Food Photo of the Day ~ Apple Turnovers

I always have apples on hand so over the course of the weekend I made these sweet and spicy apple turnovers for brunch. These are a great way to use ripen fruit and an easy weekend brunch treat served with tea or coffee. 

Can not believe it is Thursday already... hope everyone had a great weekend and the week has been a good one so far. - JD 

Pumpkin Pie

Along with the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and carrots came a homemade pumpkin pie this weekend. It was my first time whipping the pumpkin filling from scratch usually I would buy the pre-packed can of pumpkin pie filling however this time I bought a large can of pumpkin purée and did the rest. It was really easy and I can not see going back to those pre-packed cans again. The pastry I made was quite flaky which could be due to the fact that I used cake and pastry flour as opposed to unbleached all purpose flour. With a nice dollop of whip cream this pie was velvety smooth. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JW   

Sausage Rolls

When I was younger I thought most things that had puff pastry were sweet not savoury. We had sausage rolls on occasion however I got the impression that they were time consuming and you had to be a proper pastry chef to manage making them. Yesterday I made these sausage rolls. They were easy considering that I used a package of puff pastry, unfortunately. Right now I am not about to fuss with making puff pastry although I do want to try. And after some research I have found many recipes which vary from simple to all out time consuming. For this recipe you can make your own puff pastry or simply do what I did and buy a box of ready made low sodium puff pastry.

Sausage Rolls

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2 eggs

1 package of ground pork

1/4 cup (60ml) bread crumbs, 

1/4 cup (60ml) minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup (60ml) minced onion or shallot

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of grainy organic mustard

1 package (450g pkg) frozen puff pastry, thawed and chilled

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a bowl blend the ground pork, bread crumbs, parsley, onion, garlic and mustard. In a smaller bowl beat 1 of the eggs until frothy and add it to the ground meat mixture. Stir. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface roll out pastry, one square at a time. *The box of puff pastry I bought came as two squares.* Yours may come wrapped differently. Roll until you have a fair sized rectangle. Spoon half of the meat mixture lengthwise down the side of the each pastry. You want to leave about an inch between the edge and where the mixture starts. Fold and roll over all the way to the other side. Fold in the edges as you go.

Arrange rolls seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and freeze for about 10 minutes. Cut each roll into about 1 inch pieces.

In another small bowl, whisk the other egg with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of water; brush over rolls. Bake in a 425ºF (220ºC) oven until puffed and golden. About 20 minutes.

I served them with seasoned oven roasted baby potatoes and mushy peas.   

    

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW 

  

   

Turkey Pie

I finally served up one of my turkey pies I made with leftover turkey. The pastry I made was light and flaky. The filling moist and tender. It made for a delicious dinner served with a kale salad. Stay warm this weekend and hopefully I will be over this cold soon! 

- JW  

Mincemeat Tarts

If you are like me you have probably already started your holiday baking. The other night I made these mincemeat tarts. The pastry I made myself however as for the mincemeat filling well... I had a little help from Robertson's. The marmalade and jam people. It's their classic mincemeat in a 29 oz or 822g jar. It's vegetarian and why mix with perfection! 
I made two batches. The first batch I made using cake and pastry flour. They turned out alright however the pastry was very soft and crumbly. Not only did it melt in your mouth, it melted in your hands. The tarts collapsed into themselves. Really not such a bad thing considering they were headed straight to your stomach. The second batch I use unbleached flour and they turned out better. More sturdier. Which was great and the melt in your mouth texture was still there. Mincemeat is dense and a thicker sturdier pastry is definitely needed. If tarts or pies are on your list of bake goods I recommend trying this oil pastry recipe.  

Oil Pastry

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this recipe is good for 8 or 9 inch Two-crust pie

1 3/4 cups flour 

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons cold water

Heat oven to 425º

Mix flour and salt.

Add the oil; mix with fork until it looks like meal.

Sprinkle with the water; mix with fork.

Gather dough together. 

If too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more oil.

Press into a ball.

Immediately roll dough out.

For a two crust pie divide the dough and roll on a generous floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Or roll the dough out in-between two sheets of wax paper. Form in pie plates. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

For tarts, again roll out crust on a generous floured surface. Using a glass that is turned upside down and bigger than the tart/muffin pan you are using. Cut out circles. Place each cut out into tart/muffin pan. Fill with the desired filling and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW    

Savory Baking

With a title like this I couldn't resist picking this cookbook up. When I crave something more often than not it is something salty or savoury. Very rarely is it something sweet. Although just the other night I reached for some dark chocolate with ginger pieces to satisfy my craving... Anyhow the art of pastry making is something I could learn more about.  

Savory Baking: Warm and Inspiring Recipes for Crisp, Crumbly, Flaky Pastries by Mary Cech, Photography by Noel Barnhurst; first edition 2009; pp.[9]168 published by Chronicle Books LLC, has some very unique recipes for everyone. Just after the introduction the cookbook has a section on Tools for Success. It explains everything from ingredients, equipment and techniques to help you. Each section has anywhere from 10-15 recipes. They are divided into these: Quick Breads, Flaky Pastries, Rustic, Pastries with Puff, Cookies, and The Side Show. Glossary and index, of coarse are at the back and something I always find useful, The Table of Equivalents. Regardless of the cookbook I am using I can always appreciate a page like that. It just makes it easier when converting measurements. And shows that the author has thought through the baking process.

Majority of the recipes sound wonderful, are easy to read and photos are close up. The few recipes that caught my eye are the Stilton Cheesecake on a Candied-Walnut Crust, Canadian Bacon Bread Pudding, White Cheddar Zucchini Pancakes, Chicken Dijon Brown Betty, Potato Cheese Fritters and Sour Cream Fig Spirals. They all sound comforting and creative. Again, this cookbook is for everyone despite your level of kitchen comfort. It brings cook and baker together with pastry being at the forefront, appetizers and main dishes rather than at the end of your meal, the dessert. - JW