Cranberry White Chocolate Scones

by Jennifer Barber // August 14, 2013 // 3 Comments

I have never been that interested in scones until my friend made these for me. They are delectable! Soft, buttery, with just the right amount of sweetness. They are quick to put together and make a great treat to take to neighbors that is a little out of the ordinary. I consider them comfort food myself…

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
3 Tbsp white sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup firm butter
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
4-6 Tbsp half and half or milk
Decorating sugar (coarse sugar sprinkles)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400. Sift together dry ingredients. cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork until it looks grainy. Stir in beaten egg. Add in craisins and white chocolate chips. When mixed together, add in just enough of the milk or half and half until the sides come away from the bowl. Place dough on lightly floured surface, gently roll in flour to coat.
Knead lightly 10 times, then shape into a long, flat rectangle, about 2 1/2 inches wide, 3/4 inches thick. Using a sharp knife, cut triangles all the way down the log. Brush milk over each scone and sprinkle with lots of the decorating sugar–these are crucial! Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment paper and bake for 13-16 minutes. Pull them out when they just start to brown slightly and don’t overcook. Enjoy!

Source: Pamela Fisher

Grandma’s Best Apple Pie

by Becca Robinson // July 11, 2013 // 1 Comment

There once was a girl who liked making pies

But all of those years she could not devise

how to make the perfect pie crust

or apples that would not turn to mush

Until by chance she tried a new way

different from any she’d made up to that day

It turned out superb to her great relief

she conquered the pie that had given her grief.

Perfect Pie Crust
12 Tbsp. very cold unsalted butter
1/3 c. very cold vegetable shortening
3 C. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
6-8 Tbsp. ice water

Dice the butter and return to the fridge or freezer while preparing the other ingres. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse a few times. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8-12 times til butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured surface and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 mins.
The recipe says it is for a double crust pie, but it actually makes enough for 3 single crusts, depending on how thick you roll it.

Grandma’s Best Apple Pie (from All Recipes. Link here)

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust

pie

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon (opt.)

8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored

and sliced

	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon (if using) and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
	Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
	Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Mother’s Apple Pie

by Anna // June 20, 2013 // 4 Comments

This recipe is our family favorite and combines the basic apple pie recipe from my Grandma Davis with a pie crust recipe from my friend Jill Robinson. An accidental collaboration, you might call it. I made the mistake of making it once for my husband’s birthday and now it is expected each year, and again on Father’s Day. Not a big deal and I am glad to give something so appreciated, but remember, this is from scratch and usually happens during busy weeks in our lives. Also, it is exclusively eaten by said husband so sometimes another pie is needed if anyone else wants a slice. Even as we speak, I am posting this at my parents’ house on my way to the beach for a week because there is not Internet there unless we piggyback–with permission–from the neighbor. Hopefully, I will have enough signal to get on and post the pictures! Oh bother! Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients for Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water

1. Cut shortening into flour in a bowl.

2. In another bowl mix egg, vinegar and water.

3. Stir both mixtures together into a ball.

4. Roll out on floured surface or press with hands into a pie pan.

Yield: 2 shells or one double crust.

Ingredients for Pie:
Pastry for 2 crusts (above)
Flour
Sugar
Cinnamon
Apples (about 6 large–my preference is 3 Gala and 3 Granny Smith)
Nutmeg
Butter

1. Place one crust in pie pan, 9″ deep dish is best.

2. Sprinkle 1 T. flour and 4 T. sugar over bottom crust.

3. Put in peeled and cut up cooking apples (Winesap are good), mounded in center.

4. Blend together in bowl 1 cup sugar, 2 T. flour, 1 t. cinnamon and 1/2 t. nutmeg. Pour over apples and dot with butter.

5. Place top crust over, seal around edges, and cut steam vents in top.

6. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 45-60 minutes. Sometimes I cover the edges with foil until the last 10 minutes to avoid over-baking.

Sources: The Brew Family Cookbook, vol. II, “Strange Brew”, Audrey Davis and Jill Crandall Robinson, circa 1980ish.

Penzey’s Chicken Pot Pie

by Audrey Miller // May 10, 2013 // No Comments

Makes enough to fill a large glass pan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Single Crust Pastry:

2 sticks butter2 pinches of salt6 Tbls milk (at the end of mixing)

2 cups flour2 pinches of sugar

To prepare the crust, cut each stick into fourths; it doesn’t have to be cold, but it should not be warm to the point of melting. Add the flour, salt, and sugar to the butter—use the multi-bladed pastry knife with the handle to mix and break up the butter into small pieces (push down and twist at the same time to create a lot of floured chunks of butter.) Put the milk in at this stage and continue mixing until it doesn’t seem like you are making any more progress. Then use your hand(s) to squeeze everything together into a ball of dough. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until it can be easily handled—at least half an hour. While it is chilling, prepare the filling.

Filling: In a Medium Sauce pan, add:

2 cups diced raw carrots (very thinly sliced carrots also work well)

1 stock of diced celery (optional)

3 Tbls dried white onion flakes

2 4-oz cans of mushrooms; pour everything into the pan including the approximately

½ cup of water in each can or 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

Pour the water from the quart of cooked chicken into the pan (it will be about 1 cup’s worth) then add another 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Using a strainer and bowl, pour what has been cooking into the strainer inside the bowl, return the vegetables to the pot, put 4 cups of the drained liquid back into the pot. If you need more, just add water from the tap to make up the 4 cups of liquid. Put the pot on medium heat and Add:

2 cups frozen baby peas

3 tsp Chicken (or turkey) soup base (Penzey’s paste)

In a small cup combine 6 Tbls of cornstarch with 6 Tbls of cold water and slowly add the white liquid mixture to the pot while stirring. Stir pot constantly over medium heat until it starts to boil. Let boil for 1 minute before adding:

4 cups cooked diced chicken (or turkey) (we use the drained quart of bottled chicken)

1 tsp Pensey’s poultry seasoning or rubbed sage(optional)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground pepper

Stir just enough to break up the chunks of meat and equally distribute everything before pouring into the oil-sprayed pan.

Roll out the pastry on a flour-covered table into the shape and size of the pan. Place the pastry on top of the filled dish and cut slits to vent. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Check after 20 minutes. If the crust is getting really brown, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top. Or, if it is not browning quickly enough, turn on the broiler from above to hasten the browning process. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Because of the temperature, it will stay hot in the bowls for quite some time while eating.

Source: Penzey’s Spices Catalog http://www.penzeys.com/

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

by Melissa Coombs // March 11, 2013 // 3 Comments

I was thinking of giving you a recipe for a diet soup that I love, but then I thought that everyone should know how to make a delicious homemade pot pie for those days that you need a little comfort food! The diet soup can wait for another day!

I make these in batches of 4 and freeze them, and then I have something quick to pull out of the oven for dinner on a busy day. My kids LOVE these! People ask me how many one will feed, and here is my answer: It will feed me 7-8 servings, but it will feed my son Curtis, who is 16, only 2 servings. It would definitely feed 4 really hungry normal people who are not teenage boys. (smile).

Homemade Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients:

4 frozen pie shells (or you can make homemade crust)

4 cups cooked, diced chicken

1 large can cream of chicken soup (or 2 small cans – about 20 oz)

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups baby carrots cut into slices

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup (or more) diced onions

4 cups potatoes, diced

1 can of corn (or some frozen corn)

2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 1 if you like less salt)

2 boxes of roll out top crust (This will give you 4 top crusts) I recommend Pillsbury brand – or you can make homemade

1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp of Poultry Seasoning (or a little Thyme, Oregano and Sage)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the diced potatoes, carrots and onions in a pot. Cover with water. Add the bouillon cube and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are done…but not mushy and falling apart.

2. In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup flour to 1/2 cup of water and mix with a fork until smooth. Pour this slowly into boiling pot of vegetables while stirring briskly. This will thicken the water that the vegetables are cooking in. Turn off heat and let it cool down a bit.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth with a hand mixer. Add in the cream of chicken soup and poultry seasoning. Mix until well blended. Add the chicken, corn, peas, and the cooked potato/carrot/onion mixture. Mix all ingredients together until well blended.

4. Add this delicious mixture to the pie shells, dividing mixture evenly between the 4 pie shells.

5. Roll out your crust onto the counter. (Cut a heart in the center for a vent hole if you would like – it’s so cute!) Place the crust on top of the pie. Fold under the extra crust as neatly as possible around the edges. Then pinch the edge of the crust to seal. If you have no idea how to to that, look up a tutorial. It is so hard to explain in words. But it is easy to do, and everyone has their own way of making their crust edge pretty.

6. If you did not cut a heart into the center of the crust, cut a few vent holes into the top crust. Just take a knife and make a few small cuts.

7. At this point, I put a square of wax paper on top of the pie, then cover with foil and put in the freezer. I suppose you could skip the wax paper if you don’t have any.

8. If you want to bake one right away, bake it at 375 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes, depending on how dark you like your crust.

9. When baking from frozen, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THESE CHICKEN POT PIES!

Notes:

1. Kids love to help make these! And they love eating them too!

2. These are perfect to have on hand when you need to take someone a dinner, or when you forgot to plan dinner for your own family.

3. We made these for a fund raiser at church to help earn money for girls camp. We sold LOTS of them and people liked them very much!

Source: Adapted from my friend Becky Robinson, Rock Hill, SC.

Pecan Pie

by Kara Thayn // November 29, 2012 // 4 Comments

‘Tis the season of PIE! I love pie. Pecan is my favorite. Or maybe Banana Cream. Or maybe Chocolate Cherry. Or maybe…

Ok, you get it. I love pie.

Last year I wanted to make a Pecan Pie. The trouble was I had all the ingredients except Karo Syrup. No opportunity to go to the store was presenting itself and I was desperate for PIE! So I did what we all do when we’re in a pinch. I went to All Recipes to see if, perchance, there was a Pecan Pie recipe without corn syrup in it. Success!!

I know all my Southern friends will be skeptical. I was. But, like I said, I wanted pie, and with over 1300 ratings with 4.5 stars, I thought I’d give it a go. I’m so glad I did! It’s delish and easy–two requirements of mine.

Ingredients:
2 Eggs, room temperature
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter, melted
1 Cup light brown sugar
1/4 Cup white sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Cup chopped Pecans
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
A few whole Pecans for garnishing if you wish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Stir in the melted butter.
3. Stir in both sugars and flour. Mix well.
4. Add the milk, vanilla, and chopped nuts.
5. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Garnish the top with pecans (opt).
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 and bake 50 minutes more, or until done.

*As per reviews, I made a slight change to the original baking time which began at 400 degrees and reduced to 350 for lessor times.

Happy Holidays to you!

Source: allrecipes.com, Elaine Helms

Cream Cheese Peach Pie

by Kara Thayn // September 6, 2012 // No Comments

We are in the throws of peach season here and this is my favorite time of year because of it! 🙂 This pie is so light and fresh. It’s hard to go wrong with Cream Cheese AND Peaches. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! I have to give a big shout-out to our friend, Audrey, for giving us the recipe. It’s quickly becoming a fav!

Ingredients:
2-3 Graham Cracker Crusts (I use 3–and I cheated and used store bought. *gasp!*)
12 – 15 Peaches, Peeled
1.5 Cups Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Water
1 (3 oz) package Lemon Jello
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Whipped Cream (or Cool Whip–I use Whipped Cream)

1. Puree 4 – 5 peaches–enough to make 1.5 Cups. I don’t have a food processor, so I cut them up and sloshed them around in my KitchenAid (be sure to use the splash guard!) until they were good and juicy. It was a little chunky, but I actually like it that way!
2. Dissolve the cornstarch into the water and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the puree and granulated sugar to a boil.
4. Add the cornstarch (you may need to shake it up a bit again) and cook until thickened.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the dry jello. Put in the fridge to cool.

6. Cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and fold in the whipped cream.
7. Divide evenly between the pie crusts. Smooth along the bottom and sides. Be careful not to pull the sides away from the pan. It will still taste good, but it won’t look it! 🙂
8. Slice the remaining peaches and distribute them evenly among the pie crusts. I use around three peaches per pie.
9. Pour the cooled mixture over the sliced fruit and put each pie in the fridge to set (about 3 hours).

Source: Audrey Miller, who says she got it from her aunt

Mini Berry Tarts

by Belinda Thayn // April 20, 2012 // 1 Comment

I really love spring. A fresh start in so many ways! One of my favorite spring activities is going to the strawberry patch and picking big, juicy fruit right off the bush. Most of the strawberries make it into our basket, but I will admit that a fair share go from vine to mouth in one swift motion.

Once we get the berries home, it’s a race to see how may ways we can use them before they spoil. Among many of the strawberry dishes we have had over the past week were these little babies:

I bet you are glad you stopped by, because I am going to tell you how to make them!!! And once you do, share them at your spring brunch, or take some to a neighbor!

You will need some sort of tart pan, which looks a lot like a regular sized muffin tin, but with shallower pockets.

You could attempt to make the tart shells in a muffin tin, but I am not taking responsibility for stuck and broken shells. Just be sure to grease and flour the pan before you place your pastry in the cups.

Tart Shells:

6 T. sugar

2/3 cup margarine

1 1/2 T. cream

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

1 1/4 C. cake flour, plus extra if your dough seems too sticky

Directions:

1. Cream sugar and margarine together in a medium bowl. Add cream, egg yolk, and vanilla/almond extract and mix until well blended. Add the 1 1/4 cups of cake flour. If the dough is really sticky, and doesn’t come together or leave the sides of the bowl, add more flour in small increments until it does.

2. Remove dough from bowl and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 min. to 1 hour.

3. Roll chilled dough out on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter or glass to cut circles about an inch larger than the tart pan cups. Transfer circles of dough to each cup, easing them into the bottom and up the sides. Press gently around the sides and cut away the excess dough on top. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown (watch them carefully for the color you want, they can over-brown quickly). You want the shells to be crunchy though, not soft.

Allow to cool before filling.

Makes 24 mini tart shells or one 9-inch tart shell*

* If you would like to make one large tart shell, roll out dough to 1 inch larger than the pan and gently lay the dough into the bottom and up the sides. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan to seal the edges and cut away excess. Lay foil over the dough, gently pressing it against the bottom and sides. Pour 1 1/2 cups baking beads, dry beans, or rice on top of the foil (this is to prevent the dough from rising during baking) Bake this way at 350 degrees F. for 15 min. Remove foil and return the crust to the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Tart Filling:

1 C. strawberries

1 C. blueberries (*if you are making a 9-inch tart add another cup of berries)

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

4 T. sugar, divided

4 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed in the refrigerator (that’s 1/2 of an 8 oz. container)

Directions:

1. Rinse the berries and dry on paper towels. Cut the strawberries into quarters.

2. Beat cream cheese and 1 T. sugar until smooth. Add whipped topping and mix until well blended.

3. Spread filling into tart shells, and arrange berries on top of filling.

4. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 T. of sugar.

Source: adapted from a Lion House Pies recipe.

Happy Pi Day: Nutella Pie

by Julie // March 14, 2012 // 2 Comments

I love Pi Day. I mean, who wouldn’t love an excuse to eat pie? March 3.14 is for both geeks and gastronomists alike.

I just happen to be both.

Ingredients:
For the Crust:*
about 2 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs**
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
_______

For the Filling:
16 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened (the 1/3 less fat “cream cheese”)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup whipping cream
_______

For the Nutella Ganache:
1/4 cup Nutella
1/4 cup whipping cream

1. Spray your pie plate with non-stick cooking spray (or butter it) and set aside.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and peanut butter (I do this in the food processor since I usually use that to make the crumbs). Make sure the mixture is combined well. (When you press some of the mixture together, it should hold its shape.)
3. Pour crumb mixture into pie plate, spreading evenly on the bottom. Then, using the bottom of a straight-sided measuring cup, start pressing the crumb mixture down. Work your way from the center of the pie plate out to the edge. Use the measuring cup to coax the mixture firmly into the bottom edge of the pie plate (where the bottom meets the sides). Then use your fingers to press the mixture up the sides. Place in the fridge to chill.
4. Whip the cream cheese and sugar together until well blended. Stir in the vanilla and Nutella. Scrape the sides down, then stir in the cream. Increase the speed of the mixer and whip the mixture for about 3 minutes or until very thick.
5. Pour filling into pie crust, smoothing the top. Refrigerate about 2 hours to set.
6. When ready to serve, microwave the Nutella and cream together in a small bowl for about 30 seconds. Whisk with a fork until completely mixed together. Drizzle this lovely ganache over the slices of pie. Enjoy!

Source: slightly adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Notes:
*Original recipe uses 24 Nutter Butter Cookies and 1/4 cup melted butter for the crust. Grind the cookies up in a food processor and then add the melted butter.
**I say “about 2 1/2 cups” because I don’t really measure here. I don’t normally buy graham cracker crumbs; I just crush regular graham crackers. I kind of eyeball it, then add the butter and peanut butter and adjust the amounts until it will hold its shape when pressed.

Rustic Autumn Fruit Tart

by Anna // February 2, 2012 // 1 Comment

Oh my goodness, what a yummy tart! I pulled this from the internet to use at Thanksgiving but since we ended up having it at my sister’s house, I put the recipe away. I found it the other day and decided to make it for our Christmas Eve Eve dinner. That was not a typo. We had our Christmas Eve dinner early because we went home to eastern North Carolina the next day. Anyway, this was our dessert and it was really good. The crust–oh my–I may have to make my next pie with this.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, chilled 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cream cheese 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 apples peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 pear peeled, cored, sliced 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup apricot jam, warmed

1. Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. I usually use a pastry blender but this time I used my Ninja which was much quicker. You just pulse the butter and flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal, then add the cream cheese and pulse until it looks like the size of small peas. You should be able to squeeze a handful of the dough and make a ball. Shape the dough into a small disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2. Toss the apples and pear with the orange juice. Whisk together the brown sugar,spices and cornstarch. Toss the fruit with the sugar-spice mixture and set aside.

3. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Set out an 8-inch tart pan or do like me and make a free-form tart, lightly greasing a baking sheet.

4. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to form a 10-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the tart pan or baking sheet. ~~Arrange the fruit decoratively~~ Plop the fruit in the middle of the pastry (really, I just had no time to be fancy). If you are using a baking sheet, leave a 2-inch rim of dough and fold it up over the edge of the fruit (the folds will overlap).

5. Bake the tart in the oven until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and brush it with the apricot jam.

I served this with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. You could use whipped cream.

Source: CULINARY JEN, allrecipes.com