Nut Pie

This is a Caramelized Nut Tart recipe adapted from Bon Appétit magazine, December 1998 issue. I've been wanting pecan pie and this seemed like I could adapt it into a nice pie without the eggs or dairy ingredients. It was very popular, winning over the bakery made Pecan Pie that was brought to our Thanksgiving celebration. Homemade wins again.

Filling Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoons shortening (margarine or butter but I used Jungle Shortening)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds

1 recipe of Gluten Free Pie Crust

9 1/2 inch tart pan with removable bottom or rather shallow 9-inch pie plate

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll dough out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 9 1/2-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in and press, forming high-standing thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake crust until set but still pale in color, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat. Boil without stirring until caramel is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Be careful not to burn the sugar.

Gradually whisk in coconut milk (mixture will bubble). Stir until caramel is smooth. Add shortening (or butter), honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Mix in all nuts. (Apologies for the blurry pictures - it was late at night).

Pour caramel mixture into crust. Place the pie on a larger baking sheet to stabilize and to catch any overflow. Bake until entire filling bubbles, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on rack before serving.

Coconut Bliss was too rich for this pie. Turns out Rice Dream tasted better with it. This was really very rich, only to be consumed in moderation. I would recommend cutting it into 8 or 12 slices.

Also, I've been thinking what a nice bar cookie this would make. I'd add a couple of more tablespoons of sugar to the GF pie crust, roll it into a 9x13 pan. Then I'd make the carmel but only used sliced almonds. I'd spread the almonds over the prebaked crust, and bake. Then I'd slice them into diamond shapes, just like at the coffee shop. If I try it, I'll add pictures.

Gluten Free Pie Crust

6 oz. Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
2 tsp. Xanthum gum
2 oz. shortening (Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil)
2 oz. lard*
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 Tbs. cold water
1 approximate teaspoon unfiltered apple vinegar with the rest of Tbs. cold water

*4 oz. of shortening seems to work just fine, instead of a ½ and ½ mix.

Weigh the flour, shortening and lard into a bowl on a kitchen scale. Add the other ingredients except for the water and vinegar.

Cut the shortening and lard together with the flour, xanthum gum, sugar and salt until it is like coarse meal. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Add the 2 Tbs. of water. Measure an approximate 1 teaspoon of vinegar in the Tbs. measure and fill the rest with cold water. Once all 3 Tbs of the water/vinegar is added, knead until the dough holds together. Sprinkle in more water if the mix is dry. Sprinkle the rolling surface with GF flour and roll out to desired shape. This transfers to the pan more easily if you wrap the dough around the rolling pin. Crimp or decorate and fill. Makes a single crust.

Just a few thoughts
I added the sugar to make the crust brown. Don't know if this is really necessary, or if it worked. I opted to use lard and the coconut oil as I wanted to see how it tasted. The little "rag cookies" (pie dough left over from shaping the crust, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and baked for 8-10 minutes) were very light and crumbly. If you can use butter, I'd probably recommend fats that are something closer to my original pie crust (not GF).

Rather nice with a glass of rice milk, but maybe next time I'll try less lard. (Later note: replacing the lard with coconut shortening worked just fine. I'll leave it up to the cook.) The shape held better than I expected. I was ready to fix a bunch of tears but only had one. Also, I'm guessing about the xanthum gum, seemed like the right amount to condition the dough and I am regularly using vinegar as a dough conditioner. I used this for an experimental pumpkin pie. The filling needs some adjustments, but the crust was delightful. Even my husband liked it.

Norwegian Almond Bars or Fyrstekake

It wouldn't be Christmas without these cookies.

Note: I am experimenting with a gluten free version of this cookie, (but it uses ghee and 1 egg yolk). If you are interested in a trial run recipe, I'd be happy to forward it. Please leave me a comment or send me an email. 23 Dec 2008

2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
1 egg white
2 tbs water

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 beaten egg

1 egg yolk
water

Grind the almonds in a food processor or blender until very fine. Pulse in the confectioners sugar. Have the egg white and water ready to pour in.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture is pebbly. Add the egg and form into a ball. Roll out two-thirds of the dough and lay into a 9x13-inch pan.

Now add the egg and water to the almond mixture and process until it is a thick paste. Add a few drops of water if it is too thick. Now spread it evenly on the dough.

Roll out the remaining dough and cut to make a lattice pattern. With a pastry brush, brush only the lattice with the egg yolk and water. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely and slice into bars. Recipe makes 24 bars.

Applesauce Cake

A recipe from my great aunt Mearl Sponsler, with a couple of modifications of my own.
Note: This recipe is being worked on. I'm trying to make a gluten, egg and dairy free version. If you leave a comment or drop a note via email, I can send you my experiment notes.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans or a 9x13 pan.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups applesauce
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nuts (pecans)

Cream the margarine and sugar. Add vanilla, well beaten eggs, and applesauce. Sift dry ingredients together and add to batter, mixing well. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes for the 9-inch pans, 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Frost while the cakes are still warm.

Frosting:
3 oz. stick margarine
1/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup sweetened coconut shred

Combine together in a saucepan and "boil" for a few minutes until it thickens somewhat and the coconut and nuts are turning brown.

Pie Crust

9 oz. all purpose flour
1.5 oz. shortening
4.5 oz. butter
1 tsp. salt
5 Tbs. cold water


Cut the shortening & butter together with the flour and salt until it is like coarse meal.


Add the 5 Tbs. of water and mix. Knead until the dough holds together. Sprinkle in more water if the mix is dry.


For a 2 crust pie, divide the dough unevenly in half. The slightly larger one is for the bottom crust.


Roll out the bottom crust. To keep the crust from tearing as it is lifted into the pan, roll it around the rolling pin and put it over the pie plate as you unroll.


If the crust tears, it is easily repaired with pinching it together or a piece pinched or pressed into the bare spot.





Enough for a 2 crust pie.

Snickerdoodles

Way off my original line of recipes from the garden, but you have to have a cookie once in a while. Also works as a bribe for garden helpers.

1 cup soft shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. sugar mixed with 2 tsp. cinnamon for rolling

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar. When combined, add eggs, cream until fluffy. Blend all dry ingredients and stir into shortening/sugar/egg mixture. Roll into balls 1-inch in size (about the size of a walnut). Roll the cookies in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. (The cookies will puff up at first, and then flatten out.)

Fruit Filled Coffee Cake

A.K.A. what to do with all the yolks from an angel food cake.

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
1 cup pecans (chopped into small pieces)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 Tablespoons butter, softened

Mix all the ingredients and set aside. This should be a coarse, crumbly mixture.

Cake:
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup crema fresca (Mexican table cream - or sour cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla (for apricot filling) or lemon (for apple filling) extract (depending on fruit used)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces butter (1 1/2 sticks) very soft
1 cup chopped fruit - I like apricot (fresh or canned) or apples (fresh & tossed with lemon juice)

This is easiest to make in a greased and floured 9-inch spring form pan. But a 10-inch pan with parchment on the bottom, greased and floured will also work. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the yolks, crema fresca, and extract in a medium bowl. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a mixer. Using the mixing paddle, start the mixer and add half of the yolk mixture. Add the butter in three parts letting it incorporate the butter into the flour each time. Then add the last of the yolk mixture.

When evenly blended, pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Evenly spread the prepared fruit and sprinkle with 2 handfuls of the topping mixture. Pour the last of the batter into the pan. I find it is easier if you spoon it in as large lumps and then smooth them together. Sprinkle the rest of the topping on the cake.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. If the top seems like it is browning too fast, place a loose piece of foil over the top after 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the springform pan and let cool completely.