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Posted at 12:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)
FOR A 9" SINGLE CRUST:
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
3⁄4 tsp. salt
1⁄4 sticks (10 tbsp.) very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted
butter, cut into tbsp.-size pieces
2 1⁄2 tbsp. very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable
shortening, cut into 2 pieces
For the crust:
Put flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor; pulse to combine. Drop in butter and shortening; pulse to cut into flour. What you're aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing, gradually add about 3 tbsp. ice water—add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again; keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get water into flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened, pulse in up to 1 tbsp. more ice water, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour.
For filling:
Toss apples and lemon juice in medium bowl. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Add apples; sauté until coated with cinnamon butter and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk cider and cornstarch in small bowl. Add to apples. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Transfer apple mixture to large bowl. Mix in applesauce. Cool completely. (Crust and filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover crust; let stand at room temperature. Cover and chill filling.)
For topping:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Using fingertips, rub all ingredients in bowl until moist clumps form.
Posted at 09:43 AM in Desserts, Pies | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Parents, if you children are anywhere near the computer while reading this post, I suggest you have them turn away now.
Posted at 09:47 AM in Cookies | Permalink | Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 03:45 PM in Cookies | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
This was probably the hit of the night on Thanksgiving and will make it onto my Thanksgiving Menu for all of eternity. I couldn't get a good photo of this if my life depended on it, but let's say that this pie is not only one of the easiest things I have ever made ie, but one of the best ice cream cakes I have ever eaten.
12 whole graham crackers (about 7 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
· 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
· 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
· 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I quadrupled this)
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Again, quadrupled)
· 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (Doubled)
· 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (Quadrupled)
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 2 quarts premium vanilla ice cream
Bark, sauce, and topping: (Don't skip out on the sauce! It is amazing!)
· Nonstick vegetable oil spray
· 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
· 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
· 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
· 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
· 3 tablespoons water
· 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
· 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/8 teaspoon salt
· 2 tablespoons sugar
Preparation
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind graham crackers in processor. Mix in sugar.
Add butter; mix to blend. Press onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter
glass pie dish. Bake until light brown around edges, about 12 minutes. Cool
completely.
For filling:
Whisk first 9 ingredients in medium bowl. Slightly soften ice cream in
microwave in 10-second intervals. Measure 1 cup ice cream; cover and freeze
(reserve for another use). Spoon remaining ice cream into large bowl. Working
quickly, add pumpkin mixture and fold just until swirled into ice cream (do not
blend completely). If ice cream begins to melt, freeze until almost firm. Spoon
ice cream filling into cooled crust, cover with plastic, and freeze until firm,
at least 6 hours. DO AHEAD:Can be made 2
days ahead. Keep
frozen.
For bark, sauce, and topping:
Line baking sheet with parchment paper; spray with nonstick spray. Stir
chocolate in bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth.
Pour onto baking sheet. Using offset spatula, spread chocolate in even layer
into 12x9-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with nuts. Place in freezer until hard, at least
30 minutes. Invert onto work surface. Peel off paper. Coarsely chop. Place DO
AHEAD:Chocolate-almond bark can be made 2
days ahead. Keep
frozen.
Bring brown sugar, corn syrup, 3 tablespoons water, and
butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until butter melts and sugar
dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and boil until dark brown, stirring
occasionally, about 5 minutes. Carefully stir in 1/2 cup cream, vanilla, and
salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Boil 1 minute longer. Cool slightly. DO
AHEAD: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before
serving.
Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups cream and 2
tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until peaks form. Spoon decoratively over pie.
Sprinkle chocolate-almond bark over. Cut pie into wedges and serve, passing
warm sauce alongside.
Posted at 09:32 AM in Desserts, Ice Cream, Pies | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
Pillsbury, you've got some competition.
These light, butter rolls are quite easy to put together. Soft and fluffy, these are a perfect accoutrement to any dinner.
And seroiusly, who doesn't love an accoutrement every now and again?
Recipe Via Saveur
MAKES 32
These rolls, from How America Eats (Scribner's, 1960) by Clementine Paddleford, one of America's most influential food writers, were originally made for the guests of a Kansas ranching family.
3⁄4 cup milk
1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening, melted
1⁄2cup sugar
1 tsp. salt (Ed note: I will add another 1 tsp the next time I make these)
1 7-gram package active dry yeast
3 eggs, beaten
4 1⁄2 cups sifted flour
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1. Scald milk by heating in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around inside edge of pan and milk is about to boil. Pour scalded milk into a large mixing bowl. Add shortening, sugar, and salt, stir until sugar dissolves, then set aside to cool until lukewarm, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add eggs and yeast mixture to milk mixture in bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Gradually add flour, stirring until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and lightly dust with flour. Transfer dough to a large clean bowl, cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot to let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Lightly grease two baking sheets with some of the butter and set aside. Turn dough out onto a clean surface, divide in half, then shape each piece of dough into a ball. Roll dough balls out into 14" circles, then brush each with melted butter, and cut each circle into sixteenths, making 32 wedges in all. Starting with rounded edge and working toward pointed end, roll up each wedge. Arrange rolled dough wedges, pointed-end side facing down to keep wedge from unrolling, on prepared baking sheets about 2" apart. Brush tops and sides with some of the remaining butter, loosely cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm spot to let rise for 45 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake rolls until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, about 25 minutes. Set rolls aside to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Posted at 10:36 AM in Bread | Permalink | Comments (36) | TrackBack (0)
I didn't have to travel to New York this weekend. Although I love going back every weekend because I miss NY more than life itself, traveling from DC to NY once weekly really can kick the crap out of someone. Namely, me.
Therefore, I had a whole weekend with NOTHING. TO. DO. Seriously. I was going stir crazy. I spent far too much time at the gym. I decorated my apartment for Christmas and Hannukah. And I made my boyfriend watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for the first time in his life.
Now, I haven't seen Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in years. I never really noticed it when I was younger, but this cartoon is kind of messed up. My boyfriend put it perfectly (parents, please shield your children's eyes if they are reading this):
"Santa's a d*ck."
And he IS! He is so mean to the elves and reindeer! He's a cranky old man! The elves sang a beautiful carol for him. "Needs work", Santa huffed. Rudolph's faux black nose fell off. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Donner", he scolded. Because he had a child with a deformity! That wouldn't fly in today's world!
And since when is Donner Rudolph's dad? What's going on there?
I had to turn it off. I was almost scarred. It reminded me of the feeling I got when I found out all of the people who animated Disney cartoon's put sexually suggestive innuendos throughout their drawings.
I needed something to calm my nerves and restore my faith in Christmas again. I decided that it was the perfect time to bake up this week's TWD recipe - Grandma's All Occasion Sugar Cookies. And then I proceeded slather them with tinted royal icing while making a mess of my kitchen because I think I'm the pastry painter's Van Gogh.
The cookies were absolutely delicious. Ulrike of Kuchenlatein picked a winner. Light, buttery, soft and sugary. No problems there. But the paintings? Well. Normally, I am a very artistic person. I draw. I play the piano. I act. But paint, I do not. So please excuse the fact that these look like they were painted by a 6 year old.
You know what, though? I'm kind of proud. For my first foray into cookie painting, I think I did alright (don't laugh).
Maybe if Santa found these under the tree, he'd lighten up a bit, no?
Check out TWD for some more fabulous sugar cookies!
Posted at 02:10 PM in Tuesdays with Dorie | Permalink | Comments (26) | TrackBack (0)
I only have a few words for this dish. This is the best sweet potato dish in the history of man. And if any men from history tell you otherwise, they are lying.
I can't even express how absolutely amazing this dish is. Filled with fall spices,sweet and salty, soft and crunchy. It runs the gamut of pure awesomeness. Yes, that's right. Awesomeness.
I couldn't even get a photo of what the inside looked like, because after this photo, I proceeded to dive into this face first. There was no turning back.
Via Saveur
SERVES 8 – 10
This recipe was given to SAVEUR's assistant test kitchen director, Ben Mims, by his aunt Barbara Jane Busick, a home cook in Brandon, Mississippi.
4 lbs. sweet potatoes
1⁄2 cup evaporated milk
1⁄2 cup sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground allspice
2 eggs, beaten
3⁄4 cup roasted salted cashews
1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups mini marshmallows
1. Heat oven to 400°. Place sweet potatoes on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet; bake until soft, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Let cool.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Peel potatoes; pass them through a food mill into a bowl. Whisk in evaporated milk, sugar, 4 tbsp. of the butter, vanilla extract, salt, allspice, and eggs. Transfer to a 2-qt. oval baking dish.
3. In a food processor, pulse together cashews, brown sugar, flour, and remaining 2 tbsp. of butter until coarsely ground. Crumble cashew mixture over half of casserole; top other half with marshmallows. Bake until marshmallows are golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Posted at 09:12 AM in Sides | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
OK. So we all go through it. We're browsing online and a stumble across a delicious recipe. "I have to make this this weekend!" you think to yourself.
Posted at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)