.my heart's song.

Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie

Okay, this was supposed to be a recipe for pie. This being my first attempt at par-baking (and why is it called par-baking? Shouldn't it be called pre-baking?) and at using a tart pan, I didn't understand all the warnings and comments about the crust "collapsing". Well... let's just say I learned my lesson, my pie came out rather more like a deflated custard cookie, and the pictures weren't pretty. So let's just focus on the pie crust instead, and look at pictures of butter instead, shall we?


Very nice.

The pie was still delicious, and the pie crust flaky and buttery. I can probably only say that because I don't have any standards of comparison. That's okay. Mostly I had fun using a tart pan.

Lessons learned:
1. Don't just stick little bits of dough haphazardly around the edge of the pan in a desperate effort to patch it up. Those spots you don't think are going to show? They do.
2. I figured out that the beans or the pie weights are to keep the sides from falling down more than they are to keep things from rising up. So fill 'er up all the way.
3. Par-baking for n00bs might not be worth it.

Onward!


Recipe for really great Pie Crust: (I promise, mine just wasn't pretty.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup ice water, add ice cubes to keep cold
2.5 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2 inch cubes (keep cold)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.

Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour and begin working them in with a pastry blender, using it to scoop and redistribute the mixture as needed so all parts are worked evenly. (Alternately, you could use a food processor for this part). Stop when the mix resembles a coarse cornmeal; this won’t take long. Don't worry about the butter pieces being different sizes or still rather chunky: apparently, these little pockets of butter will somehow allow the pie to become flakier while baking... I don't understand the exact science, but it tastes real good.

Drizzle 1/2 cup of the ice-cold water (but not the cubes) over the butter and flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gather the dough together. Add more ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together fully. Once it's come together in large clumps, remove the spatula and use your hands. Gather and pat all the clumps together into one giant mound.

Divide the dough in half and pack each half in a few layers of plastic wrap. (For an open top pie, only half the dough is needed). Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour before use. The remainder of the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for longer. (I also read that freezing the dough for at least half an hour before use keeps the crust from that terrible little collapsing problem.)

More details, photos, and expertise to be found here and here, if you want to see what it's all supposed to look like, instead of what it accidentally did.

Now let's talk about the maple goodness that redeemed my poor pie's looks. It was like discovering a good personality. Warm, sweet, noticeable without being overbearing. And melt in your mouth. Appearances can be forgotten if you're eating with your eyes closed, and you might have to with this one.

Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie
(New York Times)

3/4 cup maple syrup
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 9-inch pie crust (half the dough)

Par-bake pie crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie refrigerated pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans (FILL). Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until beginning to set. Remove foil with weights and bake 15 to 18 minutes longer or until golden. If shell puffs during baking, press it down with back of spoon. Cool on wire rack. Lower temperature to 300 degrees.

Prepare filling: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce maple syrup by a quarter, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and egg. Whisking constantly, slowly add cream mixture to eggs. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a cup or bowl with pouring spout. Stir in salt, nutmeg and vanilla.

Pour filling into crust and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pie is firm to touch but jiggles slightly when moved, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Yield: One 9-inch pie, 8 servings

Veselka’s Cabbage Soup

This soup is so good, SO good, especially if you love sauerkraut as much as I do.
Next on my list: borscht.

Yield: serves 6 to 8
(as seen in New York Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 pound pork butt, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
4 cups water
3 allspice berries
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 cup sauerkraut, plus around 4 tablespoons juice
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 carrots, minced
3 stalks celery, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups fresh cabbage, shredded thin

Place the pork in a medium stockpot with the chicken stock, water, allspice, bay leaves, and marjoram. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat for about 2 hours. Remove the pork and set aside on a plate to cool. Skim fat from stock, leaving a few “eyes” of fat for flavor.

Add sauerkraut and simmer for 20 minutes. Add potato and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and cabbage and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the pork and simmer for 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add sauerkraut juice.

Almond Poppy Seed Bread

(as found at The Kitchen Sink)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds


Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a large loaf pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites, buttermilk, sour cream and almond extract to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined.

In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the whisked dry ingredients. When the mixture is almost combined, add the poppy seeds. Beat until the wet and dry ingredients have just combined and the poppy seeds are distributed throughout the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and use a rubber spatula or spoon to smooth the top. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

(From The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz)

Yield: 36 mini cupcakes or 12 full-size cupcakes. I endorse only mini-cupcakes. (Solely for the cuteness factor. Well, and the fact that it feels like you have so many more.)

Cheesecake filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or mini chips)

Chocolate cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat to 350°F. Grease a muffin tin or line the tin with paper muffin cups.

For the filling:

Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

For the cupcakes:

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. (Do not stir for too long or you will over mix the batter and end up with not-so-tender cupcakes.)

All together now:

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a teaspoon of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. Fill the cups about 80-90% full.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. (Keep a close eye on the cupcakes for the last few minutes. This is key, as the lovely white of the cheesecake can become a slightly-less-lovely golden brown within a minute. Mine were perfect at 28 minutes.)