Robin's Random Recipes

From Cook's Illustrated

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces), plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup vegetable shortening , cold, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup vodka , cold (see note)
1/4 cup cold water

1. For The Pie Dough: Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into 2 even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days. (Can also be frozen)

This is one of the winning recipes from a pie contest I saw on the Food Network and was a huge hit at thanksgiving. For some reason I managed to take a picture of the unbaked pie, but not the finished product. It looks even better baked!

Unbaked pie shell
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 TBS melted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
2 cups pecans, toasted, chop 1 cup
½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Toast pecans on cookie sheet.

In a large bowl lightly beat eggs. Stir in sugar, corn syrup, melted chocolate, butter, vanilla and salt.

Into prepared crust layer chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped pecans, then carefully arrange 2nd cup of pecans in pan. Slowly pour egg mixture over pecans, deflecting with a spoon to prevent moving pecans.

Bake for 15 min at 350. Cover edge with foil or pie shield. Bake for another 40 min. until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

From Cook's Illustrated.

Cream cheese is the best thing to happen to limes since Corona. I think this may become my new key lime pie! Next time I'll use probably 4 oz animacl crackers, 5 tbs butter, and a little more lime juice. Or possibly just more zest, I think I skimped.

Crust
5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

Filling
2 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lime zest , minced
Pinch table salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice , either Key lime or regular. NOT BOTTLED.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 8" square baking dish with nonstick tin foil.

2. TO MAKE THE CRUST: In workbowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

I love the lattice top on this pie. I make several of these each year when peaches are in season.

Pie dough
15 oz (3 c) flour
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
3.5 oz (7 tbs) vegetable shortening , chilled
5 oz (10 tbs, 1.25 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and frozen for 30 minutes
10 - 12 tablespoons ice water

Peach filling
6 - 7 medium peaches (ripe, about 6 cups), peeled, cut into 3/8" slices
1 tbs lemon juice from 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch table salt
3 - 4 tablespoons potato starch

1 tbs sugar

Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade until combined. Add shortening and process until mixture has texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; cut butter into flour until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle 5 tablespoons ice water over mixture; with rubber spatula, use folding motion to evenly combine water and flour mixture. Sprinkle remaining 5 tablespoons ice water over mixture and continue using folding motion to combine until small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of hand; add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if necessary. (Dough should feel quite moist.) Turn dough onto clean, dry work surface; gather and gently press together in cohesive ball, then divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each piece into a 1" thick disc; wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour, or up to 2 days, before rolling.

Remove dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Roll each piece to about 1/8-inch thick; transfer smaller round to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. With pizza wheel, fluted pastry wheel, cut into eight one-inch-wide strips. Freeze strips on cookie sheet until firm, about 30 minutes.

Transfer remaining round to pie plate. Leave dough that overhangs lip of pie plate in place; refrigerate dough-lined pie plate.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss peach slices, lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and potato starch or Minute tapioca (3 tablespoons for moderately juicy peaches, 4 tablespoons for very juicy ones) in medium bowl.

Turn mixture into dough-lined pie plate. Remove dough strips from freezer; if too stiff to be workable, let stand at room temperature until malleable and softened slightly but still very cold. Form lattice top and place on top of peaches. Lightly brush lattice top with 1 tablespoon water and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Place pie on baking sheet and bake until crust is set and begins to brown, about 25 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees; continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Cool on wire rack 2 hours before serving.

This tart is a perfect choice when you don't have enough berries for a cobbler (my all-time favorite.)

Tart Pastry (Pâte Sucrée)
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar (about 2 3/4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg plus 1 egg white
1/2 cup sugar , plus 1 tablespoon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Kirsch or framboise, optional
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Wondra flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 half-pint containers fresh blackberries (about 10 ounces total), picked over

1. For the tart pastry: Whisk together yolk, cream, and vanilla in small bowl. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor with four 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about twenty 1-second pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until dough comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

2. Remove dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Unwrap and roll out between lightly floured large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 11-inch round. (If dough becomes soft and sticky, slip onto baking sheet and refrigerate until workable.) Transfer dough to tart pan by rolling dough loosely over rolling pin and unrolling over 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Working around circumference of pan, ease dough into pan by gently lifting dough with one hand while pressing dough into corners and sides of pan with other hand. Press dough into fluted sides of pan, patching breaks or cracks if necessary. (If some edges are too thin, reinforce sides by folding excess dough back on itself.) Run rolling pin over top of tart pan to remove excess dough. Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet or large plate and freeze 30 minutes. (Frozen dough-lined tart pan can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen up to 1 month.)

3. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet; lightly spray one side of 18-inch square heavy-duty extra-wide foil with nonstick cooking spray. Press foil greased side down inside frozen tart shell, folding excess foil over edge of pan; fill with metal or ceramic pie weights. Bake until pastry appears dry and pale gold under foil and edges have just begun to color, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil and weights by gathering edges of foil and pulling up and out. Return baking sheet with tart shell to oven and bake until sides are medium golden brown, about 5 minutes; set on wire rack to cool.

4. For the filling: While tart shell is cooling, heat butter in small saucepan with light-colored interior over medium heat; cook, swirling or stirring occasionally, until butter smells nutty and milk solids at bottom are golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer butter to small heatproof bowl to stop cooking; cool butter until just warm to touch. Whisk egg and egg white in medium bowl until combined; add sugar and salt whisk vigorously until light colored, about 1 minute. Whisk in warm browned butter until combined; then whisk in vanilla, framboise, and lemon zest and juice. Whisk in Wondra flour, then whisk in cream until combined.

5. Add berries and bake: Distribute blackberries in single tightly packed layer in bottom of cooled tart shell. Pour filling mixture evenly over blackberries. Place tart on baking sheet in oven. Bake until fragrant and filling is set (does not jiggle when shaken), bubbling lightly around edges, and surface is puffed and deep golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating sheet pan after about 20 minutes for even browning. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, at least 1 1/2 or up to 6 hours. Remove tart pan ring; slide thin-bladed spatula between tart pan bottom and crust to loosen, then slide tart onto serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve.