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rhubarb-strawberry icebox pie.

March 30, 2012 — 5 Comments

This pretty pink ice cream pie is totally not my fault.

I mean, how can you look it in the eye and not want to make it? It’s pink! And pretty!

I blame springtime. This time of year, I want to make pretty pink desserts. With rhubarb. And strawberries.

Well, that’s kind of a lie. Because this is the first time I’ve ever actually purchased rhubarb from the store and made something out of it. But, it’s not a complete lie – because I’ve always wanted to.

Just in case you’re unfamiliar, rhubarb is that pinkish-greenish celery-looking stuff that yes, happens to rear its stalky head this time of year. You probably hear that it’s paired with strawberries a lot, in desserts. It’s true. It happens.

It happened here, and I’m quite happy about it. I spied this rhubarb icebox pie in Bon Appétit a while ago, and saved it for this perfect moment. Well, the funny thing is that the moment turned out to be more perfect than I could have imagined.

In Sweets + Treats ice cream, icebox desserts, pies + tarts, rhubarb, spring recipes, strawberries

southern comfort apple pie.

October 30, 2011 — 19 Comments

When you serve a pie, and everyone instantly proclaims it to be the BEST pie they’ve ever eaten, you know you’re onto something.

“Best pie, ever?” I asked. “Like, best apple pie?”

“No. Best pie ever. Any pie. This apple pie is better than any other pie in the world.”

Bold words. Bold words for a bold pie. This is not your grandmother’s apple pie. This apple pie is sexy. Dangerous. This apple pie lives on the edge.

It all starts with a perfectly buttery, flaky crust. The pie dough is easy to work with, which earns extra points in my book. But the Southern Comfort-caramel-super cinnamon-y apple filling is clearly the star of the show. Say it with me: Southern Comfort-caramel-super cinnamon-y apple filling. These are ingredients that clearly belong together. I had to go out and buy a bottle of Southern Comfort, because yes, my college days are over, and I’m not exactly tossing back SoCo lime shots at home on a quiet Friday night – though I do have quite a bit left in the bottle, and a few limes sitting in a bowl on the counter, so I’d be lying if I didn’t see anything happening with that in my near future.

In Sweets + Treats apples, caramel, cinnamon, pies + tarts, project pastry queen, southern comfort, southern recipes

fresh corn + basil tart.

September 19, 2011 — 3 Comments

I’m not sure what it is about serving a tart that always impresses people.

It probably has something to with the fact that tarts are often beautiful to look at, so if you make one that tastes good, too – you know it’s going to be a hit. Such was the case with this recipe, and the best part is that it was also super-easy to make.

In Dinner Party Worthy, On the Side basil, corn, pies + tarts, savory tarts, summer recipes

{lattice-topped} blueberry pie.

September 2, 2011 — 6 Comments

So, yeah. Lattice-topped pies are pretty awesome.

Awesome to look at, awesome to eat – and surprisingly easy to make.

I’ll admit it: Something about the idea of a lattice-topped pie intimidated me. I’m not sure what it was. Perhaps it’s the fact the pie dough can be rather finnicky at times, depending on…who knows what. Some days my go-to crust is perfect – and other days, I can’t help but wonder why it’s my go-to crust.

In Recipe Arsenal, Sweets + Treats blueberries, dough + crust making, pies + tarts, summer recipes

coconut cream pie.

July 3, 2011 — Leave a comment

I am a planner.

A planner in the sickest sense of the word. It’s probably more accurate to call me an obsesser, in fact.

Menu planning just happens to be one of my favorite things in the world. I spend hours obsessing over my menus, making sure everything works perfectly together in my sick and twisted mind. In those hours I spend reading recipes, making notes to myself to add a pinch of this or substitute that, you’d think I’d at the very least check to make sure I have the ingredients or cookware I need to make it all happen.

Nope. I can’t count how many times I’ve sent poor Daniel to the store for something I overlooked in a recipe. Often, it’s a pan of some kind. Today, it was a deep-dish pie plate.

Now, it’s important for you to understand that I now work in a candy land for cooks and food lovers. I have access to any pot, pan, dish, glass, napkin, prop – you name it, I can borrow it. This makes it doubly annoying. But, in any event – off I had to send Daniel to the store, as I was without the pan I needed. And as it always does, it all worked out.

This pie is worth an extra trip to the store. It was my first coconut cream pie, which is funny because it’s probably my favorite type of cream pie. I love meringue and this pie is brimming with it. The fact that the meringue is baked adds a different component to this pie – a crunchy one. I’m used to cream pies being creamy. I’m still not sure how I feel about the baked meringue; it makes the whole pie sweeter, I think. I had to torch it a bit at the end for the beautiful browning I love on a meringue – and I also added a sprinkling of toasted coconut on top, so that people will know what they’re eating before they dig in.

The pie crust also came out perfectly, and the coconut custard is to-die-for luscious. It’s all relatively easy to make – just a lot of time stirring and a few steps. I think it’s worth it. What do you think?

Aunt Mollie’s Coconut Cream Pie

Adapted from The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather

Basic Pie Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water {I needed 5}

Coconut Custard Filling:

3 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Meringue Topping:

6 large egg whites
2 cups sugar

To make the crust:

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in freezer for a couple of minutes to get them cold again. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine on low speed about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the mixture looks crumbly, with bits of dough the size of peas. Add 4 tablespoons ice water, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed for 10 seconds after each addition. After the last addition, the dough should begin to clump together in a ball. If it doesn’t, continue mixing about 10 seconds longer. If it still looks too dry, add an additional 1 tablespoon ice water. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic warp, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Transfer the unwrapped dough to a lightly floured flat surface. Roll it into a 1/8-inch thick circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. (To keep the dough from sticking, gently pick it up periodically as you roll it out and rotate it in place, adding more flour underneath if necessary.) Wrap the dough lightly over the rolling pin and set it in the ungreased pie plate. Press it into place and crimp the outside edges with your fingers or a fork. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust. Cover the bottom and sides of the crust with a sheet of parchment paper and fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights. If the crust is not golden brown, return it to the oven for 1 to 3 minutes. Cool on a rack until the filling is ready. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees.

To make the filling:

Whisk together the egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl. Combine the sugar and flour in a large saucepan. Pour the yolk-cream mixture into the saucepan, whisking over medium heat until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly about 10 minutes, until it thickens. Stir in the butter, coconut, and vanilla. Remove from the heat.

To make the meringue:

Set a large, perfectly clean metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Pour in the egg whites and sugar. (If there is a trace of fat in the bowl, the eggs won’t reach their proper volume.) Heat the egg white mixture while whisking constantly until the sugar melts and there are no visible grains in the meringue. Take a little meringue mixture and rub it between your fingers to make sure all grains have melted. Remove the meringue from over the simmering water and whip it with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on low speed for 5 minutes; increase the speed to high and beat 5 minutes longer, until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Pour the filling into the pie crust. Spoon the meringue over the pie, covering the filling completely and sealing the edges of the pie crust. Dip the back of a spoon quickly into the meringue to make little spike – or use your fingers. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown.

Note: I doubled the amount of meringue for a more dramatic appearance – and because I love it. Feel free to cut the sugar and egg whites in half to make enough to just cover the pie.

In Sweets + Treats american classics, coconut, meringue, pies + tarts, project pastry queen

blackberry pie bars.

May 8, 2011 — 3 Comments

What’s better than a warm, fresh-baked pie straight out of the oven?

A pie bar, which is exponentially easier to make and just as delicious.

For some reason, I fell in love with the idea of these bars when I first saw them in the Pastry Queen cookbook. When I saw that Josie had selected them for this week’s edition of PPQ, I knew I’d have to pull it together and get them done – even though this may have been the most epic weekend in my life.

{Did I just say “epic” – I don’t usually use that word, but I honestly can’t come up with a better one to fit this weekend. More on that later}

So, that’s just what I did. I pulled it together, and I made these bars happen. Luckily, they’re incredibly simple to make: You start with an easy pastry base, press most of it into the bottom of the pan, bake for a few and then top with the blackberry filling, adding more of the crumbled pastry on top and baking again for about an hour. I love that the recipe uses frozen blackberries, so you can make them anytime of year. I halved the recipe, so I used an 8-inch square pan rather than the 9 x 13 dish the recipe calls for, and I think because of that I had to bake everything about 20% longer than the recipe stated. I also threw in an extra handful of berries, and subbed buttermilk for the sour cream because that’s what I had on hand.

I love a good pie – blueberry, blackberry, and cherry are probably my top three fillings. I think these bars would be equally fabulous with either of those fruits, or whatever fruit you prefer. You can serve them up with some vanilla ice cream for dessert, or on their own for breakfast.

Or, you can just eat them. Whenever.

{Click here for the full recipe}

In Sweets + Treats bars + brownies, blackberries, desserts with fruit, pies + tarts, project pastry queen

quiche lorraine.

February 25, 2011 — 2 Comments

Quiche Lorraine is one of those dishes where it seems everyone has a different opinion about how the traditional version is prepared.

I’ve read bacon and Swiss, some with leeks, some not – but most of them have one thing in common: a custard made with an ungodly amount of cream and a little bit of egg. Most also seem to include bacon, as this recipe does – I think it’s safe to say that any recipe by Julia is probably pretty close to the traditional.

You’ll be amazed at how this quiche is so rich and light at the same time. I love that it almost bears the flavor of cheese, without actually having to add any. But even moreso, I’m in love with this crust. I’ve never used shortening before, and I think that may have been the key (though I know many of you are likely turned off by it). It was so unbelievably flaky, I had zero problems with it cooking unevenly, and it was super easy to roll out and work with.

I used a springform pan, so I ended up with sort of a funny shape, but next time I would probably use a regular pie dish. I added extra custard to try and fill it higher to the top, but it didn’t really work since my springform is so high, so I recommend using a pie plate and sticking with the recipe below.

Quiche Lorraine

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking via Saveur

The crust:

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch sugar
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten

The filling:

6 ounces bacon, diced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

For the crust: Sift together flour, salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to work butter and shortening into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in up to 6 tbsp. ice water, stirring the dough with a fork until it just begins to hold together. Using your hands, press dough firmly into a rough ball, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Give the dough several quick kneads with the heel of your hand to form a smooth dough, then shape into a ball, flatten slightly to make a round, and dust with flour. Wrap round in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°. Allow dough to soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out on a lightly floured surface into a 14” round. Fit dough, without stretching it, into a buttered 10” bottomless metal flan ring, 1 1⁄2” deep, set on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet with no rim (or a pie plate). Press overhanging dough down slightly into sides of ring to make the sides of the crust a little thicker and sturdier. Run the rolling pin over the top of the ring to remove any overhanging dough. Using a fork, prick bottom lightly, then make a decorative edge around the rim. Line dough with buttered aluminum foil, then add pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is set and edge just begins to color, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and weights, brush bottom and sides with egg, and continue baking until crust is pale golden, another 2-5 minutes.

For the filling: Reduce heat to 375°. Put bacon in a medium pan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (I found this to be a strange step, and though I couldn’t find out for sure why, I believe it has something to do with removing the excess salt from the bacon.) Boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Return bacon to pan and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain, then arrange on bottom of crust.

Beat eggs, cream, and salt together in a medium bowl and season to taste with nutmeg and pepper. Pour mixture into crust and bake until custard is puffed and golden and just set in the center, 30-35 minutes. Slide quiche off parchment paper (or remove from pie plate) onto a serving platter and remove ring. Serve quiche warm or at room temperature, sliced into wedges.

In Weekend Brunch bacon, february in france, french recipes, julia child, pies + tarts, quiche

{bakery-style} fruit tart.

February 6, 2011 — 1 Comment

A fabulous tart made with fresh fruit and pastry cream is one of the first things I think of when I imagine a pâtisserie in France.

{pâtisserie: French pastry shop or bakery}

There is just something about that rich, vanilla custard coupled with the sweetness and tang from the fresh fruits that pushes this beautiful dessert over the edge for me. Whether in Europe or here in the US, these tarts are widely available. And whenever I see one sitting in one of those shiny display cases, I have a hard time passing it up. I find that they typically don’t vary much in quality, and by making one myself, I discovered it’s probably because this classic French dessert is so surprisingly simple to execute.

Tart shell, pastry cream, fresh fruit. Simple enough, right? The only tricky area here is – as always – the tart shell. I have had many issues with tart shells, and I think most people who’ve taken to making tarts often will agree. From shrunken walls to burnt ones, there are many ways in which the crust can go wrong. I made the mistake of using the tart recipe from the original below, but I wouldn’t recommend it to you. Sorry, Ina! Instead, I included a link to Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for Deb’s “great unshrinkable tart shell” – which is, pretty much, the discovery of a lifetime.

I have to laugh at myself sometimes because I when I first saw where this tart shell was headed, I was so dramatic. This tart sucks! It’s going right in the garbage! And, of course, it was Daniel who told me that it would be fine, it always is – and I better not throw that tart away because he had already made plans to eat it.

Well, wouldn’t you know it: Daniel was right. The tart, though with its imperfect crust, was still perfectly beautiful – and most importantly, it tasted just as I remembered.

Fresh Fruit Tart

Adapted from Ina Garten, via Oprah.com

1 baked Sweet Tart Shell, recipe here or use your own
3 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cognac or brandy
Fresh fruits of your choice {I used 4 kiwis, a handful of raspberries, and a few blueberries}

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed about 3 minutes, until mixture is light yellow and falls back into bowl in a ribbon. On low speed, beat in cornstarch.

In a large saucepan, bring milk to a simmer. Slowly pour milk into egg mixture, whisking steadily, then pour back into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until mixture is thick, about 4 minutes. Bring to a boil and cook on low heat 2 to 3 more minutes. (Taste to be sure cornstarch is cooked.) Remove from heat; mix in butter, vanilla, cream and cognac.

Pour custard through a strainer into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto custard and refrigerate until cold. While custard is cooling, prep your fruit. Smaller berries can be left whole; larger fruits like kiwi should be sliced.

Place baked tart shell on a serving plate and spread cooled pastry cream over bottom of shell. Place fruit on top of custard in any pattern you desire, and serve.

Note: Traditionally, a fruit tart may be glazed with some type of fruit preserve at the end. If you want to go this route, simply melt your jam/jelly in a small saucepan over low heat and brush it over the fruit at the end. Apricot is common, though I might like to try a blackberry if I were to do it.

In Sweets + Treats february in france, french recipes, fresh fruits, ina garten, pastry cream, pies + tarts

lemon meringue tarts.

January 9, 2011 — 3 Comments

It’s that time again.

There was a chocolate cake that went where no chocolate cake had gone before. We shared a cheesecake that put your old favorite pumpkin recipe to shame. And now, it’s time for lemon meringue.

That’s right – it’s my pick for Project Pastry Queen again, and after such tremendous success with my last two choices, the stakes were high. These individual lemon meringue tarts, or more accurately – lemon-lime meringue tarts – have been staring me right in the face ever since my copy of the cookbook arrived. And not just because they grace the front cover of the book, mind you. It’s the idea of luscious, cloud-like meringue piled much too high that’s been in my head. It’s been the small, jelly-like pools of bright, citrusy curd resting upon buttery crusts brimming with nuts that have been consuming my thoughts. And the combination of such brilliant flavors and contrasting textures?

Well, suffice it to say – I just couldn’t take it anymore. I had to give into these signature tarts, or so-called by Rebecca Rather. She gives them this name because like most of her recipes and dishes, these tarts have style. Big style. Everything is bigger in Texas, so it’s no surprise that the spiky meringue tops you see here were created with the infamous go-big-or-go-home hairstyles we’ve all come to love {or love to hate} in mind.

I happen to like big hair. And I happen to love big hair on lemon meringue tarts.

Though a stand mixer and a blow-torch will make your life easier {or more fun, when it comes to the blow torch part}, you can certainly make do with a hand mixer and your broiler. The tarts are quite easy to make, despite their dramatic and awe-inducing appearance – making them perfect for a dinner party or any other time you’re baking to impress. And after months of pumpkin and chocolate, a clever little riff on classic lemon meringue may be just what the doctor ordered.

Texas Big Hairs Lemon-Lime Meringue Tarts

Recipe from Rebecca Rather, the Pastry Queen

Crust:

1 ½ cups pecans or sliced almonds
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt

Lemon-Lime Curd:

10 extra-large egg yolks (reserve the egg whites for the meringue)
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meringue:

10 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
3 cups sugar

To make the crusts:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7-9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. (If using almond slices, toast for 5-7 minutes). Coarsely chop the pecans.

With your fingers, butter eight 4 3/8 inch, 1-cup capacity disposable foil tartlet pans {I used my Wilton tart pans}, using about 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter total.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add the vanilla, then gradually add the flour and salt and combine on low speed until incorporated. Add the nuts and mix on low speed just until they are incorporated. Form the dough into a ball – it will be sticky – and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, divide into 8 equal portions and press into the prepared pans, making sure it comes up to the top edge of the pans. If the dough sticks to your hands, dust them with flour as often as necessary.

Bake the crust about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before filling with lemon-lime curd.

To make the curd:

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lime juice and zest in the top of a double boiler. Add the butter to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until melted and smooth. Cook about 40 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes. The curd should be thick, resembling the consistency of loose custard. Transfer the warm mixture to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the curd, sealing it and leaving no air between the wrap and the curd. Refrigerate the curd for at least 4 hours and up to 3 days. For express cooling, freeze it for at least 1 hour.

To make the meringue:

Set a large, perfectly clean metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Pour in the egg whites and sugar. Heat the egg whites and sugar while whisking constantly until the sugar melts and there are no visible grains in the meringue. Take a little meringue mixture and rub it between your fingers to make sure all sugar grains have melted. Remove the meringue from over the simmering water and whip it with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on low speed for 5 minutes; increase the speed to high and beat 5 minutes longer, until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the broiler. To assemble the tarts, spoon the chilled lemon-lime curd into the crusts, filling them about three-quarters of the way to the top. Pile the meringue on top of the curd. Style the meringue with your fingers by plucking at it to tease the meringue into jagged spikes.

Set the tarts on the middle rack of the oven and broil until the meringue topping turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Watch the tarts closely, as they can turn from browned to burnt in a matter of seconds. (If you are using a kitchen torch {like I did!}, hold it 2 to 3 inches away from the meringue and move the flame slowly around the meringue until it is browned all over.) The tarts should be served the day they are assembled.

Note: I halved the recipe, making 4 tarts, and it came out perfectly. These babies are rich, and – you guessed it – big (!) so feel free to cut them in half for serving. Just place a butter knife in a glass of warm water and cut right through.

In Sweets + Treats citrus, individual desserts, lemon curd, pies + tarts, project pastry queen

grasshopper pie.

December 12, 2010 — 2 Comments

If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, you will *die* for this pie.

It’s creamy. It’s minty. It’s decadent and sinful, light and refreshing – all rolled into one. It’s served frozen and drizzled in warm homemade fudge sauce.

{It’s pure perfection}

And I’m especially loving it for the holidays, thanks to its festive green hue. It’s a bit of a process to make, but so totally worth it. Here’s how it all goes down: You start with your Oreo crust, which is just one package of cookies {I actually use Newman’s Own brand} crushed and mixed with melted butter and then pressed into a pie plate. For the filling, get some egg yolks and an egg into your mixer bowl, and whip them until nice and thick. You then add your gelatin and crème de menthe. Next comes the trickiest part of it all, and it’s really not all that tricky – you’ll just need a candy thermometer. Heat some water and sugar until it gets to a certain temperature and then slowly add it to the egg mixture, keeping the mixer going on low speed. Then it’s time for my favorite ingredient of this pie – the marshmallow cream. Add that along with a touch of mint extract and whip it all up together for a couple of minutes. The last piece of the pie, if you will, is to whip a nice amount of cream up and fold it into the mixture. Now, you’re ready to pour it into the pie crust and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

The last touch for this pie that takes it truly over the top is the homemade fudge sauce. You could go without it, really, as the pie on its own is already pure perfection, but the sauce is so easy and so delicious – why not just go for it? Heat some cream and sugar and melt a combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate right into it. A touch of butter, a sprinkle of salt, and you’re there. Less than five minutes, and you just took your already perfect grasshopper pie right into pure, unadulterated chocolatey-mint heaven.

Be sure to check out Tara’s blog for the full recipe!

*Note of caution: You may have a hard time getting the frozen crust out of your pie plate, as I did. The first piece is the most difficult, and then it gets a little easier. Next time, I may try baking the crust for ten minutes first and letting it cool before filling and see if that helps.

In Sweets + Treats chocolate, holiday recipes, mint, pies + tarts, project pastry queen