRESH MINT*

5/3/2019

makes two 6” pies

For the crust- (this makes more than needed; wrap the extra in plastic and freeze) (special thanks to Kate Lebo)

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 sticks (8 oz.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces
½ cup ice cold water combined with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Place the water/cider vinegar mixture in the freezer. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter pieces, tossing to coat the butter in the flour mixture. Use your fingers to incorporate the butter, gently rubbing the butter between your fingers. You should have a mixture that is made up of mostly pea-size pieces with a few larger pieces. Retrieve the water from the freezer and pour half of the liquid around the edge of the bowl, tossing the dough to incorporate the water. Add almost all of the remaining liquid, again tossing the dough, just until it becomes shaggy but not overly moist. If the dough feels dry, add an additional tablespoon of water. The dough should just keep its shape. Gather the dough together, divide it in three equal pieces, gently press it into discs and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling. Remove two circles of dough from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for about 10 minutes before rolling. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll one portion of dough into a circle about 8”or 9” in diameter and about ⅛” thick. Ease the dough into your 6” pie plate without pulling or stretching the dough, leaving a slight overhang. Turn the excess dough under itself, forming an edge. Use you fingertips to crimp the edge and place the pie shell in the freezer for at least an hour before pre-baking. Repeat the process with one more portion of dough.

To pre-bake the shell, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Retrieve two pie shells from the freezer and line them with aluminum foil or parchment paper that extends over the sides of the pie shell. Fill the foil (or parchment) with beans or rice or pie weights. Place the pie shells on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until the pie shell is golden and holds its shape. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven, and remove the foil/parchment and beans/rice/pie weights from the pie plates. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the pie shells and return them to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the crusts are golden. Transfer the pie shells to a cooling rack and let them cool while you prepare the filling. (Pie shells can be made the day before, cooled completely and covered with a sheet of parchment paper.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place one oven rack in the middle of the oven.

For the filling-

½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
4 large, fresh mint leaves, lightly rinsed, dried and finely chopped
2 tablespoons bourbon

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer, add the chopped mint leaves and let the mixture steep for 15 minutes. Return the saucepan to the heat just to rewarm the mixture; do not let it boil.

Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the cream through a fine mesh strainer, over the chocolate, pressing on the mint leaves with a rubber spatula.
Let the chocolate and cream sit for a few minutes, add the salt then whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted.

Place the egg into a medium bowl. Slowly add a little of the warm chocolate mixture to the egg, whisking constantly, then continue to gradually add the rest of the chocolate and the bourbon. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a Pyrex glass measuring cup or a large pitcher.

Place the pre-baked pie shells on a parchment lined baking sheet. Divide the chocolate mixture evenly between the two pie shells. Bake the pies on the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes, just until the chocolate filling has set around the edges and the middle of the pies are jiggly. Be careful not to overbake; the pies will continue to set up as they cool. Remove the baking sheet to a cooking rack and cool the pies for an hour. Serve the pies at room temperature. Any leftovers should be covered and refrigerated.

(*Fresh mint really is key here- substituting mint extract doesn’t do the recipe justice.)

GRANDMOTHERLY LEMON SPONGE CAKE FOR PASSOVER

4/24/2019

makes one 10” cake

(You will need a 10” angel food cake/tube pan with removable bottom. Do not grease the pan; grease prevents the egg white stabilized cake batter to climb up the walls of the pan.)

Remove the eggs from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for an hour.

Adjust the oven racks to accommodate your cake pan. It’s best to bake the cake on the middle rack of your oven.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

12 large eggs, separated
1½ cups sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 1 orange
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup finely chopped walnuts (these are optional if you prefer a nut-free cake)
¼ cup potato starch
1 cup matzoh cake flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Separate the eggs and measure out the remaining ingredients. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the yolks until frothy and lemon colored. Gradually add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. Add the lemon and orange zests. The yolks should be very thick. Transfer the yolk mixture to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle in the orange juice and the vanilla extract. Gently fold in the nuts, if you are using them.

Thoroughly wash the bowl and the whisk attachment from the standing mixer.

Sift together the potato starch and the matzoh cake flour. Fold these into the egg yolks a little at a time, being careful not to overbeat the batter. Place the egg whites in the clean bowl from the standing mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment. (It’s important that both the bowl and the whisk are grease-free and dry.)

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add a pinch of salt and beat until stiff and shiny but not dry, being careful not to overbeat. (It’s a delicate dance- the whites should form glossy peaks.) Fold the whites into the yolk/flour mixture, being careful not to deflate the mixture.

Gently pour the batter into the ungreased 10” angel food cake pan. Bake the cake on the middle rack of the pre-heated oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, place a cooling rack on top of the cake pan and carefully/slowly invert the pan on the cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely before removing the cake from the pan. It is easiest to slice this cake using a cake divider or a serrated knife. Cover and wrap any leftovers.

EDNA's BLACKBERRY COBBLER

4/12/2019

Makes one 8" x 7" cobbler, serving 8

adapted from   The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis

(Note: I opted for 1/2 cup of unsalted butter instead of lard and used a total of 1 cup granulated sugar, (eliminating the crushed sugar cubes) to a generous 5 cups of fresh blackberries. This time of year, blackberries can run on the tart side- taste them and adjust the sugar accordingly; you may wish to add an additional tablespoon of sugar, or if they're sweet, cut back on the sugar a bit. Miss Lewis suggests a double crust topping, I wove a lattice instead. This is more of a spoonable dessert rather than a sliceable one. I used a Pyrex baking dish that measures 8" x 7" x 2" deep. My oven time leaned closer to 60 minutes. )

Ingredients

·       2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
·       1/2 teaspoon salt
·       1/2 cup lard (1/4 pound)
·       1/3 cup cold water
·       1 cup sugar cubes, crushed (see note above)
·       5 cups blackberries
·       4 thin slices butter
·       3/4 cups granulated sugar (see note above)
·       2 tablespoons cornstarch
·       1/4 cup light cream
·       1 cup Vanilla-Flavored Whipped Cream (recipe follows)

Instructions
1.     Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Blend in the lard with a pastry blender or with your fingers. When it is well blended and fine-grained, sprinkle in the water all at once, and draw the dough together quickly, shaping it into a ball. Divide in half and let rest a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the dough and line an 8-inch baking pan. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the crushed sugar over the dough. fill with the berries, adding the pieces of butter and sprinkling with the granulated sugar mixed with the cornstarch. Wet the rim of the bottom crust and place the top pastry over it, pressing down to seal. Trim away the excess. With the handle of a dinner knife, make a decorative edge and then cut a few slits in the center to allow steam to escape. Brush the top with a thick brush of cream and sprinkle on the remaining crushed cube sugar. Place in a the preheated oven, shut the door, and reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. If the top starts to get too brown, place a piece of foil (or parchment) over it. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dollop of Vanilla-Flavored Whipped Cream on top.

Vanilla-Flavored Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a chilled bowl, whip the cream until nearly stiff. Add the sugar and vanilla and keep beating until the cream is stiff. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

LEMON GLAZED BLACKBERRY BISCUITS

4/9/2019

Biscuits
1½ cups flour
½ cup cornmeal
⅓ cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 oz.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
⅔ cup buttermilk
3 cups fresh blackberries, lightly rinsed and dried on paper towels

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a bench scraper or your fingertips, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles fine meal. Stir in the buttermilk and add the blackberries, turning just to combine. Do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with a little bit of flour and use your fingers to gently pat the dough into a circle roughly 8”in diameter and about 1” thick. Use a round biscuit cutter (mine measures 2¾”) to cut out 9 biscuits. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper then set this on another baking sheet (called double panning) to prevent the bottoms from getting too dark.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, just until golden and firm to the touch. Prepare the glaze by whisking together the sugar and lemon juice. Let the biscuits cool slightly on a rack and then spoon glaze over the top of each.

THE PERFECT RATIO OF CRUMB-TO-CAKE CRUMB CAKE

4/6/2019

(from Saveur Magazine, slightly adjusted for spring)

makes one 9"x 13” cake

(Note: I used white-whole wheat flour in the crumb and pistachios because that’s what I had on hand. I also used rhubarb and raspberries in the cake, but the original recipe calls for well drained cranberries)

For the crumb-

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup rolled oats
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons, cool unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (cut the butter and let it sit out to soften slightly)
⅔ cup sliced almonds (or the nuts of your choice)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter pieces, rubbing the mixture together with your fingers until it becomes crumbly with some large chunks. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least half an hour. (I was short on time and placed it in the freezer while I prepared the cake.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the cake-

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. kosher salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 oz.) unsalted butter, softened, plus addtl. for greasing
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup full-fat sour cream
* * * * * *
10 oz. fresh or thawed frozen fruit (it is key to drain the fruit in a strainer and then drain it once again on a double layer of paper towels)
1-2 Tablespoons sugar to toss with the fruit (I used a combination of rhubarb and raspberries which warranted 2 Tablespoons of sugar)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, then add the eggs, the vanilla and the almond extract. Beat on low until incorporated. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture (in three batches) with the sour cream (in two batches), beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and beating just until incorporated.

In a medium bowl, toss the well-drained fruit with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar.

Lightly butter a 9"x 13” baking pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, (I like to line the sides with strips of parchment, as well) and retrieve the crumb topping from the fridge. Add the nuts to the crumb, tossing to combine.

Place the batter in the baking pan, using an offset spatula to spread it evenly; make sure to fill the corners. Sprinkle the fruit (leave any moisture behind) evenly over the batter. (Don’t be tempted to add additional fruit; it will add too much moisture to the cake.) Crumble the topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven until a cake tester or small paring knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. For generous servings, cut the cake in 3¼” x 3½” slices. Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap.

MARBLED MOCHA POUND CAKE

4/2/2019

(adapted from All About Home Baking)
makes one 8” cake (fills a Nordicware 6 cup bundt pan)

For the cake-
4 oz. dark chocolate (I use Trader Joe’s Pound Plus)
½ teaspoon Medaglia D’Oro instant espresso powder
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 oz. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1½ eggs (for the half- break 1 egg into a small dish, beat with a fork, measure half)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 6 cup bundt pan.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat, whisk in the instant espresso powder and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and a half, mixing on low to incorporate. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber scraper. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla extract and the sour cream (or yogurt) then gradually add the flour mixture.

Remove about ½ cup of the vanilla cake batter and add it to the melted chocolate, stirring to combine. Place half of the remaining vanilla batter into the bundt pan, top with half of the chocolate batter, then add the remaining vanilla batter, followed by the last of the chocolate batter. Marbleize the batters using a kitchen knife; don’t overdo it.

Bake the cake on a parchment lined baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated 325 degree F oven for 40-45 minutes, just until the cake tests clean. Let the cake cool on a rack, turn the cake out of the pan onto a rack set over a baking sheet, and glaze with the ganache.

For the ganache-
8 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 oz. heavy cream

Scald the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the chopped chocolate, let it sit for a few minutes then whisk until smooth. Pour the ganache over the cooled cake, letting it run down the sides. Wrap any leftover cake in plastic wrap; it will keep well on the counter for several days. (Any leftover ganache can be covered and refrigerated.)

SWEET CORNMEAL HAND PIES

3/29/2019

makes twelve

For the dough-

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
zest from one small orange
2 sticks (8 oz.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons cream or milk

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, salt, and orange zest. Add the butter pieces, pulsing just until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Transfer the flour/butter mixture to a large bowl and add the beaten eggs, using a fork to gently combine. The dough should just hold together. Shape the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a diameter of about 14” and ⅛” thick. Use a 3½” cutter to cut out 6 squares. Place the squares on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Repeat rolling and cutting with the second disc of dough. (Cover and refrigerate the second round of squares.)

For the filling-

4 cups total of your very best abandoned freezer fruit
(I used 2½ cups of frozen cherries, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup frozen cranberries, 1/2 cup frozen rhubarb)
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons dark amber maple syrup (depending on your taste)
⅛ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
pinch of salt
zest from one small lemon
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Place the frozen fruit on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and dab away the excess ice/moisture. You don’t want to defrost the fruit, just remove any ice. Place the fruit in a heavy bottomed saucepan. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the brown sugar, maple syrup, nutmeg, and salt. Add to the fruit and cook over medium/low heat until the fruit thickens, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest, vanilla, and the butter. Chill completely before assembling the hand pies.

When ready to bake the hand pies, Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

When the filling is cool, retrieve the pastry squares from the refrigerator. Place half of the squares on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the edges of each square with a little of the egg wash. Place one tablespoon (no more than that!) of filling in the center of each square. Place one square atop each hand pie, sealing the edges with a fork, and brushing the edges and the top of each pie with egg wash. Poke a few fork holes in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape. Refrigerate the pies for at least 20 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes until golden. Enjoy any additional filling alongside the hand pies or save to use as a topping on yogurt.