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Ready to Try the World's Best Apple Pie?

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:29 -0800

Because I haven't been a huge pumpkin pie fan until extremely recently, I've tried to take advantage of Fall's other stellar produce to end the season's celebrations on a sweet note. Like everyone says, there's nothing more American than apple pie. To that I'd like to add: there's nothing that exemplifies Autumn more than the smell of a baked-from-scratch apple pie. This one is perhaps the best I've ever tasted! It's piled high to the sky with fresh apple filling, and the crust calls for shortening instead of butter, which makes it exceptionally flaky. To make this for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just because, keep reading.

Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:15:21 -0800

Finish your almost meatless Thanksgiving with a decadent sweet potato pie. This pie is a dessert traditional to the South, but with its smooth creamy filling and rich sweet flavor, sweet potato pie is welcome on Thanksgiving tables all across America. The dough calls for shortening, however, if you prefer to bake with butter, use that instead. Although the ingredient list includes a whiskey-spiked whipped cream, you can omit the alcohol and employ vanilla extract. To get the recipe which should be made in advance, read more.

Sweet Potato Pie
From Food Network

Ingredients

Filling:
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
Dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced (1 stick)
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon cider or white wine vinegar
Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon whiskey, rye or bourbon
Candied Pecans, homemade or store bought, recipe follows

Directions

Filling: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the sweet potatoes on a small roasting pan and bake until easily pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile make the dough:Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor with the metal blade until combined. Add the shortening and pulse about 10 times. Add the butter and continue to pulse until it resembles cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter. Beat the egg yolk and vinegar together, add and pulse 3 to 4 times, but don't let the dough form a ball in the machine.
Remove the blade, and gather the dough together by hand. If dough does not come together, sprinkle up to 1 tablespoon of ice cold water over the dough and bring together. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and shape into disk. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Peel the cooked sweet potatoes and mash lightly with a fork; you should have about 2 cups puree. Mix the sweet potatoes and butter in the food processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Set aside.
Lightly dust the counter with flour. Roll the dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle and transfer to the pie pan. Trim the dough so that the edges hang about 1/2 inch over the pan; fold edges under and flute as desired. Pierce the crust all over with a fork, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to a day.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven of the 425 degree F oven. Line the crust with foil or parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the crust sets and begins to brown around edges, about 25 minutes. Lift foil and weights out of crust, lower oven temperature to 375 degrees F. and continue to bake until crust begins to brown on the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes more.
Pour filling into the warm crust and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on rack.
When ready to serve, whip the cream with the whiskey until it holds soft peaks. Top pie with whipped cream and candied pecans. Serve.

Serves 8.

Make ahead: Crust can be made, rolled, and transferred to the pan, then tightly wrapped and frozen for up to a month. Candied pecans can be made and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Candied Pecans

1 large egg white
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecan pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly beat the egg white until frothy. Whisk in the sugar and cinnamon, and then toss pecans in the mixture.
Evenly spread nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until dry and toasted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

Makes about 1 cup.

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This Thanksgiving, Make Triple-Chocolate Pumpkin Pie!

partysugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:33 -0800

Although I can't deny the deliciousness of a slice of classic, cinnamon-laced pumpkin pie, in recent years, I've expanded my horizons to somewhat non-traditional Thanksgiving desserts. Pecan pie? Surprisingly easy, yet wildly delicious. Pumpkin meringue pie? An unexpected crowd-pleaser. Pumpkin cake with pecan brittle and whipped cream cheese frosting? Devoured in seconds. Triple chocolate pumpkin pie? Sign me up! When I came across this recipe, while browsing Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving central, I knew I had to try it. If you've made pumpkin pie in the past, you can master this. It's actually easier because the crust is made from graham crackers instead of a standard pastry dough. The resulting pie is dense and rich. Each bite is an experience of flavors: first you taste chocolate, then pumpkin, and finally the sweet crust. To take a look at the recipe, read more.

Triple-Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

For the graham cracker crust
2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers)
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao), finely chopped
For the filling:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (preferably 55 percent cacao), chopped
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Ground cloves
1 ounce milk chocolate, melted

Directions

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in bowl. Firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a deep, 9 1/2-inch pie dish. Bake until firm, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, and sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over bottom of crust. Return to oven to melt chocolate, about 1 minute. Spread chocolate in a thin layer on bottom and up sides.
Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Make the filling: In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
Mix pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves in a medium bowl. Whisk 1/3 pumpkin mixture into chocolate mixture. Whisk in remaining pumpkin mixture until completely incorporated.
Transfer pie dish to a rimmed baking sheet, and pour pumpkin mixture into crust. Bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pie dish on a wire rack.
Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours (preferably overnight). Before serving, drizzle melted milk chocolate on top. Serve immediately.

Serves 12.

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Come Party With Me: Potluck Thanksgiving - Desserts

partysugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:50:13 -0800

If you've volunteered (or been assigned) to bring a dessert to a Thanksgiving potluck, don't run to the nearest bakery. You can bake a delicious homemade treat that will impress your friends and family! Start by selecting an unexpected dessert like caramel-walnut pie. It's similar to classic pecan pie, but is made with walnuts instead. Next give yourself plenty of time to make the pie and if necessary, experiment with the recipe. Although the resulting pie, with its rich Fall flavors, is scrumptious, the technique to put it together is wildly simple.

The dough is store bought and the filling requires nothing more than a whisk, measuring cups, and a bowl. To give this easy, yet divine Thanksgiving dessert a try, keep reading.

The Basics: Pie Crust

partysugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:30:11 -0700

Years ago I was one of those people who thought making pie dough from scratch was difficult, a waste of time, and downright ridiculous. If the grocery store conveniently sold premade pie crusts, why on earth would I make one? Then I realized the reason I used store bought pie dough was because I was horribly afraid of being a pie-dough failure. In matters that apply to the kitchen, instead of running from my fears, I prefer to confront them.

So I scoured the Internet reading countless pie crust recipes, techniques, and tips and I made my very first pie dough. While it wasn't the best crust ever, it was flavorful and buttery. The rewarding and addictive (all of a sudden I wanted to make pie shells over and over again) experience boosted my confidence level as a home cook.

If you've never made pie crust, or pate brisee, as it's known in French, I highly encourage you to experiment with it this Summer. Once the basic procedure is mastered, you can use the dough for fruit pies, custard pies, savory tarts, hearty quiches, and much more. Check out step-by-step photos and learn how it's done by clicking through

Fast & Easy Dinner: Tortilla Pie

partysugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:15:46 -0700

While I've cooked my fair share of quesadillas, I've never experimented with tortilla pie, which is essentially, a stack of quesadillas. I've always wanted to though - there's something so interesting about a tower of tortillas with lots of layers and oozing filling. Doesn't a slice look intensely satisfying?

This pie consists of ground beef, garlic, corn, spinach, and Monterey Jack cheese. It's uncomplicated to make, sure to be a crowd pleaser with kids, and is a great way to use up a pack of tortillas. If you want to give tortilla pie a try, get the recipe, and read more.

Tortilla Pie
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for pan
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground beef sirloin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
3 packed cups loose baby spinach (about 5 ounces), torn into pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan (use the removable bottom of the pan as a guide). Assemble pan with the bottom upside down; lightly oil bottom and sides. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, cumin, and red-pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper.
Cook until onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.
Raise heat to medium-high; add beef and garlic. Cook, breaking up meat with a spoon until no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add corn and spinach; stir until spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.
Place one tortilla in the prepared pan. Spreading evenly, top with 1 1/2 packed cups beef mixture, then 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat with two more layers. Top with last tortilla, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Bake pie until top is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Run knife around edge of pan; remove sides. Using two wide metal spatulas, lift pie from bottom of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into wedges. If desired, serve with cilantro and sour cream.

Serves 4.

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Get Your Pie On

partysugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:28:33 -0800

Instead of making traditional pumpkin pie, this year I surprised my family on Thanksgiving with a pumpkin meringue pie! There are three elements to this pie, so I made each one on a different day. The cream cheese pastry crust is simply flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The exquisite filling - I could not stop licking the bowl! - is made with an infused cream and pumpkin puree. The topping - that's made minutes before serving - is a classic meringue. The hardest part was rolling out the dough, but after a few emergency calls to YumSugar, it was ready to bake. For the to-die-for recipe, read more

Pumpkin Meringue Pie
From Food & Wine magazine

Cream Cheese Pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup cream cheese (2 ounces), softened
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
3 tablespoons ice water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling:
1 quart heavy cream
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg
1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs, separated
One 29-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree (3 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Meringue Topping:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 large egg whites

Make the crust: in a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar and spices, if using, and pulse to mix.
Add the cream cheese and pulse until the mixture is sandy. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
In a small pitcher, combine the ice water with the egg, oil and vanilla and pour into the food processor; pulse until the dough just forms a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into 1 large disk for a tart or 2 small disks for pies.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of Cream Cheese Pastry to about 1/8 inch thick. Fit the rounds into two 10-inch glass pie plates and trim the overhang to 1-inch. Fold the overhang under the rim and crimp decoratively. Line the pie shells with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake the pie shells for 30 minutes, or until lightly colored around the edges. Remove the foil and weights and bake the shells for about 5 minutes longer, or until lightly browned and dry. Let the pie shells cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, simmer the cream with the cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg over moderately low heat until reduced to 21/2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool, then strain; discard the spices.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar with the egg yolks until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. At low speed, beat in the pumpkin puree. Gradually add the cream and beat until blended.
In a stainless-steel bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in the granulated sugar and continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy. Stir one-fourth of the beaten egg whites into the pumpkin filling to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites. Pour the filling into the pie shells and smooth the surfaces. Bake the pies for about 1 hour, or until the custard is lightly golden and just beginning to crack all over. Let the pies cool completely on racks.
Make the Meringue Topping: in a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil; stir just until the sugar dissolves. Boil, without stirring, until the temperature registers 220° on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
In a large stainless-steel bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until firm. Beating constantly, carefully add the hot sugar syrup to the whites in a thin steady stream; be careful not to splatter against the beaters or the side of the bowl. Increase the speed to high and beat the meringue until stiff, glossy and slightly cool.
Preheat the broiler and position a rack 8 inches from the heat. Starting from the edge of the crust, Spoon the meringue all over the pies and spread with a spatula, making decorative dips and swirls.
Broil the meringue for about 30 seconds, shifting the pies as necessary for even browning, serve.

Makes 2 pies.

Make ahead: the pies can be prepared through Step 5 and refrigerated overnight.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Capellini-Tomato Pie

partysugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:50:19 -0700

When it comes to pasta, sometimes it pays to think outside the box. This recipe isn't your grandmother's baked pasta dish. It's healthy, meatless, and not oversaturated with melted cheese.

Instead, it's a clever rendition of a pie with cooked cabbage leaves acting as the crust. Mediterranean ingredients - kalamata olives, capers, tomatoes, and fresh basil - make a filling that is high in flavor, but not in fat.

To serve this creative one-pan meal to your family, get the recipe and read more.

Capellini-Tomato Pie
From Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

1 Tbs. breadcrumbs
8 oz. capellini or other thin, spaghetti-like pasta
6 large outer leaves of savoy cabbage, or more if needed
2 cups chopped tomatoes plus 1 large tomato
30 black olives, chopped, preferably kalamata
1 Tbs. large capers
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh sweet basil, minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Minced parsley for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray deep 10-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray, and dust with breadcrumbs.
Bring large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and cook pasta about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and set aside in large mixing bowl.
Trim off any tough ribs at base of each cabbage leaf, and cook leaves in boiling water about 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove from water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
Line pie plate with cabbage leaves, using scissors to trim leaves evenly along rim of dish. Make sure to overlap leaves so they completely cover bottom.
Combine cooked pasta, chopped tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, olive oil, sweet basil and pepper in large mixing bowl, and toss together. Place pasta mixture into lined pie plate, and pat down firmly with wooden spoon or spatula.
Cut tomato into thin slices, and arrange evenly over top of filling. Scatter grated cheese evenly over tomatoes.
Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on rack. Garnish with minced parsley, and serve at room temperature.

Serves 8-10.

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Reader's Recipe: Hearty "Cleaned Up" Chicken Pot Pie

YumSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:58:13 -0800

For some reason, I have been craving chicken pot pie for the past few weeks. I'm not sure where the craving came from, or why, but I do know that I need to make one sooner than later. I've got a few recipes in my repertoire, but I decided to see if there were any great recipes online. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look too hard. My first stop was TeamSugar and reader suzanne has provided a great looking chicken pot pie that's she's altered from The Best Light Recipes cookbook. To check out what suzanne has come up with, read more

Recipe submitted by suzanne

This recipe (from "The Best Light Recipes Cookbook") started out at 380 calaories and 9g fat (instead of the usual 510 calories and 28 g of fat...) The changes I made did not alter the taste or texture at all... just brought the fat and calories even lower. Serves 8

It's delicious and satisfying. give it a try!

Light Chicken Pot Pie

- 6 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks sliced 1/4 in. thick
- I medium onion chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloved, minced
- 2 tsp. fresh Thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 medium skinless boneless chicken breasts trimmed of all fat
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1 cup skim milk
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves
- pinch salt and ground black pepper
- 1 Kroger frozen pie crust (4gm per serving) taken out of the shell, moistened, a bit formed into a ball and rerolled into a thin round circle.

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and 1/2 tsp. salt in a cooking pot. Cook in 4 cups chicken stock until vegetables are soft and tender. Stir in white wine and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
3. Place the whole chicken breasts into the vegatable/sauce mixture and cook until the chicken is not pink in the center - about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and allow to cool.
4. While the chicken cools, whisk the cornstarch into the milk and add to the simmering pot. Simmer until thick, then turn off heat.
5. Take out the bay leaf, stir in the peas, green beans and parsley and season with salt and pepper
6. When the chicken is cool enought to handle, shred it and then cut into bits sized pieces. Stir the chicken into the sauce/veg mixture.
7. Use a turned over ramekin as a cookie cutter and make 8 pie crust circles for topping the pot pies.
8. Evenly divide the mixture into individual ramekins and top each with a pie crust round. Brush each pie crust round with egg white or milk.
9. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly... 20-25 minutes.

Serve on a dinner plate alongside a fresh salad. Mmmmmmmmm!!!

Get Your Final Fix of Strawberries With Strawberry Pie

partysugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:00:03 -0700

The other day I was going on about wanting to make strawberry pie (I saw the recipe in Gourmet's June issue) when my friend interrupted me. She pointed out that sadly, strawberry season is almost over! Determined to make the pie, I headed to my local market in hopes of finding the last of the season's berries. Lucky me, they still had some left!This pie is sweet, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make. It takes time to set and chill, so make it the night before you plan on serving it. If you want to taste this pie, make it soon, before strawberry season ends. To check out the recipe, read more.

Strawberry Pie
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

For crust*:
1 (5-oz) package shortbread cookies
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
For filling:
2 lb (1 1/2-inch) strawberries, hulled (see cooks' note, below)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 tsp)

Directions

Make crust: preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Pulse cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, then pulse in sugar and butter until combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Prepare filling and assemble pie: select 20 large strawberries as close to same size as possible and set aside.
Cut remaining berries into 1/4-inch dice and toss with sugar and lemon juice. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Drain berries in a sieve set into a large glass measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 2 cups. Transfer liquid to a medium saucepan and reserve berries.

Sprinkle gelatin over strawberry liquid and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Add diced berries then transfer to a metal bowl set into an ice bath and stir frequently until mixture begins to mound, 20 to 30 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 cup filling into piecrust and arrange reserved whole berries, stem ends down, on filling. Spoon remaining filling over and between berries. Chill pie until filling is set, at least 4 hours.

Makes 8 servings.

Make ahead: piecrust can be made 2 days ahead and kept (covered once cool) at room temperature. Filled pie can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 1 day. While not as dramatic as whole large berries, if you find juicy small berries, cut them into quarters or halves. It may take longer for mixture to set, but the pie will taste just as good.

*I prefer a thick crust, so I doubled the crust recipe.

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