Happy Turkey Day! (in Canada at least)

Fall is very officially here, no question about it.  We didn't get the nice, long Indian Summer I was hoping for... not quite, anyway.  Yes, we're back to warm, sunny days, but it took less than a week for all the leaves to turn colour and drop this year.  Who can blame them?  Summer ended very abruptly this year - sunny and 28C one day, cold, drizzly and 13C the next... and then it stayed that was for over a week.  I had plans for driving down to the river valley to take some photos of my city when it is at its absolute prettiest, but I hardly had time before all the trees went from a riot of illuminated golds, vibrant oranges and fiery reds to a forest of barren branches.  And pictures of naked brown treetops doesn't extactly have the same appeal. {sigh} Oh well, at least it's warm again.

And withn fall, comes Thanksgiving - a full five weeks earlier than it comes for our neighbours to the south, though I honestly have no idea why.  It's fine with me, because we get to enjoy our traditional turkey with all the trimmings and still have enough time before Christmas to actually crave it again. We'll be heading over to dinner at my parent's house on Sunday for Round 1, then over to the in-laws' on holiday Monday for Round 2.  It's been a long time since we hosted and I prepared the whole feat myself, though I have very distinct memories of our first Thanksgiving after hubby and I moved in together....the turkey was so beautiful we took pictures of it, and my then-vegetarian sister-in-law totally fell off the meat wagon and feasted on potatoes and stuffing covered in the killer gravy that gorgeous bird produced.  Nowadays, we go elsewhere for our turkey fix and I bring the pies... natch!

One thing that's a must is Pumpkin Pie, just like my dear Grandma used to make.  Mostly because it's tradition and for some people, it's just not Thanksgiving without it... I mean, it's okay, but in all honesty, one piece a year does me just fine.  It brings back fond memories of Thanksgivings past, celebrated around the big table at Grandma & Grandpa's, everyone making sure they saved room for dessert (a LOT of room too, because for whatever reason, my Grandma could only ever cut a pie into 5 wedges - unless you were full and only wanted "a sliver"... then she might cut it into sixths).  Served with a nice big dollop of freshly-whipped cream, it was the perfect finish to an incredible feast, before, stuffed like the fair bird ourselves, we all moaned & waddled our way through the kitchen to help clean up.

But for the last 18 years that I've been making the dessert this time of year, I also make Pecan Pie, because hubby doesn't like Pumpkin Pie, and because it is my absolute favourite.  I would probably eat Pecan Pie all year round, but the flavours and richness really are best in the cooler months.  A nice flaky crust, filled with sticky, chewy, syrupy good-ness, holding all those toasty pecans together, and topped with whipped cream.  It's heaven on a fork as far as I am concerned.  But don't try to give me any of that Maple or Chocolate Pecan Pie... no sir!  I'm a purist when it comes to Pecan Pie.  Besides, chocolate can have the spolight any day of the year.  Today is the Pecan's day to shine.

Now for the dilemma - how many of each pie do I make, and in what form?  One really nice thing about Pecan Pie is that the filling (it's not exactly a custard, though it does contain eggs - it's more of a syrup tart with nuts) is firm enough that you can serve it in just about any shape you want.  I've made the traditional round pie, to be cut into several wedges (hear that, Grandma?  I said "several" wedges!), an elegant rectanular tart, and even individual tarts, which is revealed to much "ooohhhh-ing" and "aaahhhh-ing", at the same time, eliminating the need for all that cutting and serving.  Yes, it's more labour intensive to make the tarts, especially when you only have 4 tart molds the right size, but you can actually prepare and blind bake the tart shells ahead of time and then it's not much work to fill them and do the final bake on the day they're to be served.  Of course, you can also just go buy more tart molds and save a bunch of time that way too (that's the route I'm going...)

Some words of advice for these recipes; Now is not the time to try and cut any caloric corners.  Margarine is *not* an option (nor should it ever be in my opinion), the pecans should be fresh (stale nuts go rancid and bitter), as should the eggs.  For the pumpkin, though I have yet to try it (but I want to) I would imagine that real pumpkin, roasted in your own oven, would be the best. That said, I do cheat and buy canned pumpkin.  If you want to go ahead and cheat like I do, then just be sure to buy just straight "canned pumpkin" and not pumpkin pie filling.  What's the difference?  The difference is that one contains nothing but pumpkin and the other also contains spices and seasonings, and I like to decide how much of which spices go into my pie, thank you very much.

Speaking of spices, I definitely recommend that your spices be as fresh as possible - even though spices are sold in bottles big enough to last until the next millennia, it actually shouldn't.  Do yourself a favour - toss them out and buy some fresh ones.  Also be sure to buy individual spices instead of that bottle of "pumpkin pie spice".  I also am a big fan of buying whole nutmeg and grating it fresh, just when you need it.... the smell s pure heaven to me, and it tastes so much better than any jarred stuff you can find.  For my Pumpkin Pie, I also opt for minced candied ginger over ground ginger.  It gives a little more personality to the pies, and the candied aspect of it pairs perfectly with dessert, without being overwhelmingly spicey.  Of course,  if you like a bit more kick, give fresh grated ginger a try.

Oh, and another thing (though as a reader of this blog, you should already know this): the cream should be REAL whipped cream - not from a can, and just so you know, anything called whipped "topping" that you can buy in a tub in the freezer section is NOT whipped cream, it's an "edible oil product".  HUH??  What kind of oil?!?  Corn oil? Sperm Whale oil?? Motor oil??? {*shudder*}.... and don't even ask me how they can make 'edible oil' into something fat free...

Ok - back to the pies:
For the pastry, I stick with the Pâte Brisée (or flaky pie pastry) that I always use, and posted a while back - occassionally, when baking an apple or pumpkin pie, I might get a little crazy and add a small amount of cinnamon to the flour, just to compliment the spiced fillings, but the choice is yours.  Also, because these are open pies (sans top crust), filled with very 'wet' fillings, I blind bake the pastry before filling, ensuring a nice crisp crust.  As I said, you can do this the morning of, or you can make the pie shell a few days ahead and store them in an airtight container until you're ready to fill them with.....


Pecan Pie
makes one 9-inch pie, but this recipe is easily doubled
226g  (2 Cups) Pecan halves
90g (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
264 ml  (3/4 Cup) light corn syrup
3 large eggs, at room temperature
200g (1 Cup) brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
15 ml (1 Tbsp) vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in centre of the oven. 
Scatter pecans on a cookie sheet and place them in the oven for about 8-12 minutes to toast them, stirrung and mixing them every couple of minutes, and keeping a watchful eye that they don't burn.  A good rule of thumb when toasting nuts - as soon as you can smell them, they're done.  Immediately turn them out onto a wooden cutting board or kitchen towel, so they don't stay on the hot cookie sheet where they will continue to cook and potentially scorch.  Using a very sharp knife, roughly chop the pecans until the pieces and set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 250F
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients, until well combined. 
Add the chopped pecans and stir until the nuts are well incorporated.
Pout the mixture into your pie shell and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is puffy, and the centre just barely jiggles when the pie gently shaken.
Remove from oven and allow to cool fully before serving.
Best served at room temperature with as much whipped cream as you like!
** NOTE: If baking individual tarts, be sure that the pecans get evenly distributed amongst all the pie shells, and bake for 20-25 minutes

Pumpkin Pie
makes one 9-inch pie, but again, this recipe is easily doubled

180ml (3/4 Cup) heavy cream

120ml (1/2 Cup) milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

908g (2 Cups) canned pumpkin puree (unseasoned)
200g (1 cup) dark brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 tbsp (15g) candied ginger, finely minced
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 375˚F, and place a rack in the centre of the oven.
In a small saucepan, gently heat the milk, cream & vanilla, but do not allow it to boil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar and spices, until well blended.
While continuously whisking, slowly pour the heated cream mixture into the pumpkin mixture, until it is fully incorporated.
Pour the pumpkin filling into the pre-baked pie shell and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the center of the pie wiggles slightly when the pie is gently shaken.
Allow to cool fully, 1-2 hours.  Serve at room temperature with as much whipped cream as you like!

Flapper Pie and Easter Memories

For as long as I can remember, Easter has been pretty much the same.  As girls, my sister and I would wake up on Easter Sunday morning and find new summer dresses laid out beside two huge Easter baskets filled with treats like jelly beans and malted eggs and always, always a chocolate bunny.  You know, the kind that only has one candy eyeball that just stares at you blankly from inside his molded plastic package?  The one you sacrifice in the same manner as you have all his predecessors; first chewing off the ears to get that good sugar buzz going before mom and dad wake up.  Then, after a breakfast of toasted hot-cross buns and the psychedelic-coloured hard-boiled eggs that we had decorated on Good Friday, you could spend the day, and in fact the rest of the week, gnawing your way through that solid inch of waxy milk chocolate until you are eventually left with nothing but that single candy eye.  The perfect finalé to a week of sugar-buzzy fun.

Right around the time that we would each have taken a good-sized bite out of our bunny's leg, we would head over to Grandma & Grandpa's for Easter Dinner.  A nice big juicy ham, served with scalloped potatoes, carrots and cauliflower with cheese sauce - the same holiday menu each and every year.  The holiday just wouldn't have been the same without it, and it certainly wouldn't have been the same without Grandma's Flapper Pie for dessert.  While it's been a tradition in our family, I have encountered many people over the years who have never even heard of Flapper Pie, let alone tasted it.  When I asked my mom how far back she remembers having Flapper Pie, she has the same answer as I do - "my entire life, since I was very little".  I'd love to ask my Grandma that same question, but sadly, she has been gone for a little over two years now.  I would imagine that it goes back at least another generation or two, but where or with whom it started, I may never know.  According to Wikipedia; "Flapper Pie is a custard pie topped with meringue.  The Graham Cracker Cream Pie dates back to the 1800's, but entered Western Canadian pop culture in the 20th century as Flapper Pie.  The pie is a staple of the Canadian Prairie culture".  Yup, that pretty much sums it up. 

As I get older, I seem to grow more and more attached to family traditions.  For instance, my mom and I still get together before Christmas each year to make our Chausse family tourtierre recipe.  And when it came time to move Grandma into the Alzheimer's Care Centre and sell her house, every member of the family made sure to each take the things that meant the most to us.  For me, that meant things like the polka-dot Fireking bowls and Grandma's rolling pin, which still hangs on my kitchen wall.  That said, as I've matured, so has my palate, and for years now I have found that the beloved Flapper Pie is just way too sweet for me.  It's never been a fool-proof recipe - which is why we also call it "Floppy Pie".  The crust almost always seems to crumble or disintegrate in some manner when you're trying to serve it, and somehow the custard and the meringue always manage to "weep" and make for a sloppy, runny mess on our plates.  I remember many years, standing beside Grandma as she cut the first slice, and just as she was ready to slide the pie server under the crust, she would look at me and say "fingers crossed that it turned out this year!"  There was never any way to tell until you served it, but the years it came out perfectly, she absolutely beamed with pride.  You could just tell it completely made her day.

Over the years, my mom and I have both taken turns making the Flapper Pies, each wondering, right up until the last second, if it would hold together or be served as a graham-cracker-and-custard blob.  This year, I volunteered to make dessert, and decided to tweak the recipe here and there, applying some of the tricks I've learned over the past few years in the kitchen.  For starters, when I pressed the graham wafer crumb mixture into the pie plates, I made sure to press and compact it down as tightly as I could before putting it into the oven for about 15 minutes to bake - something Grandma's recipe card didn't say to do.  While the pie shells were baking, I set about preparing the custard filling using the same method used for making the pastry cream for the perfect chocolate éclairs, rather than doing as the recipe instructed, which was "mix together all ingredients in a pot and cook until it thickens" - wow they sure didn't get bogged down in the details back then, did they?   I also swapped out some of the milk with cream, to give the custard a richer mouth feel - and finishing the custard by whisking in some cold butter didn't hurt either.  A pinch of salt added to both the crust mixture and the cream gave the finished pie a depth of flavour it didn't quite have before.  Finally, when applying the meringue, I used a trick I learned in Cook's Illustrated and made sure to start spreading the meringue around the outer edges first, making sure it adhered to the pie crust instead of just floating on top of the filling.  This, along with a pinch of Cream of Tartar,  seemed to help the weeping issue.

I can happily report that the new-and-improved Flapper Pie was a hit, and the custard filling was noticeably better.  There was no weeping to be seen, and while the crust still didn't hold up the way I had hoped it would, at least it only broke apart into 4 or 5 big pieces per slice, instead of 30 or 40.

So, whether Flapper Pie is a tradition in your family or something completely new and you're feeling up for a challenge, I hope you give it a try.  When you do, just remember to cross your fingers when you serve up that first slice and think of my dear sweet Grandma.

One final note for those of you who may not be familiar with, or be able to get graham wafers - the best substitute would likely be Nilla Wafers, digestive biscuits or Animal Crackers, finely processed in a food processor.

(One chocolate bunny was harmed in the making of this blog)

Grandma Weir's (new and improved ) Flapper Pie

makes 1 pie 

serves 4-6, depending on if you serve pie in quarters like Gma or in sixths like average folks

Ingredients:

Crust

1 1/4 Cups (160g ) graham wafer crumbs

1/2 Cup (100g) brown sugar

1/4 Cup (58g) melted, unsalted butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Custard

1 Cup (240ml) milk

1 Cup (240ml) heavy cream

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp (40g) cornstarch

1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbsp (60g) cold, unsalted butter

Meringue 

2 egg whites

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325˚F, and place rack in the centre position.  Mix together all of the ingredients for the crust until it is well blended and no lumps remain.   Reserve about 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture for later use.  Firmly press the remaining crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Place the crust in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until the crust has darkened a bit and is fragrant.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, cream and half of the sugar over medium heat until it just begins to simmer.  In a medium bowl, combine together the egg yolks, salt, cornstarch and the other half of the sugar, and whisk until the mixture is thick and pale yellow.  Remove the saucepan from heat.  Using a heat-proof measuring cup, take about 1 cup of the heated milk and, while whisking continuously, pour it in a slow, steady stream into the egg mixture.  Be sure to keep whisking so you don't end up with scrambled eggs.  When the eggs and cream have been mixed well, pour them into the saucepan with the remaining milk.  Return the saucepan to the stove top and, over medium heat, keep stirring the custard until it thickens.  Remove the pan from heat, and whisk in the vanilla extract and the cold butter until fully incorporated.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-low speed to break them up, then increase the speed to medium-high.  When the eggs have become frothy, sprinkle in the cream of tartar and the sugar.  Increase speed to high and continue to whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks when you lift the whisk. 

Pour the hot custard into the warm pie shells and immediately top with meringue, then sprinkle with the leftover crumb mixture.  Place the pie back in the 325˚F oven for 20-25 minutes, until the meringue has turned a pale golden brown.

Julia's Spiced "is there any more?" Apple Pie

We were heading over to the in-law's for a games night last night, so I decided I should bring some desserty-type thing for a treat (ok, so it's not the first time, I'm sure it won't be the last).  But with the early onset of les printemps here in Edmonton, I am craving fruit - and lots of it.  Sure, none of it is local at this time of year - (yes I would completely fail at being a locavore, but I'd like to see a Canadian successfully pull that off living in Northern Alberta in the winter - come on!) but it's fruit just the same.  So I loaded up a bag full of Ambrosia Apples from BC and headed home to make some apple pie.... yum!

This was one of my recipe-less days, so I kind of threw everything but the kitchen sink in with my peeled and cored apple chunks, and I really could not be more pleased with the results. The
'tasting panel' reviews were decent enough, though they were mostly mumbled through a mouthful of apple; "this is great pie - what's in this?", so thank goodness I kept notes while I was haphazardly tossing ingredients into the bowl (whew!).  With a sauce that has a wonderfully spiced flavour to it, along with the brown sugar and sour cream, which combine to make a light caramel sauce...this pie will definitely be kept in my files for future use!

For starters, I threw some extra sugar and cinnamon into the pie pastry dough itself - just to add some personality, which turned out to be an excellent pairing for the obvious apple pie filling - so even if you have a favourite apple pie filling that you prefer over mine, that's fine, my feelings aren't hurt *sniff* -  I highly recommend you at least spice up your crust.  I did my usual press-into-pan method of making my crusts, because otherwise I seem to always end up with shrinky-dink pie shells, and that just makes me mad (for my international readers, "shrinky-dink" is not a swear - it's crafty fun from my childhood!  Don't believe me?  Then check this out...).

Because I was multi-tasking and making dinner and dessert at the same time, the apples ended up marinating in the spices for a good 30-40 minutes while we ate.  This turned out to be a great thing, as the flavours really married well before I pre-cooked the filling on the stove - just enough to take a bit of the crispness out of the apples, but not enough to make it mushy.  Then it was a simple matter of filling my chilled individual sized pie crusts with the filling, add a cute little lattice top, into the oven for 15 minutes and voilà!  Spicy Apple Pie was born!  To compliment the flavours of the pie, I served it with a nice big puff of whipped cream, which I whipped with a dash of vanilla, a sprinkling of sugar and a generous tablespoon on sour cream.  Sure it may sound a bit odd, but it worked well, so I stand by it - think of it as crème fraiche for beginners.  After all, I'm a girl who like her desserts to taste of something besides just sugar - bring on the flavour please!  Sweet is not a flavour, and there is nothing more disappointing to me than tasting some gorgeous looking dessert and finding it tastes of nothing but tooth-achingly sweet sugar.  Now, if you happen to be a fan of tooth aches, then feel free to add a bunch more sugar than I did, but don't blame me when your dentist buys a new sportscar or yacht.

One final note: Ambrosia apples are a relatively sweet apple, feel free to use a firm-fleshed apple of your choosing.  If you are using a tart apple, like Granny Smith, you may want to cut down the amount of lemon juice a bit.  I would love to try this pie with Fuji apples, but sadly I could not find any - next time!

Here you have it - Julia's Spicy Apple Pie.  I'd love to hear comments and constructive critiques from any of you who decided to give this recipe a test-drive in your own kitchens.

Happy Baking!

Julia's Spicy Apple Pie
Ingredients:

Cinnamon Sugar Pie Dough
1 1/2 Cups (156g) All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp (20g) sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (113g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3-5 Tbsp ice water

Spicy Apple Filling
5 medium apples
Juice from 1 small lemon (about 1-2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp candied ginger, minced
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
87g brown sugar (1/3 Cup + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp)  - can we all get on the metric system now please?!?
3 Tbsp (45g) sour cream

Soured Chantilly Cream
2/3 Cup (63ml) heavy cream
1 heaping Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425˚F and move rack to centre position.  Peel, core & chop apples into small cubes and place them in a large bowl.  Pour lemon juice over apples, then add all dry spices and candied ginger to apples.  Toss all ingredients together well and set aside for 30-40 minutes at room temperature.

In a food processor, combine flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add in the butter pieces, and using short 1-second pulses, cut in the butter until the largest pieces are about the size of large peas.  Add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse just until the dough comes together.  Stop the machine and feel the dough - it should hold together when squeezed in your hand. If the dough feels too dry, add a bit more ice water.  Be careful not to add too much water, as this makes for a tough crust.  Press or roll out pastry into pie or tart pan of your choosing, reserving about 1/3 of the dough for lattice tops.  Place the prepared pie shells into the fridge to chill.  Roll out the reserved dough and cut into strips for the lattice - place in the fridge to chill.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Once the foaming has subsided, add the seasoned apple mixture and any accumulated juices to the pan and saute over medium to medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are starting to soften, but still have some bite to them.  Add the vanilla extract to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the brown bits.  Then add the brown sugar, stirring to combine well. The brown sugar should melt fairly quickly.  As soon as the sugar has melted, stir in the sour cream and remove pan from heat.

Spoon filling into the chilled pie shell, cover with the lattice strips, and immediately place into the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is fully baked and golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool for about 20-30 minutes, or longer if you prefer.  Serve either at room temperature or warm, with cream topping of your choice: ice cream, whipped cream, crème fraiche or Soured Chantilly Cream:

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together the heavy cream and sour cream.  Whip on medium speed for about 1 minute to combine well.  Increase speed to high for about 30 seconds, then add in the vanilla and sugar.  Continue to beat on high, until the cream hold soft peaks.  Refrigerate until needed.

Happy Pie Day!

23 eggs

1.6 kg of butter

7 lemons

400 g of chocolate

800 g of Saskatoons

600 g Nutella

1.2 kg flour

500 g sugar

14 pies for Pi Day

(for those of you questioning my sanity, you're not alone...)

Pi Day is finally here!  Yes, it is officially a day observed by math geeks around the world (I use the term "geek" with nothing but affection - I consider myself to be a food geek), but I don't see any reason why a lousy "e" should keep me from observing the day in my own way.  Interestingly enough there is an actual National Pie Day in the US, on January 23rd (raise your hand if you missed it, too), as declared by the American Pie Council (raise your hand again, if you didn't know there was an American Pie Council).  Well, I'm a Canadian girl and in Canada we don't have a national pie council to speak of, so, just as we celebrate our Thanksgiving in October instead of November like our neighbours to the south, I figure Canadian Pie Day should be March 14th.  Any objections?  No...?  Alrighty then, I hereby declare March 14th as Canadian Pie Day.  But whatever your nationality, you're invited to celebrate along with us.

So in honour of 3.14, I baked a variety of pie shells in many sizes; treats to package up and give to friends and co-workers.  Ironically enough, I ended up with a total of 14 pie shells, so I thought it only fitting that I make 3 types of pie; Nutella Tart,  a Lemon Meringue (hubby's favourite) and Saskatoon Pie.   The Nutella Tart is a recipe I've had my eye on for a while - ever since I bought my copy of Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé, written by Dorie Greenspan.  The idea of an entire tart with the taste of chocolate and hazelnuts had my mouth watering as soon as I turned the page, and as luck would have it, I had a nice big jar of Nutella in my pantry.

For the Lemon Meringue pie, I decided to switch things up a bit after thumbing through Dorie Greenspan's Baking.  If you've ever been disappointed by a store-bought lemon meringue pie that was nothing but rubbery meringue covering a transluscent, but tasteless yellow gelatine, then this is the lemon pie recipe you've always dreamed of.  "The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart" is nothing short of lemon luxury.  She writes about Pierre Hermé's Lemon Cream - his take on the traditional lemon curd most of us know and love.  I was intrigued by her description of the taste as well as the preparation method, and decided this was the perfect opportunity to test drive it.  Well, let me put it this way;  I made one batch of lemon cream (enough for a 23 cm/9 inch tart shell), and after licking the spoon completely clean, immediately whipped up a second batch.  It is deliciously light and super lemon-y.  I still decided to top a few of the smaller tarts with meringue, and leave a couple of them unadorned.  I'm interested to see which one everyone prefers.

Finally, I happened to have a couple of bags of Saskatoons in the freezer from my trip to the u-pick berry farm last summer, which is great, since we are many months away from this year's harvest.  If you've never had Saskatoons, you're not alone; they're indigenous to western Canada, and nearly impossible to find outside that area; even my uncle in Toronto, tells me how much he misses Saskatoon pie every summer.  They have a wonderful and very unique taste to them, not really like any other fruit; mildly tart, reminiscent of purple grapes, but with a distinctive almond aftertaste.  They're very similar in appearance to blueberries, but have a chewier texture.  Ultimately, they're delicious and very popular in the summertime; jams, pies, ice cream, syrup, smoothies, even sparkling wine are made using these unique berries.  If you ever find yourself in the Canadian Prairies in late summer, you shouldn't have trouble finding something saskatoon.

Saturday, I spent making batch after batch of pie pastry and blind-baking an assortment of sizes and shapes of shells to fill with these tasty fillings.  Even in their naked state, the smell of flour & butter baked into golden shells filled the entire house with their fragrance; a fragrance I happen to love.  I also dove right into making the Lemon Cream, since it needs to chill and be poured into the shells right before serving.  Sunday morning I woke up to the lingering smell of bright, juicy lemons, so I donned my apron and got to work combining berries with sugar, lemon juice and just a hint of cardamom, and mixing bowls of melted chocolate with so much melted butter it should be illegal (seriously, don't even read the recipe if you're on a diet).  By the time hubby got out of bed for breakfast, there was no room to eat at the kitchen table; it was covered with desserts, cookbooks, camera and laptop.  We carefully reconfigured everything to allow enough room for coffee cups and a backgammon board so I could take a little break and enjoy a bit of the morning with him, before getting back to my sugary witchcraft.

All that's left to do now is wrap up all the goodies and get them the heck out of my house - save for 1 medium lemon cream tart, 1 small saskatoon pie, and 1 mini nutella tartlette.... after all this work, I should at least get a taste.


Here are the recipes:
~~~
Pâte Brisée (Flaky Tart Pastry) from In the Sweet Kitchen by Regan Daley
makes enough pastry for one 10-11 inch tart shell

1 1/2 Cups (156g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3-5 Tbsp (45-75ml) ice water

In a food processor, combine flour, salt & sugar.  Add the butter and using short pulses, cut in butter until the largest pieces are about the size of large peas.  Add the ice water through the feed tube, and pulse just until the dough comes together.  Stop the machine and feel the dough - it should hold together well when squeezed.  Add a little more water if dough feels too dry.  Be careful not to add too much water - or you'll end up with tough pastry.

Editor's note: Although it is recommended to press this into a disk, wrap and refrigerate before rolling out and placing in tart pan, I seem to have intermittent luck with shrinking pie dough.  So, I immediately press this dough directly into the tart pan, starting with the edges, and then fill in the bottom and smooth out the base by covering it with parchment paper and then running the flat side of my meat pounder over it.  Works every time.

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line cover tart pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are just starting to colour and the bottom is starting to bake.  Remove weights and parchment and continue to bake for 10-12 minutes longer for a completely baked shell.






~~~
Nutella Tart from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé, written by Dorie Greenspan
makes one 9-inch tart

one pre-baked tart shell
2/3 Cup (200g) Nutella
400g dark chocolate, chopped
7 Tbsp (200g) unsalted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature and stirred with a fork
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature and stirred with a fork
2 Tbsp (30g) sugar
1 Cup (140g) hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and cut into large pieces

Centre a rack in the oven and preheat to 375°F.
Spread the Nutella evenly over the bottom of the tart crust and set aside while you make the ganache.
Melt the chocolate and the butter, each in separate bowls - either using a double-boiler or a microwave oven.  Allow them each to cool until they feel just warm to the touch (140°F on an instant-read thermometer is perfect)
Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the egg into the chocolate, stirring gently in ever-widening circles and taking care not to beat any air into the ganache.  Little by little, stir in the egg yolks, and then the sugar.  Finally, still working gently, stir in the melted butter.  Pour the ganache over the Nutella in the tart shell.  Scatter the hazelnut pieces over the top.
Bake the tart for 11 minutes - that should be just enough time to turn the top of the tart dull, like the top of a cake.  The centre will shimmy if jiggled - that's just what it's supposed to do.  Transfer the tart to a cooling rack and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes or until it reaches room temperature - the best temperature at which to serve it.

~~~
Lemon Cream from Baking by Dorie Greenspan
page 331, "The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart"(I consider this to be a understatement by Ms. Greenspan)

1 pre-baked 9-inch tart shell
1 Cup (201g) sugar
grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 Cup (180ml) fresh lemon juice (4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 Tbsp (299g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

Have an instant-read thermometer, a strainer and blender (preferred) or food processor at hand.  Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.
Put the sugar and the zest in a large, heatproof bowl that can be set over the pan of simmering water.  Off the heat, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic.  Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.
Set the bowl over the saucepan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch - you must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling - you'll see that the mixture starts out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180°F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks.  Heads up at this point - the tracks mean the cream is almost ready.  Don't stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience - depending on how much heat you're giving the cream, getting to 180°F can take as long as 10 minutes.
As soon as it reaches 180°F, remove the cream from heat and strain it into the container of the blender (or bowl of the food processor); discard the zest.  Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140°F, about 10 minutes.
Turn the blender to high (or turn on the food processor) and, with the machine running, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time.  Scrape down the sides of the container as needed, as you incorporate the butter.  Once the butter has all been added, keep the machine going - to get the light, airy texture of lemon-cream dreams, you must continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes.  If your machine protests and it gets too hot, work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a little rest between beats.
Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.  The cream will keep in the fridge up to 4 days  (HA! Not once you taste it, it won't!)
When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart shell. Serve the tart immediately or chill until needed.

~~~
Saskatoon Pie
makes 1 deep-crust pie or 2 open-faced tarts

pre-baked pie or tart shell
6 Cups (750g) Saskatoons (thawed if frozen)
1 Cup less 1 Tbsp (185g) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp Minit Tapioca
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375°F and place rack in centre of oven.
In a large bowl, combine the berries with sugar, salt, lemon juice, zest, tapioca and cardamom.  Mix well until juices start to dissolve the sugar.  Don't be afraid to crush a few of the berries for a better texture in the pie.
Fill the tart shell with a heaping mound of the mixture (the berries will shrink considerably during baking).  Dot with butter, and bake for 25-35 minutes, until the berry mixture is bubbling.  Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes to an hour.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or at room temperature with fresh whipped cream, lightly sweetened.
If you prefer a covered pie, fill the pre-baked pie shell with the berry mixture, top with second layer of pastry - either latticed, or vented to allow steam to escape.  Brush top crust with a beaten egg, and sprinkle lightly with sugar before baking.  Bake until crust is golden brown.  Cool and serve as above.

Pie Day! (whoops - that should be Pi Day)

Alright folks - this Sunday will be Pi Day (3.14), sure it's more an occasion for math geeks, but hey, the only thing keeping us foodies from jumping on board that bandwagon is one lousy "e".  So, the question is... whatcha making for Pie Day?

For me, I'm thinking along these lines..... Shall we all meet back here on Sunday to show off what we made?  It's a date!

Happy baking :-)