Oh My, It’s a Pie!

Posted on January 27, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

When I was a kid, it was hard for me to eat pie.

That sounds strange, doesn’t it? But the truth is that at it’s best, pie is quite rich, not to mention the things we top it with. And for some reason as a kid I had problems with very rich foods (and spicy foods) and pie was at the top of that list. In fact, it’s only been in recent years that I’ve come to really enjoy pie and actually crave it sometimes. I still have to be somewhat careful, but I can happily enjoy a piece now and then without trouble…which maybe IS trouble in another way, come to think of it!

All this to say that one reason you haven’t seen much pie other than my mom’s blueberry pie on this blog is that I don’t make it very often for the reasons I just stated. So recently when we were participating in a gathering, I needed to make a dessert. And it just so happened that the friends we were gathering with had given me this wonderful and interesting cookbook. It seemed only right that I should make something from this cookbook to share with them, and that’s how I ended up making this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie.

This recipe is adapted from one in Martha Stewart’s very recent cookbook, Martha’s American Food, which celebrates foods from different regions in the U.S., coast to coast. It’s a great read and filled with fun tidbits of background information on how these dishes came to be. This particular pie is one associated with the South, and it’s a pie I’ve wanted to make for a long time.

I have to say this makes a beautiful and delicious pie, but words can’t really describe how good this is. And making her crust is key. I don’t make a lot of pie crust and quite frankly, it’s usually my least favorite part of a pie, but this one is terrific. Imagine this sweet filling, enhanced by a touch of bourbon and the crunch of beautiful toasty pecans, with a thin layer of rich chocolate on the bottom, all bound together by a buttery and flavorful crust. Uh, huh…I know you want it. Yessireee, good eating. I mean if you’re gonna make and eat a piece of pie with all of those calories, you might as well go for broke. I served this topped with a dollop of locally made Fleur de Sel Vanilla ice cream and that little kick of salt and vanilla really brought forth the nuttiness of the pecans and enhanced all of the flavors. A work of art.

Then, just to see if we could make a great thing any better, we revisited the pie with a dollop of whipped cream, scented with a little bourbon…oh, my!

So far I’m loving this cookbook, though I’m certainly not being paid to say so, nor am I a reviewer. It has a lot of great recipes in it and is just plain fun, especially if you live in the U.S. or love old-fashioned, American regional foods. And because I love it, I’m adding it to my bookshelf on this blog. Check it out!

In the case of this pie, I did find the need to adapt ever so slightly, as sometimes instructions and proportions just aren’t all they seem to be, or should be, in my opinion. All a part of cooking.

Is there anything more inviting than a freshly baked pie? No, perhaps not.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
(Slightly adapted from Martha’s American Food)
Makes one 9-inch pie which serves 6-8

Crust, makes two and you’ll need one for the pie, freeze the other:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon regular salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1/4 cup water, plus 1-2 tablespoons more if needed

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar just to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is coarse and crumbly with bits of butter still evident. Drizzle the 1/4 cup of water evenly over the dry mixture and pulse until the dough just begins to come together, it shouldn’t be wet or sticky. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too dry and isn’t coming together. I found that one more tablespoon over the 1/4 cup did the trick. Remove the dough, shape into two equal disks, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. Can be frozen for a month and thaw before using. (I found that the dough was quite hard after being in the fridge, and I had to bring it back to room temp to roll it out.)

For the Filling and making the pie:

Flour for dusting and rolling out the pie crust and 1 disk of pie crust dough from the above recipe
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons good quality aged bourbon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 cup whole pecan halves
3/4 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon heavy cream and 1 egg yolk for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out the dough into an 11-inch round about 1/8″ thick. (If dough is too stiff, let it come back to room temperature and then roll it out.) Wrap the dough around the rolling pin to transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and fit the dough into the pan, pressing into the edges of the pan. Trim the dough to about 1 inch all the way around the pan, fold it under and crimp the edges decoratively, pinching and pressing with your thumb and fingers, or use a fork. Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. If it’s warm outside and dough is soft, return to the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Crust rolled and draped. Pinch together any cracks before crimping.

Line the pie shell with parchment, pressing into the sides of the pan. Fill the parchment with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes (you may need to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil if they start to brown). Remove the parchment and pie weights and bake another 5 minutes until the crust is dry but not turning brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

“Blind bake” your crust, cool it and then fill it. Cover your crust edges as needed to keep them from browning too much.

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, flour, corn syrup, eggs, bourbon and salt. Stir in the chopped pecans and the chocolate. Pour the filling into the crust and decorate the top with the remaining pecan halves. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and the cream and brush over all the exposed edges of the pie. Bake the pie until just set in the center and the crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Tent with foil and/or cover the edges of the crust if browning too quickly. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool completely before serving. Cut into 6 to 8 wedges. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream…or eat it plain in all it’s glory.

More pie, please!

Betsy, Betsy, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Posted on January 22, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

With broccoli spears and some chard ears, and carnival carrots in a row!

Hmmm. You know how you plan to post something wonderful that you baked or prepared and suddenly find that you can’t seem to get the simplest post worked out right? Has this ever happened to you? Well, this week it happened to me. And rather than let it be two weeks in between posts, I decided it was high time to take a little peek at my winter garden.

If you’ll remember, I do have a summer garden, but it doesn’t get very much sun. In fact, it’s actually the fall and well into winter when I get the most sun, so from now until early March I’ll have some interesting things popping up in the raised bed. No, it’s not a miracle. It’s just living in a climate that has a very mild winter…and no snow thus far!

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy this wee tour of my garden today, and I promise I’ll be back with something tasty for you in just a few days. By the way, how is…or just plain “is” your garden growing in your part of the world? Tell me about it!

A row of Rainbow chard. Yes, my “pick up stick” technique is still keeping cats out of the garden.

Cannot wait for the broccoli…fingers crossed that they’ll keep growing and growing!

If you look closely in front of the back row of chard you can see little wisps of carnival carrot tops. Thus far my success with carrots has been laughable.

Chard in foreground and background, then carrots Lacinato and Red Russion Kale, Collards and broccoli. Pine straw and pine cones are a constant this time of year, providing mulch (good) and rather painful and prickly encounters if your timing is bad!

Italian flat leaf parsley left from summer (freshly harvested), surrounded by broccoli and hopefully some arugula at some point. And oh yes, more chard…a good year for it!

Chard harvesting time!

A Better Broccoli Rice Casserole

Posted on January 12, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Although this makes a lot, the two of us managed to inhale it with no problem!

Well, “better” is a relative term…but this is a very delicious and perhaps better-for-you broccoli rice casserole than the canned soup-based one we grew up with, I think. And one that I believe would appeal to young and old alike.

First off, this one is chocked full of fresh broccoli (in season right now!) and is paired with sweet onion and brown rice bound together with a nutmeg-scented parmesan cream sauce. Add a little Black Forest Ham if you like, or leave it out if you don’t. And while I did use some butter in the sauce, I also used 1% low fat milk instead of cream, which worked just fine and enhanced the natural sweetness of the ingredients.

The resulting dish has a lovely nutty flavor from the brown rice, broccoli and roux-based Parmesan cream sauce combo, with a nice salty-sweet hit from the ham, if you use it. And trust me ham or no, it’s a filling and comforting meal in one pot…my favorite kind in the winter, or anytime!

Now here’s the trick. This was so tasty that I never got a good picture of it before we inhaled it for dinners this week! So with my apologies for the flash picture, and only one view, at least you can see how colorful it is.

Hand Update: I’m almost back to speed in the kitchen. After exams, x-rays and some prescription meds this week, the good news is that it’s just a small tear in the tendon of the hand, and should be much better by next week. The moral of this story: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Broccoli and Brown Rice Casserole with Onions, Ham and Parmesan
Makes 6-8 generous servings

2 cups long grain brown rice
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 lbs. fresh broccoli florets
water

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 Tablespoons of flour
1 1/2 cups low fat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, or to taste
2 cups cubed (1/4″) Black Forest Ham (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sized pot with a lid, bring the rice and the 4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover until the rice is just tender and has absorbed the water, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork, set aside.

In another medium sized pot, bring some water to a boil and drop the broccoli into the water in batches, allowing each batch to cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain the broccoli in a colander and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

In a large deep sided skillet, heat the butter over medium low heat and add the onions. Cook the onions until they are tender and transparent, then add the flour and stir constantly, allowing the flour to cook and develop a light roux, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the milk while stirring constantly to incorporate the roux into the milk. Bring the mixture just back to a simmer, allowing it to thicken. Turn the heat off, then add 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper and the nutmeg and stir well to combine. Add in the cooked rice, the broccoli florets and the ham (if using) to the prepared parmesan cream sauce, and stir well to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding a pinch more salt, pepper and nutmeg, if needed. Pour the mixture into a large casserole dish that has been buttered, and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Place it in a 350 degree F oven and bake until it is heated through and bubbling, and the top is very lightly browned, about 20-30 minutes. Serve. Keeps well in the fridge and reheats beautifully.

*****

Back in the Saddle, er, Kitchen, with a Retro Dip!

Posted on January 5, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

I can trick myself into believing I'm eating a salad when I serve this with veggies!

I can trick myself into believing I’m eating a healthy salad when I serve this with veggies!

I hope you all had lovely holidays and that your new year has started off swimmingly!

This first full weekend of 2013 finds me back in my kitchen (yay!) with the almost full use of both hands. The bandage is off of my injured right hand and it is getting back to normal. One more week of treating it with kid gloves, so to speak, and I think all will be well. Meanwhile, I’m able to do some slow chopping and other basic cooking necessities as long as I don’t twist or put too much pressure on it. Thanks for all your wonderfully kind comments and inquiries. Believe me, I will go out of my way to try to NOT do this again.

Today I want to revisit and share a relatively easy and very yummy dip recipe from my “repertoire.” For those of you who are football fans, this is a great one to make for the upcoming American football and Super Bowl game parties, or down the road a way for rugby, soccer or baseball gatherings. It’s always been a hit for pot-lucks, Formula One racing parties and as a part of any appetizer spread. It’s definitely a rift on an old-fashioned traditional dry soup-based dip that we’ve all known in this country (and secretly loved), but transcends the original in every way. Yes, we’re talking about the ultimate chip and veggie dip: Caramelized Shallot and Blue Cheese Dip, and I’m making it to take to a little cocktail and nosh event this evening.

For those of you who follow this blog closely, you’ll remember a mention of this dip from my two party posts last summer, Party On! and Encore (More party recipes), and those posts get another mention now because they have a lot of other great ideas for appetizers of various kinds to keep in mind for these seasonal bowl game parties. This fabulous dip is from a Bon Appétit recipe, and it’s one that never disappoints or gets old. I’ve adapted it ever so slightly from the original, adding more shallots and blue cheese (can you ever have too much, I ask ya?) for extra flavor, used a lighter mayo and some added seasonings. Here’s my version and you can see the original recipe at Epicurious if your click on the dip name above. Have a great weekend!

Warning: Do not make this unless you have someone to share it with. It is addictive.

Hmmm. Those shallots kind of look like some sort of weird college logo, don’t they?

Caramelized Shallot and Blue Cheese Dip (adapted from Bon Appétit)
Makes 2 generous cups

Start this in time to allow the flavors to blend for a couple of hours before serving.

2 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 7 ounces)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise (you can use light or canola mayonnaise)
3/4 cup sour cream (you can use light but do not use non-fat)
5 oz. Maytag Blue Cheese, or other crumbling variety of blue cheese, allowed to come to room temperature
Salt and some freshly ground black pepper to taste (remember, the cheese adds a little salty component, too)
*If you like some spice you can use a tiny pinch of cayenne instead of, or in addition to, the black pepper

Your caramelized shallots should look like this.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown in color and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes…do not burn. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the sour cream until well blended. Add the blue cheese and mash it into the mayo mixture with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula until it is well blended. Add the caramelized shallots and mix well. Add the salt and pepper to taste or the cayenne if using. Remember, the flavors will build. Cover and place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Taste and season again if needed. Serve with veggies and/or chips.