Green Tomato Pie with Cornmeal Crust (from jp)

Green Tomato Pie with Cornmeal Crust (from jp)

(Recipe from the Fannie Farmer Baking Book, p.87)

Surprisingly, this sweet, spicy pie has no tomato flavor as we know it from soups and salads.  Yellow cornmeal crust lends good color and texture to the tangy green-tomato filling.

a 9" 2-crust pie shell (the recipe recommends 2 recipes worth of a cornmeal dough crust, recipe follows, but you can substitute whatever you think will work well.)

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
6 large green tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick (do not use stem end)
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
3 tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Roll out half the dough and fit it into a 9" pie pan.  Roll out the remaining dough and set it aside on waxed paper or a lightly floured surface.  Cover with waxed paper to avoid drying out.

Put the sugar, flour, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and red pepper together in a shallow bowl. Stir with a fork to mix.

Take one third of the tomato slices at a time, toss and turn them in the sugar mixture so they are evenly coated on all sides. Spread the sugared tomato slices evenly over the dough in the pan, and sprinkle the raisins over all, along with any remaining sugar mixture.

Drizzle on the vinegar, then dot with the butter.  Place the top crust on the tomato slices. Crimp the edges and cut vents in the top.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the crust is lightly colored and juices are bubbling around the edges of the pie. Remove and serve at room temperature.

Cornmeal Dough
(one 8" pie shell, so double it generously for a 9" two-crust pie)

1 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, ground fine if possible (you can whirl coarsely ground cornmeal in a blender, if desired)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
about 3 tbsp water

Combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt, and mix. Add the shortening and cut it into the flour/cornmeal mix until the mixture looks like fresh bread crumbs. Sprinkle on the water a tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork after each addition. Add just enough water so that the dough remains cohesive when pressed together -- it will be quite soft.

Roll on a lightly floured surface.  The dough may break easily but it is also easily mended.  The dough may be difficult to handle because of its softness.

jp

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2 Pie Crust Recipes from JP

2 Pie Crust Recipes from JP

Here are two fairly easy pie crust recipes. They're not the traditional flaky crust, but they are pretty good anyway. I am not a pie crust connoisseur. The pie crust aficionados in my life find these acceptable.

Neither of these recipes require you to do anything finicky about cutting the shortening into the flour or to be excessively careful about how you handle them.

Stirred Pie Crust

For a 2-crust 8" pie or a 9" with a lattice top. You can make it a 9" 2-crust pie, but it will be a bit thin with unlovely edges, if you care.

Cut the recipe in half for a 1-crust pie.

2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp salt (a generous pinch)
1-1/2 tsp sugar (a generous pinch)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk

Mix the dry ingredients. Dump in the milk and oil (I sometimes put them in a measuring cup and briefly stir them together before dumping them in, and sometimes dump them in sequentially). Then, stir in the wet ingredients until you have a dough.

Roll it out and use it like any other pie crust. The recipe recommends you roll it out to 1/8" thick, but I just roll it to the diameter I need whatever the thickness turns out to be.

The main drawback of this recipe is that it makes a small crust. The dough gets a bit thin if you're using a larger pie tin.

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Tart Dough

This is for tarts rather than for a traditional pie. But it's dead easy and very good.

Cut a stick of butter into chunks. (One stick is 1/2 cup, 8 tablespoons, 1/4 pound). Put it into a food processor along with 1 cup of flour and a pinch of salt. Turn on food processor and whir until the ingredients are combined. Take out the dough, cover it or wrap it in plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator for a while.

When you're ready, take out the dough and pat it into a tart pan.

Pre-bake it if it's that kind of tart. Then fill with the tart ingredients and continue your recipe.

jp
(4/22/11)

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Mincemeat Pie

Mincemeat Pie

Mincemeat recipe:
1 pound of anjou pears, peeled cored and chopped finely (can use apples here)
1/2 cup of dried sour cherries (dried blueberries are good too)
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup brandy or Grand Marnier
2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon peel
2 tsp finely grated fresh orange peel
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup of walnuts or pecans toasted and finely chopped

Put all ingredients in an airtight container and chill stirring once a day for at least 3 days. If you do a double recipe you can bake two pies staggered up to 2 weeks. I always grate the fruit zest over the bowl to get the essential oils they release.

Double crust pastry dough:
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 sticks butter cold: cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup of cold shortening ( I use lard)
1/2 tsp of salt
7 to 9 tsp of ice water

Blend fats, salt and flour with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse corn meal. this can be done in a food processor in short bursts. Add ice water and stir with a fork until it just holds together in your hand, depending on the humidity you will use more or less to get to this point. Divide dough in half and on a lightly floured board, smear with the heel of your hand a few times to distribute the fats. Chill at this point if it is warming up.

Roll out half the chilled dough on a floured board and place in a 9" pan. Add filling and spread out evenly. Roll out second piece of dough and cut into 1" strips and make a lattice top for the pie. Brush with cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Place baking sheet in the oven and heat to 425°F. Place pie pan onto hot sheet, bake for 20 minutes and then lower temp to 375°F and bake for an hour. (you might want to line the baking sheet with foil, this pie tends to bubble over). When center bubbles and the crust is brown, remove and cool.

Great with a rich french vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream with a dab of vanilla paste and a tablespoon of powdered sugar or 3 in it. (Get vanilla paste at Trader Joe's.)

ZW
(12/02/06)

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Water Whip Pie Crust

Water Whip Pie Crust

Here's the recipe I use and it has never failed me. Most people just can't believe it, but it works!

3/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tbsp milk
2 cups flour (sifted)
1 tsp. salt

Put shortening in a bowl. Add boiling water and milk. Whip with a fork until a thick, smooth texture is formed and all liquid is absorbed. Sift flour and salt into mixture and stir quickly into a dough. Work lightly until smooth.

Roll out on a floured surface.

LaVonne
(11/30/03)

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Chocolate Caramel Shortbread, Slice, and Tartlets Recipes

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread, Slice, and Tartlets Recipes

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

Base
Cream together 125g butter and 1/4 cup castor sugar until light and fluffy. Sift 1 cup plain flour and gradually add to creamed mixture, making a firm dough. Press into a greased 11" x 7" lamington tin. Baked in a moderate oven (325°F-350°F) 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool in tin.

Caramel
Combine 125g butter 1/2 cup castor sugar, 3 tablespoons (1 tabs = 4 teaspoons) golden syrup and 400g can sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan with a heavy base, stir over low heat until butter is melted and sugar dissolved, continue stirring, increasing heat, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Pour hot caramel mixture over cold shortbread base.

Chocolate
Melt 90 g dark chocolate with 30 g butter in double saucepan, stir well. Spread chocolate over cooled caramel, cut into squares when set.

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Chocolate Caramel Slice

1-1/2 cups self-raising flour
3 tsp cocoa
1/3 cup castor sugar
1/3 cup coconut
185g (6 oz) butter, melted

Topping
1 cup castor sugar
125 g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/3 cup liquid glucose
1/3 cup water
400g can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
300g dark chocolate, chopped.

Grease a 25cm x 30cm swiss roll pan.

Combine sifted flour and cocoa, sugar, coconut and butter in bowl; mix well. Press evenly over base of prepared pan. Bake in a moderate oven (325°F-350°F) for 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before spreading with topping. Sprinkle evenly with walnuts; cool to room temperature; spread with chocolate, refrigerate until set, and cut into squares.

Topping:
Combine sugar, butter, golden syrup, glucose, water and milk in saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved; increase heat, boil steadily, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes or until caramel in colour. Melt chocolate over hot water; cool slightly before using.

And for something along the same lines, but a little bit different:

Caramel Cream Tartlets

Tartlet Pastry
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
2 tbsp custard powder
2 tbsp icing (powdered?) sugar
125 g butter
1 tbsp iced water, approximately

Sift dry ingredients, rub in butter, add enough water to make ingredients cling together.

Knead lightly on floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic food wrap, refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll pastry between two pieces of plastic food wrap to about 2mm thick. Cut pastry into 8cm rounds with sharp fluted cutter, place into patty pans.

Bake in a moderately hot oven (400°F-425°F) for 10 minutes or until light golden brown, cool in pans.

Makes approx 24 tartlet cases.

Filling
400g can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Cream
250g chocolate, melted

Combine condensed milk and brown sugar in pan, bring to boil, stirring. Stir constantly over heat for about 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and golden brown. Quickly stir in combined egg and cream, cool to room temperature.

Spoon filling into tartlet cases, top with whipped cream (if desired) and drizzle with melted chocolate.

Enjoy
Leigh
(10/22/03)

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Apricot Pecan Tartlets and Basic Tartlet Pastry

Tartlets

Basic Tartlet Pastry
Sift 3/4 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup self-raising flour, 2 tabs custard powder, 2 tabs icing sugar (I think you call this powdered sugar, but this may not be right) tog, rub in 125 g (4 oz) butter or margarine, add enough iced water (approx 1 tabs) to make ingredients cling together. Knead lightly on floured surface until smooth. Wrap in plastic food wrap, refrigerate 30 mins. Roll pastry between two pieces of plastic food wrap to about 2mm thick. Cut into 8cm rounds with sharp fluted cutter, place into patty pans.

Bake cases in moderately hot over for 10 mins, or until light golden brown; cool in pans.

If unfilled, baked tartlet cases are required, place rounds of pastry into patty pans, pierce will with fork or skewer.
Makes 25.

Apricot Pecan Tartlets

25 Unbaked tartlet cases

Filling
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tab self-raising flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teas grated orange rind
1/4 cup apricot jam

Cook apricots in pan with a little boiling water for about 5 minutes (I do it in the microwave, but not for that long) until soft; drain and cool. Beat sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy. Stir in flour, apricots, pecans and orange rind. Spoon half teaspoon of jam into each tartlet case, top with apricot filling.

Bake in moderate over 15 mins or until golder brown. Stand for a few minutes, remove from pans, cool. Can be served with a little whipped cream, pecans and a small piece of fresh apricot (or use good tinned ones) Remember that Australia tablespoons are 4 teaspoons, not 3 ie 20ml not 15ml.

Enjoy
Leigh
in Canberra, Australia, enjoying her day off.
(6/21/01)

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Shaker Lemon Pie

Shaker Lemon Pie

(from April 2001 Saveur)

Filling
2 large lemons
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
4 tbsp. butter, melted
3 tbsp. flour

Crust
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
10 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening

For the filling:
Thoroughly wash lemons, then dry with paper towel. Finely grate lemon zest into large bowl. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice lemons very thin; remove and discard seeds. Add slices to zest and toss with sugar and salt. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours.

For the crust:
Sift together flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to work butter and shortening into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in up to 5 tbsp. of ice water, stirring dough with a fork until it just begins to hold together. Press dough firmly into a rough ball, then transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Give the dough several kneads with the heel of your hand to form it into a smooth ball. Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic, and rest in refrigerator for one hour.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk eggs in bowl until frothy. Add butter and flour, whisking until smooth. Stir into lemon mixture.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into two 12" rounds. Fit one round into a 9" pie plate and pour in filling. Cover pie with remaining pastry round. Fold edges of dough under, then crimp edges. Cut steam vents in top crust.

Bake until edges begin to brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until crust is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving to Annie.

shared by Annie T.
(3/30/01)

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Best Butter Tarts

I've only ever visited Ontario, none of the other provinces, but when I think of a Canadian food it's butter tarts. They don't exist in the US. Here's my treasured recipe from Canadian Living in case anyone is interested. I used to look forward to our annual Canadian camping trip sooooo much because I knew I'd again be in butter tart land.

Best Butter Tarts
(Canadian Living, 11/1998)

Crust:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup shortening, cubed
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vinegar
ice water

Filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp each vanilla and vinegar
pinch salt
1/4 cup currants, raisins, chopped pecans or shredded coconut (optional)

In large bowl, combine flour with salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter and shortening until in fine crumbs. In 1 cup liquid measure, whisk egg yolk with vinegar; add enough ice water to make 1/3 cup.

Gradually sprinkle egg mixture over flour mixture, stirring briskly with fork until pastry holds together. Press into disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chilled or for up to 3 days.

Filling: in bowl, vigorously whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, butter, vanilla, vinegar, and salt. Set aside.

On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8" thickness. Using 4" round cookie cutter or an empty 28 oz. can, cut out 12 circles, re-rolling scraps if necessary.

Fit circles into muffin cups. Divide currants among pastry shells. Spoon in filling until three-quarters full.

Bake in bottom third of 450°F oven for about 12 minutes or until filling is puffed and bubbly and pastry is golden. Let stand on rack for 1 minute. Run metal spatula around tarts to loosen; carefully slide spatula under tarts and transfer to rack to let cool.

Because sugar filling hardens quickly and sticks to the muffin pan, be sure to remove tarts from pan as directed.

For less gooey tarts, increase brown sugar to 3/4 cup and decrease corn syrup to 1/4 cup.

Cate
(3/24/00)

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Hot Water Pie Crust

Stephenie's No Fail Pie Crust from the Old "Joy of Cooking"

Hot Water Pie Crust

1/2 cup lard (or veg shortening)
1/4 cup boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the lard and beat until cool and creamy.

Chill this if you can. (Put in freezer)

Add:
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (I leave this out and it works)
1/2 tsp salt

Combine ingredients until it makes a rough ball. Chill if you have the time. Then divide in half and roll out between two sheets of wax paper.

This makes a crust with top.

Enjoy!

Stephenie
(12/20/99)

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Roberta's Great Grandmom's Pie Crust

Roberta's Great Grandmom's Pie Crust

This is a recipe handed down from my great grandmom - was the best damn pie maker in Canada! It makes a large batch, enough for 6 or 7 crusts. If you're not making a bunch of pies at once just freeze the rest of the dough. I usually roll it out into those tinfoil pie plates and freeze. Then you can just pull them out of the freezer, throw your filling in and voila!

5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups lard

In a cup beat 1 egg and 2 tbsp vinegar, add enough water to make 1 cup.

Add egg and water mixture to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter to combine. The less rolling and handling the better the pastry will turn out.

Roberta
(12/20/99)

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