The military tends to move its service members and their families to places that the family members, particularly the spouse, may have never dreamed of living. My husband, being a United States Marine, didn’t have the ability to choose some of the glamorous locales available to the other services.

At one time I found myself sobbing about how much I hated living in the middle of the Mohave Desert when another Marine Corps spouse gave me some very sound advice, “You have to grow where you are planted, honey.” That gooey, corny advice, complete with southern drawl did not sit well with this on-the-verge-of –a-complete- meltdown North Easterner. But, once I stopped feeling sorry for myself I realized she was right. I started to look around me. I discovered that the desert wasn’t a flat, one dimensional, seemingly sterile land. It was a living, breathing environment that hid its precious secrets well. And, when I saw a flower open that hadn’t bloomed in 40 years I knew I witnessed beauty in its purest form.

We spent 5 years in the desert. I grew to love the desert and I grew as a person. I learned how to look at my natural surroundings and not take them for granted, something I could never do at our next assignment. We moved, leaving the desert on December 15th, for Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Upon arriving on Cape Cod my senses went into overdrive. I was back in the north east. I smelled the ocean, listened to the gulls, marveled at the trees…even the ones without their leaves. I was inhaling every bit of this dynamic environment.

I couldn’t say that one thing impressed me more than another regarding the natural environment of Cape Cod. There was just so much to take in, changing with each season. But, one of my favorite memories was seeing the cranberry bogs everywhere we drove. They were a part of the landscape. I loved to see the bogs in each season. They were absolutely wonderful to me, from the pink flowers to the floating red berries.

The Cranberry, along with the blueberry and Concord grape, is one of America’s three native fruits. First used by the Native Americans, it wasn’t long before the European settlers, namely the Pilgrims, understood the value of the cranberry. The cranberry was named “craneberry” because the pink flowers resemble the head and bill of a Sandhill crane. Used for medicinal purposes, food and fabric dye, the cranberry was not just for the holidays.

Yet, for most Americans the cranberry has been relegated to a few uses; juice (to go with your vodka of course…making a “cape cod”, relish, chutney or sauce to go with turkey, strung with popcorn for making a Christmas garland and for making tarts or pies. It was on Cape Cod that I first tasted a cranberry linzer tart.

Watching the growing process and the harvesting of cranberries made me appreciate them all the more, but even if you don’t have that opportunity, you will definitely appreciate the sweet-tart deliciousness of this cranberry linzer tart. The recipe was given to me by a local who made it each year for Christmas and promised I’d never make it to give away as a gift! Well, here it is for you. Just make sure, if you’re on Cape Cod, you don’t make it and give it as a gift.

Cranberry Linzer Tart

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
8 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
Zest of 2 oranges
Linzer dough (see below)

Directions

1. Combine the sugar, water, fresh cranberries, dried cranberries, raisins and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop and liquid begins to thicken.

2. Drain the cranberries over a bowl. Set aside the cranberries and return the liquid to the saucepan. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes to reduce and thicken. Then, pour into the bowl with the cranberries and mix together. Set the cranberries aside to cool completely.

3. At this time you can make the crust.

4. When the crust is made and the cranberry mixture is cool spoon the filling into the crust. Weave the strips of dough into a lattice.

5. Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until crust is a warm brown. When it is finished, place on a cooling rack to set.

Linzer Dough

Ingredients

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups almond flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange peel
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
A pinch of salt
6 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 egg yolks, beaten
Ice water, as needed

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, ground almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, orange peel, cloves, and salt.

2. Add the butter, and process until the mixture is crumbly. With the machine running, add the egg yolks and vanilla. Process until combined.

3. If the dough looks too dry add ice water, one teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together.

4. Set aside about ¼ of the dough. Roll out the other portion to a round the size of your tart pan. Press the dough into the pan. Roll the small portion of dough into strips to be used for the lattice (or you can roll the dough and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter). Chill the dough in the pan and the strips of dough for the lattice.

Winner for the Gingerbread Food Picks is Jenn  at “Baking Jenn”.

We are really enjoying Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking from My Home to Yours. The recipes are easy, delicious and most are perfect for sharing with your guests this holiday season. For this week’s tart we picked the Parisian apple tartlet for two reasons: It is easy to make and it is absolutely delicious. We are all very familiar with the saying: Less is more. The Parisian apple tartlet provides a fine example of this saying. Two main ingredients: puff pastry and apples. Two supporting roles: brown sugar and butter. Who could ask for a better “cast”?

The Parisian apple tartlet is a perfect dessert for a large crowd. They prepare quickly, bake quickly and can be served warm, topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. If you’d like to add a little sophistication to the tartlet simply add a small sprinkle of cardamom and/or cinnamon and garnish with a homemade caramel sauce.

While making your own puff pastry (pate feuilletee) is challenging, we cannot tell you enough that it is also well worth the time. As we state regularly when posting about tart dough, pie dough or other freezable dough always double the recipe so that you will have extra to freeze for another day. The dough we used here came from the same batch that was used for several other posts. Of course, you can use store bought puff pastry and the Parisian apple tartlet will still be a warm, deliciously sweet and buttery dessert.

Dorie Greenspan’s Parisian Apple Tartlet

Ingredients:

1 – 1/8-inch-thick 4-inch circle cold puff pastry
1/2 firm sweet apple, such as a Golden Delicious or Fuji, peeled and cored
light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and put the pastry circle on the sheet.
Cut the apple half into 4 chunks and center the chunks on the pastry circle. Sprinkle the apple with 1 or 2 teaspoons brown sugar-depending on how much sweetness you want-and do with the bits of butter.

Bake the tartlet for about 25 minutes (the time will vary depending on how your apple bakes), until the pastry is deeply browned and puffed up around the apple and the apple can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife.

Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the tartlet cool-it’s great just a little warm and equally good at room temperature.

Puff Pastry (Pate Feuilletee) from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Ingredients
1 pound all-purpose flour, accurately weighed
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup ice water)

Directions

1. Make the butter dough: In the bowl of a food processor or using the flat paddle of an electric mixer, mix 1/2 cup flour with the butter until very smooth. Shape the mixture into a 1-inch-thick flat square, wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the flour dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine salt with the remaining flour, and add cream. Mix the dough well by hand or with an electric mixer; the dough will not be completely smooth, but it should not be sticky. Shape it into a 1 1/2-inch-thick flat square, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rectangle twice as long as the butter-dough square. Place the butter dough in the center, fold up the ends of the flour dough to completely encase the butter dough, and seal the edges by pinching them together. Wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes so that the dough achieves the same temperature throughout.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and on a lightly floured board, roll it out into a large rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 30 minutes. This completes one turn.

5. Repeat this process five more times; classic puff pastry gets six turns, creating hundreds of layers of butter between layers of the flour dough (729 to be exact). Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough, and always brush off any excess. Remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator between turns, or 15 minutes in the freezer. This chilling makes rolling out the dough much easier and keeps the layers of butter equally thick.

6. By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use (for up to 2 days), or freeze for future use.

Winner for the Gingerbread Food Picks is Jenn  at “Baking Jenn”.

We are really enjoying Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking from My Home to Yours. The recipes are easy, delicious and most are perfect for sharing with your guests this holiday season. For this week’s tart we picked the Parisian apple tartlet for two reasons: It is easy to make and it is absolutely delicious. We are all very familiar with the saying: Less is more. The Parisian apple tartlet provides a fine example of this saying. Two main ingredients: puff pastry and apples. Two supporting roles: brown sugar and butter. Who could ask for a better “cast”?

The Parisian apple tartlet is a perfect dessert for a large crowd. They prepare quickly, bake quickly and can be served warm, topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. If you’d like to add a little sophistication to the tartlet simply add a small sprinkle of cardamom and/or cinnamon and garnish with a homemade caramel sauce.

While making your own puff pastry (pate feuilletee) is challenging, we cannot tell you enough that it is also well worth the time. As we state regularly when posting about tart dough, pie dough or other freezable dough always double the recipe so that you will have extra to freeze for another day. The dough we used here came from the same batch that was used for several other posts. Of course, you can use store bought puff pastry and the Parisian apple tartlet will still be a warm, deliciously sweet and buttery dessert.

Dorie Greenspan’s Parisian Apple Tartlet

Ingredients:

1 – 1/8-inch-thick 4-inch circle cold puff pastry
1/2 firm sweet apple, such as a Golden Delicious or Fuji, peeled and cored
light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and put the pastry circle on the sheet.
Cut the apple half into 4 chunks and center the chunks on the pastry circle. Sprinkle the apple with 1 or 2 teaspoons brown sugar-depending on how much sweetness you want-and do with the bits of butter.

Bake the tartlet for about 25 minutes (the time will vary depending on how your apple bakes), until the pastry is deeply browned and puffed up around the apple and the apple can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife.

Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the tartlet cool-it’s great just a little warm and equally good at room temperature.

Puff Pastry (Pate Feuilletee) from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Ingredients
1 pound all-purpose flour, accurately weighed
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup ice water)

Directions

1. Make the butter dough: In the bowl of a food processor or using the flat paddle of an electric mixer, mix 1/2 cup flour with the butter until very smooth. Shape the mixture into a 1-inch-thick flat square, wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the flour dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine salt with the remaining flour, and add cream. Mix the dough well by hand or with an electric mixer; the dough will not be completely smooth, but it should not be sticky. Shape it into a 1 1/2-inch-thick flat square, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rectangle twice as long as the butter-dough square. Place the butter dough in the center, fold up the ends of the flour dough to completely encase the butter dough, and seal the edges by pinching them together. Wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes so that the dough achieves the same temperature throughout.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and on a lightly floured board, roll it out into a large rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 30 minutes. This completes one turn.

5. Repeat this process five more times; classic puff pastry gets six turns, creating hundreds of layers of butter between layers of the flour dough (729 to be exact). Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough, and always brush off any excess. Remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator between turns, or 15 minutes in the freezer. This chilling makes rolling out the dough much easier and keeps the layers of butter equally thick.

6. By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use (for up to 2 days), or freeze for future use.

With the passing of Thanksgiving (barely) we enter the time of the year known as “The Season”. One could argue that it is “The Season” of overindulgence and it began, for many, in the wee hours of the morning, the day after Thanksgiving, better known as Black Friday, which oozed into Small Business Saturday and then Cyber Monday.

Whew! If you were shopping on these days you certainly need a break. Even if you didn’t go shopping you might be exhausted by the onslaught of circulars, flyers and catalogs clogging your mailbox and cluttering your doorstep. The only plus side to all these publications is that your children will have a plethora of material for future collage projects at school.

Shopping, wrapping, parties, more shopping, cooking, baking and decorating can take its toll no matter how joyous. If, after hearing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer sung ad nauseam at your local market, you feel like shooting at the speaker system Rambo style it is time to give it all a rest. “The Season” can be exhausting so we must remember to take time for ourselves.

Sit down, have an espresso, two or three and take a bite of a delicious chocolate caramel tart. This tart is easy to make while you are in the kitchen baking your 400th cookie. And, the tart is small enough to hide. That’s right. Hide. Okay, maybe it isn’t in the spirit of “The Season” to hide the treats from the family, but sometimes one little fib, as you mumble through a gooey bite of tart, “What am I eating? It’s just a granola bar.” is required for the greater good. After all, who wants to be cranky during “The Season”?

This delicious, decadent tart is from Dorie Greenspans Baking: From my Home to Yours. At first glance it may seem like a long recipe, but it is exceedingly easy. And, as usual, our advice to you is to double the tart dough recipe. Save the extra in the freezer for another tart. If you do this for all your pie and tart dough you will amass a good selection to choose from when you are in a pinch.

Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart

Sweet Tart Dough

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup confectioners’ sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 ounces) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 large egg yolk

To make the dough:

Put the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt in the workbowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely – you’ll have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pea-size pieces and that’s just fine. Stir the egg, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses – about 10 seconds each – until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds. Just before your reaches this clumpy stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change – heads up. Turn the dough out onto a work surface.

Very lightly and sparingly – make that very, very lightly and sparingly – knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

If you want to press the dough into a tart pan, now is the time to do it.

If you want to chill the dough and roll it out later (doable, but fussier than pressing), gather the dough into a ball (you might have to use a little more pressure than you used to mix in dry bits, because you do want the ball to be just this side of cohesive), flatten it into a disk, wrap it well and chill it for at least 2 hours or for up to 1 day.

To make a press-in crust: Butter the tart pan and press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Don’t be stingy – you want a crust with a little heft because you want to be able to both taste and feel it. Also, don’t be too heavy-handed – you want to press the crust in so that the pieces cling to one another and knit together when baked, but you don’t want to press so hard that the crust loses its crumbly shortbreadish texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

To make a rolled-out crust: This dough is very soft – a combination of a substantial amount of butter and the use of confectioners’ sugar – so I find it is easier to roll it between wax paper or plastic wrap or, easiest of all, in a roll-out-your-dough slipcover. If you use the slipcover, flour it lightly. Roll the dough out evenly, turning the dough over frequently and lifting the wax paper or plastic wrap often, so that it doesn’t roll into the dough and form creases. If you’ve got time, slide the rolled out dough into the fridge to rest and firm for about 20 minutes before fitting the dough into the buttered tart pan. Trim the excess dough even with the edge of the pan. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

To fully bake the crust: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil tightly against the crust, placing baking beads on top. Bake the crust 25 minutes, and then carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, take a fork and poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer the crust to a cooling rack; keep it in its pan.

For the caramel layer:

Scant 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 tbsp. salted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Before making the caramel, make sure that you have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go because you have to work quickly once the sugar caramelizes. Also have a medium heatproof bowl at hand to hold the hot caramel.

To make the caramel, bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet, preferably nonstick, to medium heat and sprinkle in about 3 tablespoons of the sugar. When it melts, stir it with a wooden spatula or a fork and sprinkle over another 3 tablespoons. When that sugar is melted, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar in the pan may already have started to color and that is fine. Stir in the corn syrup and boil the syrup until it reaches a deep caramel color – it will probably begin to smoke, and that is normal.

Bring the simmering cream to a full boil. Stand back from the skillet and stir in the butter and salt, if you’re using it. The caramel will bubble furiously and may spatter, so be careful. When the butter is in, add the warm cream – the caramel will bubble furiously again. Lower the temperature just a tad and let the caramel boil for just 2 minutes. (If you check the temperature with a thermometer, the caramel should be at 226 degrees F.) Pour the seething caramel into the heatproof bowl and set it aside while you make the ganache.

For the ganache:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

To make the ganache, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and have a whisk or rubber spatula at hand. Bring the cream to a boil, then pour half of it over the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds. Working with the whisk or spatula, very gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles, starting at center of the bowl and working your way out in increasingly larger concentric circles. Pour in the remainder of the cream and blend it into the chocolate, using the same circular motion. When the ganache is smooth and shiny, stir in the butter piece by piece. Don’t stir the ganache any more than you must to blend the ingredients – the less you work it, the darker, smoother and shinier it will be.

Cover the ganache with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface of the chocolate to create an airtight seal. Set aside at room temperature for the moment. To assemble the tart, stir the peanuts into the caramel using a rubber spatula. If the caramel is too thick to stir or spread easily, gently warm it in the microwave in 3-second spurts. (You can also hold the heatproof bowl about 10 inches above the burner on your range. Check the consistency after a couple of seconds and repeat if necessary.) Spread the caramel over the bottom of the tart shell in a thin layer. Refrigerate the tart for 15 minutes to set the caramel.

Check the ganache. If it has thickened and is no longer pourable, warm it in the same way as instructed for the caramel above. Pour the ganache over the caramel and jiggle the tart pan to even it. Refrigerate the tart for 30 minutes but no longer, and then keep it at room temperature until serving time.

The winner of the hand crafted cutting board is “Rachel”, congrats Rachel from “My Naturally Frugal Family“.

For the holidays we like to dress up our tables. Coconut Custard pie is easily converted into tart form and makes a lovely addition to your dessert table. We love tarts, particularly on holiday tables, because they look a little more polished, as if the pie dressed up for the occasion.

There are many people who think there is a great deal of work that goes into a coconut cream pie. Truthfully, it is one of the easiest pies to make and it seems to receive more than the average compliments. All pies are delicious, but the exotic nature of coconuts seems to add more flavor.
You’ll note in the photos that our coconut cream is very yellow. As you’ll read in the recipe there are 5 large egg yolks in the custard. It is our fortune that organic, free-range eggs from a local farm are sold to us directly from the farm. They are fresh, delicious and above all the egg yolks are an amazingly bright, deep yellow. Anything made with these eggs has a beautiful color.

It may be that some like the white of a coconut cream pie and that is fine. But, the color of this custard speaks to us of a time when women were embarrassed to put brown sugar on the table, preferring the less healthy, refined white sugar because it was a status symbol.
Today this may seem silly to us as we all know that unrefined sugar is much healthier and often preferred. This is how we feel about the eggs. We love the rich color and we do not hesitate, when asked, to say proudly that the eggs used in the custard come from local, healthy, happy, well-fed chickens!

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart. You can use a pate brisee recipe for the crust or sweet tart dough. If you are making this into a tart you have the option to make a variety of sizes. The recipe will yield about 6-8 tartlets or can be used in a large tart pan. And, remember: double your dough recipe and freeze the extra! You’ll be glad you did when you’d like to make a quick pie or tart.

Coconut Cream Pie (or Tart)

Ingredients

1/2 recipe Pate Brisee
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Fresh Coconut Curls
1 large whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 5 large egg yolks
3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate Curls

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch round, a bit less than 1/4 inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim crust to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under overhang so it extends slightly beyond edge of pie plate. Crimp edge as desired. Prick dough all over with a fork. Brush rim of dough with beaten egg. Chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Line chilled pie shell with a round of parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of crust just turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Return crust to oven, and continue baking until golden all over 15 to 20 minutes more. Place pie shell on a wire rack to cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Place Coconut Curls on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

4. Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks; set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together coconut milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil), and cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Whisk a quarter of hot-milk mixture into egg yolks; whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Set in ice bath until completely chilled, 30 to 35 minutes. (Filling can be kept in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.)

6. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch the water), or in the microwave. Stir until smooth, and set aside until cool to touch, stirring occasionally.

7. Using a pastry brush, coat inside of cooled crust with melted chocolate. Place in refrigerator or freezer until firm to touch, about 10 minutes.

8. Fill crust with coconut custard, spreading evenly with an offset spatula. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine cream and confectioners’ sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Using a small offset spatula, spread whipped cream on top of custard. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish with toasted Coconut Curls and Chocolate Curls just before serving.

Pate Brisee

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup chilled (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. Make sure all your ingredients are thoroughly chilled before you begin. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.

2. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture by pressing down quickly, using as few strokes as possible. You may leave a few pea-size pieces. Add 4 tablespoons water. Gather the dough and gently press into a ball. It should come together loosely; if not, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half; place each on plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap tightly; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

3. Remove disks from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, press rolling pin gently all over dough to flatten it slightly. Working from the center to the edge in all directions, roll out dough into a round about 3 inches larger than the pie plate.

4. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin; lift and center it over the pie plate. Gently unroll the dough over the plate, leaving an even amount of overhang around the perimeter. Baking time depends on individual recipes.

Sweet Tart Dough

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl.

2. Toss butter through flour mixture to coat pieces. Using fingertips, rub fat into flour, working it until you have created a coarse meal with a few pea-size particles of fat.

3. Empty crumbs onto a cool surface. Form mixture into a mound. Make a 4 to 5 inch well in center of the mound. Combine egg and vanilla and pour mixture into the well. Using a fork, draw crumbs into egg mixture, about 1 – 2 tablespoons at a time. When all crumbs are added, toss mixture a few times with a pastry blender to form large clumps, and then scrape into a mound.

4. Using the heel of your hand, push 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dough at a time, outward in 6 to 8 inch sweeps. This will blend fat and flour and give crust a delicate texture. If your hand becomes sticky, flour it as needed. Repeat process until all dough has been worked. Gather dough into a mound again. Repeat procedure 2 more times.

5. After third time, flour your hands. Gently knead the dough 5 or 6 times to make it smooth. Shape into a 5 inch disk. Dust disk lightly with flour, score with side of your hand, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 20 minutes before shaping. DO NOT LET DOUGH BECOME TOO HARD or it will be difficult to roll. If this happens, let pastry soften at room temperature.

6. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. After dough has been rolled, position rolling pin 4 inches from top of the pastry. Lift dough over top of rolling pin and gently roll dough toward you. Lift pastry up. Make sure you keep a finger pressed against barrel of rolling pin to keep it from slipping. Position pastry, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of dough hanging over edge of pan on side closest to you. Then unroll pastry over an ungreased tart pan, moving pin away from you. Immediately lift overhang into pan to prevent sharp edge of the pan from cutting dough.

7. Working a small portion of the dough at a time, mold it into crease of the pan. Trim excess pastry from top edge of pan. Chill pastry in refrigerator or freezer for up to 30 minutes. Tear an 18 inch square of tin foil. Make a buttered circle in center of foil 2 inches larger than size of pan. Place foil buttered side down, centering it into the baking pan. Using your hand, press foil flush against the sides.

8. Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Position shelf in lower third of oven. Fill pan with enough dried beans or baking nuggets to just cover surface of pan. DO NOT OVERFILL. Bake pastry shell on a shallow pan with sides. Bake crust 15 to 18 minutes or until sides begin to brown. Remove pan from the oven. Let stand about 30 seconds. Gently remove foil and beans. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Continue to bake crust for 3 to 5 minutes or until it is golden. If bottom of pastry shell puffs up, tap it gently with bottom of a fork to expel the air. Do this carefully so the pastry crust doesn’t break. When crust is done, cool completely before filling.

The winner of the hand crafted cutting board is “Rachel”, congrats Rachel from “My Naturally Frugal Family“.

For the holidays we like to dress up our tables. Coconut Custard pie is easily converted into tart form and makes a lovely addition to your dessert table. We love tarts, particularly on holiday tables, because they look a little more polished, as if the pie dressed up for the occasion.

There are many people who think there is a great deal of work that goes into a coconut cream pie. Truthfully, it is one of the easiest pies to make and it seems to receive more than the average compliments. All pies are delicious, but the exotic nature of coconuts seems to add more flavor.
You’ll note in the photos that our coconut cream is very yellow. As you’ll read in the recipe there are 5 large egg yolks in the custard. It is our fortune that organic, free-range eggs from a local farm are sold to us directly from the farm. They are fresh, delicious and above all the egg yolks are an amazingly bright, deep yellow. Anything made with these eggs has a beautiful color.

It may be that some like the white of a coconut cream pie and that is fine. But, the color of this custard speaks to us of a time when women were embarrassed to put brown sugar on the table, preferring the less healthy, refined white sugar because it was a status symbol.
Today this may seem silly to us as we all know that unrefined sugar is much healthier and often preferred. This is how we feel about the eggs. We love the rich color and we do not hesitate, when asked, to say proudly that the eggs used in the custard come from local, healthy, happy, well-fed chickens!

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart. You can use a pate brisee recipe for the crust or sweet tart dough. If you are making this into a tart you have the option to make a variety of sizes. The recipe will yield about 6-8 tartlets or can be used in a large tart pan. And, remember: double your dough recipe and freeze the extra! You’ll be glad you did when you’d like to make a quick pie or tart.

Coconut Cream Pie (or Tart)

Ingredients

1/2 recipe Pate Brisee
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Fresh Coconut Curls
1 large whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 5 large egg yolks
3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate Curls

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch round, a bit less than 1/4 inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim crust to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under overhang so it extends slightly beyond edge of pie plate. Crimp edge as desired. Prick dough all over with a fork. Brush rim of dough with beaten egg. Chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Line chilled pie shell with a round of parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of crust just turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Return crust to oven, and continue baking until golden all over 15 to 20 minutes more. Place pie shell on a wire rack to cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Place Coconut Curls on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

4. Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks; set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together coconut milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil), and cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Whisk a quarter of hot-milk mixture into egg yolks; whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Set in ice bath until completely chilled, 30 to 35 minutes. (Filling can be kept in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.)

6. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch the water), or in the microwave. Stir until smooth, and set aside until cool to touch, stirring occasionally.

7. Using a pastry brush, coat inside of cooled crust with melted chocolate. Place in refrigerator or freezer until firm to touch, about 10 minutes.

8. Fill crust with coconut custard, spreading evenly with an offset spatula. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine cream and confectioners’ sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Using a small offset spatula, spread whipped cream on top of custard. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish with toasted Coconut Curls and Chocolate Curls just before serving.

Pate Brisee

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup chilled (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. Make sure all your ingredients are thoroughly chilled before you begin. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.

2. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture by pressing down quickly, using as few strokes as possible. You may leave a few pea-size pieces. Add 4 tablespoons water. Gather the dough and gently press into a ball. It should come together loosely; if not, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half; place each on plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap tightly; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

3. Remove disks from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, press rolling pin gently all over dough to flatten it slightly. Working from the center to the edge in all directions, roll out dough into a round about 3 inches larger than the pie plate.

4. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin; lift and center it over the pie plate. Gently unroll the dough over the plate, leaving an even amount of overhang around the perimeter. Baking time depends on individual recipes.

Sweet Tart Dough

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl.

2. Toss butter through flour mixture to coat pieces. Using fingertips, rub fat into flour, working it until you have created a coarse meal with a few pea-size particles of fat.

3. Empty crumbs onto a cool surface. Form mixture into a mound. Make a 4 to 5 inch well in center of the mound. Combine egg and vanilla and pour mixture into the well. Using a fork, draw crumbs into egg mixture, about 1 – 2 tablespoons at a time. When all crumbs are added, toss mixture a few times with a pastry blender to form large clumps, and then scrape into a mound.

4. Using the heel of your hand, push 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dough at a time, outward in 6 to 8 inch sweeps. This will blend fat and flour and give crust a delicate texture. If your hand becomes sticky, flour it as needed. Repeat process until all dough has been worked. Gather dough into a mound again. Repeat procedure 2 more times.

5. After third time, flour your hands. Gently knead the dough 5 or 6 times to make it smooth. Shape into a 5 inch disk. Dust disk lightly with flour, score with side of your hand, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 20 minutes before shaping. DO NOT LET DOUGH BECOME TOO HARD or it will be difficult to roll. If this happens, let pastry soften at room temperature.

6. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. After dough has been rolled, position rolling pin 4 inches from top of the pastry. Lift dough over top of rolling pin and gently roll dough toward you. Lift pastry up. Make sure you keep a finger pressed against barrel of rolling pin to keep it from slipping. Position pastry, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of dough hanging over edge of pan on side closest to you. Then unroll pastry over an ungreased tart pan, moving pin away from you. Immediately lift overhang into pan to prevent sharp edge of the pan from cutting dough.

7. Working a small portion of the dough at a time, mold it into crease of the pan. Trim excess pastry from top edge of pan. Chill pastry in refrigerator or freezer for up to 30 minutes. Tear an 18 inch square of tin foil. Make a buttered circle in center of foil 2 inches larger than size of pan. Place foil buttered side down, centering it into the baking pan. Using your hand, press foil flush against the sides.

8. Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Position shelf in lower third of oven. Fill pan with enough dried beans or baking nuggets to just cover surface of pan. DO NOT OVERFILL. Bake pastry shell on a shallow pan with sides. Bake crust 15 to 18 minutes or until sides begin to brown. Remove pan from the oven. Let stand about 30 seconds. Gently remove foil and beans. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Continue to bake crust for 3 to 5 minutes or until it is golden. If bottom of pastry shell puffs up, tap it gently with bottom of a fork to expel the air. Do this carefully so the pastry crust doesn’t break. When crust is done, cool completely before filling.

These individual potato and onion tarts are the perfect accompaniment to any holiday meal. They look fabulous on the table. Of course, when we have large gatherings we make large portions that are placed on the dining or buffet table. But, it is always impressive to add at least one side dish that is made for each individual. These tarts are perfect. They are easy to make, look fantastic and taste even better. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of onions, you will love the buttery goodness of these potato and onion tarts.

We recommend that you try to make your own puff pastry (pate feuilletee.) There is nothing like home made puff pastry. And, once you make a batch it can be kept in the freezer. The recipe below makes about two pounds of puff pastry so it will last for several recipes. Of course, with everyone busy, the store bought puff pastry is a good option and will taste very good.

Both the Potato and Onion Tart recipe as well as the Pate Feuilletee recipe come from the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook.

Individual Potato-and-Onion Tartes Tatin

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces, plus more for pans

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (17 1/4-ounce) standard package store-bought puff pastry
4 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
5 small new potatoes, peeled
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
6 small pats of butter (this is something we added)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sugar

Directions

1. Very generously butter six 5-inch round metal pie plates; set aside. (You can also use an oversized muffin pan.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cutter or a small plate as a guide, cut dough into 4 1/2-inch rounds. Prick rounds all over with a fork. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Lay two or three onion rounds on the bottom of each pie pan. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice potatoes into thin rounds, about a scant 1/4 inch thick. Place potato slices, slightly over lapping, over the onion in two layers of concentric circles (they should completely cover the onion). Sprinkle potatoes generously with salt and pepper. Place a pat of butter on top of the potatoes and then place chilled puff pastry rounds on top of the potatoes in each pie plate. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Immediately invert tartlets onto a platter. In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until mixture reduces to a syrup, about 4 minutes. Whisk in butter, a piece at a time, until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Glaze tartlets with balsamic syrup and serve warm.

Puff Pastry (Pate Feuilletee)
FoodBreakfastBrunchButterDessert FrenchPuff pastry

Ingredients

1 pound all-purpose flour, accurately weighed
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup ice water)

Directions

1. Make the butter dough: In the bowl of a food processor or using the flat paddle of an electric mixer, mix 1/2 cup flour with the butter until very smooth. Shape the mixture into a 1-inch-thick flat square, wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the flour dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine salt with the remaining flour, and add cream. Mix the dough well by hand or with an electric mixer; the dough will not be completely smooth, but it should not be sticky. Shape it into a 1 1/2-inch-thick flat square, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rectangle twice as long as the butter-dough square. Place the butter dough in the center, fold up the ends of the flour dough to completely encase the butter dough, and seal the edges by pinching them together. Wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes so that the dough achieves the same temperature throughout.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and on a lightly floured board, roll it out into a large rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 30 minutes. This completes one turn.

5. Repeat this process five more times; classic puff pastry gets six turns, creating hundreds of layers of butter between layers of the flour dough (729 to be exact). Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough, and always brush off any excess. Remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator between turns, or 15 minutes in the freezer. This chilling makes rolling out the dough much easier and keeps the layers of butter equally thick.

6. By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use (for up to 2 days), or freeze for future use.

These individual potato and onion tarts are the perfect accompaniment to any holiday meal. They look fabulous on the table. Of course, when we have large gatherings we make large portions that are placed on the dining or buffet table. But, it is always impressive to add at least one side dish that is made for each individual. These tarts are perfect. They are easy to make, look fantastic and taste even better. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of onions, you will love the buttery goodness of these potato and onion tarts.

We recommend that you try to make your own puff pastry (pate feuilletee.) There is nothing like home made puff pastry. And, once you make a batch it can be kept in the freezer. The recipe below makes about two pounds of puff pastry so it will last for several recipes. Of course, with everyone busy, the store bought puff pastry is a good option and will taste very good.

Both the Potato and Onion Tart recipe as well as the Pate Feuilletee recipe come from the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook.

Individual Potato-and-Onion Tartes Tatin

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces, plus more for pans

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (17 1/4-ounce) standard package store-bought puff pastry
4 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
5 small new potatoes, peeled
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
6 small pats of butter (this is something we added)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sugar

Directions

1. Very generously butter six 5-inch round metal pie plates; set aside. (You can also use an oversized muffin pan.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cutter or a small plate as a guide, cut dough into 4 1/2-inch rounds. Prick rounds all over with a fork. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Lay two or three onion rounds on the bottom of each pie pan. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice potatoes into thin rounds, about a scant 1/4 inch thick. Place potato slices, slightly over lapping, over the onion in two layers of concentric circles (they should completely cover the onion). Sprinkle potatoes generously with salt and pepper. Place a pat of butter on top of the potatoes and then place chilled puff pastry rounds on top of the potatoes in each pie plate. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Immediately invert tartlets onto a platter. In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until mixture reduces to a syrup, about 4 minutes. Whisk in butter, a piece at a time, until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Glaze tartlets with balsamic syrup and serve warm.

Puff Pastry (Pate Feuilletee)
FoodBreakfastBrunchButterDessert FrenchPuff pastry

Ingredients

1 pound all-purpose flour, accurately weighed
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup ice water)

Directions

1. Make the butter dough: In the bowl of a food processor or using the flat paddle of an electric mixer, mix 1/2 cup flour with the butter until very smooth. Shape the mixture into a 1-inch-thick flat square, wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the flour dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine salt with the remaining flour, and add cream. Mix the dough well by hand or with an electric mixer; the dough will not be completely smooth, but it should not be sticky. Shape it into a 1 1/2-inch-thick flat square, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rectangle twice as long as the butter-dough square. Place the butter dough in the center, fold up the ends of the flour dough to completely encase the butter dough, and seal the edges by pinching them together. Wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes so that the dough achieves the same temperature throughout.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and on a lightly floured board, roll it out into a large rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked. Wrap the dough, and chill it for at least 30 minutes. This completes one turn.

5. Repeat this process five more times; classic puff pastry gets six turns, creating hundreds of layers of butter between layers of the flour dough (729 to be exact). Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough, and always brush off any excess. Remember to let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator between turns, or 15 minutes in the freezer. This chilling makes rolling out the dough much easier and keeps the layers of butter equally thick.

6. By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use (for up to 2 days), or freeze for future use.

In an earlier post entitled “It’s all about the Pumpkin” I wrote about cooking down your own pumpkin. For me, the day my father would peel and cut the pumpkin for my mother to cook down was one of great pleasure for I knew what the end result would be. I mentioned that my mother rarely, if ever, baked. She didn’t care for baking so having a freshly baked pumpkin pie was a treasure and greatly anticipated each year.

I’m not really sure why my mother chose pumpkin pie as the one thing she would bake year after year. My mother passed on three years ago and so I won’t have the chance to ask her, but I do know it wasn’t a recipe handed down from mother to daughter as my grandmother was from Sicily and pumpkin pie was not in her baking repertoire.

I am going with the theory that my mother loved pumpkin pie as much as I do. She took great pride in her very simple recipe. She loved to mention that the pumpkin was not from a can and she would make as many pies as she had puree pumpkin, which was a lot because she often cooked down a rather large pumpkin. My mother didn’t know that there were particular pumpkins for cooking down. A pumpkin was a pumpkin.

And, that fact is a testament to this recipe. It doesn’t matter if you have a “pumpkin pie” pumpkin with its tiny brown specks or if you have a regular, run of the mill pumpkin. As long as you cook it down properly and puree it well any pumpkin will do for this recipe and for an upcoming pumpkin soup recipe.

I like to use the following recipe from Martha Stewart for the pate brisee:

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Or, you could use this tart dough recipe from Martha Stewart:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup ice water
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 5 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt and water. Keep very cold until ready to use.

2. Place flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly until mixture forms large crumbs. Add the salt water mixture and continue pulsing until dough has just formed but is not smooth.

3. On a lightly floured work surface, evenly divide dough. Form each piece of dough into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Ingredients

2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp ground clove
2 tbsp melted butter (unsalted)
1 tbsp corn starch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Move the racks to the lower half of the oven.

2. Take a dough round and roll out to fit a deep dish 9” pie dish. Or, roll out the dough to fit 6-8 tartlet forms depending on size.

3. Chill the pie shell for about 10 minutes in the freezer. If making tartlets you will need to pre-bake the tartlet shells because they will not finish cooking when the filling has finished.

4. While the shell(s) is/are chilling; Place all ingredients into a blender. Pulse to blend, but do not over blend. The mixture is not thick.

5. When the pie shell has chilled place it on a cookie sheet. Pour the filling into the shell and carefully place the pie (on the cookie sheet) into the oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

6. If making the tartlets, once they have chilled, place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. Take the shells out and cool. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once they are cool, poor the filling into them and place them back in the oven. Bake until tartlets are set.

7. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the pie is set, about 45 minutes.

8. Remove the pie or tartlets from the oven and cool. Once cool put the pie or tartlets into the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour before serving. Serve with homemade whip cream.

Note: If you have any filling left over and don’t want to waste it simply place it into a small baking dish or ramekins. This custard bakes nicely without a shell and is equally as delicious.

In an earlier post entitled “It’s all about the Pumpkin” I wrote about cooking down your own pumpkin. For me, the day my father would peel and cut the pumpkin for my mother to cook down was one of great pleasure for I knew what the end result would be. I mentioned that my mother rarely, if ever, baked. She didn’t care for baking so having a freshly baked pumpkin pie was a treasure and greatly anticipated each year.

I’m not really sure why my mother chose pumpkin pie as the one thing she would bake year after year. My mother passed on three years ago and so I won’t have the chance to ask her, but I do know it wasn’t a recipe handed down from mother to daughter as my grandmother was from Sicily and pumpkin pie was not in her baking repertoire.

I am going with the theory that my mother loved pumpkin pie as much as I do. She took great pride in her very simple recipe. She loved to mention that the pumpkin was not from a can and she would make as many pies as she had puree pumpkin, which was a lot because she often cooked down a rather large pumpkin. My mother didn’t know that there were particular pumpkins for cooking down. A pumpkin was a pumpkin.

And, that fact is a testament to this recipe. It doesn’t matter if you have a “pumpkin pie” pumpkin with its tiny brown specks or if you have a regular, run of the mill pumpkin. As long as you cook it down properly and puree it well any pumpkin will do for this recipe and for an upcoming pumpkin soup recipe.

I like to use the following recipe from Martha Stewart for the pate brisee:

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Or, you could use this tart dough recipe from Martha Stewart:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup ice water
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 5 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt and water. Keep very cold until ready to use.

2. Place flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly until mixture forms large crumbs. Add the salt water mixture and continue pulsing until dough has just formed but is not smooth.

3. On a lightly floured work surface, evenly divide dough. Form each piece of dough into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Ingredients

2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp ground clove
2 tbsp melted butter (unsalted)
1 tbsp corn starch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Move the racks to the lower half of the oven.

2. Take a dough round and roll out to fit a deep dish 9” pie dish. Or, roll out the dough to fit 6-8 tartlet forms depending on size.

3. Chill the pie shell for about 10 minutes in the freezer. If making tartlets you will need to pre-bake the tartlet shells because they will not finish cooking when the filling has finished.

4. While the shell(s) is/are chilling; Place all ingredients into a blender. Pulse to blend, but do not over blend. The mixture is not thick.

5. When the pie shell has chilled place it on a cookie sheet. Pour the filling into the shell and carefully place the pie (on the cookie sheet) into the oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

6. If making the tartlets, once they have chilled, place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. Take the shells out and cool. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once they are cool, poor the filling into them and place them back in the oven. Bake until tartlets are set.

7. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the pie is set, about 45 minutes.

8. Remove the pie or tartlets from the oven and cool. Once cool put the pie or tartlets into the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour before serving. Serve with homemade whip cream.

Note: If you have any filling left over and don’t want to waste it simply place it into a small baking dish or ramekins. This custard bakes nicely without a shell and is equally as delicious.