Tag: nut

You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to make this incredible pie. It goes just as well with hot dogs and hamburgers as it does with turkey and stuffing.  It might not be all summer-light and chiffony, but put a little extra bourbon in the mix and the temperature will jump right up.

 

The Crust

Low Sodium Snafu Pie Crust for a single crust pie, blind baked

The Filling

1. 5 large eggs
2. 1 tbs heavy cream
3. 1 ¼ cups tightly packed light-brown sugar
4. 6 tbs unsalted butter, melted
5. ⅓ cup light corn syrup
6. ⅓ cup unsulfured molasses
7. 1 tbs bourbon
8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
9. ¼ tsp salt
10. 1 ⅔ cups pecans, coarsely chopped, plus
11. ⅓ cup whole pecan halves
12. baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 350°

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, molasses, bourbon, vanilla and salt

 

Stir in the chopped pecans

 

Pour filling into the cooled pie shell

 

Arrange whole pecans on top of pie

 

Bake (on the half sheet lined with parchment) until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean, about 45 minutes

 

Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely

A leisurely sail to a tropical island with pendulous women in printed sarongs is always a nice get-away, but the economy being what it is, maybe a short trip to the baking aisle for grated coconut and macadamia nuts makes more sense. If this pie doesn’t transport you, something with a prescription might be in order.

The Crust

Basic Tart Pastry for a single crust pie

The Filling

1. ½ cup unsalted butter
2. ¾ cup sugar
3. ½ cup heavy cream
4. 2 tsp grated lemon zest
5. 1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
6. ½ cup packaged grated coconut, lightly toasted
7. 3 tbs bourbon or rum
8. 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter

Add the sugar and bring to a boil, then boil for two more minutes (keep stirring)

Remove from heat and stir in the cream, lemon zest, macadamia nuts and coconut

Bring the mixture back to a boil

Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon (or rum) and vanilla

Pour the mixture into the cooled tart shell

Bake until the filling is bubbly and thick and the tart is golden brown, about 30 minutes

Cool for about five minutes

Remove the tart from the pan while it’s still warm

Peanut butter chiffon may seem like a confectionary anomaly but its unlikeliness is what makes it such an accomplishment when you pull it off. People were similarly skeptical about peanut butter and bananas at the beginning, and now fifth graders think they’re a food group.

The Crust

Chocolate Wafer Crumb Crust for a single crust pie

The Filling

1. 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2. ¼ cup water
3. 4 eggs, separated
4. 1 cup sugar
5. 1 cup smooth peanut butter
6. 1 cup milk
7. ½ cup heavy cream
8. ¼ cup chopped toasted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 325°

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until the gelatin softens

In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks

Stir in ¾ cup of the sugar, the peanut butter and milk, and cook over medium heat until the mixture simmers and thickens slightly, but doesn’t boil

Remove from heat and add the gelatin, and stir until dissolved

Pour into a bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally until it thickens, about an hour

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form

Slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar to the egg whites, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form

Fold the beaten egg whites and cream into the peanut butter mixture until combined

Pour the mixture into the crust

Top with the toasted peanuts

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving

If you’ve already eaten so much pumpkin pie you don’t need any bronzer, it’s time to move on to pecan. Pecan still says holiday, but with a more understated elegance. The problem is, most pecan pies are heavy, heavy, heavy; so Penelope adds whipped cream and lemon zest to the filling. This way, as you look forward to another season of family tensions, inappropriate gifts, and unappreciative husbands, at least your pie can lighten up!

Rich Pastry with Lemon Zest and Nutmeg

1. 1½ cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tbs granulated sugar
3. ½ tsp salt
4. ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
5. 1 tbs lemon zest
6. 5 tbs cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces
7. 3 tbs vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into ½ inch pieces
8. 3-4 tbs ice water

In a mixer or food processor, combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest

Add the butter and shortening, and pulse until pea-size pieces form

Slowly stream in 3 tablespoons water, or more if necessary; don’t process more than 30 seconds

Form into a ball, then flatten into a disk

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour

Roll out to a 12” diameter and press into a pie pan

Fold the edges under and crimp

Pierce the bottom and sides with a fork

Freeze for at least 30 minutes

The Filling

1. 3 eggs
2. 1 cup whipping cream
3. ¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
4. ¼ cup maple syrup
5. 3 tbs unsalted butter, melted
6. 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
7. 2 tbs fresh lemon zest, finely grated
8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
9. ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
10. ¼ tsp salt
11. 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped pecans

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves

Add the maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt

Whisk until blended

Add the lemon zest

In a medium bowl, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks

Fold the whippped cream into the egg and sugar mixture

Mix in the pecans

Pour the filling into the baked pie crust

Bake until the filling is puffed and set, about 35 minutes

Makes one 9 inch pie

From Fran W. in Massachusetts:

Dear Penelope,

This is my recipe for the pie I always want to make for Thanksgiving, but never get the chance to because we have Thanksgiving dinner every year at my sister-in-law’s house and she and her mother (aka, my mother-in-law) have a total lock on the celebratory baking. Even though I’m a very good baker, I always get stuck doing the carrots or something equally unglamorous. But I’ve been making this Cranberry-Walnut Pie for twenty years, for all kinds of occasions, and people love it. It’s an especially good Thanksgiving dessert. It’s much prettier than the pumpkin pie my sister-in-law always bakes. It’s not too sweet, so it makes a nice contrast to the pecan pie my mother-in-law does every year. It’s a practical pie for a holiday dinner too, because it can be made a full day in advance. And it’s not particularly fragile so it’s easy to transport. Anyway, maybe someone visiting your site would like to make it for his or her Thanksgiving dinner next year, or for another event, and maybe even get credit for it. I made it for a New Year’s Eve party last year, and it was a winner!

Best Regards, Fran

“Hang in there, Fran. Penelope feels sure your confectionary glass slipper is about to find you.”

Pie Crust

1. 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2. ¼ teaspoon salt
3. 1 teaspoon sugar
4. 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter
5. 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water (or a combination of ice water and lemon juice)

Put the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor (fitted with the sharp metal blade.)

Cut the butter into pieces and scatter it over the flour

Process by pulsing the processor on and off until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs

Add 1 tablespoon of water. If the mixture looks dry, add the remaining tablespoon of liquid (It should look like sticky, coarse breadcrumbs.)

Pour the dough into a plastic food storage bag, and knead the dough through the plastic bag until it comes together into a flattened ball. (The plastic bag is optional; you can also just knead the dough on a flat surface with a little flour, but the bag is a lot neater.)

Place the dough (in its bag or wrapped in plastic) in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Filling

1. 1 orange
2. 2 cups cranberries
3. 4 ounces walnuts
4. ⅓ cup sugar
5. 2 teaspoons flour
6. pinch of salt
7. 1 egg, lightly beaten

Peel the orange and cut the peel into narrow, short strips

Put the julienned peel into a small saucepan of boiling water for a few minutes, to blanch it, then drain and put it in a medium bowl

Squeeze the orange to generate about 1/2 cup of orange juice, and add it to the orange peel

Grind the cranberries and walnuts coarsely and add to the peel and juice

Add the sugar, flour and salt, and mix well

Preheat the oven to 400°

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll out to fill a 9″ tart pan

Place the crust in the pan, trimming the excess

Re-roll the excess dough and cut it into strips with a fluted pastry wheel (or a knife) (Also check out Lattice Crust)

Fill the pie shell with the cranberry walnut filling in the tart pan, spreading it so it is even

Use the strips to make a lattice top for the pie

Brush the lattice top with the beaten egg

Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350° and continue to bake the pie for about another 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling is cooked

Serve the pie at room temperature, on its own or with some whipped cream,crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream

The original recipe was from a book called “KeepingCompany” by Moira Hodgson, published in the late 1980’s.

Even if it is getting toward Thanksgiving, it’s not much of a holiday when your boyfriend asks you to move in and then gives you a copy of “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook” as a welcome present. Still, when you’re back living on your own, you’ll be glad you have it. Fannie Farmer doesn’t fuss, and if you use her recipes, neither will you. Fannie also suggests you serve this very rich pecan pie in small wedges. Penelope agrees. Use Penelope’s Ultimate Pie Crust or your own favorite. A single crust is all you need.

Preheat the oven to 450°

Line a 9 inch pie pan with the dough

The Filling

1. 3 eggs slightly beaten
2. ½ cup brown or white sugar
3. ¼ tsp salt
4. 1 cup light corn syrup
5. ¼ tsp vanilla
6. 1 cup pecans, broken into pieces
7. ½ cup heavy cream, whipped
8. 1 cup whole pecans for garnish

Mix together the eggs, sugar, salt, corn syrup, vanilla and pecan pieces, and pour them into the pie shell

Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 350° and bake 35 minutes longer

Whip the heavy cream and spread over the top

Garnish with the pecan halves