Bourbon-Pecan Pie

Not much

can be better than a pecan pie ~

unless it’s a pecan pie with a healthy splash of 

bourbon!

You can overwhelm a recipe by using too much liquor, just a touch intensifies flavors; moreover, using a less-expensive bourbon that has not aged, will make your pie filling thin instead of deep and complex.  

The rich nutty flavor of pecans, the buttery distinction of dark caramel, and the spicy woody taste of bourbon, make this pie a rich delicious experience that’s a great finish to any meal or treat any time of the day.

This is a great recipe for one of my favorite pies!

A perfect Thanksgiving Dinner Dessert, but I’m saving a slice for breakfast…


Bourbon-Pecan Pie
Printable recipe 

Ingredients:

Crust for one 9” pie*
¾ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups dark corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons flour
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons bourbon (I use Maker’s Mark)
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups pecans

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a hand mixer, combine sugar, syrup, salt, flour, and eggs, mixing well.
Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into unbaked pie shell.
Line pie crust edge with foil, if needed to prevent excessive browning.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out relatively clean.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack, allowing pie to rest for about 3 hours to set.
*Link to my pie crust recipe



ENJOY!

On this Thanksgiving Day

it seems more important than ever

to count our blessings.

May God bless you and yours

with

Peace, Good Health, Prosperity and

Much Happiness.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Spicy Pumpkin Pie with a Story

Bill is the pumpkin pie connoisseur in this family, and he likes it spicy!

This pie is synonymous with this time of year and it’s always a great dessert.

I cannot even think of pumpkin pie without remembering a neighbor who lived beside us in Louisville years ago.  She ran over to me one day with a “pumpkin pie” in her hand, asking what happened to it…

“Uhhhhh, oh my gosh, Beth!”

She bought a large pumpkin, scooped out the stringy stuff and seeds, and set them aside; next, she threw the flesh (meat for pies) into the trash.  Then she proceeded to make her pumpkin pie ~ of stringy stuff and seeds mixed with evaporated milk and spices ~ poured the conglomeration into a pie shell and baked it.

It was disgusting!  She was upset, ready to bawl, while I tried controlling myself by not laughing hysterically until she left!

‘Nuf said, here’s the recipe for a spicy pumpkin pie, it’s delicious!

Spicy Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 can (16-ounces) pumpkin
¾ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 can (12-oounces) evaporated milk
Pastry for 9” one-crust pie*

Method:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Beat eggs slightly with a whisk.
Beat in remaining ingredients.
Pour into unbaked pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
Bake for 45-50 minutes longer until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Transfer to wire rack and cool.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
*My pie crust recipe is way back here.  

ENJOY!

Tate’s Bake Shop ~ Baking For Friends ~ a Chocolate Raspberry Tart and a Giveaway

“A destination … worth putting miles on the odometer” is what The New York Times said about Tate’s Bake Shop.  It is the recipient of multiple best bakery awards and is regarded as a “must-visit” Hampton’s destination.  There are more than 100 offerings for its customers to enjoy, from breads, muffins, cakes, pies, seasonal specialties, and of course, cookies!

Photo credit:  Forbes Traveler

Kathleen King is the baker and owner of Tate’s Bake Shop in Southampton, New York, and the author of Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook.  She started baking her chocolate chip cookies when she was 11, and sold them at her father’s North Sea Farms roadside stand, never looking back. 

Kathleen King - Photo credit:  New Haven Register

And, now, Kathleen King has done it again!  She has written another great cookbook, Baking for Friends, which is chock-full of incredible recipes, featuring exclusive baking tips and tricks, in her straightforward manner.  It is the ideal go-to cookbook for beginning bakers and professionals alike.

I was so happy to receive Kathleen’s Baking for Friends, and drooled my way through all the recipes, when it arrived in the mail the other day.  It consists of 7 chapters with over 120 easy-to-bake recipes; some of them even with “catchy” names, plus recipes for health and lifestyle baked goods also:  gluten-free, low-fat, vegan, and nut free recipes.   

Blackout Cupcakes

Cherry Chip Party Cake

Blackberry Galette

 

There are so many enticing recipes to try ~ Maple, Bacon, and Date Scones; Robin’s Blueberry Buckle - Julia’s Way, Coconut Custard Pie, Cutie Pie (using clementine juice), Chubby Tates (cookies!), Hurricane Irene Cookies, Caramel Cake (Ummm, mmm!), Cardamom Cake, Blackout Cupcakes, and Chocolate-Blood Orange Marble Cake (wow!).  And the recipe I chose to make first:  Chocolate Raspberry Tart!

 

The tart is decadent, and is a beautiful, almost black, sleek-looking dessert.  The filling is smooth and not too sweet, and is the perfect finish to a special occasion.  Leave it plain, top it with fresh raspberries, or add a dollop of whipped cream to the slices before serving.

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

For the filling:

1¼ cups heavy cream

8 ounces bittersweet (62% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped

½ cup seedless raspberry jam

Chocolate Pastry Tart Crust, baked and cooled (recipe below)

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium heat.  Remove from the heat.  Add the chocolate and let stand for 3 minutes to soften.  Whisk until melted and smooth.  Whisk in the jam.  Pour into the prepared tart crust.

2.  Refrigerate, uncovered, until the filling is chilled and set, at least 2 hours, and up to 1 day.

3.  Remove the sides of the pan, cut into wedges, and serve chilled.

Chocolate Pastry Tart Crust

Makes one 9-inch tart shell

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for rolling the dough

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1.  In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, beat in the cocoa powder.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until combined.  Shape into a thick dish and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day.  (The dough is easiest to roll out if chilled but not rock hard.  If it is very cold and firm, let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling.)

2.  Dust a work surface with cocoa powder.  (Flour leaves marks on the dark cocoa dough that I don’t like.)  Roll the dough out into a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick.  Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Roll a rolling pin over the top of the pan to cut off the excess dough.  Freeze for at least 30 minutes.  (Or cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.  Thaw in the refrigerator before using.)

3.  Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

4.  Put the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet.  Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to vent it.  Lay a piece of aluminum foil over the entire surface of the dough and press so it conforms to the tart pan.  Fill the foil-lined shell with small dried beans.  Bake until the exposed dough looks set, about 20 minutes.  Lift off the foil with the beans.  Continue baking, pricking the crust again if it puffs, until the pastry looks crisp, about 10 minutes more.  Let cool completely on a wire cooling rack. 

Surely, after all of the above, the baking bug has bitten you!  To scratch that itch, head on over to Tate’s Bake Shop on Facebook ~ click here for details ~ and enter the Baking for Friends Bake-off contest, which is being sponsored by Tate’s Bake Shop and KitchenAid, in celebration of Kathleen King’s new cookbook. 

Your creative spin on a recipe just might win you the Grand Prize of $1000, plus a copy of Baking for Friends.  Other prizes awarded will be KitchenAid stand mixers, more cookbooks, and if you vote, 6 voters will be chosen to win Tate’s Tower of baked goods. 

By the way, if you can’t wait to get your autographed copy of Baking for Friends in your possession; head on over to Tate’s Bake Shop.com, and enter the discount code “BAKEOFF” to receive $5 off the regular price of $24.95 ~ you can get the cookbook for only $19.95!  Talk about a sweet savings for you!

And, now for the giveaway here at Pam’s Midwest Kitchen Korner:  Tate’s Bake Shop has generously offered a Tate’s Bake Shop Cookie and Bar Tower for one of you wonderful reader’s. 

Tate’s Bake Shop Cookie and Bar Tower is chock-full of goodies:  three boxes of cookies:  one each of chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and white chocolate chip macadamia nut, PLUS, two rich, buttery raspberry bars, two chocolate chip and walnut loaded blondies, and two rich, dense, and fudgy plain brownies ~ a $48 value.  

 

To enter, just leave a comment here on this page.  That’s it, that’s all you have to do!

But, if you’d like an extra chance, just follow Pam’s Midwest Kitchen Korner via Google Friends, as a fan on the Facebook page, or Facebook Networked Blogs, all on the right side bar of this blog, and leave a comment telling me you did so.

The contest is open through midnight CST, Wednesday, November 7, 2012.  The winner will be drawn Thursday, November 8, 2012 by a random number generator.

This contest is open only to U. S. residents. 

Thanks so much, Kathleen King, and Tate’s Bake Shop. 

And good luck to all of you who enter my giveaway!  I hope you win!

  

Disclaimer:  I was given a copy of Baking for Friends from Tate’s Bake Shop.  The Tate’s Bake Shop and Bar Tower for my giveaway, here on this post, is provided directly by Tate’s Bake Shop.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

FYI:   Some of you are saying you're having a difficult time in trying to post a comment here for the giveaway.  This is being looked into, but in the meantime, I understand that it works fine using Google Chrome.  I hope this helps!

Mini Pies ~ Blueberry & Apple Too

I confess, I really like kitchen gadgets and have my share of them.  Then, I read an article about the Breville Personal Pie Maker…

I eyed the Pie Maker for a long time on line, and studied the plethora of reviews, before inquiring about it at Williams Sonoma.  They were a hot little item at the time, and there was even a waiting list for them ~ kind of like years ago, when I was waiting to read a library book that was on the reserve list.  I passed on the pie maker list.

Months later, while at Williams Sonoma, I inquired about the Breville Pie Maker again, and the saleslady told me she had a stack of them in the back.  She said they wouldn’t even be displaying them as people always ask for them and they sell swiftly.  Wow!

Breville Personal Pie Maker

She brought one from the back for me, and explained how it worked, and how great it is for a variety of pies, even savory ones. She needn’t have bothered, as I was sold on it before I saw it!

The other day, I made 4 blueberry and 4 apple pies.  First of all, I heated the pie maker, and cooked the 2 fillings.  The instruction book says to fill the pies with about 1/3 cup filling each.  I think they needed more.  Too full tough, the filling spills out, and then you have a mess.

Next, I followed the advice in the booklet, and used rolled pie crust from the dairy case for the pastry base and puff pastry for the pastry top.  I simply unrolled the bottom crust on the flour-dusted countertop; rolled it out slightly, with a rolling pin, so the included pastry cutter would fit perfectly for 4 pie crusts. 

Each one was inserted into a pie mold and tamped down with the accompanying pastry press.  Scoop the filling into each one, top them with 4 cutouts of puff pastry tops, close the lid and let it do it’s thing for about 12-14 minutes, and ~ VOILA! ~ you have 4 yummy mini pies.

I experimented the first couple of times with how much filling and how long to bake.  I used almost ½ cup filling per pie, instead of the 1/3 cup suggested in the book.  The filling may be heavy enough to push the bottom crust into the maker, without using the pastry press.  Canned filling may be used also.  The pie maker crimped the edges of the dough well when baking.   

The pies start baking the second the bottom crust is inserted, so it requires quick work.  The top crust seemed to bake/brown faster than the bottom so I left the lid open the last minute before removing them.  The longer the pie maker heated, the better it was, by the second set of pies.

Bakes 4 mini pies

Cut-outs for pastry bottom

Dough ready for filling

Apple filling

Ready to bake

Voila!  Second batch baked longer

I think it’s a great gadget. At holiday time, I will be baking many in a wider variety, since we all have our personal favorite ~ pumpkin, pecan, apple, mince and cherry.  But first, I want to bake chicken/veggie pies or quiche from a recipe in the instruction book!

Mom was the “pie queen” and wouldn’t have dreamed of using a store bought crust.  Unfortunately, I have never mastered the art of pie making, like my mom, even after standing by her side, following step by step.  This is the #1 reason why this is a great gadget for me!

Blueberry Filling

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1½ tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, water and lemon zest and corn starch.

Stir to combine and cook until thickened, without crushing berries.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Allow to cool before assembling pies.

Filling for 4 mini pies

Apple Filling

Ingredients:

4 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons corn starch

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter.

Add apples and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, except vanilla.

Reduce heat to low.

Stir frequently until sugar is dissolved and apples are well glazed.

Remove from heat.

Stir in vanilla.

Allow to cool before assembling pies.

Filling for 4 mini pies

The Breville pie maker is a wonderful thing and if you like gadgets too and mini pies, you will love this!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind Of Cooking.  She has unique tips on Tuesdays and yummy recipes every Friday!

Disclaimer:  I have no affiliation with the maker of the product.  This post is just my personal opinion.

Our Great Valentine Gift ~ 4 Days Early and Appalachian Stack Pie!

I am thrilled to say that I have been a Grandma and Bill a Grandpa since 4:25 a.m. Thursday, February 10^th!  This is our first grandchild and we are looking forward to many years of loving and spoiling him. 

 

Our younger son Matt, and his wife, Kathy, are the proud parents of Matthew, who weighed in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces and is 19 inches long.  He’s tiny, adorable and perfect. 

Mom and baby, and Dad also, are doing great and I know Matt and Kathy will be wonderful loving parents.  The world is already a better place now that Matthew has arrived!

 

He is the absolute best Valentine’s Day gift ever!  And speaking of Valentine’s Day, I have a great recipe for a Valentine’s Day treat!

Maybe you’ve heard of or even enjoyed Appalachian stack cake.  It’s usually filled with dried apples and lots of spices.  With wedding cakes being so expensive, the legend goes that stack cake was a community-baked wedding cake.  The dough for the cake was rolled into 9-inch very thin layers and baked in cast-iron skillets.  Each family attending an Appalachian wedding baked one of the 6-12 cake layers and carried it to the wedding.  The bride’s family was in charge of cooking the apple filling and assembling all the layers into the finished cake.  It is a practical wedding cake that supposedly took 3 hours or more to make.

A modernized version of it was in the Chicago Tribune the other day.  It’s made with pie crust dough, resulting in 3-inch miniature Appalachian stack pies, instead of stack cakes.  Practical, delicious and easier to make!

The filling takes about 30-60 minutes to cook, so it could be made the night before you want to serve the dessert.  The rest is easy as it uses one roll-and-bake pie crust from the refrigerated section of the market.  Cut a dozen 3-inch pastry circles; it’s enough for 4 sweet pie stacks that look pretty also!  Serve them immediately after stacking them or the crisp pastry rounds will get soggy and your stack will topple.

Appalachian Spiced Apple Stack Pie

Pie circles:

1 roll-and-bake ready-made pie crust

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:

1 package (6-ounces) dried apples

2½ cups water

1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon allspice

Pinch each: sea salt and ground nutmeg

½ cup cream, whipped, optional

Method:

For pie circles: 

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll out crust and cut into 12 three-inch circles.

Place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Prick each circle several times with a fork.

Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle a little on each pastry circle.

Bake until golden, about 5 minutes.

Remove sheet to cooling rack.

For apple filling:

Place dried apples in microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of the water and ½ cup of the apple juice concentrate.

Cover bowl and microwave 10 minutes.

Pour apple mixture into a saucepan, cook over medium heat, gradually adding remaining 1½ cups of the water and ½ cup of the apple juice concentrate as liquids reduce.

Cook until apples are soft and the liquid has reduced, about 40 minutes.

Add the spices and salt; cook stirring often, until liquid has reduced to a small amount of syrup, 10 minutes.

Remove spiced apples from heat.

Place a round of pastry on each of 4 plates.

Spoon some of the apple filling onto each round.

Top each with another round of pastry.

Spoon on more apple filling.

Top with third pastry round.

Spoon a small dollop of whipped cream on top.

These little pies are perfect ~ however you stack ‘em!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

Welcome to the world and our family, darling baby Matthew!

Tomato Tart Topped with Crumbled Roquefort Cheese

Do you still have a lot of tomatoes?  If so, then this recipe is a perfect way to use those juicy ripe tomatoes!  Do you like Roquefort cheese?  Any kind of cheese works for me ~ tangy, mild, sharp and stinky; with Roquefort cheese at the top of the list. 

The sharp, salty taste of Roquefort cheese pairs perfectly with the natural sweetness of tomatoes and makes a savory tart.  This tart is so easy to put together and colorful too.  It’s simply puff pastry, a little sour cream and mustard with tomatoes, dried thyme, salt and pepper and then baked until the pastry is golden brown.  Top it with crumbled Roquefort cheese after baking for a great dish.  Feta cheese is just as delicious also!

This makes a fantastic appetizer or side dish or is delicious when served with a salad for a meatless meal.   Once you try it, I bet you will be bringing it back for an encore! 

Tomato Tart Topped with Crumbled Roquefort Cheese

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup onion, sliced into small strips

½ teaspoon ground thyme

2 or 3 tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4” thick

2-3 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch square.

Place pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mustard, sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Spread mixture over pasty.

Fold the 4 edges over into a ½-inch border and press to seal.

Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.

Add onions and season with salt and pepper and ground thyme.

Reduce heat and caramelize onions until soft.

Arrange over sour cream mixture on puff pastry.

Top the pastry with the tomato slices and season with salt and pepper.

Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 25-28 minutes.

Let cool slightly.

Top with crumbled Roquefort cheese before cutting into squares.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

It’s packed with flavor!

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway.  She’s at the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa now!