Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Ingredients:
Double pie crust
4 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup cornstarch plus 1/4 cup cold water
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon sweet white wine

Mix corn starch and cold water. In a saucepan, mix 1 cup raspberries, corn starch/water mixture, sugar and wine. Gently heat to boiling or a well thickened consistency. Fold in remaining raspberries.

Alternate microwave method: Mix corn starch and cold water. In a glass bowl, mix 1 cup raspberries, corn starch/water mixture, sugar and wine. Heat for one minute at a time, whisking mixture with a wire whisk between each minute. Continue to heat until well thickened. Fold in remaining raspberries.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake pie crust for about 5 minutes. Pour raspberry mixture in to crust. Top with second crust or lattice top. Bake for about 50 minutes or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool for a couple of hours before serving.

Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Makes 2 9″ pies

Ingredients:
2 Double pie crusts
6 cups fresh sour cherries
6 Tablespoons Kraft Minute Tapioca
3 and 1/4 to 3 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix cherries, tapioca, sugar, and almond extract. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake pie crust bottoms (2) for about 5 minutes. Pour cherry mixture in to crusts. Top with second crusts or lattice tops. Bake for about 50 minutes or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool for a couple of hours before serving.

Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Ingredients:
Double pie crust
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup Kraft Minute Tapioca
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix blueberries, tapioca, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake pie crust for about 5 minutes. Pour blueberry mixture in to crust. Top with second crust or lattice top. Bake for about 50 minutes or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool for a couple of hours before serving.

Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Ingredients:
Double pie crust
5-6 Apples (I prefer a combination of at least 2 apple varieties. My favorites: Fireside, Macintosh, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith)
2-1/2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 plus 1/8 cup sugar (adjust amount based on sweetness of apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Tuaca, Cointreau, or a sweet white wine like Moscato
2-3 teaspoon butter
egg wash
1 tablespoon sugar plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed together

Directions:
Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Peel and slice apples. Mix flour mixture into apples. Mix in lemon juice and Tuaca. Allow apples to sit for a few minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake the bottom crust for about 5 minutes. Pour apple mixture into crust. Put small pieces of butter on top of the apple mixture.

Roll out and cut the top crust into strips, roughly 1/2″ wide. Lay one of the longest strips across the middle of the pie. Lay another strip across the first, segmenting the pie into quarters. Add another strip next to one of the first two strips, continue adding strips, going over and under alternating strips in a “basket weave” pattern.

Brush the crust gently with an egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes uncovered, cover with foil when the crust is browned. Bake for a full hour total. It’s also wise to place a pan on the rack under the pie in case it boils over while cooking.

Desserts, Pies and Tarts

Ingredients:
Par-baked single pie crust
6 Tablespoons butter cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans toasted and chopped into small pieces

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Partially bake pie shell for about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter in medium heatproof bowl set in a skillet of water maintained at just below a simmer (double boiler method). Once butter is melted, remove the bowl from the skillet of water. Mix in sugar and salt with a wooden spoon until water is absorbed. Beat in eggs, then corn syrup and vanilla. Return the bowl to the skillet with hot water. Stir until the mixture is shiny and hot to the touch. Should be about 130 degrees. Stir in pecans.

Alternate Microwave method: melt butter in microwave, add ingredients as above, but use a metal whisk. Heat mixture to about 130 degrees in microwave by heating about a minute at a time and whisking between each minute.

Once the pie shell is out of the oven, decrease the oven temperature to 275 degrees. Pour Pecan mixture into the hot pie shell. Bake until the center is set, yet a bit soft, like gelatin when gently pressed, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let pie cool completely, at least 4 hours. If you want to serve the pie warm after it has completely cooled and set, place it in a 250 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, before slicing.

Pies and Tarts

Ingredients for single crust pie:
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 tsp vinegar
4 to 5 tablespoons ice-cold water

Ingredients for double crust pie:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp vinegar
5 to 7 tablespoons ice-cold water

Food processor method: in food processor, add flour, salt, butter (sliced in pieces), and shortening. Blend in food processor briefly, keeping small chunks of butter. Do not over-blend.
Put the butter/flour mixture in a large bowl. Stir in vinegar and water with a knife. Gather dough into a ball, adding more water if necessary. Roll out dough, place crust in refrigerator until ready to bake.

Additional notes:
• par-bake the bottom crust before filling for fruit or pumpkin pie by baking the empty shell at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes.

• brush the top crust or a lattice top with egg and sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before baking for fruit pies.

• Best tips for pie crust: keep everything well chilled and use ice cold water. Being able to see some larger chunks of butter as you are rolling it out also makes for a flakier crust.

Appetizers

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken wings (I prefer boneless or drummies)
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions:

Stir ingredients for marinade together. Put wings in heavy plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Marinate 2 hours or overnight. Bake in 13″ x 9″ pan, uncovered, for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Uncategorized

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Melt butter in 1 quart glass bowl in microwave. Add flour and blend to a smooth paste. Wisk in milk. Cook uncovered in microwave for about 3-4 minutes, wisking after every minute. Once thickened, add salt and dry mustard. Blend in cheese.

Appetizers, Dinner, Uncategorized

Marinate 1/2 package extra-firm light tofu (may also use pre-cooked rice sticks or rice noodles) in:

2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp minced ginger root
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

Dice the marinated tofu or cut the rice noodles/sticks to small pieces. Prepare remaining ingredients and put them all on a plate:

1 cup finely julienned carrot
3 scallions slivered
1 cup or more shredded lettuce or spring greens
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 diced avocado
1 cup diced, cooked shrimp (if desired)

You will need about 8 8-1/2” rice wrappers

Soak each wrapper in water for a few minutes until soft but not too mushy. Fill each wrapper with the chopped veggies and other fillings, wrap as tightly as possible. Keep the spring rolls damp by covering them with a damp paper towel  as you are preparing them. Store in a covered glass container in the refrigerator with damp paper towels and waxed paper between them. Do not allow them to get too soggy. The spring rolls should firm up in the refrigerator over a few hours time.

Sweet chile dipping sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp grated carrot
2 Tbsp grated cucumber
1/2 tsp dried red chile flakes

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I have not tried the other recipes below:

Mango Tofu Summer Rolls

3 ounces rice sticks
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
7-8 ounces firm tofu
1 cup julienned cucumber
1 cup julienned mango
3 scallions slivered
1 cup chopped cilantro
16 or more large mint leaves

16 rice wrappers

Burnt Chille Sauce

1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut or canola oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
5 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
3 tbsp dried red chille flakes
2-3 tbsp water

cook onions and garlic in oil, add chille flakes and other ingredients, run through food processor after cooled.

Vietnamese Salad Rolls

8 leaves red lettuce
2 oz. baby spinach
1 cup Aisain Basil leaves
2 oz. bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil

Serve with Lime-soy dipping sauce:

1/2 cup soy
2 large limes zest and juice
2 Tbsp sugar
pinch dried red chille flakes

Pasta, Potatoes and Rice

Ingredients:

5lb bag of russet potatoes
1 bag of frozen hash browns
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 cans of cheddar cheese soup
8-12 oz sour cream

Directions:

Boil potatoes, allow to cool. Peel, cut into cubes.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Mix in cheddar cheese soup. Fold in sour cream.

Grease 1-2 large baking dishes. Add potatoes and hash browns. Pour cheese mixture over potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.