Wish Upon A Chef

When I was a kid, I overheard two woman having a conversation about how they dreaded the holidays.  They were griping about having to shop and wrestle with the tree and this, that and the other and they were just going to be so glad when it was all over.  As a kid, I just could not imagine the horrid thought of not wanting to celebrate the holidays!  How could you not look forward to putting up a Christmas tree and baking cookies and going to parties and having loads of presents from Santa??  I vowed right then and there that I would never be a grumpy grown-up like them.

But guess what? 

In those years of teen-angst when I wanted nothing more than to become an adult, I didn't realize just how much of a rip-off adulthood actually is.  I didn't know that I would grow up to become a woman who did not acquire the seemingly mandatory female shopping gene and someone who hated crowds. I didn't realize it would be challenging to scrape together extra cash for buying gifts because there were so many bills that needed to be paid.  And where does one find the time to totally redecorate their home and bake dozens of cookies and attend holiday parties after they work 40+ hours each week? 

I can totally sympathize with those women from long ago and fully understand what they were talking about.  Now, don't get me wrong - I've managed to overcome these obstacles in years past what with the advent of online shopping and 0% interest credit cards and such. But on top of everything else, I have had alot of sickness in my family these past few months and a recent tragic death and I don't feel like "doing" the holidays this year.  Even my favorite holiday, Halloween, passed by without much fanfare this year and Thanksgiving will be much the same.  I don't care about all the hoopla and bling - I just want to spend time with my family and loved ones and be thankful for yet another year together. 

With my recent switch to more real foods, I wanted to prepare a Thanksgiving feast this year with nothing but real food.  No processed soups in my green bean casserole.  No canned turkey gravy and no white flour in my breads and desserts.  But there was no motivation to research and test recipes.  No excitement to shop for ingredients.  No desire to prepare food for days to impress my guests. 

Boy Toy is in charge of frying the bird and I'll do the regulatory sides, but nothing fancy this year.  I made my favorite Trader Joe's Copy Cat Cranberry Walnut Tart and cranked out a couple of pumpkin pies.  I used my secret ingredient in the pies: Chinese Five Spice.  I love this stuff!  It is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves but the addition of star anise, Sichuan pepper and fennel give it a subtle kick. I like to use it interchangeably in recipes like my cinnamon roll recipe that calls for alot of cinnamon.  I know it sounds weird to use peppers and fennel in a sweet recipe, but trust me, it works.  The mixture is not overpowering at all and leaves people wondering what the taste is and feeling like they can't quite put their finger on what it is exactly . 

Serve this pie with freshly whipped cream and give thanks that it is so easy to make! 




Easy Pumpkin Pie
Serves 8

1 frozen deep dish pie crust, thawed
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1-1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 425.  In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients.  Pour into pie crust.  Carefully transfer to oven rack.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 and continue baking 30-40 minutes longer or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool 2 hours; refrigerate until serving time.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Be thankful that I ripped this recipe for Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue from the pages of Bon Appetit back in November 2007 and saved it.

Give thanks that if you missed having it for Thanksgiving (due to my inability to EVER get a blog post up in a timely manner), you can now have it on your Christmas dessert table.

I, for one, am thankful that once I realized I had eaten all of the graham crackers intended for the crust, I was able to scare up a couple of store bought pre-made crusts from the depths of my pantry. It worked out that the GINORMOUS sweet potatoes that I used made enough filling for two pies so I was able to have one for Thanksgiving dinner with the family and one for a Christmas tree trimming party with friends a few days later.

The marshmallow meringue was mile-high ooey-gooey good and the pie received rave reviews from everyone. Enjoy and give thanks that calorie counting has been suspended until after the first of the new year!


Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
Bon Appetit, November 2007


Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (made from about 7 1/2 ounces graham crackers, finely ground in processor)
3 tablespoons sugar
6 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Marshmallow Meringue:
1 7-ounce jar Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add 6 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding 1 tablespoon melted butter if crumb mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish, building up sides 1/4 inch above rim of dish. Bake crust until set and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack. DO AHEAD: Pie crust can be made 2 days ahead. Cover pie crust and let stand at room temperature.

For filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potatoes all over with fork; place potatoes on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are very tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes open and scoop out pulp. Transfer pulp to processor and puree until smooth. Set aside 2 cups sweet potato puree for filling; cool completely (reserve any remaining puree for another use). DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine 2 cups sweet potato puree, sweetened condensed milk, and all remaining ingredients in large bowl; whisk until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into crust. Bake pie until puffed around edges and set in center, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Refrigerate pie at least 4 hours or overnight.

For marshmallow meringue:
Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Using rubber spatula, scrape marshmallow creme into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form. Add 1/2 cup beaten egg whites to marshmallow creme and stir with rubber spatula or spoon just until incorporated to lighten (marshmallow creme is very sticky and will be difficult to blend at first, but blending will become easier as remaining whites are folded in). Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions just until incorporated. Spread meringue over top of cold pie, mounding slightly in center and swirling with knife to create peaks.

Bake pie just until peaks and ridges of marshmallow meringue are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until meringue is cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let pie stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

This time of year not only marks the much anticipated end of the sultry dog days of summer but also the change of seasons for appetites. Menus will soon consist of the warmth of comfort foods and hearty soups and stews. Road-side produce stands and farmers markets will fold up their tents and the bounty of summer will be replaced by root vegetables and produce trucked in from far away warmer climates.

My taste buds mourn the passage of this time, wanting instead to rewind to the time when South Carolina peaches were just gorgeous blooms on a tree. Wanting to relive the eager anticipation of the juicy, sweet fruit. Never wanting summer to end.

It has become a summer ritual to stop for peaches at McLeod Farms in South Carolina on the way home from the beach and last year, I used the peaches to honor my friend. This year, I couldn't decide which direction I wanted to go and luckily I brought home enough peaches for three kitchen projects!

One of my favorite but hardly-ever-used kitchen appliances came out of hiding for the first project ~ peach ice cream. Rich, cool and creamy, it is the perfect way to say goodbye to the few remaining hot and humid summer days. As with most homemade ice creams, it is best served while still in the soft-serve stage but if you need to freeze and serve later, just let it sit out for a bit to soften up. I'm already having luscious visions of using brandied peaches next year for an over-the-top ice cream treat.

It would be a crime to let peach season pass without an old-fashioned peach pie. And let's just get one thing out of the way....I used a pre-fab pie crust because while I may be good at alot of things, making pie crusts is not one of them. I am not ashamed. I am ashamed, however, at how many pieces of this pie I ate. I had aspirations of baking a peach, cranberry, apple pie but that will have to wait until next year.

The third project was a combination peach-strawberry quick bread that was reduced to mere crumbs by my coworkers before I could even entertain taking a picture.

Unfortunately, I can't stop the passage of time or the change of seasons, but I can continue to dream up fabulous creations for next year's peach projects. I hope you'll enjoy the last official week of summer with one of these peachy delights!


Carolina Peach Ice Cream

2 1/2 pounds fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 pint half-and-half cream
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk, or as needed

Puree peaches with the sugar and half-and-half in batches in a blender or food processor.

In a gallon ice cream freezer container, mix together the peach mixture, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Pour in enough whole milk to fill the container to the fill line, about 2 cups.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions to freeze the ice cream.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Old-fashioned Peach Pie

1 (15 ounce) package pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1 egg, beaten
5 cups sliced peeled peaches
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate with one of the pie crusts. Brush with some of the beaten egg to keep the dough from becoming soggy later.

Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the peaches, and mix gently. Pour into the pie crust, and dot with butter. Cover with the other pie crust, and fold the edges under. Flute the edges to seal or press the edges with the tines of a fork dipped in egg. Brush the remaining egg over the top crust. Cut several slits in the top crust to vent steam.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is brown and the juice begins to bubble through the vents. If the edges brown to fast, cover them with strips of aluminum foil about halfway through baking. Serve warm.

Do you have what it takes to be a really good friend?

If a friend trusts you with a secret, can you cross your heart, hope to die, stick a needle in your eye promise not to tell another soul?

Do you always remember their birthdays?

Do you promise not to fight over boys even if one of you has to swallow the bitter pill when Mr. Right chooses her over you?

When a fight breaks out, can your friends count on you to have their back?

When I lived in the Wasteland, one of the (many) things that I struggled with most was the fact that I had no friends. I had close friends located far away, but the Captain and I didn't socially interact with alot of people and while he was honestly one of my best friends, I truly missed having a gossip-filled lunch with my girlfriends or having other friends over for an impromptu dinner. It was a lonely existence and when I found myself back in the Queen City, I made it a point to become acquainted with lots of cool people and also made it a point to keep the fires burning under the friendships formed so long ago.

I made this sinfully delicious Caramel Apple Pie for my friend G., who's birthday was back in....oh, I don't know... November sometime? We tried numerous times to get together so that I could gift him with some good home cooking but I got sick, he had a hot date, the holidays interfered, and before we knew it, it was next year. But being the good friend that I am try to be, I hounded G. until he came for his birthday dinner.

It's hard enough to imagine that this recipe, with all of its decadence, came from a 1999 publication of Cooking Light, but even harder to imagine that it took me this long to find out about it. After the gluttonous holidays, we probably should all be counting our calories but at 277 calories a slice, this isn't too bad of an indulgence and definitely worth an extra mile on the treadmill tomorrow!

Bake the pie, invite some friends over to enjoy, and if you can't decide who's going to get who's back during the fight, just call my friend K. because she's really good at getting your back when it counts!

P.S. I cheated and used a pre-made pie crust because I was pressed for time and I don't think G., in all of his birthday dinner excitment, even noticed.

Caramel Apple Crumb Pie
Cooking Light, November 1999

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon ice water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Butter-flavored cooking spray

Filling:
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 3/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup fat-free caramel sundae syrup
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1 cup flour and salt in a bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle surface with ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time; add vinegar. Toss with a fork until moist and crumbly (do not form a ball).

Press mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, to a 12-inch circle. Freeze 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Fold edges under; flute. Line bottom of dough with a piece of foil; arrange pie weights (or dried beans) on foil. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until the edge is lightly browned. Remove pie weights and foil; cool on a wire rack.

To prepare filling, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Add sugar mixture and apples to skillet; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 3 tablespoons flour and lemon juice. Spoon into prepared crust.

To prepare topping, lightly spoon 1/4 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Drizzle syrup over apple mixture; sprinkle topping over syrup. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool on a wire rack.

Most of my time away from a real job is spent with recipes. Searching for them. Shopping for them. Preparing, tweaking, critiquing and writing about them. Devouring them. It's to the point that I feel as though I'm in a relationship with my recipes.

There are recipes that catch the eye immediately. They contain an exotic or intriguing ingredient that excites you and you want to know more about it. You want to try the recipe but maybe feel a bit intimidated by it, thinking it's somewhat out of your league. Or maybe the timing just isn't right so you file it away for future reference but find that the excitement has worn off the next time you run across it.

There are the tried and true recipes ~ the ones you can come home to every night and never tire of. Even after a bit of tweaking, you know them by heart and don't even need to look at the written copy anymore. They comfort you, cheer you up, make you smile.

Some recipes just aren't your type or are so unappealing you wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

And we've all seen the recipe that is impressively presented in the cookbook photograph, has quality ingredients, and sounds really appealing to our palate. Once you try it though, you realize that those photographs are styled by a professional and even with the quality ingredients, no matter how many times you try it, look at it or taste it, it's just not that appetizing after all. A great recipe for someone else, though. Maybe one of your other girlfriends would like it?

The subject of this post falls into both the first and the last category. I was introduced to the Sugar Cream Pie back in late September. I was immediately intrigued because it was not a pie from my neck of the woods, hailing instead from the Midwestern area of the country. I'd never heard of it, never seen it on a menu and I needed to know more about it. There were a couple of variations of the pie ~ some people knew the pie to be one way and others described the pie in a completely different way. I wanted to try both variations and draw my own conclusions about which was the best.

I started out with this recipe and found out after the fact that it was the closest replica of the Sugar Pie that I was trying to recreate. The end result was very rich and tasty with hints of butterscotch flavor and I'd dare you eat more than one piece at a time. Talk about a sugar high! With the high concentration of sugar and fat from the heavy cream, the top of the pie looked like an oil slick after it was baked, so I wasn't overly impressed with this version. The Sugar Cream Pie is also known as a Depression Pie because it was traditionally made with very simple ingredients that were almost always on hand and I'm sure aesthetics was not an important factor.

Convinced that the Sugar Cream Pie was something I really wanted, I went back for Round Two with this rendition which was totally different in all aspects. This version had a custard base which bubbled over in my oven and left me with a nice burnt charcoal briquette to clean up. It neither looked nor tasted like the first attempt because it was creamier and not as sickening sweet.

I eventually got to sample a real Sugar Cream Pie on one of several trips to visit the human aspect of this relationship and my final opinion of the whole situation? Although intriguing at first glance, after two attempts to get to know it better I just wasn't that in to it. I'm ready to end our relationship because there are so many other pies to try and so little time but perhaps it's the perfect pie mate for you?

and you lose some.

I wonder if Kurt Warner was saying this to himself on Monday after his team lost the Super Bowl championship to the Pittsburgh Steelers during that last 32 seconds of the game. I know I was certainly saying it to myself, seeing as how I placed a hefty bet on hunky Kurt and his team. My friend S. happens to be a Steelers fan so we placed a friendly wager on the game - loser had to bring dessert to dinner on Tuesday. Now, keep in mind that it was certainly plausible that the Cards would win the game right up until the last 32 seconds, so with about a minute or two left in the game I sent a text message to S. telling him to pick up a pint of Maggie Moo's Udderly Cream ice cream on his way to my house and don't be late because I don't like melted ice cream! Today, I come to you with a mouthful of crow. Whoever said it tasted like chicken is a big liar!

Eating crow is never any fun, but S. was a perfect gentleman and didn't gloat over his big win. He even shared his winnings with me, which made the crow much easier to swallow. When he showed up at my door on Tuesday evening, I greeted him with his favorite dessert....key lime pie.

Looking back through this blog, I can't believe that I haven't shared this recipe with you before. Lord knows I made it NUMEROUS times during my past life in the catering kitchen. It's creamy, delicious, and very tart. The kind of tart that makes my eyelids tingle when I eat it. You can cheat and make this with regular lime juice {I actually prefer it that way} but I knew S. was a key lime pie aficionado and could spot a counterfeit a mile away so I used Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice and I also used a bit of the left over whipped cream from this dessert for garnish. I love the addition of granola in the crust and the double layers of key lime and sweetened condensed milk make it oh so yummy!

Crow may not taste anything like chicken, but I'd bet again on a losing team just to be able to enjoy it with a slice of this pie!



Two Layer Key Lime Pie

for the crust:
3/4 cup plain granola (with no dried fruit)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 whole crackers)
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

for the first layer:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
3 large egg yolks

for the second layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup Key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
lime zest & fresh whipped cream (optional)

to make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350.
Blend granola in a food processor or blender until coarsely ground.
Transfer granola to a bowl, and mix in graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar.
Press crumb mixture over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form a crust.
Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

to make the first layer:
Reduce oven temperature to 300.
Whisk together condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks in a bowl.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake until custard is set, about 15 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.

to make the second layer:
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese with condensed milk, lime juice, and sugar in a large bowl.
Pour over custard layer and use a spatula to smooth the top.
Cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle lime zest over the top, if desired.

makes 8 servings
source: Bon Appetit RSVP section - Keylime Bistro, Captiva Island Inn

Not long ago, a friend of mine visited Anna Marie Island and snapped a photo of a lime tree laden with juicy, shiny, ripe fruit. I ran across the photo one day while lurking admiring his personal website and it immediately made me think of key lime pie. I like to check out his site often simply because he is eye candy takes great photos and even though he lives 700 miles away, I commented on his lime photo and promised to make him a pie. What better time to try a recipe from my new Dorie Greenspan cookbook called Florida Pie.

Now I know that "Baking: From My Home To Yours" by Dorie has been all the rage for quite some time but I'm slow to catch on to new things. I'm probably the last person in the food blog world to own a copy of this book. But I really had to ask myself, "Self, do you really need another cookbook?" No sooner had I asked myself that question when I heard my mother's wise voice and wisdom echoing in my head..."Wanting and needing are two different things," she'd say when I was a kid and just had to have something. My mother is always right (or so she says) - I didn't need another cookbook. But I sure did want one!

And speaking of Dorie, I'm probably the only person in the blogworld who doesn't participate in Tuesday's with Dorie, a blog event that celebrates her recipes. I'd love to join, but it's a commitment in itself to participate and right now I just have too many irons in the fire - some of which I'm trying my best to extinguish. I do consider myself a loyal TWD lurker though.

Florida Pie takes key lime pie to a whole new outstanding level by adding shredded coconut and a cream of coconut mixture. Even though I claim to have the best recipe for key lime pie (and I can't believe that I haven't shared it with you already), I think Dorie's Florida Pie may just be my new favorite! I got a little carried away with letting my meringue brown in the oven, and since I always have graham cracker crumbs on hand, I just melted a little butter and combined it with the crumbs and pressed into a pie plate. Bake at 350 for about 7 or 8 minutes.

1 9-inch graham cracker crust
1 1/3 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, separated
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c lime juice
1/4 c sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put pie plate on a baking sheet
2. Put cream and 1 c coconut in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook until reduced by half and slightly thickened. Set aside to cool in a separate bowl.
3. Beat egg yolks on high until thick and pale. Beat in condensed milk and then half the lime juice on low speed. Add the rest of the lime juice and mix to combine.
4. Spread coconut cream into the graham cracker crust and then pour the lime mixture on top. Bake 12 minutes. Cool 15 minutes and then put in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
5. Put 4 egg whites and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium low heat until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer to a bowl and beat until the hold firm peaks. Fold in the last 1/2 c coconut.
6. Spread meringue over the pie and either run it under the broiler or use a kitchen blow torch to brown the top. Put the pie back in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

Lordy, lordy I'm behind on my posting yet again! I've had a busy few weeks in the catering kitchen but I have to blame this lapse on pure old age because it was my birthday last week, you know. My parents came for a visit and we spent most of the time tooling around in the big city, eating and shopping for birthday girl gifts, of course. I don't care how old I get or how unavailable my mother may be, it is MANDATORY that she visits on my birthday. Why? Because she has to make my birthday pie, that's why! And not just any old pie - it has to be my beloved Cherry O' Cream Cheese Pie.

Oh sure...I can make the pie for myself, and I can make it any time of the year that I darn well please but I have to have it for my birthday and it always tastes better when Mom makes it. To be honest, I never, ever make the pie for myself any other time of the year because I look so forward to my birthday pie and nothing makes me savor each and every bite like knowing it will be a whole year before I get it again. You have to be pretty darn special to be rewarded with a sliver of my birthday pie - and I do mean "sliver" in the truest sense of the word. I'm in charge of cuttin' the pie, and I do ration it out! Captain Sturm nearly met his fate this year when he sneaked and cut his own piece before I came into the kitchen.

This recipe was one of those on-the-back-of-the-label recipes from a can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk and who knows when it was originally published but when my Granny passed away some years ago and I came into possession of her cookbooks and recipe clippings, I found the recipe published in a circa 1965 pamphlet from Eagle Brand. It has simple ingredients and it quick to put together but I double dog dare ya not to spend all day thinking about eating that pie while it's chilling in the fridge!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Cherry O Cream Cheese Pie

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 each 9 inch graham cracker pie crust
8 ounces cream cheese
15 ounces Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can cherry pie filling

Let cream cheese soften to room temp; beat until fluffy. Gradually add condensed milk while mixing, stir until blended. Add lemon juice & vanilla extract; blend well. Pour into prepared crust. Chill 2-3 hours before garnishing top of pie with cherry pie filling. Hint: chill can of pie in the fridge too.

Source:
"circa 1965 recipe booklet for Eagle Brand Milk found in Granny Dover's stuff"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"When I found you
The moon stood still
On Blueberry Hill
And lingered until
My dreams came true"

Fats Domino found his famous thrill on Blueberry Hill long before I ever became a twinkle in the sky. That's about how long I've wanted to try this recipe for "Easy Pie Dough". Well, not really THAT long, but how is it that a recipe for something so simple can sit in my file for nearly 2 years and I never find an opportunity to try it? You might also wonder why I'd feel the need to try something so simple but the truth of the matter is, well....(can you scoot a little closer because I don't want the whole world to hear this....) because I've never made a pie crust from scratch. Did anyone hear me say that out loud? Is it horrible to hang a sign over my door and consider myself a caterer when I've never made a pie crust? I guess that's why I don't advertise my blog to my paying customers - I'm embarrased to admit the things that I've never done before, ashamed to let them know that I've skated by all these years on the wheels of convenience.

As was the intention of this blog, I'm turning over a new leaf. Move over Pillsbury 'cause I can make a pie crust! I took this recipe and combined it with Penzey's Blueberries and Cream Pie. Penzey's is an excellent mail-order source for spices and this recipe was featured in their order catalog some time ago. I made it even easier by using the food processor and pulsing the dough ingredients a few times. I wound up baking my pie a tad longer than the specified 45 minutes as it was not yet set in the middle. The recipe for "Easy Pie Dough" was featured in the USA Weekend insert of the newspaper for the weekend of November 12-14, 2004.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Blueberries and Cream Pie

Serving Size : 8
Categories : Pie

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 recipe easy pie dough(below)
4 cups blueberries (2 pints)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
PIE DOUGH:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2" chunks
4 tablespoons frozen butter
2 tablespoons frozen vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice cold water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until a soft dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, pressing it into a thick disk. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour. Can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen for a month.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14" circle, turning frequently and dusting wiht flour to keep it from sticking. Fold dough in half, quickly lift into a 9" Pyrex (not deep dish) pie plate and unfold. Fit dough into plate so that it is not stretched in any way. Trim with scissors to 1/2" beyond pan lip. Roll overhanging dough under with fingertips so it is flush with pan lip, then flute. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Do not prick shell with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400. Rinse the berries and pick out any undesirable ones. After the berries have drained and are somewhat dry, pour them into the pastry shell. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the milk and 1/2 cup of the whipping cream, whisk until smooth. Pour over the berries and bake for 45 minutes. After about 30 minutes you may want to cover the edges of the crust with foil if the pastry looks like it's getting too dark. Cool on a wire rack and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Optional topping: Beat 1/2 cup of very cold whipping cream with 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract to top the pie before serving.



Now that I've cleared my conscience of this horrible convenience-pie-crust-secret that I've been carrying around, I feel much better. My spirit is lighter...flakier, even (a little food pun intended)