alisahuntsman

celebrate the solstice with a summer berry tart; #29 of 52 pies

Published on June 21, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsman1 Comment

the first day of summer, or summer solstice as some call it, usually means hot weather and in that respect, we have had plenty. since it is so hot, i decided to make a fruit tart rather than heat the house up by using the oven to bake a pie. right now, markets are brimming with fresh berries of all types. for some reason, summer holidays mean truckloads of berries at almost affordable prices. why is that? in the summers of my childhood, picnics in honor of summer holidays always meant popsicles and watermelon slices-berries were for special occasions. on my last trek through the grocery store, i stocked up on strawberries and raspberries and luckily, enough survived to decorate the tart!

first step is to make a classic pastry cream. while it cools down in the fridge, you can make the tart shell. milk is heated with a vanilla bean and some sugar until it just begins to boil.

cornstarch is mixed with some milk to dissolve it and then the eggs are whisked in. classically referred to as a liason, this combination will thicken the custard filling.

while the milk heats/steeps, set a heat proof bowl, a mesh strainer and a spatula nearby to strain the custard.

once the milk reaches a slow boil, whisk a portion of the hot milk into the liason and then return the remaining milk in the pot to the heat. while whisking the boiling milk, the liason is carefully added. and whisked continually until it boils and thickens.

whisk the custard filling continually until it boils and thickens. be sure to let it boil for a full minute to cook out the starch.

once finished, pour the custard into the strainer and use the spatula to force it through the mesh into the bowl.

the reason for the strainer, all the little rubbery bits and the vanilla bean need to be removed or you will not have a creamy filling for your tart.

the simplest dough in the world!!! flour, powdered sugar and butter are pulsed in a food processor until they resemble a coarse meal. an egg yolk is added and the dough is pulsed until it comes together.

this buttery dough is so easy to work with that you can immediately press it into your tart pan-no chilling is necessary.

make sure it is evenly spread out-thin spots could cause the shell to crumble later on.

my favorite baking trick-line the shell with a large coffee filter (bribe a barista for some if you can or just use several home sized ones) and use beans or marbles as weights to prebake the crust. why a coffee filter? simple, they are designed to hold lots of weight-think about wet coffee grounds in a filter, they do not rip easily. parchment paper crumbles when it is baked, foil can cause breakage when removed from the tart and waxed paper is waxed and who wants that in the tart?

a perfect tart shell ready to be filled and decorated.

my next big secret; melt 2-3 ounces of white chocolate (or dark if you prefer) and carefully coat the bottom and the sides of the tart shell with it. this will help prevent the crust from becoming soggy. allow it to set by freezing it for 5-10 minutes then fill with the custard and decorate with the fruit.

slice the strawberries and arrange them around the edge of the tart. save the small end pieces that you cannot use and place them in the center of the tart before adding the raspberries. it’s a shame to waste the end pieces and no one will know they are there! if you must, you can seal the tart using a prepared tart glaze. in the summer months, supermarkets by me sell small tubs of fruit glaze in the produce section but stick to the peach one and dilute it-the strawberry one has too much added color. personally, i like mine naked!

solstice berry tart

1 (9″) tart serving 6-8

there are lots of hints above, be sure to read them!

custard filling

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 vanilla bean, split

place the cornstarch in a heat proof bowl and whisk in a small amount of milk to make a smooth paste. whisk in the eggs and set aside. place the remaining milk in a sauce pot with the sugar. scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add both the pod and the seeds to the milk. over medium heat, bring to a slow boil. temper the egg mixture with about half of the hot milk. return the remaining milk to the stove and return to the boil. while whisking the milk, add the hot egg mixture and while whisking, bring to a boil. allow the custard to boil for a full minute then pour through a mesh strainer into a clean heat proof bowl. press plastic wrap to the surface and chill completely.

easy tart shell

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 egg yolk

preheat the oven to 350. place the flour and sugar into the bowl of a food processor. sprinkle the butter cubes over the top and pulse to cut the butter in. continue pulsing until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. add the egg yolk and pulse until a smooth dough is formed. press the dough evenly into a tart pan, place it on a baking sheet (catches any oily drips that may leak from the pan) and line with a coffee filter and weights. bake until done, about 25-30 minutes. remove from the oven and carefully lift out the weights and paper. cool completely before assembling.

assembly

2-3 ounces chocolate (white or dark), melted

2 pints of strawberries

1 half pint raspberries

carefully remove the tart shell from the pan and place on a flat serving tray. brush the inside of the tart with the melted chocolate and place in the freezer to set. spread the custard filling evenly in the tart shell and arrange the fruit over the top of the custard as directed in the photos above.

happy solstice, y’all! make one and send me a photo, i will post it here, bakinbabe116@aol.com

black and blue rhubarb pie, #28 of 52 pies

Published on June 14, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsmanLeave a comment

there is something special about a freshly baked berry pie. a little sweet-a little tart and a deep rosy hue that draws the eyes, makes the mouth water and has the hands reaching for a knife and plate. trying to develop an original recipe is a challenge on it’s own but when you limit the categories to one and complete the task weekly…well, let’s just say this isn’t always as easy as it should be. add a family that isn’t always receptive to the chosen flavors and you can end up repeating the theme easily. those of you who have followed this endeavor will no doubt find yourselves saying “hmm, she already used that ingredient” and you would be right! my husband loves fruit pies as long as they aren’t peach (go figure) and when i was pondering the choice of fruits, he wanted rhubarb. since he will likely eat most of it, i decided to indulge him and make a rhubarb pie but rather than pair it with strawberries (as well as raspberries which i did for #18), i chose to go with blueberries and blackberries since they are both coming into season in the garden.

since not everyone has a freshly picked supply of blueberries and blackberries, buy them fresh or frozen. you will need a total of 3 cups of berries which is a pound. using frozen berries will make it possible to serve this pie even when the berries are not in season.

i am hoping to get some rhubarb crowns into the garden so i can harvest my own stalks. believe it or not, my local supermarket has bags of sliced rhubarb available with the frozen fruits which means we can have a rhubarb pie anytime! using purchased pie dough will save some time but for those of you not willing to compromise, make enough dough for a double crust pie using your favorite recipe or this one from pie #18

black and blue rhubarb pie

1 (9″) lattice topped pie serving 8-10

dough for a double crust, 9″ pie
1 to 1 1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
zest of 1 orange or 3 mandarins (i chose mandarins!)
1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice (or cinnamon if you do not have any)

1 pound berries, about 3 full cups of blackberries and blueberries

1 pound of rhubarb slices, about 3 full cups

preheat the oven to 350. grease a sturdy baking sheet, line it with parchment or foil and grease that as well. line the greased pie plate with the bottom crust. a whole lot of greasing going on? this makes a sticky pie if the juices spill over during the baking and it will not be easy to remove from the baking sheet without the grease! trim the excess dough so that only about 3/4″ of dough hangs over the edge. roll the excess dough under and flute the edges. place the prepared pie crust on the baking sheet.

in a large bowl, rub the sugar, cornstarch, zest and spice together. add the fruit and toss together. scrape the filling into the pie crust and top it all off with lattice strips. sprinkle some coarse sugar crystals over the strips and bake until it boils in the center, about 1 hour 15 minutes. let it cool completely, about 4-6 hours, before cutting or you will have a never ending pie; no matter how many slices you cut, the filling runs out and fills the plate again!

so go forth in the world and bake a pie. send me a photo and i will post it here! bakinbabe116@aol.com

peanut butter-banana cream pie; #27 of 52 pies

Published on June 8, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsman1 Comment

has anybody noticed just how hot it is around here? 10+ days above 90, well above 90 on many of those days. the thought of turning on the oven to bake a pie seemed ridiculous. when the husband suggested i make a banana cream pie for this week’s challenge, i balked at first; i’ve done banana already, remember the banana creme brulee tart? i asked him. well, as the day heated up and i began to wilt, i experienced a flash of brilliance. okay, i was hungry and since peanut butter wasn’t on the list of choices, i wanted it even more. peanut butter and bananas in a sandwich on wheat bread…i had a salad instead and put the objects of my desire into a pie, substituting a chocolate cookie crumb crust for the bread, and then i topped it with whipped cream and called it dessert.

peanut butter-banana cream pie

1 (9″) pie serving 8-10

4 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups whole milk

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (homogenized is best)

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (9″) chocolate cookie crumb crust-purchased or using the recipe that follows.

3-4 ripe bananas

place the cornstarch in a heat proof bowl, and add several tablespoons of milk and whisk to combine a smooth slurry. whisk in the eggs and set aside. place the remaining milk in a saucepot with the brown sugar and over medium-low heat, bring to a gentle boil. carefully pour some of the boiling milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking it carefully. when about 1/2 of the milk is in, place the pot of milk back on the stove and return to a gentle boil again. now begin whisking the milk in the pot and while whisking constantly, pour the in heated egg yolk mixture in a steady stream. it is important to whisk this constantly while you bring the mixture to a boil. it also must come to a complete boil to cook the cornstarch and thicken the cream. when finished, pour the cream into a wide and shallow heat proof bowl, press plastic wrap to the surface and refrigerate until no longer warm.

make the cookie crust while the cream cools. when the cream is ready, slice up about 1 1/2 bananas and cover the bottom of the pie shell completely with them. carefully spread half of the cream over the bananas. using the remaining bananas, cover the cream with slices and once again, top it off with the remaining cream. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours to fully set the filling and make it firm enough to serve.

to make the topping, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until almost stiff peaks are formed. spread evenly over the top of the pie and smooth it out with a decorating spatula (called a palatte knife).

chocolate cookie crust

11/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs

1/4 cups chopped peanuts

6 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter-unsalted

combine the ingredients and press into a pie dish. no baking is necessary but if you want a really crispy crust, bake it at 350 for 10 minutes. allow it to cool completely before using.

so, you think you can bake do you? prove it! make one and send me a photo. i dare you to, double dog dare you to…do it and i will post the photo here!!! bakinbabe116@aol.com

blueberry cheesecake pie, #26 of 52!

Published on June 2, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsman3 Comments

26 of 52 pies completed, 26 more to go. that puts me at the halfway point. from here, the number of pies left to bake will be smaller than the number of pies already baked. so, the question is, will i make it to the goal? i’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

this last “catch-up” pie was baked while my mother was still visiting-she came for the graduation and spent nearly 2 weeks with us. it was fun, i never realize how much i miss hanging out with my mom until she arrives for a visit. we spend lots of time wandering through antique shops and thrift stores and chattering about everything. when it was time to bake this last pie, we chose blueberries as a theme and took mom (and our daughter and her boyfriend) to the demo garden(where we work as master gardeners) to pick some fresh blueberries. we only ended up with about 2 cups of rather tart berries so making a pie with them was out of the question. but i remembered my mothers love of cheesecake and decided to improvise.

a thinner more liquid cheesecake custard is garnished with a swirl of blueberry coulis before baking. be sure to use a small spoon and pour in the coulis slowly (to prevent it from sinking) into the pie in random lines. use a bamboo skewer to swirl the coulis around the top of the pie. one hint, skip the fancy name brand cream cheese (you know the one named after the city of brotherly love) because it makes a custard that is runny like water!

after baking in a slow(300 degrees) oven, the pie is thoroughly chilled before serving. use a knife that has been dipped in hot water to get clean cuts and be sure to wipe it off between slices. the blueberry coulis can easily be doubled and the remaining coulis can be used as a sauce for the plate.

blueberry cheesecake pie

1 (9″) pie that serves 8-10

coulis

don’t forget, if you want extra sauce, double the coulis recipe but use only half of it to marbleize the top of the pie.

3/4 cup blueberries

1/3 cup sugar

crush the blueberries breaking all of them. place them into a small saucepot with the sugar and over low heat, bring the mixture to a boil. continue to boil for 5-10 minutes. strain the sauce into a heat proof bowl and chill until no longer warm but do not let it get too cold-it will become gelatinous and hard to work with.

crust

purchase or make a cookie crumb crust in a 9″ pie pan using the recipe in pie #16. place the pie pan on a sturdy baking sheet that will not warp in the oven.

cheesecake custard

12 ounces cream cheese-not the fat free stuff!

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 of a vanilla bean

zest of 1 lemon

3 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

preheat the oven to 300. this is mixed quickest in a food processor-fast and smooth. place the cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla bean and lemon zest in the bowl of the processor and pulse to combine. With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, and scrape the bowl thoroughly. add the sour cream and pulse to mix, scrape the bowl and pulse a few times more. pour the filling into the pie dish and bake until it is almost firm in the middle, about 40 minutes. turn the oven off, prop the door open slightly and leave the pie in there for another 15 minutes. remove the pie from the oven and chill completely before serving, about 4 hours.

and once again, if you bake one, send me a photo and i will post it here. bakinbabe116@aol.com

almost caught up! #25 of 52, apple-pear pie

Published on June 1, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsmanLeave a comment

getting caught up…what a concept! not so sure it will happen but i am giving it my best efforts! for this pie, i decided to go a little outside the lines. when you think of apple pie, tart green apples, cinnamon and other spices always come to mind. they work well with pears too. but this time, i decided to leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg and focus on some other flavors that work well with apples and pears. first, i passed up the green granny smiths and used golden delicious apples. how does vanilla bean, lemon zest and freshly grated ginger sound? and one last twist-tapioca for the thickener rather than starch or flour. this extra large and super deep pie was well received despite the lack of cinnamon. use your favorite pie crust recipe or purchase the prerolled sheets to make it easier. pyrex makes really deep and large pie plates, look for them in the supermarket with the kitchen gadgets or any other store that stocks pyrex dishes and kitchen ware.

deep dish apple and pear pie

easily serves 8-10

pie dough for a double crust pie-purchsed or using the recipe from pie #18

enough golden delicious apples to make 5 cups of slices

enough ripe anjou pears to make 5 cups of slices

1 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger-packed tightly

zest of 1-2 lemons

the seeds from one vanilla bean (reserve the pod for another use)

4 teaspoons (and up to 2 tablespoons) quick cooking tapioca

egg wash-1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water

preheat oven to 350. rub the sugar together with the ginger, lemon zest and vanilla seeds. mix in the tapioca and toss the mixture with the apples and pears. lightly grease the pie dish, line it with one sheet of the pie dough and fill it with the fruit mixture. brush a little egg wash around the edges, top with the second sheet of dough and seal the edges. trim the excess, roll the excess under and flute the edges. cut a few vents and if desired, brush the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with additional sugar. place the pie on a greased sheet pan and bake until it bubbles in the center, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

on to the next one…and as always, bake one and send me a photo-i will post it here. bakinbabe116@aol.com.

better late than never: pie #24-snickers bar pie

Published on May 31, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsman1 Comment

while it might seem that i have given up on this challenge-believe me, i haven’t. our younger daughter graduated from high school and with that occasion came all kinds of fan fare and family. for the last two weeks, i have managed to make all of my pies but have not had the time to sit down and share them.

when younger, much younger, my husband and i thought it would be exciting to move around the country. we worked in restaurants which made finding jobs easy. it also meant leaving behind friends and family. we had reached a crossroad of sorts 16 years ago when my uncle was killed by a reckless driver. we made the decision to move closer to my family on the east coast. despite our good intentions, we didn’t quite make it and now find ourselves still missing out on the chance to see them. time flies, we often go a year or more between visits and in that time, our girls have grown up. to have the chance to spend some time with my mom was great and the chance to share some pies with her was fun too.

so first up is the snickers pie. anything that has chocolate, caramel and candied peanuts works for me and most of the family too. in an effort to save time, i used a recipe i found online and made subtle changes to adapt it to pie size rather than a small square baking pan.

a few notes to start with: the crust was really greasy when i prebaked it. actually, there was a lot of fat in the recipe in relation to the amount of flour and i cannot help but think that there is a typo in it. if you choose to follow the recipe, consider using a different crust. while i could have just used the dulce de leche called for in the original recipe, i chose to caramelize sweetened condensed milk since i had a small collection of cans in the closet.

snickers pie

adapted from dorie greenspan by way of the naptime chef

1 (10″) pie serving 10-12

caramel filling

2 (14oz) cans of sweetened condensed milk

preheat the oven to 350. place the milk into a covered casserole dish and place the dish into a larger pan. pour in enough hot water to reach the same level as the milk. place the pans in the oven and bake until a deep golden brown (darker than the photo above-i wasnt happy with the consistency). it will take as long as 2 hours and you will need to stir it and whisk it every 20 minutes to gain an even tone. while this bakes, make and bake the crust, recipe follows. pour the caramel into the prepared crust, press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface andchill it completely-at least several hours or overnight.

crust

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

1 egg yolk

preheat the oven to 350. place the flour, sugars and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. add the cubed butter and pulse a few times to cut in the butter but only until the mixture resembles coarse meal. add the yolk and pulse to combine and forms a ball of dough. press this dough into the bottom of a 10″ pie dish which has been lightly greased. prick the crust all over with a fork and prebake it until it just starts to color, about 20 minutes. allow it to cool completely before assembling.

topping

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

2 cups salted peanuts

10 ounces semisweet chocolate

2/3 cup half and half

combine the sugar and water in a saute pan and cook over medium heat until it boils and the sugar melts. continue to cook until it starts to color but be sure that you do not stir it. add the peanuts and stir to coat them with the sugar. turn them out of the pan onto a greased baking sheet and allow them to cool completely.

in a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and half and half on the lowest setting until it is melted and smooth. using 15-20 second intervals on low power, be sure to remove the bowl and whisk in between heating cycles to prevent scorching.

assembly

chop the peanuts coarsely and sprinkle 3/4 of them evenly over the top of the caramel while reserving the remainder for garnish. drizzle the chocolate glaze over the peanuts and smooth it out evenly. allow it to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. decorate the pie with the remaining peanuts.

so there you have it, one down and two more to go before i make this weeks pie!!! make one and send me a photo, you will see it here!!! bakinbabe116@aol.com

lagging behind…#23 of 52, pizzas!

Published on May 17, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsmanLeave a comment

don’t even say it! it absolutely is too a pie!!! where i come from (just outside of new york city), they are referred to as pies; large pie, small pie, what ever size or toppings are added, it is a pie. okay, i will admit it is a little bit of a stretch, but then again, is it? it starts out with a crust and in the fashion of a free form, out of the pan pie, it gets a topping of what ever you choose. after baking, it is cut into wedges, just like a pie…

for the teenager, just tomato sauce and cheese

for the husband, exotic wild picked mushrooms, onions and cheese with a little bit of white sauce and a drizzle of truffle oil.

for myself, a trip out to the garden for some spinach, onions and a few mushrooms (the regular button kind) with a little white sauce and cheese. okay, so it has been very hectic-it’s graduation week, the family is coming. i had an opportunity to help a friend with her cookbook and now i am trying to get caught up. besides we were hungry…

no knead dough crust-this is another of jim lahey’s recipes adapted from the recipe posted on the tasting table. makes 4 (8-10) pizzas each serving one person.

3 cups all purpose or bread flour ( i used 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and the remainder was bread flour

1/4 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

desired sauces, cheeses and toppings: takes about 1/4 cup sauce per pizza, 1/2-1 cup cheese and up to 1 cup of toppings.

combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow it to sit for 12-24 hours. mine sat for about 18 hours. at this time, scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured board and fold the ends in to the middle a few time. make a smooth ball of dough and cut it into 4 even pieces. flour them and let them rest under a towel for 2 hours. heat the oven with a pizza stone in it (for the best results) to 500, this will take about 20 minutes. carefully shape one ball of dough into a 8-10 inch circle. place the crust on a floured peel and add the desired toppings. quickly slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake until golden and bubbly-about 10-15 minutes. shape each dough ball individually and just before it is to be placed in the oven. it is hard to move the pizza if it has a chance to relax and stick to the peel.

with any luck, i will get the pie for last week as well as this week up soon! and as always, bake with me! send me a photo and i will post it here. bakinbabe116@aol.com

bread baking day #39, roundup

Published on May 5, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsman4 Comments

the moment you have all been waiting for! the salt rising bread round up. well, it’s a short one. it seems that many of the usual bread baking day participants were reluctant to try this bread. i don’t blame them-it can be rather stinky and difficult. not everyone in the roundup had a bread to show for it. no matter, i enjoyed trying something new-hosting a challenge and baking something i had never baked before.

for all of you who stop by, visit zorra, the founder of bread baking day and see what the challenge for june is. here is a hint, it is the 4th anniversary for bread baking day in june and zorra is hosting the challenge! happy baking!!!

real italian garlic bread

swathi of zesty south indian kitchen located in texas, usa

3 different loaves; plain, cheese and dandelion

miss nirvana of creating nirvana in the midwest, usa was especially busy with this recipe!

salt rising bread recipe #2

baked by astrid of paulchens food blog in austria, vienna

bernard clayton’s salt rising bread

baked by judy of judy’s gross eats in ventura, california, usa

strong smelling doorstopper

is how zorra described her loaf!!!

as you know, zorra is the founder of this blog, she does her baking in andalucia, spain and you can read all about her bread and even watch a video about salt rising bread on her website, 1x umruehren bitte.

salt rising bread, recipe from a master’s thesis by delene clark holbrook

baked by cathy of bread experience in atlanta, georgia, usa

this blog post is worth reading-lots of info on the history of salt rising bread!

besides the two loave i baked for the announcement, i also baked this loaf.
buckwheat salt rising bread

one other baker deserves a mention. connie, from thailand, emailed me to tell me that she just could not get a loaf from any of the starters she made. perhaps it was the ingredients-she may not have been able to find the right cornmeal. either way, she made an effort and i appreciate that, too bad it didn’t work!

many thanks to all the brave bakers who accepted my challenge and thanks to zorra for giving me the opportunity to host this event! see you next month when we all bake again!

country style pot pie, #22 of 52 pies

Published on May 4, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsmanLeave a comment

it was a cold and dreary day…and just whose idea was that? it has been so nice and warm and sunny and then suddenly, i’m freezin in here! when the weather is like that, i have a taste for hot soup. soup isn’t very pie like though so i decided to go with a pot pie-it’s hot and creamy and perfect for cold and dreary days.

right now, we have lots going on in the garden. in between showers, i grabbed my basket and a pair of scissors and went out to gather what i would need. leeks, broccoli, peas and herbs (parsley, sage, oregano and thyme). in the house i had some mushrooms and garlic as well as some asparagus that my husband had already picked from the garden. if it seems like something is missing, it is. when i pulled out the leftover turkey from the fridge, i was nearly over come by the smell. it had been living in there for a week but i thought it might still be good. however, it is destined to make the trip to the digester where the worms will enjoy it.

as always, when i am out in the garden, the captain tags along. somebody has to make sure i am behaving. as you can see here, he got sucked into the catnip. looks like he needs the chaperon now…

i prepared the vegetables first. some were sauteed-leeks, garlic and mushrooms. others were blanched-carrots, broccoli and asparagus stems. others were added raw so they would not overcook-broccoli florets, asparagus tips and freshly shucked peas.

using vegetable broth and some half and half, i made a nice creamy sauce and finished it off with the herbs. then it was poured over the vegetables and topped with biscuits.

into the oven it went and in 30 minutes, dinner was served!

country style pot pie

one (9″) crustless pie which serves about 4 as a main course

filling
the great thing about this recipe, you can customize it however you like! don’t like broccoli-use something else. just want mushrooms-go for it! want it meaty, add cubes of cooked meat and use a beef broth. you call the shots-me, i’m going for turkey next time.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, green part only
1 tablespoon garlic
2 cups mushroom-buttons, halved or quartered
3 cups assorted vegetables-for things that will overcook easily (broccoli flowers, asparagus tip), plan to add those raw. for the hard ones (carrots, potatoes) cook them first
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups broth
1/2 cup half and half
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs
salt and pepper, to taste
1 batch of biscuits, recipe follows

preheat the oven to 375. sautee the leeks in the olive oil until soft, add the garlic and continue to saute. add the mushrooms and cover the pan to cause them to sweat. when mushrooms are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and prepare the remaining vegetables. combine them in and even layer on the bottom of the pie dish. in a sauce pot, melt the butter. add the flour and cook the roux over medium heat for several minutes, stirring constantly. whisk in the broth and then the half and half and continue to simmer gently for a few minutes. off the heat, season with salt and pepper and then stir in the herbs. pour over the vegetables and top with the biscuits. bake until bubbly and the biscuits are an even golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

buttermilk biscuits
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. sprinkle the butter cubes over the top and pulse to cut in the butter-the mixture should look very coarse with little bits of butter visible. add the buttermilk and process long enough to combine. turn out onto a floured surface and with floured hands, pat it into a 1/2″ slab. using a 2″ cutter, make small biscuits, reworking the scraps to yield 16-18 biscuits. arrange the biscuits on top of the pie and follow the baking instructions.

one more round up!

my berry rhubarb pie was an inspiration to melanie. she used the pie crust recipe i posted with that pie to make her raspberry-cherry pie. and can you believe that is her first attempt at a lattice top? beautiful pie melanie, thanks for sending me the photo!

and as always, bake one, send a photo and i will post it here. go ahead, i dare ya… double dare ya… bakinbabe116@aol.com

ready, set, deliver!!!

Published on May 1, 2011November 18, 2014 by alisahuntsman1 Comment

finally, the cake was finished and ready to be delivered. it was like someone lifted a weight from my shoulders-then came the delivery and when you are traveling with cake, anything can happen…how about a marathon? we forgot about that and the street closures made getting to the location of the reception a challenge. then there was the ac in the van-it decided not to work on this day of all days. well, despite the few hitches, the cakes travelled well and all was good.

a close-up of the texture i applied to the buttercream. it gives it a bit of a rustic look which works well with buttercream. it can also help to hide any flaws in the cake but i wasn’t worried about that this time.

the assembled cake in the fridge-generally, i do not assemble in advance but decided to give it a try this time. with the cake in the fridge chilling for about 4 hours before we left, i was confident that it would be okay. that was before i learned about the ac in the van and the street closures!

a close-up of the textures

the flowers-blue hydrangeas and calla lilies. the hydrangeas must have been some variety from europe-they had fleshy stems rather than the woody ones we have here. they were also air brushed to be blue.

after extensively touring the downtown area trying to get to the building (*&%# marathon…) we finally arrived. the cake was set on a piano and this is the process i went through to add the flowers. first it was some greenery-ferns.

next it was hydrangeas and some leaves

finally, calla lilies

the cake!

the groom’s cake-done by my friend garrett. it was very well received! the groom mentioned that his friends kept moving the tiny golf ball that was on the putting green to the sand traps-apparently, his game includes time in the sand traps.