Time to Plan the Holiday Sweets.

It is December 1^st as I am writing this and, being the ultimate holiday month, time to plan out what sweets to make for sharing.  Correct, for sharing.  Each year I endeavor to make enough treats to give out to those who have provided services throughout the year.  There are also the folks that Roy and I have friendly relationships with, and want to show our appreciation for having them in our lives. 

So, I will be giving you recipes for two treats that may, or may not, make the giving list this year.  All depends on my mood; the effort is always worth it though.

“Shoo, fly, don't bother me,

Shoo, fly, don't bother me,

Shoo, fly, don't bother me,

For I belong to somebody.”

This song has two origin stories, first sung by Civil War soldiers during the 1860s; secondly in 1898 by soldiers during the Spanish American War.  Both related to the swarm of flies and mosquitoes during the hot, humid summer months.  The two versions, which happened to include the “N” word, were eventually tamed down throughout the 1900s and became, oh you guessed it, a nursery rhyme.

In Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, there is a pie that would put anyone in a diabetic coma; that pie is called "Shoo Fly".  The name originates from the bakers having to "shoo" flies away from the pie, since the little buggers were very attracted to the molasses and sugar that are the two main ingredients.  "Shoo Fly" is a dense, sticky pie; extremely sweet and definitely an acquired taste.  It is best served warm with a scoop of ice cream, usually vanilla, on the side; strangely enough, the ice cream mellows out the pie's sweetness.  I did make this for a holiday party once, and it was said to be similar to pecan pie, but without the pecans, and much gooier and sweeter.

 

Shoo Fly Pie

Ingredients:

Filling

1 and ½ cups molasses

1 and ½ cups warm water

1and ½ tsp. baking soda

Topping

4 cups flour, sifted

2 cups sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup butter, melted

2 (9 inch) deep dish pie crusts

Preparation:

On low heat, in a deep saucepan, cook together the molasses and water for 10 minutes; do not let the liquid boil.

While liquid is warming, preheat oven to 375F; cover center rack with aluminum foil in case of dripping (and it usually does). In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar and melted butter to form loose crumbs.

Add the baking soda to the liquid mixture; it will become frothy; stir well to dissolve all the baking soda. Divide the liquid between the 2 pie crusts; divide the topping between the two, slightly pressing some of the crumbs into the liquid. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350F and finish cooking pies for 35 minutes; let pies cool slightly before serving.

Serving suggestion: while still warm, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Makes 8 servings.

While we did have a bit of snow for the Thanksgiving holiday, snow for the December holidays is purely magical. Anyone who lives in an area that has snowfall has, at one time or another, did the classic stick out the tongue and try to catch snowflakes on it. Come on now, you know you have, especially when you were a child, and I bet you still try it out as an adult. What about making a snowball and putting it in the freezer? Then when summertime came, you looked for it planning to surprise someone when they get hit with it?

When it comes to "eating" snow, the first thing you might think about is the snow cone; shaved or pulverized ice with flavoring poured over it and served in a paper cone. There is a particular type of "cookie" though that you can place in your mouth and let it melt into sugary goodness; or you can mash it up to use as a topping and it will resemble snow. That cookie is called a meringue; made mostly from egg whites and sugar, then baked in the oven at a very low temperature before letting it finish off as the oven cools. Meringue cookies can be made in a vast variety of color and flavor combinations; eaten as is, used as a garnish, even tweaked into a cake called a "Pavlova" which is then topped with whipped cream and fresh berries.

If you are worried about the amount of sugar needed to make meringue cookies, do not fret! The Splenda brand of sugar substitute and the natural herb Stevia can be used instead; while one cup of Splenda equals one cup of sugar, only one teaspoon of Stevia equals one cup of sugar. You will also have to use a higher temperature for the baking part of the recipe; basically, it is 225F for sugar, 300F for Splenda and 350F for Stevia.

 

Meringue Cookies

This is going to be a basic recipe for vanilla meringues; you can make different flavored meringues by substituting other flavored extracts for the vanilla. If you want chocolate meringues, add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder; also add one cup of mini chocolate chips for a double chocolate experience.   To make colored meringues, use drops of food coloring; for example, a few drops of red for pink meringues, but add strawberry extract for that extra flavor boost.   When adding items such as mini chips or shredded coconut, gently fold into the stiffened egg whites so as to not “break” them.

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 225°F.

Beat egg whites in large, clean, metal bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high; add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Drop by rounded teaspoons about 1-inch apart onto two large baking sheets sprayed with nonstick baking spray; or use a piping bag with decorative tip to form cookies as they are piped onto the baking sheets.

Bake both sheets of meringues for 45 minutes; turn oven off. Leave meringues in the oven for one hour, or until completely cooled. Amount will depend on size of meringues being made; typically, 6 dozen if dropping by teaspoon full.

There you have it, two recipes for holiday sweets, that you may not have heard of, or even tried to make yourself.  Now you have no excuses.

Mary Cokenour

Such a Sweet Tart.

When I was a child, one dessert, that adorned the Thanksgiving and Christmas tables, was egg custard.  A firm, yet smooth and creamy, confection within its own small bowl; topped with a sprinkling of nutmeg.  No whipped cream, or any other topping, needed; it was pure perfection as is.  Once we moved to Pennsylvania, and began frequenting the farmers markets, custard pies were offered at every bake stall.  The filling was the same wonderful egg custard, but now baked inside a flaky pie crust.  The best part, I could have this all year long!  No more waiting for those two special winter holidays.  What could make it even better?  Learning to make it myself, and not depend on someone else to create it, or hope there was any left at the market to purchase.

So, of course, as with most of my food related articles, a bit of origin/historical want of knowledge nudges my brain into research mode.  While the French and the British debate on which country invented custard first, it was actually developed in Ancient Roman times.  Bakers and cooks understood the binding power of the incredible, edible egg.  Simmering milk, eggs and honey, in a clay pot, within a wood burning oven, the coagulation of egg proteins thickens the milk during baking.  The ingredients formed a firm texture, yet still had a slight wiggle in the center.

With the invasion of Britain, the Romans also brought with them their culture, and that includes food techniques, tools and recipes.  By the Middle Ages, the English were baking, boiling or steaming their custards.  The French though were adding fruit and fresh cream, then baking the mixture in a round, flat crust which became known as a tart.   While tart referred to “a flat open-topped pastry”, it was not until the 1800s that tart began to refer to “a woman of ill repute”.  Which might answer a question regarding the several cookbooks I have on pioneer cooking, “Why did they make puddings and custards, but no tarts with these fillings?”  Of course, later on in the 1900s, pudding and custard pies began making the rounds of the home kitchen.

Now I must warn you, while the recipe calls for the filling to go to the top edge of the pie crust, be prepared for spillage.  Aluminum foil covering the rack, and even a sheet on the oven bottom itself, will prevent a load of burnt on cleanup afterwards.  Maybe others have a better way of getting a very loose filling into a pie crust, but I have tried several techniques, and always manage to spill.  So I admit to being a baking klutz, but my goodies are still quite delicious, if not runway model perfect.

For this recipe, I also substituted Swerve for the sugar; due to my need for lower sugar content.  Allowing the pie to cool completely, for at least two hours, in the refrigerator, will give it a firm texture, but remain smooth and creamy.  Also, use whole milk as a lower fat milk will cause a need to bake the pie up to an hour longer.

Egg Custard Pie

 

Ingredients

1 cup sugar (can substitute with 1 cup Swerve Granular or Truvia Baking Blend)

6 large eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. nutmeg, divided in half

2 and 1/2 cups whole milk

1 deep dish pie crust, frozen, unbaked

 

Preparation:

 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line baking rack with aluminum foil, in case of spillage.

 

Beat together sugar, eggs, vanilla and ½ tsp. nutmeg.  Add milk and whisk until smooth; pour mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle remaining ½ tsp. nutmeg lightly on top of the custard.  Carefully place pie into oven, on top of foil.

 

Bake for 45-60 minutes; filling will rise and firm up, with very slight looseness in center.  Remove from oven, let cool for 20 minutes before placing into refrigerator to completely cool; about two hours.

Makes 1 pie, 8 servings.

 

While delicious as is, adding fresh fruit to the top, or on the side will pretty it up.  Whipped cream, I have found, washes out the flavor of the custard and nutmeg.  Enjoy your sweet tart!

Mary Cokenour

Those Pioneers Loved Dessert.

During the 1800s, traveling out West entailed hardships, dangers, lack of supplies, and often injury and/or death. Nowadays our spoiled generations have no clue what it means to truly “put your back into it”; as the pioneers had to do with their covered wagons and horses to get them through the rough terrain.

When it came time for celebrations, like a wedding, the entire small community came together; foods from various ethnic backgrounds were created by family, friends and neighbors; no one was left out. Whatever provisions were available were used for the feast; everyone was going to eat well that day! A wedding, a celebration of everlasting love and life together; even the most precious of items were donated to the preparations, like sugar.

One dessert often seen was Swiss Apple Pie and there is only one way I can describe it: Crumble plus Custard plus Crème Brulee equals Swiss Apple Pie. A combination of three different pie making techniques totaling up to one rich, sugary, eyes rolling to the heavens, pie. As usual, I made two pies, one for my husband and one for my ever faithful “guinea pigs”; folks who will try my creations and give honest opinions. Comments were “wow”, “this is very good”, some lip smacking, a request for another slice, but my true test was Cindi Holyoak at the City Office. Cindi had experienced Swiss Apple Pie before, so I had an expert on my hands and I was tense with anticipation of her critique. At the first bite, her eyes and face lit up; at the second bite she confirmed that “Yes, this was the pie she knew, and it was very good!” Yes, I had passed the ultimate test and did the happy dance (at home of course, not in public).

Once again, I have used a recipe out of “The Mormon Pioneer Cookbook” by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Note: this recipe calls for a ten inch pie pan; if you do not have that size pan (nine inch seeming to be the standard), decrease the heavy cream by one quarter cup and eggs (not the yolks) by one. With the apples, until ready to use them, place in cold water which has a tablespoon of lemon juice included; it will keep the slices from browning, but not add a lemony taste to them. Oh, I lined my baking rack with aluminum foil under the pie pans; spillage of the custard mixture is simply a given; and who wants to clean the oven, not I!

Swiss Apple Pie (page 102)

 

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter

1 and ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. cold water

2 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs

4 tart apples, pared, cored and thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith apples)

2 eggs (large)

2 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

¾ cup sugar (divided into ½ cup plus ¼ cup)

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

 

Preparation:

 

Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender. Gradually add cold water, mixing with a fork, until pastry gathers around fork. Roll out 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Use to line a deep 10-inch pie plate, trim edge. (I used store bought, ready-made, deep dish pie crusts; it might be cheating, but it’s still homemade.)

 

Sprinkle bread crumbs over bottom. Layer apple slices evenly in pastry; do not heap. Bake in a 350F oven 5 minutes.

 

Combine eggs and yolks; beat slightly. Add cream and ½ cup of the sugar; stir until sugar dissolves.  Pour ½ the mixture over apples. Bake in a 350F oven 30 minutes.

 

Pour in remaining mixture. Return to oven and bake 30 minutes longer (my pies took 40 minutes) or until knife inserted near edge comes out clean. Pour the melted butter over the top (that’s over the filling, not crust) and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup sugar.

 

 

Return to oven and bake 5 minutes longer or until top is golden (mine took 10 minutes.) Let pie cool slightly before cutting.

 

Yield: 1 pie.

 

Mary Cokenour

The Tenacity of One Branch.

On the outside of our fence stands an old apricot tree; probably dates back to when the pioneers settled in Monticello.  The land my home sits on was a farm once, and happily a couple of apricot trees, and many Italian plum, still remain.  Last year we did not get any fruit, as a killing frost hit the trees in May, and destroyed all the blossoms.  The same occurred this year, so the change of fruit was none again. 

One day last week I was playing ball with one of my dogs, Lucy; and it got stuck behind a pile of wood near the fence.  Lying on the ground I saw these small orange colored balls and wondered, "What the heck?"  They were apricots and I looked up into the branch that was over the fence and sticking into the yard.  Well that little bugger of a branch was a smart one; it had hidden itself inside an over hang on the tool shed we had just built last year, and it was full of fruit!  By doing that, the fruit blossoms had survived the frost and given us a small bounty.  Hurriedly I got my gathering basket out of the garden shed, and picked all the fruit that was ripe, and bugs and/or birds had not gotten to yet.  I ended up with 40 apricots; Roy ate about 16 of them, and I decided to bake a dessert with the remainder.

Now the only dessert I'd ever made with apricots was a crumble; last time Roy told me he was bored with this one.  I'd been on a pie making binge lately, so had an extra pie crust in the fridge; a pie it was then!  In the freezer was half a pint of blueberries, and thought to add these to add color and taste. 

Apricot Blueberry Pie

 

Ingredients:

 

2 dozen apricots, washed and pitted

1/2 pint frozen blueberries

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

 

Preparation:

 

Preheat oven to 425F.

 

In a medium bowl, gently mix together apricots and blueberries with the sugar; set aside.

 

Spread the oats onto the bottom of the pie crust; spread the fruit mixture over the oats.  Bake for 40 minutes.

 

Drizzle the butter over the fruit filling; sprinkle brown sugar over; bake for 5 minutes, or until the brown sugar is melted.  Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

 

Makes one pie.

 

Roy loved the pie; tart yet sweet; juicy and very flavorful.

 

Mary Cokenour

Semi-Homemade Apple Pie.

As I keep stating, I'm not much on baking as I don't like to do all that precise measuring. Whenever I've made a fruit pie in the past, I used the canned stuff; I know, shocking!  When I received six large Granny Smith apples in my last Bountiful Basket pack, I simply stared at them.  They're too tart, in my opinion, for eating as is, so I've always used them in some type of cooking recipe.  This time I was going to be brave and bake them, but the decision was , "Apple Dumplings or Apple Pie"?

I don't make my own pie crust which is what I would need for either recipe.  Off to the local market I went to get refrigerated pie crusts, but the Marie Callender deep dish pie shells were on sale too; so apple pie it was.  Now how to put the pie together?  Well, I've always enjoyed watching baking shows, have several books on baking; as always, I was going to wing it. 

Surprise!  My little adventure came out a delicious success.  The apples were neither too soft, or too firm; they had just the right scrunch.  The butter melted and combined with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to make a rich, fragrant sauce that, again, was neither too thin, or too gooey.  Goldilocks would have been so awesomely proud of my creation.

Apple Pie

(Recipe makes two pies)

 

Ingredients:

6 large Granny Smith apples

2 qts. cold water
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. nutmeg
2- deep dish (9 inch) pie shells
1 package refrigerated pie crusts
8 Tbsp. butter

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425F.

 

Core, peel and slice apples into ¼ inch slices; place in a large plastic bowl, cover with water and add in lemon juice.

 

 

 

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Cut each tablespoon of butter into quarters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into each pie shell, place ¼ of the apple slices; use a strainer to remove from the water and shake excess off.  Sprinkle ¼ cup of the brown sugar mixture over the slices; dot with eight quarter pieces of butter.  Repeat each layer – apple slices, brown sugar mixture, butter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top with pie crust and pinch the excess around the edge; with the tip of a knife, pierce the crust 9 to 12 times.

 

 

Place a piece of aluminum foil on the oven rack; center pie on top of foil to catch any dripping.  Bake for 45 – 50 minutes; until pie crust is a golden brown.

 

Mary Cokenour

Time to Cook the Pumpkins.

Now that the elections are over in the United States, it is time for us to get down to the important issues, namely the impending holidays.  With Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve or Samhain, traditional jack o'lantern pumpkins were hollowed out, craved with scary or funny faces, and a candle inserted to light them up in the dark.  Now while the seeds, once roasted and salted, make a yummy treat, the flesh is not that great for baking, since it tends to be stringy.

While living in Pennsylvania, my mom and I learned from Amish bakers that the best pumpkins to use were the crooknecks. Pumpkins are from the squash family, with this type the skin is easier to peel off, like with butternut squash, and the flesh will cook up easily for pureeing.   The crookneck pumpkin can grow to a large size; the largest we ever purchased was almost 30 pounds, and we got lots of breads and pies from it alone.


Now when making pumpkin bread or pie, you can always find a canister of premixed spice blend in the supermarket.  However, I recommend mixing your own up as you can never rely on how much of each spice is in the premix.  I and my family tend to like extra spiciness, so I can measure out the separate spices and get exactly the right flavoring for us.  Perhaps you like more cinnamon and dislike the flavor of cloves; mixing up your own blend gives you that priviledge.  Another option to making pumpkin bread especially is to add chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips or a combination.  They can be added into the batter or simply sprinkled on top before baking.  For pumpkin pie, consider adding crushed walnuts into your pie crust mixture for some extra, surprising flavor.

Go traditional or set your own trend; remember you're the artist...I mean baker.  Enjoy!

 

 

  Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked pumpkin puree or 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp each ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and allspice
½ tsp ground cloves

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350; lightly butter and flour (or use baking spray) three loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together well the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add 1/3 of dry mixture into pumpkin mixture and mix well; repeat until all dry ingredients have been incorporated into the wet mixture. Divide batter between prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanly. Let loaves cool before inverting and removing.

Makes 3 loaves.

Mary Cokenour

Village Inn Restaurant and Bakery

Village Inn Restaurant and Bakery

3715 N Kasper Ave
Flagstaff, AZ 86004

(928) 526-5330

Website: http://www.villageinn.com/


After a long five hour drive to Flagstaff, we decided to stop at the first diner looking place we saw, and that was the Village Inn Restaurant and Bakery. Considering it was lunch time, there were very few customers inside; but we were greeted in a very friendly manner and drinks were served immediately.


The food here is average, budget friendly for travelers, and while average, still tastes fresh and good depending on what you order. I had the Club Sandwich with Fries; what I really liked about this sandwich was that they used real, roasted turkey breast and baked ham; not thinly sliced cold cuts you can get in any supermarket. The fries were seasoned, crispy outside, fluffy inside; I was pretty satisfied with my choice.


My husband though was not very happy with his sandwich; the Grilled Chicken with Swiss cheese and Avocado slices. He said that the chicken was dry and rubbery, he could barely taste the cheese, but the avocado was a nice touch to an overall "blah" sandwich.


Since it was Wednesday when we ate there, we received a free slice of pie. We both chose the Blueberry Lemon Supreme, since the photo staring us in the face looked so enticing. The pie was very good; crust was light and flaky, the cream cheese filling was smooth and creamy and the mixture of lemon with blueberry was perfect. The hostess and waitress bragged about the pies at the Village Inn, and rightly so.

To be fair, if I was staying in Flagstaff for an extended period, I would give Village Inn another try; most likely the breakfast menu, so I could try the Eggs Benedict.

Mary Cokenour

It's a Pie, No, it's a Cake.

What dessert is called a pie, but is truly a cake? The answer is Boston Cream Pie which is actually a cake which had its layers baked in pie tins known as "Washington Pie Plates". This dessert was created by French Chef Sanzian to commemorate the opening of the Parker House Hotel in 1856. Now the dessert he created was more elaborate than what we typically see in Boston Cream Pie or Cake, both names are commonly interchanged, today.

Instead of pie plates, a 9 or 10 inch springform pan is used to bake the cake which is then divided into two layers. The Boston Cream Cake is not a dessert that can be made at the spur of the moment; there are four crucial steps. First the sponge cake, more dense and less crumbly than regular vanilla cake, needs to be mixed together and baked. Secondly is the pastry cream; a thick, rich pudding containing corn starch to help it hold up under the weight of the top layer of cake. Third, and oh so important, is the chocolate ganache; made from a cooked combination of chopped chocolate and heavy cream which cools quickly to make a rich, firm topping to the cake. Typically for the ganache, milk or semi-sweet chocolate is used, but I prefer Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate. It melts quickly, the texture is smooth and the sheen is glossy; the bittersweet chocolate complements the pastry cream and sponge cake wonderfully. Step four is the construction of the cake, not too difficult and the results are worth waiting for.

Why this dessert cannot be a spur of the moment decision to make is that the cake and cream should be cool before the layering process begins; otherwise you'll be looking at one hot mess oozing off the plate. Now wait, let me correct myself a bit; this can be made spur of the moment by using a premade pound cake and instant pudding; might look pretty, but it won't taste the same as the authentic cake.

Boston Cream Pie (Cake)

Step One: The Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp melted butter, cooled to room temperature
6 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. From parchment paper, cut a circle to line bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Smear a little butter onto bottom and sides of pan first, sprinkle a light dusting of flour; put parchment paper circle on pan bottom and lightly smear butter on the paper.

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar together until fluffy and a yellow color. Add the extract and half the flour; mix for one minute before adding remaining flour and salt; mix to incorporate well. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes; top will be golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack; do not attempt to remove the springform pan.

Step Two: The Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups milk
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp corn starch
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

While the cake is baking, make the cream by first heating the milk in a large sauce pan till hot, but do not boil or scald.

While milk is heating, lightly beat together the eggs, sugar, salt; sift together the corn starch and flour and gradually mix into the wet ingredients till well incorporated.

Gradually begin mixing in the hot milk and mix together for a minute; place entire mixture back into the sauce pan. On high heat, begin whisking the mixture; it will begin to thicken and boil; continue to whisk for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add the butter and vanilla and continue to stir until butter is completely melted and incorporated. Place mixture into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Step Three: The Chocolate Ganache

This step should not be done until you are ready to put the cake together; the chocolate cools very quickly and will harden in the pan if you wait too long to pour it onto the cake.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup chopped chocolate (milk or semi-sweet is traditional; bittersweet is my personal choice)

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, medium heat, heat the cream until bubbles just begin to form around the rim of the pan. Add the chocolate and stir until partially melted; remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. The ganache will thicken as it cools.

Note: to make a dipping sauce for fruit, use 1/2 cup chopped chocolate to 1/4 cup heavy cream; it will still be thick, but not harden as it cools.

Step Four: The Construction

Remove the cake from the springform pan and the parchment paper from bottom of cake; cut cake horizontally to make two separate layers; place one layer on serving platter. Evenly spread the pastry cream over this layer of cake. Place the second layer of cake over top.

The ganache should have just been made, so be ready to use a spatula to scrape it out of the pan onto the top of the cake and spread it evenly over the top. Don't worry if some of it oozes down the side; it just adds more character to your cake. The ganache will become firm quickly, so you can serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate it, so the flavors will meld together. It would be better to place a few toothpicks in the top before wrapping the cake in plastic wrap; otherwise the ganache will adhere to the wrap.

Mary Cokenour

Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me.

In Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, there is a pie that would put anyone in a diabetic coma; that pie is called "Shoo Fly".  The name originates from the bakers having to "shoo" flies away from the pie, since the little buggers were very attracted to the molasses and sugar that are the two main ingredients.  "Shoo Fly" is a dense, sticky pie; extremely sweet and definitely an acquired taste.  It is best served warm with a scoop of ice cream, usually vanilla, on the side; strangely enough, the ice cream mellows out the pie's sweetness.

Farmers' Markets are the best places to find these pies as they are baked primarily by the Amish and Mennonite; and they make them fresh.  You can find them in most Pennsylvania supermarkets, but unless they are baked right there in the supermarket, chances are they may be full of preservatives.  Take the extra time, go to the local farmers' market and buy it freshly made; you won't regret the choice.

Finding Amish and Mennonite recipes can be easily done as there are many books available, and many sites online with recipes also.  Each book and site claims that their recipe is the authentic one, but basically every county has a recipe, nevermind every family.  Play around with recipes and see which one may be to your liking; or you may end up inventing your own after some trial and error.  That is how my recipe came about, so try it, change it or just keep looking for another recipe you like better.

Shoo Fly Pie

Ingredients:

Filling

1 ½ cups molasses
1 ½ cups warm water
1 ½ tsp baking soda

Topping

4 cups flour, sifted
2 cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted

2 (9 inch) deep dish pie crusts

Preparation:

On low heat, in a deep saucepan, cook together the molasses and water for 10 minutes; do not let the liquid boil.

While liquid is warming, preheat oven to 375F; cover center rack with aluminum foil in case of dripping. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar and melted butter to form loose crumbs.

Add the baking soda to the liquid mixture; it will become frothy; stir well to dissolve all the baking soda. Divide the liquid between the 2 pie crusts; divide the topping between the two, slightly pressing some of the crumbs into the liquid. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350F and finish cooking pies for 35minutes; let pies cool slightly before serving.

Serving suggestion: while still warm, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Traditional Thanksgiving Pies.

As long as I can remember, pumpkin and pecan pies were served for dessert after the huge Thanksgiving meal of turkey, stuffing and all the rest of the trimmings. Whether served plain, with whipped cream or ice cream; when finished with these yummy treats, a good nap was seriously needed.

With all the preparations needed for the feast, baking pies was always the farthest from my mind, so I would purchase pies from the local farmers' markets. This year though, I decided that I had the time to spare and made the pies. Of course everyone was given a steadfast warning, "disturb me while I'm baking and you take your life into your own hands". Yeah, I'm that serious when I'm in the kitchen and need to concentrate; baking takes concentration.

Anyway, the pies came out just fine and it was very hard to resist cutting a slice of each, just to try of course. So here are my recipes for pumpkin and pecan pies.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
½ cup pecan halves (optional)
2 (9 inch) unbaked or frozen deep dish pie crusts
1 (29 oz) can pumpkin
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp each of ground nutmeg, ginger and cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk (shake slightly before opening)
3 Tbsp brown sugar, divided in half

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425F; place a jelly roll pan in oven to warm up. (this will keep the pan from warping while the pies bake). Divide pecans, if using, between the 2 pie crusts, pressing them down slightly into the bottom of the pie pans. (be careful to not go through the crusts)

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, vanilla and eggs. One can at a time, beat in the evaporated milk until well incorporated into the pumpkin mixture. Remove jelly roll pan from oven and place pie pans on top; ladle pumpkin filling into each until it reaches the interior edge. Sprinkle 1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar over the tops of each pie. (as the pies bake, the brown sugar will produce a crème brule’ effect)

Bake pies at 425 F for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350F and bake an additional 50-60 minutes; a knife will come out cleanly from center when done. Let pies cool for 2 hours before serving.

Each pie makes 8 servings.

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Pecan Pie
(Recipe is from Karo Syrup with 2 changes: 1 Tbsp vanilla extract instead of 1 tsp.; 1 ¾ cups pecan halves instead of 1 ½ cups)

Ingredients:
1 cup light or dark corn syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups pecan halves
1 (9 inch) unbaked or frozen deep dish pie crust

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F; place a jelly roll pan in oven. (warming the pan will keep it from warping as the pie bakes) Place crust into pie pan if it isn’t already done so.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pie crust; pour into the pie crust and place onto center of warmed jelly roll pan. Bake for 50-70 minutes; pie will be done when pressing down lightly in the center, it springs back. Let pie cool for 2 hours before serving.

Makes 8 servings,

Mary Cokenour

Pies Aren't Always Sweet.

When you hear the word pie, often times your mind thinks of something sweet such as fruit pies or perhaps a rich cream pie with a mile high meringue topping.  Pies can be savory too containing some type of meat and vegetables like Shepherd's or Cottage Pie or even sausage with peppers and onions can make a great filling in a pie crust.

Now how about taking an American classic sandwich, such as the Cheeseburger, and making that into a pie? Yes, it can be done; just check out online recipe sites or basic American cookbooks such as those put out by "Taste of Home" magazine.  Trying to come up with something new for dinner one night, I decided to try my own version of a cheeseburger pie.  Roy and I discussed what we like on a typical cheeseburger; simple items like cheese, of course, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mayonnaise, horseradish mustard, grilled onions and/or mushrooms.  Now how to make this into a pie of some sort and have it be edible; however we both didn't like all the items on one burger, so needed to compromise.

The first attempt wasn't very successful, too bland and if reheated, it was worse.  The filling was also too mushy, so the addition of a binder was needed.  The second attempt came out much better by adding some leftover ingredients from an Italian meal I made, plus using eggs as a binder...sort of like you would with a quiche.  I do intend to play more with this recipe eventually, so don't be surprised if you see an update at a later time.

Cheeseburger Pie

Ingredients:
2-9 inch, deep dish pie crusts (frozen in pans, refrigerated or homemade)
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 Tbsp Italian herbal mix
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 (12 oz) bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided into thirds
3 eggs, beaten
½ tsp each salt and ground black pepper
1 can Pillsbury Grands biscuits

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F; if refrigerated or homemade crusts, place in 9 inch pans; place pie crusts in oven for 5 minutes to set dough.

In large skillet, medium-high heat, brown beef; add Italian herbal mix, garlic, onion and mushrooms halfway through browning. Drain excess grease.

In large bowl, mix together beef mixture with tomatoes, tomato sauce, ricotta, 2/3 of the cheddar cheese, eggs, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Divide between two pie pans. Divide 6 of the Grands biscuits to form 12 thinner biscuits; press the 1/3 of the remaining cheddar cheese onto one side of the halved biscuit dough. Place 6 on top of each pie (1 in center, 5 around), cheese side up; bake for 20 minutes; let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 pies; 6 servings in each.

Mary Cokenour

To measure or not to measure.

When working with a recipe, I like to first make it using particular ingredients, and see how it comes out. Then I try the dish again, but this time trying different ingredients; maybe chicken instead of beef, or peanut butter instead of vanilla. Usually I end up with a complete recipe that allows for this or that, depending on the mood of the person making the dish.

With baking, that is a little more difficult, mainly because baking is more of a precise science. With cooking, you can use measuring devices, or just your hands and eyes; that's the way I enjoy doing it. However, with baking, if you put too much or too little, you could end with a mess. For me, not being able to "eyeball" amounts sort of takes the adventure out of a recipe; but I would rather end up with a delicious dessert, so I bite the bullet and use measuring cups and spoons.

Also, when substituting ingredients in baked goods, you have to make sure that one can be equally measured out for another. The thickness and flavor of peanut butter won't equal the same measure called for when using vanilla extract; one is more solid, the other liquidy. So, don't be surprised if trial and error takes a major role when experimenting with ingredients.

One successful substitution I have found is to use ricotta cheese instead of mascarpone. Sure, you can always make a faux mascarpone (see recipe on Feb 8, 2011 blog post called "I don't miss the East coast, just the food"), but using whole milk ricotta will give you the texture you need, and measure out in just the correct portions. You'll understand what I mean by this when I tell you about a wonderful Italian dessert called Cannoli, and a pie that can be also made.

Cannoli

A single cannoli is called a cannolo, meaning “tube,” and this Sicilian dessert was created more than 1,000 years ago. It is a tube-shaped pastry, open-ended on each side, that is quickly fried, cooled and then filled with lightly sweetened ricotta, or mascarpone cheese. Bakers often add additions to cannoli filling like pieces of citron, tiny chocolate chips, or candied cherries at either end of the pastry. Less commonly pistachios may be chopped and used in cannoli filling. In Sicily, cannoli filling might be flavored with Marsala wine, vanilla extract or rosewater. In the US, vanilla extract is used most, but you can find the occasional Marsala wine flavored cannoli in very traditional Italian bakeries or restaurants. Whole cannoli are often decadently sprinkled with powdered sugar. The average size is 4 inches long by 1 inch wide, but they can be made larger or smaller, depending on whether they are being served as a whole dessert item (one average or large), or part of a buffet (smaller version).

Cannoli Pie
Ingredients:
4 cups ricotta or mascarpone cheese
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup roasted pistachio nuts
1/3 cup golden raisins or diced candied fruits
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate mini-chips
1 ½ cups whipped cream
1 ( 9 oz) deep dish graham cracker or crushed chocolate cookie pie crust
¼ cup bittersweet chocolate shavings

Preparation:
In a large bowl, cream together the cheese, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth; stir in nuts, fruit and mini-chips.

Gently fold in the whipped cream; spoon mixture into pie crust, creating a mound. With the bottom of a metal spoon, quickly dab and pull up at the top of the filling to create peaks. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the top. Refrigerate overnight.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour
September 15, 1996

Nothing wrong with a little indulgence.

That's right, a little indulgence once in awhile does a person good.  Makes you feel special when the world seems to be against you.  Stress is in your life whether you want it to be or not; you may not look for it, but it will find you.  The real choice is how you handle it; crying, screaming, getting violent, complaining are all very negative choices.  Makes you look pathetic for the most part, and doesn't really improve the state of mind.

Next time you feel stressed out, laugh, laugh out loud as hard as you can.  Trouble finding the inspiration to laugh, watch a really good stand up comic on Comedy Central:  Gabriel Iglesias, Sinbad, Denis Leary, Lewis Black, Bill Engvall, Jeff Foxworthy, Jeff Dunham to name a few.  While you're at it, eat something indulgent; a slice of rich pie or cake, smooth and creamy Belgium chocolate, or whatever little tidbit makes your sweet tooth make your whole body, and soul, feel great.

Here's a treat that you'll really appreciate, and if it doesn't give you that feel good feel that you need, then consider a mental health professional, cause you're that far gone.

Peanut Butter Cream Pie
 
Ingredients:

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 ½ cups chunky peanut butter
2 cups vanilla pudding

1 tub whipped topping (do not use light or fat free)

1 - 9 inch deep dish pie crust, prebaked

Preparation:

In a small bowl, cut together the powdered sugar and peanut butter until it becomes crumbly.  Spread out half of the crumbs in the bottom of the pie crust.

Mix 1 cup of whipped topping with vanilla pudding, spread out evenly in pie crust over peanut butter crumbs.  Top pudding with other half of crumbs (reserve ¼ cup for topping).  Spread out remaining whipped topping and sprinkle ¼ cup of crumbs over.

Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

January 23, 2011