Robin’s Random Recipes

2005 First Place Apple Category
Raquel Hammond

Apple-Praline Pie

Extra Flaky Pastry Double Crust:

2 cups unbleached flour
1-cup cake flour
1 ½ Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
8 Tbsp (1 stick) frozen unsalted butter, cut up
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp frozen Crisco shortening, cut up
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 large egg yolk
4 to 5 Tbsp ice water, or as needed
¼ cup crushed cornflakes
*Egg glaze: 1 large egg white with 1 Tbsp water added

Whisk together dry ingredients in large bowl. Add the butter and shortening. Using pastry blender cut in fat until mixture resembles dry rice. Add egg yolk, vinegar, and minimum amount of water. Lightly toss until mixture just begins to clump together. If dough looks too dry, sprinkle on a little more water. Dough should cling together and feel pliable, but not sticky.

Form dough into a cohesive ball, on a piece of waxed paper, by lifting opposite corners and pressing them together. Flatten into 6-inch disk for single shell, or divide in half and make two disks for two-crust pie. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or even overnight (the longer the better). Soften dough at room temperature, for a few minutes before rolling out.

Brush bottom of shell and sides with egg glaze. Carefully spread a ¼ cup of crushed cornflakes on the bottom as well. Add filling, attach top crust then flute edge. Bake as directed, then spread on the praline topping.

Filling:
5 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
4 cups Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and sliced
½ cup apple cider
½ cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
¾ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut up
Apple-Praline Pie

Praline Topping

½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp heavy cream
¼ tsp cinnamon

Roll out bottom crust and line 9” pie plate. Rollout top crust and refrigerate both for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine apples and cider in large pot. Bring to boil, cover and cook over med-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Drain apples, reserving juice. Transfer juice to small saucepan and reduce to ¼ cup over med-high heat. Stir into apples and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir into apple cider- mixture. Pour filling into pie shell and dot with butter.

Attach top crust and flute edge. Poke several steam vents in top with fork or paring knife. Bake 425 degrees for 15 minutes in lower third of oven. Raise rack to center and bake an additional 45 to 50 minutes. Check halfway through baking and cover pastry with foil, if browning too quickly.

Transfer pie to wire rack and cool. Meanwhile, prepare praline: melt ¼ cup butter in small saucepan. Stir in ½ cup brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and heavy cream. Bring slowly to boil. Remove from heat and stir in chopped pecans. Spread evenly over cooled pie and broil until topping bubbles and turns golden brown.

Transfer pie, once again, to wire rack and cool for at least 2 hours. Slice and serve. Cover leftovers with loosely tented foil and refrigerate.

– 2003 1st Place Apple
By Marles Riessland, Riverdale, NE

Pie Crust

3 c all purpose flour
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 c plus 1 T, butter flavored shortening, chilled
1/3 c ice water
1 T vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Chill all ingredients, including the flour and vinegar. Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles cornmeal. In another bowl, mix water and vinegar with the beaten egg. Add the liquid mixture, one tablespoon at a time, to the flour mixture, tossing with a fork to form a soft dough.

Filling

6 c apples (Jonathan or Granny Smith)
½ c packed light brown sugar
½ c sugar
¼ c flour
1 t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
¼ t salt
1 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla
4 T heavy cream
4 T butter

Heat oven to 450. Peel and slice apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and add apples. Toss to mix. Add vanilla and cream. Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add apple mixture and cook approximately 8 minutes, to soften apples. Turn into pie shell.

Streusel Topping

½ c flour
3 T sugar
1 T butter
2 chocolate covered toffee bars or 3 oz chocolate covered peanut or pecan brittle

Combine the flour and sugar. Mix in butter with fork until coarse crumbs. Crush 2 chocolate covered toffee bars and stir into streusel mixture. Sprinkle over pie. Add top crust. Seal, flute edge and vent top. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 45 minutes longer.

– Best of Show 2003
By Raine Gottess, Celebration, FL

Crust
15-18 Keebler Pecan Sandie Cookies (crushed)
¼ c butter (melted)

Stir butter into finely crushed cookies with fork. Press into 9” pie pan to shape crust. Freeze to firm

Layer #1
2oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
2 c cool whip
1 T sugar
¼ confectioner’s sugar

Beat all ingredients in mixer until blended, spread onto crust and freeze while making next layers

Layer #2
4 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
¾ c confectioner’s sugar
4 c cool whip
¾ cup peanut butter
2 oz melted Bakers German Sweet Chocolate baking squares

Beat 1st three ingredients together until blended. Divide into two bowls. Add the peanut butter to one and spread on top of pie. Freeze

Add the melted Bakers German Sweet Chocolate Baking Squares to the second bowl, beat and spread on top of pie.

Decorate with Cool Whip

Can be kept frozen and cut to serve.

– 2003 1st Place Pumpkin
By Marles Riessland, Riverdale, NE

Pie Crust

3 c all purpose flour
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 c plus 1 T, butter flavored shortening, chilled
1/3 c ice water
1 T vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Chill all ingredients, including the flour and vinegar. Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles cornmeal. In another bowl, mix water and vinegar with the beaten egg. Add the liquid mixture, one tablespoon at a time, to the flour mixture, tossing with a fork to form a soft dough.

Shape into three discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator at least three hours, before attempting to roll out. (Overnight actually works best). Hold no more than three days in refrigerator. For longer storage, place in a freezer bag and freeze. Use one disc for a single crust pie. Use two discs for a double crust pie. To roll out for pies, work quickly on a floured pastry cloth. Flip the dough at least once adding a little more flour to the pastry cloth. Roll out to fit pie pan. (Store pastry cloth in freezer).

Filling

2 eggs, beaten
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
¾ c sugar
½ t salt
1 t cinnamon
¼ t ginger
¼ t cloves
2 T pure maple syrup
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Beat eggs until frothy. Add all remaining ingredients in order given, beating only until well blended. Pour filling into crust. Bake in 375 oven for 25 minutes.

Pecan CrumbleTopping

½ cup flour
½ c chopped pecans
¼ c packed brown sugar
3 T butter, softened

Combine above ingredients. Remove pie from oven and sprinkle topping over filling. Return pie to oven and bake 25 minutes more or until center is set.

Filling:
1 10-oz. Package of frozen red raspberries
2 cups of canned sour pitted cherries (drained)
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon salt
milk and sugar (to top the crust)

Directions:
1. Thaw frozen raspberries (save the juice) and add enough of the juice from the cherries to make 1 cup liquid.
2. In a sauce pan mix sugar, corn starch and salt. Stir in one cup of juice. Add cherries and cook over medium heat until thick and clear. Cook one more minute. Remove from heat and very gently fold in raspberries.
3. Pour into pastry-lined pie dish. Add top crust. Seal edges, moisten top with hot milk and sprinkle with sugar. Cut seam vents. Bake 350 for about 45 minutes. This pie is extra pretty with a lattice top.

Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons super rich butter powder
1 cup Criscoâ shortening
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup ice water

Directions:
1. Mix the flours and butter powder and cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Beat together the other ingredients and stir into the flour. Mix just until it is incorporated.
3. Form into a disk , wrap in plastic wrap and chill.
4. Roll out about 1/3 of the dough between 2 sheets of wax paper and line pie dish.

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.

Filling:
3 ½ cup seedless grapes (all kinds)
½ cup sugar
3 – 4 tablespoons flour
dash of cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Slip skins off fresh grapes. Cook pulp to a boil. Separate the seeds by pressing pulp through a sieve. Mix skins and pulp together. Can freeze this mixture and use throughout the year.

Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon together. Add to grapes.

Pastry:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Crisco
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup cold water
1 tablespoon half and half
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortenings until like cornmeal. Add cold water and form a ball. Let rest 20 minutes. Roll out and place in pie pan. Add filling. Cover with top crust. Use pastry brush to lightly brush on half and half. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 and continue baking for 30 – 40 minutes until crust is golden brown.

The original recipe, at 24 servings, is 10 WW points per serving. The changes below will reduce it to 7 points.

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces) (8 oz white flour, 4.5 oz WW pastry flour)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 pound medium carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces) (1 cup/7 oz)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces) (3 oz)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil , safflower oil, or canola oil (1 cup oil, 1/2 cup pureed carrots)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment and spray parchment.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside.

3. In food processor fitted with small shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. Wipe out food processor workbowl and fit with metal blade. Process granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. If using carrot puree, add it now. With machine running, add oil through feed tube in steady stream. Process until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer. Scrape mixture into medium bowl. Stir in carrots and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.

Frost with Cream cheese frosting.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 medium peaches, peeled
1-ounce finely chopped crystallized ginger, approximately 3 tablespoons
2.5 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream or ice cream, for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Divide 2 tablespoons of the butter between 4 (6-ounce) ramekins. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and set aside. Evenly divide the brown sugar between the ramekins; sprinkling it into the bottoms of the dishes. Cut each peach into 12 to 14 pieces. Lay the peaches on top of the sugar; evenly dividing them between the dishes and sprinkle with the ginger. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar, buttermilk, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until combine. Pour the batter over the peaches; dividing the mixture evenly between the dishes. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove from the oven to a rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each dish and turn upside down onto a serving plate. Repeat with each cake. Serve immediately with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.