Holy Tomato Pie, Batman!

I know a lot of you out there have your own gardens, I see your pictures on Facebook!  Right about now you're probably staring at tomato plants heavy with fruit and feeling really proud and maybe just a touch nervous.  Just what are you going to do with ALL THOSE TOMATOES??  I'm a big fan of canning so I definitely recommend you put some of those garden-fresh beauties up for the winter months!  But for enjoying right now, you MUST make this Tomato, Cheddar and Bacon Pie from Southern Living Magazine.  I made this pie earlier in the summer (and am just now getting around to posting it, of course) and my friends and I were blown away by the cheesey, bacony, tomatoey goodness!

The bacon crust really makes this pie.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Bacon crust.  With sour cream.  Seriously.  And the addition of herbs, cheddar and Parmesan in the filling make this one a sure-fire hit!  Don't skip the step of salting and draining the tomatoes on paper towels, it will help keep your crust from getting soggy.  I made just a few slight modifications to the Southern Living recipe, only so that I could use ingredients I already had at home.  (The original recipe can be accessed through the link above.)  I think you could easily make your own variation by using different herbs and cheese - feta, gruyere or goat cheese would be lovely, and tarragon or oregano would do nicely for the herbs.  I used just red tomatoes, but if you have multiple colors and varieties, all the better!  Just don't skip the bacon crust please!!

The finished pie full of delicious tomatoes.  This would be perfect with a salad and glass of wine for a light dinner or lunch.

Tomato, Cheddar and Bacon Pie
Adapted from Southern Living Magazine
Makes one 9-inch pie

CRUST
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup sour cream
8 cooked bacon slices, chopped

FILLING
2 1/2 lbs. ripe, fresh tomatoes
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg, beaten
2 tsp. dried dill
2 Tb. chopped fresh basil (or substitute 1 Tb. dried basil)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 Tb. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 Tb. plain yellow cornmeal

For the crust, place flour in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer; cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles small peas. Chill 10 minutes.  Add bacon to the flour mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Gradually add sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.  Spoon mixture onto a heavily floured surface; sprinkle lightly with flour, and knead 3 or 4 times, adding more flour as needed. Roll to a 13-inch round. Gently press the dough in a 9-inch fluted tart pan or pie pan and trim the edges.  Chill at least 30 minutes.

For the filling, slice the tomatoes 1/4-inch thick and spread out in a single layer onto paper towels. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and let drain for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a bowl combine the cheddar cheese, the next 9 ingredients and the remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and stir well. Sprinkle the cornmeal onto the bottom of the pie crust and spread half of the cheese mixture on top.  Layer half of the tomatoes on top of the cheese in overlapping circles.  Spread the rest of the cheese over the top of this layer and then cover with the remaining tomatoes.  If desired, season the top of the pie with salt and freshly ground black pepper and a light sprinkling of the same herbs you used.

Bake the pie in the pre-heated oven about 40 to 45 minutes, shielding the edge of the crust with foil if needed to keep it from browning too much.  Let the pie rest at room temperature 1 to 2 hours before serving.  This pie is best served at room temperature, but still delicious when cold.

The bacon crust!  I actually had more dough then I needed, so I wrapped up the excess and put it in the freezer.  I have enough to make a mini pie, or to roll, cut and bake into delicious snacks!

The assembled pie ready for baking.  I sprinkled a little salt, pepper and basil over the top of mine.

Italian Easter Pie

I've been feeling like I'm long past overdue for a meat pie.  Easter brings quiche to my mind, but I wanted to do something a little more exciting.  My mind wandered to the Pizza Rustica recipe from Giada De Laurentiis I had made many years ago.  This is a thick, two-crust pie filled with Italian meats and cheeses, also called Italian Easter Pie.  Her recipe includes a delicious, rich crust that I used in my Aussie meat pies.

I don't  know if Italians really eat this pie on Easter, but it is so delicious I'd recommend it any day of the week.  With the ricotta based filling studded with sausage and spinach tucked inside the flaky crust, this pie is a home run!  It goes perfectly with a salad for lunch or dinner, which is how we ate it at my house for 3 days!  It's a hearty pie and the filling possibilities are endless.  I would enjoy asparagus and artichokes in this pie, grilled vegetables, tiny meatballs, Italian cold cuts, grilled chicken...anything!

I made just a few modifications to the original recipe, including using half water and half vodka for a foolproof, tender crust.  A springform pan is necessary to accommodate the copious amounts of filling and allows for easy removal of the pie from the pan.  But I think a large, deep-dish pie pan could work as well.

Italian Easter Pie (Pizza Rustica)
Makes one 9-inch pie in a springform pan
Slightly modified version of a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Crust
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup cold solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 Tb. ice cold vodka
2 Tb. ice water, more may be needed

Blend the flour, the butter, the shortening and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in the eggs, pulsing the machine to incorporate them. Add the vodka and pulse again a few times.  Add the water and process just until the dough starts to come together. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, with 1 piece twice as large as the second piece. Flatten the dough pieces into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes.

Filling

8 ounce bulk Italian sausage

1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed and drained

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

3 large eggs

2 tsp. garlic seasoning, I used Jane’s Crazy Mixed up Salt

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

a few dashes hot sauce

2 Tb. heavy cream

In a saute pan cook the sausage, breaking up into small crumbles.  Add the spinach and saute briefly to evaporate any excess moisture.  Set aside to cool slightly.  In a large bowl beat the eggs and seasonings.  Add the ricotta cheese and whisk well to combine.  Add the cheeses, sausage and spinach and stir well  to combine.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a sheet pan on the lowest rack.  Roll the largest piece of dough out into a circle and press into a 9-inch springform pan that has been sprayed well with cooking spray.  Be sure to press firmly all around so the crust is flat against the pan and there are no air bubbles.  Pour the filling into the pie shell and smooth the top.  Roll out the smaller piece of dough and place over the top of the pie.  If your filling did not come up to the top of the pan, be sure to press the dough down on top of the filling, so there is not a big gap between the top crust and the filling. Press the edges together to seal well and flute the edges if desired.  Cut 3 vents on top and brush the crust with heavy cream.  Sprinkle the top with a little garlic seasoning if you like.  Bake until the crust is well browned and you can see the filling bubbling slightly out of the vents, about an hour to 1 1/2 hours.  Cool for 15 to 20 minutes and remove the sides of the pan.  Slice wedges and serve.  This is great, hot, warm, room temperature or cold.

The filled pie.

Crimped, brushed and ready for the oven.

Golden brown and delicious!

A beautiful slice of Easter pie.

Apples and cheddar, oh my!

Although I've never been the biggest fan of apple pie, I remember when I was a child hearing about pairing it with cheddar cheese and even then I was intrigued.  I couldn't help but put a thick slice of cheese on my pie and pop it into the microwave until it was gooey and dripping down the sweet apples.  What could really be better than melty, cheesy goodness ON TOP of your dessert?!  Come on, it's a no brainer!

When it comes to making apple pie I think I resist going with traditional, all-American apple pie.  Remember my cranberry-apple crumble pie?  I just don't want to make a plain old apple pie because I kinda couldn't care less about them.  So I thought an apple pie with a cheddar crust would be just traditional enough, with just enough of a recipe twist to keep me interested.  I found this recipe for Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust on the Gourmet website.  The smell of the baking cheddar dough is like Goldfish crackers, but then you can smell the sweet apples and cinnamon and it all just works!  I love the contrast between the sharp, savory flavor of the dough and the sweet, juicy apples.  I used Honeycrisp, which is one of my favorites.   They were so juicy, in fact, that my filling probably could have used an extra tablespoon of  flour.  But the dough was so sturdy and crisp due it didn't get soggy, even the next day.

If you're like me and looking for something just a little different, I highly recommend this pie.  Nearly no extra effort if involved, and it makes apple pie just a little more special.

Butter, shortening and sharp cheddar in the crust.

Form the dough into two disks and put in the refrigerator.

Pile in the apples!  

The finished pie, crust flecked with cheese!

Hello, delicious!

Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb extra-sharp cheddar (preferably white), coarsely grated (2 1/2 cups)
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (trans-fat-free), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon milk
Filling
1 1/2 lb Gala apples (3 medium)
1 1/2 lb Granny Smith apples (3 medium)
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

Make the crust:
Stir together flour, salt, and cheese in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Add butter and shortening and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 6 Tbsp ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half, then form each half into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

The the filling:
Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Peel and core apples, then slice 1/4 inch thick. Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.
Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 11-inch round.
Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with milk, then cut 5 (1-inch-long) vents.
Bake on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

Cherry Custard Pie

Custard pie is very old-timey in my opinion.  I like that.  I also like that custard pie is rich and velvety and so deliciously decadent.  I happened to have a lot of cherries on hand and combining the two just seemed to make perfect sense to me.  I was very pleased with this pie.  The sweet cherries and rich custard were a match made in heaven.  Very much like creme brulee with cherries in a crust.  The top developed a thin, sugary, brown crust that really drove the pie home!

Cooking a custard pie can be tricky because the egg mixture requires gentle heat, but the crust needs high heat to cook through and brown.  I've read a lot about "slipped" custard  pies that require cooking the two items separately and then slipping the filling into the crust.  I wasn't ready to tackle that one just yet, so for this one I blind baked the crust first.  I went with my good ol' standard pie crust, Cook's Illustrated fool proof pie dough recipe.  The crisp, flaky crust is the perfect compliment to the creamy custard.  I used Grand Marnier in this pie, but you could substitute Kirsch or even rum.


Cherry Custard Pie
1 9" pie crust

2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp.  vanilla extract
1/2 tsp.  almond extract
2 Tb.Grand Marnier
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 cups pitted cherries

Place a sheet pan on the lowest rack of the oven and pre-heat to 400 degrees.  Roll out the pie crust and press into the pie pan.  Use a fork to prick holes in the crust all over.  Line the crust with a piece of foil and fill with dry beans or pie weights.  Place the crust on the hot sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil  and beans and allow to cool slightly.

Combine all the liquid ingredients to make the custard filling.  Put the cherries into the partially baked pie crust and pour over the custard.  Place the pie back on the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Then turn  down the heat to 325 and cook until the custard is set but jiggles lightly when you gently shake the pan, 30 to 45 minutes.  Let the pie cool on the counter for about 20 minutes and then refrigerate until cold.

Mediocre picture of an outstanding pie!

Creamy goodness!!

Chocolate and cherries, oh my!

While this blog is focused on pie, I really do love cake also.  Sometimes I think about how to turn a particular cake into a pie.  Black Forest cake is basically chocolate cake with cherry filling, so that translates into a pie very naturally.  Chocolate pudding with a cherry topping...nothing about that sounds bad!!  This is a no-bake pie, which I like even better considering how hot its been in Denver.  I saved myself the step of even turning on the oven to make a crust and just bought a pre-made chocolate crust at work.  We carry a brand called Wholly Wholesome.  This was my first time using this product and I really liked it. The crust tasted great and is made without preservatives, artificial flavors and other nasty ingredients, BONUS!  The cherries in Black Forest cake are typically flavored with kirsch, which is cherry liqueur.  I didn't want to buy a whole bottle of that when I have perfectly good booze at home, so I went with rum and Grand Marnier (orange liqueur) which complimented the cherries perfectly.

This Black Forest Pie is rich and decadent, but pretty easy to throw together, so there's nothing stopping you from getting this delicious gem into your pie-hole.  Not even the oppressive heat outside.  Get going, you could be eating chocolate and cherries, for goodness sake!

Black Forest Pie
1 9" chocolate pie crust

Topping
3 cups pitted cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 Tb. cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 Tb. Grand Marnier
1 Tb. dark rum

Filling
2 cups half and half
2 Tb.cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 Tb. butter
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 Tb.  powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

fresh cherries to garnish, if desired

In a pot over medium high heat, combine the cherries, water, sugar, cornstarch and salt, stirring to dissolve the cornstarch.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the cherries are softened and the mixture is thick.  Add the alcohol and simmer just a few minutes more.   The mixture should be very thick and shiny.  Scrape it into a bowl and allow to cool in the refrigerator.

For the filling, bring 1 1/2 cups half and half, sugar and salt to a simmer in a pot.  While you're waiting for the mixture to heat, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup half and half, the eggs and cornstarch in a bowl.  Add the hot half and half slowly, whisking constantly.  Pour all of the mixture back into the pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking constantly until the pudding has thickened.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and butter.   Whisk until both have melted and the mixture is smooth.  Pour into the pie crust and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding.  This will prevent a skin from forming.  Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool about 6 hours, or overnight if you like.

Once the pie and cherry topping have completely cooled, make the whipped cream.  Beat the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer until stiff peaks are formed.  Remove the plastic wrap from the pie filling spread the cherry mixture over the top -- it will be a generous amount!  Use the whipped cream to decorate the top as you like.  I piped big swirls and garnished with fresh cherries.  Delicious decadence!

Saved myself the time and heat with this tasty crust.

Whisking the chocolate and butter into the pudding mixture.

Pour the filling into the crust and press plastic wrap on top.

When cooled, add the cherry topping.

Decorate with whipped cream and cherries.  Delicious!

Close up goodness!

Life is a Bowl of Cherries!

It just wouldn't be a pie blog without a classic cherry pie!  I've actually never made a cherry pie from scratch.  When I was a kid I made cherry pie using canned filling.  But this was my first attempt using fresh cherries.  And by the way, get yourself a cherry pitter of some sort!  I still don't have one and did this by cutting the cherries open and prying out the pits and it took WAY too long, not to mention my cuticles and nails were stained for two days!  I'll be purchasing one today as I still have about five pounds of cherries to pit.

We've discussed before about the benefits of experimenting in the kitchen because you always learn something.  This time I learned that I prefer a juicier cherry pie and should put less thickener in the filling.  This one sliced nice and clean, but a little extra sauciness surrounding the cherries would have been perfection.  As with mostly everything, you'll need to adjust this filling to your taste and fruit.  Add a little extra sugar if your cherries are pretty tart, or don't, if you like them that way.

A lattice top crust is typically the way that cherry pie is presented.  Making a lattice from scratch is a commitment, so I thought this would be the perfect time to use my pie topper stencil from King Arthur Flour.  I used the heart side, of course!  For this pie I used my good ol' vodka pie crust from Cook's Illustrated and I highly recommend you do as well!  But nobody will know if you use a pre-made crust or your own favorite recipe.

Classic Cherry Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie

1 recipe pie dough for a double-crust pie
4 cups pitted cherries
Sugar as needed, I used 1/2 a cup
2 Tb. lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tb. cornstarch (may need more or less depending on your fruit)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Place a sheet pan on the bottom rack of your oven and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Combine all the filling ingredients and set aside.

Roll out your bottom crust and place into the pie pan, being sure to press it in evenly.  Roll out your top crust.  You can cut it into strips for a lattice if you like, or use a stencil like I did.  Place the filling into the the pie pan and brush the edges of the pie dough with water.  Cover with the top crust and press the edges together, the water will help them stick.  Trim the edges of the crust so they are even with the pan.   Flute them if you want, or just use the tines of a fork to crimp them.  If you aren't using any kind of design on the top, cut a few steam vents.  Place the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes then remove.  If you want, you can brush the pie crust with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar for a nice brown, crunchy finish.  Place the pie on the hot pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.  This will help the bottom crust set.  Move the pie and the pan to the middle rack and lower the temperature to 350 degrees.  Cook for an additional 20 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and you can see the cherry filling bubbling.

My adorable heart stencil!

By rolling your crust onto your rolling pin, you can easily transfer it to the pie pan.

My beautiful cherry pie after a short nap in the freezer.  Brushed with cream and sprinkled with raw sugar.  Look at those beautiful flutes on the edge!  Too bad they don't stay so perfect after being in the oven.

The finished pie!  See what I mean about the fluting on the crust?  Oh well, I'll work on it.

Peek-a-boo hearts! I see you cherries!

Blueberry pie with the quickness!

Today let's keep it short and sweet!  This pie is easy to throw together, especially if you prep in advance and keep discs of pie crust in the freezer.  Or you can pick up your favorite crust at the grocery store.  The blueberries don't need to be cooked ahead of time, just tossed with a few ingredients and then topped with a crunchy, sweet crumble topping.  This would be lovely served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.


Blueberry Crumble Pie
1 9-inch pie pan

1 pie crust, unbaked
Filling
4 cups blueberries
zest and juice of one lemon
3/4 cup sugar (more or less depending on your taste and berries)
4 Tb. instant Clearjel (or 2 Tb. cornstarch)
pinch of salt
Topping
1 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Put a sheet pan on the lowest rack of the oven and pre-heat to 400 degrees.  Fit the crust into a pie pan and decorate the edge as desired.  Put into the freezer.

Add the lemon juice, zest, salt and half a cup of sugar to the blueberries.  Toss together and set aside.  Combine the remaining sugar and the instant Clearjel and set aside.

Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Add the melted butter and mix well, until the mixture is crumbly.  Put into the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Take the unbaked pie crust out of the freezer. Combine the sugar and Clearjel mixture with the berries and toss well to combine.  Put the berries into the pie crust.  Sprinkle the topping onto the top of the pie, breaking up with your fingers to make crumbles.  Place the pie onto the pre-heated sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes.   Then lower the oven temperature to 350 and move the pan to the center rack.  Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the crust and topping is nicely browned and you can see blueberry juices bubbling through the cracks.

Tartin' it up with Cherries!

Cherry season is upon us and I decided to take advantage of the sale on bing cherries at work.  So I bought eight pounds. Maybe a bit excessive, but I can make all kinds of cherry goodies and if I can't get to it right away, the cherries can join their friends the blueberries in the freezer!

For my first cherry project I went with this cherry almond tart, which utilizes the same tart dough I used in my summer fruit crostata.  I still had a chunk in the freezer (it helps to plan ahead and make extra!) so it was a snap to defrost it in the refrigerator over night and roll it out when I was ready to bake.  I couldn't ask for a better dough to pair with the sweet almond filling and juicy cherries.  But if you're looking to streamline the process, try using puff pastry from the frozen section at the grocery store.

I've never made this exact recipe before, and like pretty much all of the cooking and baking I do, I experiment a lot and make changes to recipes to suit my own tastes.  When I was a pastry chef on a train, I used to make a pear tart using almond paste, which is one of my most favorite ingredients.  But since it's Summer, I liked the idea of using cherries with the almond filling, so I went for it.  I know a lot of people at home are not comfortable with "winging it" but I really encourage you to do this.  It will build your cooking skills and your confidence and makes for great experience because you always learn something.  Like today, I learned that when baking this tart, the almond filling puffed up and and engulfed the cherries, almost totally hiding them.  But I didn't panic, I just put some more cherries on top and finished baking the tart.  So I'm passing that knowledge on to you and writing the recipe so that the cherries are added when the filling is partially set, that way you can still see the pretty red lumps peeking out of the sweet almond filling.  See,  experimenting in the kitchen is fun!

Cherry Almond Tart
I used an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom

Crust
Use the crust of your choice, I like the Sweet Pastry Crust from the Joy of Baking website

Filling
1 7-ounce tube almond paste
4 Tb. unsalted butter, softened
3 Tb. flour
2 Tb.sugar
3 eggs
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups pitted cherries (approximate)

Place an empty sheet pan on the bottom rack of the oven and pre-heat to 400 degrees.  Roll out your crust of choice and press into the tart pan. Use a fork to prick holes all over the crust to keep it from bubbling up and shrinking.  Place the pan into the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until solid.  Remove the pan from the freezer and line with a piece of parchment paper or foil.  Fill the pan with beans or pie weights and bake on the hot pan for 20 minutes until the crust is partially set.  Remove the paper and beans and set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.  Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

In a mixer bowl, combine the sugar, salt, flour, almond paste and butter.  Mix on medium speed until the mixture comes together and forms a ball.  Add the eggs and beat well until there are no big lumps.  Almond paste has a grainy texture, so it won't be perfectly smooth.

Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top.  Place back on the pan and cook for 20 minutes, until the filling is lightly puffed and starting to set.  Remove the pan from the oven and gently press the cherries onto the filling.  You can scatter them around or make a pattern, your choice.  Use as many cherries as you like.  Put the pan back into the oven onto the top rack, and allow to cook for approximately 15 minutes more, until the filling is golden brown.  Place the tart on a rack and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before you dive in.  This tart slices best when it is completely cooled, but my friend Leslie and I couldn't wait long enough and attacked it while it was still warm.  It is also delicious cold or at room temperature.  Just eat it, trust me.

Line the pan with the crust, dock with a fork and freeze until firm.

Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Mix the almond paste, flour, sugar and butter.

Add the eggs and beat until it looks like this.

I added the cherries first, like this.

But the cherries disappeared!  Quick, throw some more on there!

All's well that ends well!

I love happy endings.  And this tart.

G'day, Aussie Meat Pies!

I've been hearing more and more about Australian meat pies in recent times.  From what I gather, they have quite a following in the U.S., and meat pie shops are popping up across the country.  I've never had one before, but I figure what's not to like about beef and gravy in a pie?  I love all pies, sweet and savory, so I knew I had to make some Aussie pies for the blog.

I did a lot of internet research on Aussie pies.   The basic idea is always the same, but recipes varied when it came to the crust.  Many called for a basic pie crust, some called for puff pastry.  A few recipes, including some from actual Australians, called for using a regular pie crust on the bottom and puff pastry on the top.  I decided to go with a regular "short crust" pie pastry, as that seemed to be most authentic.   However, I strayed slightly by using a rich short crust recipe, which adds eggs to the dough.  This would give the pie crust a little more structure, in addition to a nice texture and richness from the eggs.  I used my own variation of the crust recipe from Giada De Laurentiis' (the big-boobed, bobble-headed, over-enunciating host on Food Network) Pizza Rustica, which I had made in the past and knew that I like the taste of the crust, as well as its ease of preparation.  However, after making the Cook's Illustrated pie crust with vodka with such outstanding results, I knew I had to get some vodka  in there!  I also changed the recipe from part butter and part shortening, to ALL shortening, because I really do believe it makes a superior crust because Crisco doesn't contain water like butter does.  It also doesn't have as much flavor as butter, which is why so many recipes use all or part butter, but I figure when the filling is flavorful and beefy, who cares.

To bake the pies I used my newly purchased mini pie pans, available from King Arthur Flour. These are 6-inch pans and make pretty big meat pies.  Possibly a little too big, depending on your appetite.  If you don't have mini pans, you can bake one big pie and cut it into slices.   Or you can cut circles, put the filling in the middle and fold them into half-moon shapes, but be sure to seal the edges shut with water and press together with the tines of a fork.

Australian Meat Pies
Makes two, 6" pies

Pastry Crust
This recipe makes enough for a double recipe of filling (4 pies total), possibly with enough left over for a few small half-moon shaped pies.  Because I always like to plan ahead and make life easier for myself, I made the full recipe then divided the dough in half (to make 2 pies) and put part in the freezer for another use.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening, frozen and then cut into small pieces
3 eggs, beaten
1 Tb. ice cold vodka
3 to 4 Tb. ice cold water

Blend the flour, sugar, salt and shortening in a food processor until the mixture looks like a coarse meal.  Add the eggs and blend briefly.  With the machine running, add the vodka and water (start with 2 Tb. water) and mix until the dough just starts to come together, adding more water a tablespoon at a time as needed.  Empty the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two pieces.  Flatten them out and wrap with plastic wrap.  I put one disc into the freezer for later, and the other into the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if you like.  Because I used all shortening in this recipe, the dough does not get rock-solid and is very easy to roll out straight from the refrigerator.

Filling
1 lb.  ground beef
1 small onion, minced
3 Tb. flour
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 Tb. ketchup
2 Tb. soy sauce
2 Tb. worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
Milk, about a tablespoon for brushing the top crust

Put the ground beef and onions into a saute pan over medium-high heat.   Break apart with a wooden spoon and cook until the meat is no longer pink.  If there is a lot of excess fat, drain off all but about 2 tablespoons.   Add the flour, thyme, oregano, garlic salt, nutmeg and ketchup, still until well combined and cook for about 2 mintues.  Add the water, soy sauce and worcestershire, stir well and reduce the heat to medium.  Cook for about 10 minutes, until the gravy is reduced and the mixture is very thick.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and place a sheet pan on the rack, which should be positioned  at the bottom of the oven.  Heating the pan will help the bottom of the crust to cook properly.

Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out your disc of dough to about 1/4 of an inch thick, 15-inch circle.  Invert the mini pie pans onto the dough and cut out two circles following the rim of the pans, these will be your pie tops.  Then cut out two circles about 1/2 an inch larger than the pans, these will be your pie bottoms.  (You can re-roll the scraps if you need to, but only do this once or the crust will be tough.)  Press the larger circles into the greased pie pans and divide the cooled filling between the two.  Brush water around the edge of the dough and top with the smaller circles, pressing well to seal.  Use a fork to crimp the edges.  Cut a few steam vents in the top with a sharp knife and brush with milk.  Place the pies on the pre-heated pan and cook for 25 minutes.  Move the entire pan of pies up to the top rack, and cook about another 10 minutes, to help brown the crust.  The pies should be brown and the gravy will be bubbling through the vents and looking quite delicious!  Allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes before digging in, or else you might burn your tongue!  The Australians say that serving these with ketchup is a must, but I'll leave that up to you.

These tasty pies are a perfect stand-alone lunch, or add a salad to make a complete dinner.  Experiment using different fillings if you don't want just beef, chicken and/or vegetables would be delicious too.  And if you really want to save yourself some time, I won't judge you for buying pre-made crust.  Just make them, you'll see what all the fuss is about!

Saute the beef and onions.

Add flour, ketchup, thyme, oregano and nutmeg.  Cook for a few minutes then add the water, soy sauce and worcestershire.

Cook for about 10 minutes until thick.  When you scrape your wooden spoon across the pan, the trail should stay separated like this.

Roll out half of the dough on a floured surface.

Use the pie pan to cut out the two different sized circles.

I re-rolled the scraps to get my last pie bottom.

Press the large circles in to the pans and divide the filling between the two.  Brush the edges with water and add the tops, sealing well.

Place the pies on the pre-heated sheet pan set on the bottom rack of the oven.  Don't skip this step, it makes the bottom crust nice and brown and crisp.

The finished pies!

Get in my belly!

Delicious pie with meaty filling and flaky crust.  You know you want it!

After eating 2/3 of a pie to myself and being thoroughly stuffed, I decided that smaller pie pans are needed for individual servings, or split one pie between two people.  Or just make the half-moon shapes as I described above.  I'll be doing that next time.  And there will be a next time very soon because these really can't be beat!

I'm crazy.

Even though I spent all day cooking in a hot kitchen, and even though it was 95+ degrees outside, I thought it would be fun to make an impromptu tart for the blog.  I have to post more often if I want to increase my traffic, so why the hell not?  Oh, and I thought of this fantastic idea at 8:00 at night, after I had already made a beer can chicken and salad for dinner.  So yes, I'm crazy.

But about that tart.  This is my version of a crostata (rustic Italian free form tart) or a galette, the French version.  The difference being that I use my favorite crust for tarts, pate sucree, or sweet dough.  Crostatas and galettes typically employ pate brisee, a short dough.  Pate sucree has a crisp, cookie-like texture that I love.  It is typically used in tarts that are first blind baked and then filled with goodies such as lemon curd, pastry cream, chocolate ganache and fruit.  But I like to mix things up, so go ahead and throw that fresh fruit in there and pop it in the oven.

For the fruit I used sliced strawberries, peaches and a handful of blueberries.  Use whatever fruit looks best to you and I highly recommend combinations.  Raspberries and peaches would be lovely.  The amount of sugar and thickener you use will depend on the sweetness and juiciness of your fruit.  I used King Arthur Flour's instant Clearjel, but you can substitute with about half the amount of cornstarch.

This is a tasty, beautifully unfussy dessert that doesn't require too much time.  The cookie-ish crust really stands up well to the cooked fruit, and finished with a little whipped cream, this is the perfect ending to a casual summer dinner.

Sweet Pastry Crust recipe available here on The Joy of Baking website.

Crostata My Way

1 recipe sweet dough
1 lb. sliced strawberries
2 small peaches, peeled  and sliced.
1 cup blueberries
5 Tb.  sugar
4 Tb.  instant Clearjel (or cornstarch, about half)
2 Tb. heavy cream
1 Tb. raw sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the sweet dough and chill as directed.  While the dough is chilling, combine the fruit and half the sugar in a bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes to bring out the juices.  Combine the remaining sugar and the Clearjel or cornstarch and set aside.

After the dough has chilled, roll it out into about a 10-inch circle and transfer to a baking sheet.  I prefer to do this using parchment paper.  Sprinkle the sugar/thickener mixture over the fruit and toss well.  Pile the fruit up in the center of the dough circle,  leaving a few inches of border. Fold over the excess dough, partially covering the filling.  Press any cracks together and patch up any holes that may have occurred during the folding process.   This is a very forgiving dough, you can mold it and press it as  needed.  Brush the edges of the dough with heavy cream and sprinkle with raw sugar to add a nice crunch.  Place the sheet pan on the bottom rack of your oven (to help the dough set) for 25 minutes.  Lower the heat to 350 and bake an additional 15 to 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is lightly browned.

Combine the fruit and half of the sugar in a bowl.

The beautiful fruit piled onto the dough.

Fold the dough around the fruit.

Brush the dough with heavy cream and sprinkle with raw sugar.

The baked crostata.  Don't worry about those lovely juices leaking out.

A delicious slice for me!

Sweet, crisp dough filled with juicy summer fruit.

I think this tart is best served slightly warm or at room temperature.  If you are weird and have leftovers you can refrigerate them, but don't let them linger too long as the crust will get soggy.