3.14159265359

We are going to party like it's 3.14.15.

Happy Pi Day!

Spiced Rum Pecan Pie with Rum Whipped Cream

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 disk pie crust dough (for single-crust pie, unbaked)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 tablespoons Spiced Rum

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

pinch of salt

2 cups pecans

Rum Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Spiced Rum

Preheat oven to 350F.
Roll out pie crust dough into a 12 to 13 inch round.
Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
Trim, fold over, and crimp the edge; set aside.
Melt butter in a heavy skillet (my cast iron works well for this) and cook until golden brown and fragrant.
Whisk in the corn syrup and the sugar.
Cook stirring until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth.
Remove from heat and transfer a bowl to cool to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes).
Beat eggs, rum, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl to combine.
Gradually add the sugar mixture and stir to combine.
Fold in the nuts.
Pour into prepared pie crust.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely before serving.

Rum Whipped Cream
Beat whipping cream, brown sugar, and remaining rum until peaks form. Chill until serving with pies.

There Was Pie

You know what? There was pie.

There was a really amazeballs pie that is a cheesecake, and rhubarb, and baked all into one simple press-in-the-pan crust.

I first encountered this pie when a friend brought it to a lunch. I hadn't before experienced that sweetened sour cream topping and instantly was in love with the contrast of the tart rhubarb. Delicious. She shared the recipe, but without my own rhubarb supply, I didn't get around to making this extraordinary pie.

Fast-forward several years, and with the garden rhubarb well established, I am searching for ways to use it. I remember that delicious pie, but can't find where I stashed the recipe. Then, a Pinterest search brings me to my knees. There it is. Blogged by Brenda at A Farmgirl's Dabbles. The pie. The ultimate summer pie.

This summer, I have whipped this pie of perfection up for almost every cookout, and everyone loves it. Everyone begs for the recipe. But, I haven't blogged it because I haven't taken a photo. You see, we do a radical thing with the recipes that I make and share here On My Plate. We eat them. *gasp* Food photos happen when I am alone and have prepped something early (or have suitable leftovers). Otherwise, we are too busy eating to bother with taking pics.

Thankfully, there were a couple of pieces of Rhubarb Cheesecake Pie leftover today. They aren't perfectly sliced leftovers, and I snapped the pic with the camera on my phone, but who cares. There was pie.

Rhubarb Cheesecake Pie

(adapted from A Farmgirl's Dabbles)

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons flour

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325F.
Using your mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter until crumbly.
Press the dough on the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan.
Stir together the rhubarb, sugar, and flour.
Arrange evenly over the pie crust.
Bake for 15 minutes; set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 350F.
Again using your mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light, fluffy, and creamy.
Pour cream cheese mixture over the hot rhubarb in the pie pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Stir together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
After the cheesecake layer has baked for 25-30 minutes and mostly set, spread the sour cream layer over the center of the pie.
Leave about 1/2'' of the cream cheese layer exposed around the edges.
Bake an additional 15 minutes.
Let cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Store refrigerated.

Pie for Pi Day

I couldn't let 3.14 roll by without a Pi Day post.

Pie for Pi Day is a must, and the options are infinite.
(sorry for the bad pun)

However, Hubs' choice is almost always peanut butter.

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Pretzel Crust

(adapted from Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen)

Crust:

2 cups salted pretzels

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

Chocolate Whipped Cream:

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups whipping cream

chocolate shavings, for garnish

Pulse the pretzels in a food processor until finely ground. 

In a large bowl, combine the pretzel crumbs, butter and brown sugar; mix well.

Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. 

Refrigerate.

Combine the cream cheese, peanut butter and brown sugar with a mixer until smooth. 
Fold in the whipped cream. 
Spread filling into the pie shell, cover and return to the refrigerator.
Melt chocolate and whipping cream together in a double boiler over medium heat. 
Whisk until well combined. 
Refrigerate for 2 hours. 
Once cooled, beat the chocolate cream with a mixer until thick and spreadable (do not overmix).
Cover the pie with the chocolate whipped cream. 

Garnish with chocolate shavings.(8 servings)

3.14

3.14

March 14th.

The approximation of pi.

Pi Day.

Pie for Pi Day.

Hooray!

Hubs loves pie, and last month for his birthday, I whipped up a Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie. It was luscious, and delicious, and everything a birthday dessert should be...minus the cake and frosting.

I couldn't find my pie plate (Did I take a pie to your house and leave it there?), so I attempted to make it in a spring form pan. My advice to you is that if you use a spring form pan, double the crust. I needed the sides of the crust to be taller to hold in the rich and fudgy chocolate layer on the bottom. It wanted to spill out as I topped it with the light, fluffy, and creamy whipped peanut butter mousse.

There were no complaints about the oozing chocolate, though. Why would there be? Doesn't everyone like to lick a little stray sweetness from their fingers? Birthday or Pi Day, Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie is perfect On My Plate.

Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie

(from Serious Eats)

8 graham crackers, crushed into crumbs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons corn syrup

pinch of salt

1 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Jif...not sure that a natural type would produce the smooth consistency desired.)

1/2 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl and stir to combine. 
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust gets slightly browned. 
Allow the crust to cool completely.
Place chopped chocolate, pinch of salt, and corn syrup in a bowl. 
Bring the milk to a boil, immediately remove from the heat, and pour over the chocolate. 
Allow this to sit for 1 minute, then whisk until all of the chocolate has melted.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and whisk constantly over low heat for about 8 minutes. 
The mixture will steam, thicken, and begin to sputter and bubble. 
Continue to whisk and scrape the bottom to prevent burning. 
When the mixture is of pudding consistency, remove from the heat. 
Pour into a bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill for 3 hours.
Just before assembly, whisk peanut butter and confectioner's sugar together until the mixture is thick and glossy. 
Whisk about 1/3 of the chilled whipped cream into the mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining 2/3, taking care not to deflate it. 
Spread the chilled chocolate layer evenly over the bottom of the pie shell, then pour the mousse evenly over that. 
If desired, top with additional whipped cream, chocolate syrup, nuts, or chocolate chips.

Friends (and A Giveaway!)

***GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED***CONTEST WINNERS DRAWN***

Back when I was in high school, a friend and I used to have a ritual for escaping from study hall. Open campus allowed us to hop in her car and hit the nearby grocery store for Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts and chocolate milk. We would "flip U's" --for those of you not into our small town lingo, that means cruise the main highway, from one end to the other, making U-turns in parking lots to turn around and do it again and again and again--, solve the world's problems, and stuff ourselves with those sweet treats. As mundane as that may sound, I have very fond memories of those aimless hours of driving around.

These days, that friend lives across the state, keeps up with her three daughters, volunteers in her community and church, wrangles her husband, and has her own very successful business. We stay in touch through Facebook, but I can't remember the last time we saw each other, much less shared a sweet treat. If we could both escape for a moment, I would make a platter of Bite-Sized Winter Fruit Tarts and some coffee. This would be my grown-up replacement for Pop-Tarts. Sweet cherries and raisins are balanced with tart, dried cranberries and earthy walnuts to fill tiny little tarts baked in a mini muffin tin. Perfect for sharing with a treasured friend over a cup of coffee...and even portable, if we had the urge to flip U's again.

However, my awesome friend has an even better treat to share with YOU, my friendly blog readers. That very successful business that I mentioned? She is a Pampered Chef consultant. For the past 14 years, this home-based business has provided a steady income for her and her family while offering flexibility for their hectic schedules. She has earned amazing trips and had fun while she worked. It truly has been a dream job for her, and she loves to share the impressive and useful products of Pampered Chef.

She loves to share these great kitchen products so much that she has sponsored this FIRST EVER (wow!) BLOG GIVEAWAY for On My Plate. Rhonda has provided a $50 Pampered Chef Gift Certificate to share with one of my lucky readers. Awesome, right?!? But, wait! There is more!

That great act of friendship inspired me. I have been wanting to do a giveaway here On My Plate f.o.r.e.v.e.r., but haven't been organized enough to get it done. I have decided to add my own $50 Pampered Chef Gift Certificate. This one will be available to "friends" on Facebook.

Yep. You read that correctly. In the next week, you have 2 different options/chances to win $50 from Pampered Chef. What will you buy with your gift certificate? A mini muffin pan to bake Bite-Sized Winter Fruit Tarts? Those great stackable cooling racks from A Few of My Favorite Things? Stoneware or a batter bowl? What would you love to own? Tell me, and it could be yours.

Here are the two ways to win a $50 Pampered Chef Gift Certificate:

1. Comment here, on THIS blog post, and share with me which Pampered Chef product you dream of owning and what you would use it to make. BONUS: Name gets thrown in the hat an extra time if you plan to try a recipe from On My Plate.
2. Head over to Facebook and "like" On My Plate (https://www.facebook.com/OnMyPlate) AND comment on the post there for THIS blog post. Again, tell me which Pampered Chef product you can't wait to own and how you want to use it. And again, BONUS  entry for checking out a recipe shared On My Plate.

Each comment will be entered for drawings on January 10, 2012. One drawing will be held for the blog comments, and one drawing will be held for the Facebook comments. Awesome? Awesome.

BTW--because of a little spam/troll issue, I do moderate comments. Don't panic if it doesn't appear immediately, I will check frequently and authorize all entries for the gift certificates. ALSO--If you choose to comment anonymously (and not register with Blogger), please be sure to include your first name or nickname in the comment so that I can identify when you win. Thanks!

Disclaimer or whatever: This blog post is sponsored by my incredible friend, Rhonda. While Rhonda is a Pampered Chef consultant, Pampered Chef is not sponsoring this giveaway. It is a personal venture in the name of friendship from myself and my friend. Opinions stated are purely my own. 

***GIVEAWAY NOW ENDED***CONTEST WINNERS DRAWN***

 

Bite-Sized Winter Fruit Tarts

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 pastry for double-crust pie (homemade or ready-made refrigerated)
2 tablespoons sugar

 
Combine cherry pie filling, cranberries, raisins and nuts in a medium bowl; set aside.
Roll pie crust on a lightly floured surface.
Cut 48 1 and 1/2 inch circles from pie crust with a biscuit cutter or glass.
Place tiny rounds of crust into mini-muffin pans.
Fill each crust with 1 teaspoon of filling mixture.
Cut 48 small stars (or other shape) from remaining pie crust (re-roll dough as necessary).
Place one small star on each tiny tart.
Sprinkle each tart with sugar.
Bake at 350F for 15 to 18 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
Store loosely covered. (48 mini tarts)

Check back here On My Plate or on my Facebook page for the announcement of the winners on January 10, 2012. Good luck, and go love your friends! 

***GIVEAWAY NOW ENDED***CONTEST WINNERS DRAWN***

Fridge Friday: Episode 21

Instead of opening my fridge today, I am going to take you back in time to Wedgie Wednesday. 

Yes. That is a brand new upright freezer. Yes. It is wedged into the stairs leading to the basement of my old house. After 3 hours of 2 delivery men straining and lifting and pushing and shoving, a 30 mile round trip to get different tools to remove the door, and my husband coming home from the farm to saw apart a portion of the stairs, the freezer was finally in place in my basement. Delivery complete. 

After the drama of my range purchase (I really need to blog about that some day), the tears with my washer and dryer, and the frustration of the new fridge, I don't know why I thought it would be easy to replace my old freezer. I think I am doomed to tragic appliance acquisitions.  

Let's just be glad that Wedgie Wednesday is behind us. A wedge of Tomato and Bleu Cheese Tart would be the perfect comfort to make me forget all about appliances. Topped with some of the first ripe Roma tomatoes from my garden and bursting with the earthy tang of bleu cheese, this tart is wonderful served with a lightly-dressed green salad and a glass of crisp white wine. Yes. The drama is forgotten already. Appliances? What appliances?

Tomato and Bleu Cheese Tart

(adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray)

One Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 cup of cottage cheese (I used whole milk)

1 egg

1 cup bleu cheese, crumbled

3-4 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly

Preheat the oven to 400.
Unroll the pie crust and press into a 9-inch tart pan.
Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork, brush with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 10 minutes.
In the food processor, pulse the cottage cheese until it is smooth.
Add the egg and process until combined.
Remove the blade from the processor and crumble the bleu cheese into the creamy mixture.
Stir to combine.
Spoon the cheese mixture into the tart shell.
Top with the tomato slices.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes before slicing. (Serves 4-6)

A Pie For Mikey

I have never met Jennifer Perillo, but her story has touched me. She unexpectedly lost her husband last week, and when the food blogging community reached out to comfort her, she had one request:

"For those asking what they can do to help my healing process, make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on." - from For Mikey - In Jennie's Kitchen

She asked, and we complied. Check out this amazing list of food bloggers and the peanut butter pies they have shared with those they love. http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2011/08/12/chocolate-covered-peanut-butter-pie-recipe/

Susan's Peanut Butter Pie

one prepared pie crust

3/4-1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup sugar
dash salt
3 cups milk (2% or whole)
2 tablespoon butter
4 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
1/4 cup corn starch

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

4 egg whites (reserved from filling)

6 tablespoon granulated sugar

Prepare the pie crust (make from scratch, bake a frozen or roll-out, or open a pre-made chocolate cookie-crumb crust...which is what I did)
Combine powdered sugar and peanut butter with a fork or pastry blender until smooth.
Press half of the peanut butter mixture into the pie crust.
Combine next 6 ingredients (sugar through corn starch) in a saucepan.
Whisk until smooth.
Bring to a boil and boil (stirring constantly) for 2 minutes until the mixture thickens. 
Add the vanilla.
Pour filling over the peanut butter layer. 
Prepare meringue by beating cream of tarted and egg whites until stiff peaks.
Gradually add granulated sugar.
Spread meringue over the filling and crumble remaining peanut butter mixture between meringue peaks.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes to brown meringue.

Pi Day

I don't have a new pie post for Pi Day, but I thought I would share my favorite Pi/Pie Poem with you. It is, in my opinion, a work of genius. The number of characters in each line corresponds to the proper digit in the mathematical constant Pi. Add to the fact that it is also about pie, and I am sold. Top my slice with a scoop of ice cream, please.

The Pi Poem

by Loreen Pelletier

Pie.

I

like

a

peach

blueberry

or

banana

cream

and

lemon

meringue

raspberry

rhubarb

mincemeat

pie

in

sky

apple a la

mode

cherry

or

humble

shoo

fly

pie

mulberry

mud

or

pumpkin

chocolate

pecan

oh

ruin your

appetite

Happy Pi/Pie Day!

(and in case you are interested: my Pie Recipes)

This One Goes Out to the Lady In the Booth Behind Me

About a week ago, I was having lunch out of town and overheard...(Yes. I am admitting to being a snoop. I mean, really, while dining alone, what else do you do other than people watch and eavesdrop? I carry a book with me, but seldom really dig into it. The people around me are just too interesting.)...anyway, I overheard the waiter telling the The Lady In the Booth Behind Me that there was a new pie that day. Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie.

My fork dropped back into my Southwestern Grilled Chicken Salad. It had been the lunch feature of the day, and while the chicken was tender and juicy and the cilantro sauce was a bright burst of flavor, the rest of the salad had me thinking that it was a mistake to fall for the waiter's enthusiasm as he suggested it. Yet...that same enthusiasm for a pie was about to grab me and not let go. What can I say? I am a sucker.

The Lady In the Booth Behind Me ordered the pie with two forks to share with her husband. My back was to them, but I listened intently as they yummmed and mmmmmmed and moaned and groaned over the pie. I couldn't see the slice of heaven that was the center of these orgasmic gasps, but I knew that I had to sample this myself. Had to.

The waiter returned and chatted with the couple. The Lady In the Booth Behind Me begged him to ask the chef for the recipe. He politely declined. She flirted and cajoled him. He held his ground. She did everything except throw dollar bills at him. He was firm. And, just as I was about to grab him by the apron and demand my slice of the pie, he FINALLY moved to my table. I think it surprised him when I pushed aside my half-eaten salad and asked for pie. That pie. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie that made The Lady In the Booth Behind Me babble and moan and beg. I refrained from demanding that he rush to the kitchen RIGHT NOW when he told me that there might only be one slice left. One slice? It.Must.Be.Mine. Nobody else could have it. Go. Get it. Right now. (Really, I was calm and polite. Really.)

And when that slice of Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie came to my table, it wasn't, at first glance, a beauty. This pudding pie was made up of muddy colors and slumped a little in its homemade graham cracker crust. The whipped topping was a little too stable to be real and the drizzle of chocolate sauce over the top seemed a bit like overkill. It, truthfully, was a pie that I probably would have passed by if I had been peering into the pie case. Sinking my fork into the creamy layers of chocolate and peanut butter puddings divided by a course of bananas, I tentatively took my first bite. Ooooh!!! This is what the yummming and mmmmmming and moaning and groaning was about. What a PERFECT flavor combination! The Lady In the Booth Behind Me was right. This was a slice of heaven.

I knew immediately that I would have to find a way to recreate this pie for my husband. Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie is just his kind of dessert. I think that it could even spur a marriage proposal...if we weren't already married. So, for Valentine's Day, I made my own Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie to share with Hubs after our simple meal of steamed Crab Legs with drawn butter, Spinach Twice Baked Potatoes, and a tossed salad. He yummmed and mmmmmmed and moaned and groaned. I knew he would. His mouth was full, or he might have proposed again, too.

And now, for The Lady In the Booth Behind Me, I am sharing my version of Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie. There is no longer any need to beg and flirt with the waiter. Here is how you can recreate that slice of heaven On YOUR Plate.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

(adapted from Love and Olive Oil's Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Puddings)

**This recipe makes enough filling for 2 pies or 1 pie and some ramekins of pudding to sample right away. (Guess which one I did?) I would reduce the amounts for you to only create one pie, but honestly, I am not a baker and think it is best for me not to mess with the science of ingredient proportions.

2 graham cracker crusts (use your own favorite recipe or a purchased one...this time, I went with Keebler.)

Banana layer:

2 to 3 bananas, sliced 

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Peanut butter pudding:
1/2 cup sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup creamy (smooth) peanut butter (I used Jif because that is what I had, but the original recipe calls for NATURAL peanut butter.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate pudding:

6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, again because that is what I had.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

If making homemade graham cracker crust, prepare according to your recipe.
Slice bananas into a bowl and toss with lemon juice, set aside.
For Peanut butter pudding:
Whisk first 3 ingredients in large saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium heat until mixture comes to boil. Then boil until thick, whisking constantly, about 30 seconds. Whisk in peanut butter; boil until thick again, whisking often, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla. Divide pudding between 2 graham cracker crusts (or fill ramekins with about 1/3 cup each). Chill uncovered while preparing chocolate pudding.
For chocolate pudding:
Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium heat until mixture comes to boil. Boil until thick, whisking constantly, about 30 seconds. Add chopped chocolate. Boil until chocolate melts and pudding is thick again, whisking often, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla. Cool pudding 5 minutes. 
Arrange banana slices in a single layer over the peanut butter pudding layer.
Spoon chocolate pudding over bananas and peanut butter pudding, dividing equally between pie crusts (or layer in the ramekins...about 1/3 cup each). 
Chill pies uncovered until cold, at least 2 hours. (May be made up to 1 day ahead.)
Just before serving prepare topping:
Whisk cream and powdered sugar in medium bowl to soft peaks. 
Dollop each slice of pie generously and serve.

Fridge Friday, Episode 13: Black Friday

It is Fridge Friday on the day after Thanksgiving. Oh boy, are you in for a treat.

My fridge is stuffed with leftovers. I don't think another Gladware container could fit inside. Yesterday, we had a full dinner of turkey (I brined with a recipe from Martha Stewart and roasted with a recipe from The Angry Chef), Herbed Sausage Dressing, Spinach Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Giblet Gravy, Roasted Butternut Squash with Shallots, Green Beans tossed with Bacon and Caramelized Red Onion, Potato Rolls, and since I was the only one at the table that really likes cranberries, a can of jellied Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce (I secretly...or maybe not so secretly...LOVE this stuff.). Gobble. Gobble.

But, it isn't those leftovers that I am going to focus on for this special Black Friday Fridge Friday. I am going to give you a two-for-one post and share recipes for the 2 pies that are precariously balanced above the other goodies on the shelves. The star desserts on the table for our Thanksgiving feast were a Browned Butter Butterscotch Pie and an Apple-Cranberry Pie. (The Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake was not far behind in the ratings...I am just saving it for another blog post.) As different as night and day, one dessert is creamy and rich and almost has the heavenly flavor of homemade caramels; the other is tart and crisp and begs for a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Gobble. Gobble.

Apple-Cranberry Pie

(adapted from Bake at 350)

pastry for a double-crust pie (use your favorite recipe or *gasp* Pillsbury)

4-6 Granny Smith apples (I actually used 4 Granny Smith and 2 Honeycrisp)

2 cups fresh cranberries

zest of one orange (I forgot to buy oranges & used grapefruit zest...really good.)

1 egg white, beaten

1 1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 425.
Line the bottom of a pie plate with the bottom crust.
Brush lightly with beaten egg white.
Peel, slice, and core the apples.
Toss apples with the cranberries.
Combine the sugar, flour, salt, and citrus zest and toss with the fruit.
Pile the fruit mixture into the bottom crust.
Cover with top crust, crimp, and vent as you wish. (I went for a lattice crust to show off the pretty red of the cranberries.)
Brush top crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with a dusting of sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350.
Bake for additional 40-50 minutes.
(I had to foil my crimped edges after about 30 minutes to keep from over-browning.)
Serve with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Browned Butter Butterscotch Pie

(adapted from The Kitchn) 

pastry for a single-crust pie, baked (again, use your favorite recipe or Pillsbury, if that is what rocks your boat) 

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk.)
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon bourbon whiskey (Although the flavor isn't prominent in the pie, chose something you would sip.)

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. 
Cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, approximately 10 minutes. 
Add brown sugar to butter and cook until sugar is completely melted into a paste.
Combine milks and pour into the sugar mixture. 
Bring to a simmer and stir until smooth and sugar is completely dissolved.
In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, and salt. 
Ladle 1/ 2 cup of the milk/butter/sugar mixture into the cornstarch mixture and whisk until smooth. 
Pour the smooth cornstarch mixture back into saucepan, stirring constantly. 
Cook for approximately one minute, until just thickened.
Ladle 1/2 cup hot milk/butter/sugar mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly.
Combine with mixture back in the saucepan. 
Cook for approximately 30 seconds to one minute, and then remove from heat. 
Stir in whiskey. 
Pour into baked pie crust.
Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding in order to prevent a skin from forming. 
Chill overnight, or until firm. 
Serve topped with whipped cream (homemade is best).

All the Pressures

My shower head was all gunky. I tried soaking it in those magic, de-gunking cleaners, but it didn't help. The hard water had corroded and clogged the little nozzles. The water flow was so limited that I think I could have ran through the garden sprinkler and had better spray to rinse the shampoo from my hair. But, don't worry; I won't.  I wouldn't want to scar the neighbor kids with that image...besides, it is a little chilly these fall days.

So...what does one do when the shower head is gunky and methods to remedy it don't work? One purchases a new shower head, of course. I will admit that I didn't do any research or review of shower heads. In fact, my purchase was honestly and truly spur of the moment. Hubs and I were in a home improvement store; he was looking a power tools; I was bored and wandered away and landed in the bathroom aisles. Rows and rows, shelves and shelves of shower heads stared at me. Each one begged to be my new geyser.

In a moment of unusual frugality, I didn't pick up the beautiful, multi-functioning rain shower head that grabbed my attention. I didn't step so far out of my own self as to buy the least expensive shower head, either. I picked up a middle-of-the-road, basic, name-brand, shower head with a jet feature to massage the kinks out of my neck. Not too expensive, not to cheap, functional. I plunked it into the cart, and Hubs paid for it with his assorted nuts, bolts, nails and other farm needs.

Installation was a breeze. With a little plumber's tape and a wrench, a gunk-free shower head was ready to drench my tiny basement shower. But, it didn't. I had already discarded the box, and don't know if in my frugal haste I purchased a low-flow shower head or what, but I STILL don't have any water pressure. That garden sprinkler is looking like a better idea all the time.

After all, I won't be needing the sprinkler for the garden anymore this year. With the threat of frost looming, Hubs and pulled out the tomatoes and peppers and zucchini and eggplant a few weeks ago. We were left with a TON of green tomatoes. (Really, a TON. I am not kidding, well maybe I am...but it seems like a ton.) I couldn't see tossing them all out and have found myself making Green Tomato Salsa and perusing recipes for Pickled Green Tomatoes.

I mentioned my green tomato predicament on Twitter (OK, maybe I whined about my green tomato predicament on Twitter), and South Dakota Magazine pulled up a recipe from their 2008 archives that was sure to fit the bill. They even posted the Green Tomato Pie recipe to their Facebook page. I guess that I also must have done a bit of whining about the green tomatoes on Facebook because two of my friends immediately shared South Dakota Magazine's link with me there. I was under pressure. Of course, I caved and made the pie. After all, what else am I going to do with all of these green tomatoes?

Doesn't the sliced green tomato look a little like a snowflake?

The pie was described as having the tartness of rhubarb, but carrying the comfortable coziness of a cinnamoned apple pie. This is a perfect description. I can just barely make out a little bite of tomato flavor while my taste buds are enveloped by the spices of fall. Hubs is in love with a friend's Rhubarb Cake, and I thought he might enjoy a slice or two of the pie. Unfortunately, his take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward apple pie prevailed. He didn't think it was horrible, but he won't be begging me to make Green Tomato Pie again. Oh well. He is fussy about his fruit desserts. I knew this going into the baking. Even if I have to eat the entire pie myself, I am under a little less pressure to do something with these green tomatoes when I have Green Tomato Pie On My Plate.

 

Green Tomato Pie

(Adapted from South Dakota Magazine and Delores Feilmeier)

Pastry for two crust pie
Six cups sliced green tomatoes
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
¼ cup lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons butter

1 egg white, beaten

additional sugar

Line nine inch pie pan with pastry crust. 
Peel and thinly slice green tomatoes.
Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. 
In another bowl, combine lemon peel and lemon juice. 
Carefully toss tomato slices with the lemon juice.
Arrange tomatoes in layers in pie shell, sprinkling each layer with sugar mixture. 
Dot with butter.
For top crust, roll reserved pastry dough on lightly floured surface ¼ inch thick. 
Cut into strips, 10 x ½ inch. 
Arrange in lattice pattern over filling, moisten edges to seal strips.
Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with a little additional sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes
Reduce oven to 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until tomatoes are tender and crust is brown. 
*Delores says she usually uses a crumb crust on top of the pie. South Dakota Magazine used a crumb crust and a refrigerated store crust. They also omitted the nutmeg and cloves and used a teaspoon of cinnamon instead. 

 

Happy Pi Day!

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609... It goes on into infinity. The digits never stop, and never repeat. Most simple uses do shorten pi to 3.14, though.

To refresh the memory of those who haven't been helping their kids with their math homework, pi is the Greek letter that represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Regardless of the size of the circle, pi remains the same. It is a constant. In his book, The Joy of Pi, David Blatner claims that no number has captured the attention and imagination of number fanatics and nerds throughout the ages as much as pi. Math geeks love their pi.

In mathematical circles, March 14 (3-14) is often set aside as a day of celebration for the digits of pi. Schools hold trivia contests, pie eating contests, math workouts, poetry contests, and other events in honor of pi. 3-14 is Pi Day and a day to promote a little fun within the seriousness of the math world. It is the day that everyone recognizes the honest truth that pi makes things go round. :~)

In honor of pi, I am posting a constant in our home. My hubby loves his cream pies. In years that the Chocolate Eclair Cake doesn't make the cut for birthdays, you can usually find a cream pie on the birthday table. Banana Cream Pie is a favorite. The original recipe suggests a meringue topping, but I really only like meringue with lemon pie. In my opinion, whipped cream is much more suited to Banana Cream Pie. I hope that you can enjoy a slice of pie on Pi Day.

Banana Cream Pie

1 2/3 cups water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked
3 medium bananas, sliced
whipped cream or whipped topping

Mix water and cornstarch until smooth.
Stir in Eagle Brand milk and egg yolks.
Cook until thick in saucepan or microwave.
Stir in 2 tablespoons butter.
Add vanilla.
Cool slightly (stirring occasionally).
Pour 1/2 of filling on pie crust.
Place sliced bananas on filling.
Pour remainder of filling on the sliced bananas.
Top with whipped cream after chilling pie (may also garnish with banana slices dipped in lemon juice to prevent browning). (Serves 8)