About, Pies and Tarts

Pumpkin Pie

October 19, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

The Pumpkin Pie Recipe I have been using to don our Thanksgiving Table with for the past 30 years.

Pumpkin Pie

Pastry for 9″ One Crust Pie

Pumpkin Pie Filling:
2 eggs
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin or 2 cups Cooked Pumpkin (following)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk (pretty much 1 can…I don’t even measure anymore)

Heat oven to 425Fdegrees
Prepare pastry.
Beat eggs slightly in med bowl.
Add remaining ingredients and whisk all together.
Place pastry lined pie plate on oven rack; pour in filling.
Bake 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temp to 350Fdegrees.
Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Cool
Serve with Whipped Cream.

Cooked Pumpkin:
Heat oven to 400Fdegrees
Cut one small pumpkin (4 lbs) into halves; remove seeds and fiber. Place pumpkin cut sides up in oblong baking dish; pour water (1/4″deep) into dish.
Cover and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Scoop pumpkin from shells; mash until no lumps remain.
Yield; About 4 cups mashed pumpkin

Notes:
I am probably a lil more generous with the spices and of course I add vanilla. A splash of Vanilla makes the world a better place, I rkn!
You can use two cups of mashed pumpkin this time round and freeze the rest so you don’t have to go through the whole making pumpkin mash next time around.

I frequently use this recipe to make Pumpkin Tarts…heaps easier to transport and distribute tarts at large family gatherings!
I used puff pastry to line muffin tins and reduce baking time to 20 – 25 minutes.
Or, if in Canada, just use those lovely tart shells you can get at Real Canadian Superstore or SOF.
Put whipped cream in container, then load a large piping bag at the event and add a lovely whipped cream rosette just before serving

Desserts

Strawberry Shortcake

October 9, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

Strawberry Shortcake is synonymous Canada Day around our place. It marks the beginning of those long, lazy days of Summer!

Shortcake:

2 1/4 cup Flour

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

2 Tablespoon Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/3 cup Shortening, cold

1 Egg

2/3 cup Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Whipped Cream:

1 litre Whipping Cream

Vanilla

Icing Sugar

Strawberries:

5 cups Sliced Strawberries, divided

1/4 cup Honey

Lemon Juice

Amaretto

8 Whole Strawberries, washed, leave stems on

Strawberries:

Place 4 cups of Sliced Strawberries into a bowl, drizzle with 1/4 cup of Honey, a scant amount of Lemon Juice or Amaretto, stir.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavours blend; I recommend doing this the day before.

Whipped Cream:

Whip cream in cold bowl using cold beaters.

As cream starts to slightly thicken, add a generous splash of Vanilla and icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, to taste. I usually use about 3 Tablespoons.

Remove 1 cup of whipping cream to make the filling, cover remainder of the whipping cream with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Filling:

1 1/2 cups Bavarian Creme <- I always get mine at SOF in the Bulk section

1 cup Fresh Strawberries, chopped

1 cup Fresh Whipped Cream

Combine bavarian creme, chopped strawberries and 1 cup of whipped cream.

Shortcake

Preheat oven to 425F (220C)

Prepare baking sheet by lightly spraying with vegetable oil spray and dusting ever so lightly with cornmeal.

In mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Using pastry blender, cut in cold shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Measure out milk, add egg and vanilla, using a fork, stir well to combine.

Add liquid ingredients all at once to dry ingredients and stir until the dough gathers and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and gently knead 10 times.

Gently pat down into a 10″ (25cm) circle or ever so gently roll out and cut with the large scalloped side of the top right cutter, for individual shortcakes.

Place on prepared baking sheet, score the 10″ (25cm) (keeping in mind you will be splitting the shortcake so very light scoring) circle into 8 wedges and bake in hot oven for 15 – 20 minutes, rotating pan(s) at 8 minutes. Continue baking until lightly golden.

Remove from oven and transfer shortcake(s) to wire rack to cool completely.

Building your Shortcake

When cooled, split shortcake(s).

Place bottom half of shortcake on serving platter.

Spread filling to cover, leaving an inch on the outside border.

Load large CLEAN piping bag (if there is any grease residue from say, Buttercream Icing, it will compromise the Whipped Cream!) with fresh whipped cream and pipe a high border around the filling.

Gently spoon a cup of macerated berries over the filling.

Gently refresh score lines.

Gently place scored top layer over filled bottom layer.

Pipe a border around the top and bottom of the cake.

Spoon remaining macerated strawberries on top of the cake and spread to fill area inside piped border.

Decorate with remaining whole strawberries.

If making the individual shortcakes, follow same procedure on each shortcake.

Squares and Bars

The Ultimate Buttertart Square

October 9, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

Canadian Living magazine put the question out there: Butter Tart Square or Date Square? Well, I have been making both for years! Date Squares since I first discovered the kitchen as a child. Ok, maybe I didn’t make them by myself then, but I did get to chop the dates that came in a solid block which had to be painstakingly cut up.

This is the Buttertart Square recipe I have been making for the past 20 years. Oh, hey, I learned something interesting; apparently a well made BTS is quintessentially Canadian! Who knew? What the Lamington is to the Aussies! And here I thought Strawberry Shortcake was the quintessential Canadian dessert because it graces many a Canada Day Celebrations!

Without further ado…THE Buttertart Square recipe…

2 1/4 cups Flour

3 Tablespoons Sugar

3/4 cup Butter

3 large Eggs

2 cups Brown Sugar

1/3 cup Butter, melted

1 1/2 Tablespoons Vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

1 Tablespoon Flour

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 cups Raisins, soaked and drained

Preheat oven to 350F

Lightly spray a 9X13 pan with Vegetable Oil Spray.

In medium mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar, using a pastry blender.
Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat eggs until light and fluffy.

Stir in brown sugar, melted butter, vinegar, vanilla, flour and salt.

Scatter raisins over the baked crust then pour filling over all.

Bake in 350F oven for 20 – 25 minutes or just until set and golden brown.

Cool.

Cut into 24 squares.

Store leftovers in an airtight container.

These can also be frozen.

Squares and Bars

Brownies

October 9, 2011 Sonte 2 Comments

When I am feeling particularly lazy but need Lunchbox treats for the week I like to whip up a batch of Brownies. They are so easy to make and are a sure hit…the challenge will be to make them last for the week!

1 1/3 cup Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Butter

1 cup Cocoa

2 cups Sugar

4 Eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.

Lightly spray a 9x13inch pan with vegetable oil spray or line a mini muffin tin with muffin liners.

In small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.

In medium size saucepan, melt butter over low to medium heat.

Add sugar to melted butter and stir for a minute.

Remove from heat and stir in cocoa. Mix well, until no lumps remain.

Add eggs, one at a time and stirring well after each addition.

Stir in Vanilla.

Pour in dry ingredients and carefully stir in until all the flour is incorporated then stir vigorously for 2 – 3 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared 9×13 or use a 2ounce Pampered Chef Scoop to portion into 24 mini muffin cups.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for 25 – 30 minutes, or until pick inserted in centre comes out clean. Two Bite Brownies for 16 – 20 minutes.

*As an alternative to Fudgy Cocoa Frosting, at this point you may break a family size Chocolate bar into bits, sprinkle on top of the warm brownies and return the pan to the turned off oven. Leave for a few minutes. Remove from oven and gently spread melty chocolate over the surface of the brownies. I like Fruit and Nut bar

Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.

Frost with:

Fudgy Cocoa Frosting

3 Tablespoons melted Butter

1/4 cup Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

splash of strong brewed Coffee

2 cups Icing Sugar

Add cocoa to melted butter and stir until no lumps remain. Stir in vanilla, coffee and 1 cup of icing sugar stirring well.

Add second cup of icing sugar, stirring until no lumps remain then beating for 2 minutes.

Spread on cooled Brownies.

Reduced Fat Brownies:

Substitute 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for the cup of butter.

Substitute 1/3 cup of the flour with Whole Wheat Flour.

Chocolate Chunk and Fruit Brownies:

To Reduced Fat Brownies add:

1 cup Sultanas

1 cup Chocolate Chunks

Stir the Fruit and Chocolate in with the dry ingredients.

Aysontespli's Kitchen

Pumpkin Pie

Strawberry Shortcake

The Ultimate Buttertart Square

Brownies

Welcome to my Kitchen where the most important ingredient is Love.