Basic Pie Crust

This is in our thanksgiving recipe post from last year, but I thought I would repost it since we talked about pie last week.

Without further ado,


Doug's Pie Crust.

10.5 oz all purpose flour

5.5 oz cake flour

2 tsp salt

8 oz unsalted butter, cold, cut into 12-18 pieces.

Water as needed (approx ¼ cup)

1 Mix together both flours and the salt.

2 Rub the butter into the flour until the largest pieces are the size of nickels, but most pieces are the size of dimes.

3 Gradually toss the water (in small increments) into the flour/ butter mix until it becomes a shaggy mess. [warning: you may need more or less than the recommended amount of water]

4 Pour the contents of the bowl onto a work surface, and knead just until a single dough ball forms.

5 Cut the dough into a large segment (approx 2/3 of dough ball), and a small section (approx. 1/3 of dough ball).

6 Shape both dough balls into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-6 hours before working.

Anthony's Deep Dish Cranberry Pie

This is Doug's cousin Anthony's recipe for cranberry pie.

2 bags of fresh cranberries

Prepare a 9-inch deep-dish piecrust and extend the edges 1/2 inch above top of pan.
Spread 1/2 cup of cranberries on bottom of piecrust.

In a medium saucepan combine:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Stir together, then add juice and pulp of two oranges and 1 cup water, should be a paste consistency. Heat mixture over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves, then add 1 bag of fresh cranberries. Heat and stir constantly until berries pop. Caution: Tony said the berries really pop and might splatter the hot sugar mixture. When berries are popped, remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon almond extract. Pour into prepared pie pan directly over berries.

Crumb crust:

Cream together:

1/2 cup (1 stick margarine)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup light brown sugar

When thoroughly mixed, add:

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup oats

Sprinkle over top of hot cranberry mixture. Add foil over top of pie.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then decrease temperature to 325 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Remove foil the last few minutes to allow crumb crust to brown, if necessary.

Habanera Cranberry Chutney

This is Doug's Martha Stewart-worthy Habanera Cranberry Chutney. At last week's meeting, we had it with ginger thins and goat cheese. Absolutely delicious!


Habanera Cranberry Chutney

Fresh Cranberries             18 oz (1 1/2 bags)

Habanera, minced             1 ea.

Sugar                                 1 cup

Water                                1 cup

Orange juice                      All of two whole oranges

Orange zest                      1 tsp

Cinnamon                        1/2 tsp

Salt                                  1 pinch

Ginger thins                    3 pkgs

Goat cheese                     8 oz.


1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized pot and simmer over medium-low heat.

2. When all of the cranberries have popped, remove from the heat and cool completely.

3. Serve over ginger thins with a touch of goat cheese.

Mozzarella and Prosciutto Roulade

Mozzarella and Prosciutto Roulade

Water                                    1 1/4 cups
Citric Acid                            1 1/2 tsp
Junket rennet                         2 tablets
Whole milk                           1 gallon
Salt                                        1 1/2 tsp
Prosciutto                              1/2 oz (or 8 thin slices)
Olive oil                                as needed
Cracked black pepper            as needed

1. Combine the citric acid with one cup of water and stir until dissolved.

2. Combine the rennet with the 1/4 cup water and stir until dissolved.

3. In a non-reactive pot, combine the citric acid mixture and milk and warm over medium heat to 90 degrees F.

4. Turn off the heat and gently but thoroughly stir in the rennet. Then, let it sit, covered for 5 minutes.

5. Cut the curds into cubes with a knife, and cook it again over medium heat until it reaches 105 degrees F.

6. Remove it from the heat and let it sit for an additional five minutes.

7. Using a slotted spoon, move the curds into a strainer (leaving the whey behind)

8. In a separate pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a gentle simmer.

9. Submerge the strainer into the water and cook the curds until they reach 135 degrees F.

10. Remove the cheese from the water and salt it.

11. As the cheese cools, knead it until it develops a slightly stretchy quality.

12. On a cutting board or sheet pan, press the cheese out into a rectangualr shape with the tips of your fingers.

13. Put the prosciutto on top of the cheese in a single layer to cover it completely.

14. Roll the cheese like a jelly roll and refrigerate, covered until firm.

15. Just prior to serving, slice the mozzarella roll, drizzling with olive oil and garnishing with cracked pepper if desired.

Can I get a drumroll please?...

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting the results of our book-vote (this is life-or-death, people). So, without further ado, here are our books for the next several months:

November: Apron Anxiety by Alyssa Shelasky

December: The American Way of Eating by Tracie McMillan

January: The Apprentice by Jacques Pepin

February: The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

March: The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais

 

 

 

Mark your calendars so that you come to our next meeting on October 24th, not the 31st. We will be reading Twain's Feast by Andrew Beahrs, and from what I can tell, some of the "food" is rather Halloweenish (e.g., Raccoon and Possum).

 

I hope to see you all there!

 

 

Brianne