Turkey Day, Minus the Turkey...

Okay,

So last week I gave you a preview of our menu.  I wanted to take some time to go over each item as a separate post because they are all individual dishes and I didn't want to overwhelm myself and others by posting three detailed recipes on one single post.  So, let's start with the most important one, the pie.

Yes, everything was done from scratch.  I have this great recipe for pumpkin pie that I just love.  The crust is a recipe that I received from my dad.  The crust goes as so:

2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup cold butter
ice water

Alright so you start by putting the first four ingredients together in a bowl.  Using a pastry cutter, mix the ingredients together until it is flakey.  You want all of the shortening and butter mixed in well with the flour.
*Note: DO NOT soften your butter.  It will not work this way*
After it is all mixed well, you will begin adding the ice water (tablespoons at a time).  I did not specify how much ice water it will take because I don't know.  It has been different for me every time I have made crust.  This is where you have to trust yourself.  I start by filling up a half cup measuring cup with water and putting an ice cube in it (to make sure it is actually ice water).  If I need more, I get more.
You will want to add enough ice water so that the dough sticks together and you can form a ball with it.  This should not be a dry ball.  It should have a slight stick to your hand; but should not be slimy and sliding out of your grip.  *This is very important.  It is all about the feel of the dough*

After you have your desired consistency, you will want to wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  If you do not have time for this, you can put it in the freezer for a shorter amount of time; but make sure you add just a little more water to your dough because the freezer will dry it out. (I have made that mistake A LOT)

When it has been at least an hour you will want to turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Coat both sides and your rolling pin lightly with flour and begin rolling the dough out until you get a thin, flat, circle of dough.  *If you do not flour your surface, your dough will stick to the table and then you are SCREWED*
You will want your dough to be about 1/8" in thickness.  That's pretty thin.  You could go a little thicker; but not much.
After your dough is rolled out, you will need to transfer it to your pie plate.  To do this you will need to fold the dough in half and then half again (quarter).  You can then easily transfer the dough onto the pie plate and unfold it.  It should look like this:

Okay, the next part is fun.  You will want to cut the scrap edges off.  You will want to leave about 3/4-1" of crust along the outside.  After you have your scraps, put them aside to use them later.  Then you can begin designing your rim.  This can be your own personal design.  Mine looked like this:

   
After you finish with your rim, you will need to put the crust back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  This is when you start heating your oven to 375.
When the 30 minutes have passed, you will need to cover the entire crust with foil (even the edges).  Then, fill the inside of the pie plate with rice to weigh down the foil and crust.
*The reason why you are doing this is because we are baking the crust before we add the pumpkin pie filling.  We do not want the filling to seep into the crust.*
**Also, the purpose for the rice is to weigh down the crust.  It will puff up as it bakes.**

Now you are ready to bake your crust.  Place crust in the oven for 20 minutes.  After the 20 minutes are up, remove the foil with the rice and bake the crust, uncovered for about 3-4 minutes just to crisp it up a bit.  Once it is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a baking rack.
While your crust is cooling is the perfect time to make the filling.

Pumpkin pie filling is a custard.  It is such a tastey custard too.  :-D  Here is my recipe for the custard (which I have modified ever-so-slightly from www.epicurious.com):

1- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
3/4 scant cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt


There is no specific order in which you need to incorporate these ingredients to make the custard.  I just put it all into a bowl and whisked it together until it was very smooth.
Once your crust is cooled enough (warm but not hot to the touch), you can pour the custard filling into the shell/crust and bake, again at 375, for about 45 minutes.
*Mine only too slightly over 40 minutes to bake*

Here are some specific things to look for to make sure your pie is done:
1. Make sure your crust is browned on the rims
2. When you tap the side of the pie plate, the middle of the pie should tremble; but the outside should not.
3. The outside of the filling should be set and even slightly cracked


Here is what mine looked like:

 

 

As the pie cools, the middle will set itself.  If you do not let this happen naturally, your pie will be overcooked.  If all goes right, you should have a tastey, creamy, flakey pumpkin pie to serve to your family for your next holiday get-together.

I hope this was helpful.  Let me know if you have any questions!

Let us talk basic kneeds!

Here's the result!/ Know your oven

My chord was found!  It was in my house mate's camera bag.  Haha, oh well.  The point of it all is that the chord is here which means, yes, you get to see a photo!  Here is the Cinnamon Banana Walnut Loaf:

It should have a golden-brown look to it and MUST be eaten with a generous amount of butter! :)

REAL QUICK
While I have you here, let me talk a little bit about your oven.  Some are gas, other electric; but the important thing is to KNOW YOUR OVEN PERSONALLY.
What do I mean by that?
I mean that once you start baking in it, you will discover that it has certain characteristics.  Example, some and most ovens have hot spots.  Once you find that hot spot, you want to make sure you are either rotating what you are baking so one side doesn't get over cooked while the other side isn't done yet; or if your hot spot is in a more avoidable place, you should try not to get whatever you are baking too close to it.  My oven hot spot, for example, is at the bottom of the oven.  Anything on the bottom is going to burn and not be done.  So I avoid the bottom rack.
So get to know your oven.  Generally, I have found gas to function better than electric; but that is also a personal preference.  I have baked and cooked with both and done just fine.  You can too. :)
 That's all I've got for now.  Let me know how your bread turned out!


Let us talk basic kneeds!

Cinnamon Banana Walnut Loaf

Oooook.

So most really great recipes start with a basic recipe and someone says "Hey, what if I do this?  And add this?"  and then it turns into something fantastic.  If I have learned anything from my father and grandmother about cooking or baking it's to never follow a recipe to the "T".  I know that sounds really scary; but it is also so much fun because everything you make is unique to you.  Of course you may make more mistakes; but how else are you going to learn?!?

So today I took a recipe for banana-nut loaf that I have found in a wonderful bread book The Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Bread Cook Book and sort of transformed it into something more my own.

Here is the original recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup mashed banana
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Now, when I looked at this recipe, I saw A LOT of potential!  Granted, this recipe would be tastey just the way it says; but being the person I am, I can't make it that way!  A few things that I will change right off the bat is I will replace half of the shortening with butter!  The butter adds a sweet and salty flavor and a more creamy texture to baked goods.  Another thing I will do is replace half of the sugar and with honey.  Replacing some of the sugar with honey gives it a more natural and subtle sweetness that I just love.  The next thing I will do is add cinnamon to the recipe.  Cinnamon goes great with banana and honey.  The final thing I will do is add more nuts because they never call for enough in my opinion!

Here is my recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Sift these ingredients together in a bowl *Make sure it is all a fine powder. You don't want any chunks of baking powder in there!*

In a separate bowl:
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter (half stick)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 TB milk
Cream these ingredients together until they resemble whipped butter.

Then add:
2 eggs
Beat this well!

Then you will alternate adding:
2 bananas well mashed
the dry ingredients
*Make sure you are mixing in these ingredients well!  The batter should be smooth before you add more.*

After this is smooth, your batter should not be liquidy, rather, it should be very soft and sticky.  Then you  are going to add
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Stir it together and scoop it into a 9x5x3 baking dish and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes.

I want to publish a photo.  I have one.  I have just lost my usb cable to my camera.  I will get another one and when I do, a picture of this will be posted!
For now, you will just have to let me know how it turns out for you!

Let us talk basic kneeds!

Thanksgiving is approaching!

I am way too excited about Thanksgiving!  I have three different things I am going to be sharing that I am making.  First of all, let me get this out of the way.  No, I am not making a turkey.  I do not think Thanksgiving means turkey.  I think Thanksgiving means a time for us to be excited about what we have and to spend time with the people for whom we are thankful.  I have actually ordered brisket from Holy Smoke BBQ in the North Market  http://www.holysmokebbq.biz/ and am going to be concentrating on the side dishes and the desert.

For dinner, we are going to be having:

Brisket
Mashed Potato Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Bacon
Wild Mushroom and Spinach Stuffing
Pumpkin Pie 

The only thing that I will not be making from scratch is the brisket.  We will talk recipes later.  I just wanted to wet your appetite!

Let us talk basic kneeds!

The Beginning

Okay, I figure that I need to begin just by saying that I am super excited about all of the things I have to share on this blog!  I am also open to any questions about cooking or baking that you might have.  I will basically be sharing some of the recipes that I use or have modified or made up!  I will also do my best to show a picture and tell the final results! I really hope you enjoy this blog.  If not, well, that's alright. 

 Let us talk basic kneeds!