Pineapple Pecan Pie

 

This variation on a classic is one that I would definitely repeat. The bright pineapple  and bronzed pecans mixed within a creamy silky golden brown filling has such a late summer feel. Let the pineapple naysayers sink into a splendiferous slice and be effortlessly swayed with its sweet, tangy and nutty flavour. 

Pineapple Pecan Pie

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makes one 9-inch pie

1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

3 eggs

1 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pineapple tidbits

1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC)  

Prepare a pastry recipe of your choice, roll out and line a 9 inch pie plate. Trim and flute the edges. Do not prick. Alternately, you can use a ready-made pie shell, follow package instructions.

Drain the pineapple tidbits using a fine mesh sieve and lightly pat dry.  

In a medium bowl combine together the brown sugar, flour and salt.

In a large bowl cream the butter. Add the brown sugar mixture and blend in the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla.

Fold in the drained pineapple tidbits along with the pecan halves. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Reduce heat to 325ºF and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes longer, or until filling is set. Cool before serving. 

Notes: Corn syrup substitutions: maple syrup, honey, golden syrup, brown rice syrup - texture and taste may change. 

French Silk Pie

I know this recipe is a bit of an effort however it is well worth it. A dense mousse like chocolate filling and whip cream topping pair well with a flaky homemade pie crust which, to me, reminds me of the French pastry, Mille-feuille. How rich this dessert may appear to be there is a lightness in texture and taste.  

French Silk Pie

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1 sheet of refrigerator pie pastry
2/3 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)

whipping cream and chocolate curls or grated chocolate for topping


Cut pastry sheet in half. Repackage and refrigerate one half to use another time. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining pastry half into an 8 inch circle. Transfer to a 7 inch pie plate and form the edges.

Line the now formed pie shell with heavy duty foil, double line if need be. Bake at 450ºF for 4 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 2 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

In a small saucepan, combine the caster sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160º and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm, about 90º, stirring occasionally. 

In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until light and  fluffy.

In another large bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add the icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture; then pour into the baked pie crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipping cream and chocolate curls or grated chocolate, if you wish. Refrigerate leftovers, if there is any!

Notes: Rather then use a ready made pie crust; I made my favourite pie crust recipe and used that. I also made, baked and allowed the pie crust to cool a few hours in advance before making the filling.

Savoury Galette

I make plenty of sweet dessert galettes so why not add a savoury one to that list. A breeze to whip up and delicious this is suitable anytime... for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You may want to adjust the vegetables according preference or season. 

Savoury Galette
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1 medium eggplant, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
200g sliced mushrooms
1 medium red onion, sliced into rings
fresh or frozen spinach, chopped
5 to 6 small tomatoes, halved 
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Summer Savoury or Herbs de Provence 
dash of balsamic vinegar

ready made puff pastry, thawed, according to package
passata sauce

Preheat oven to 375ºF.  

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the oil, onions and crushed garlic. Sauté for a few moments then add the remaining vegetables, except the halved tomatoes, and seasoning. Continue to sauté until just tender. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool, slightly.

Roll out the ready made puff pastry according to package directions. If no parchment paper is provided, place a piece of baking parchment paper, on a clean flat surface, before rolling the puff pastry out, and roll the puff pastry on top. Once rolled to a relaxed and desired size, place with the parchment paper on a baking sheet; spoon passata sauce in the middle spreading out towards the edges, making sure to leave about an 1 inch gap between the sauce and edge. Place the vegetable mixture over top of the sauce and fold the edges inwards; towards the centre of the free formed pie. Randomly place the halved tomatoes on top. 
If you forget to place the rolled out dough on the baking sheet before assembling, not to worry, carefully and quite possibly with help, gently glide the now formed pie with the parchment paper onto the baking sheet.  

In a small bowl, beat an egg with with a teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt. Brush the egg wash over the folded pastry edges, to seal any cracks and to create a lovely golden colour once baked. Sprinkle seasoning over the egg wash, if you wish. Place in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and is nicely golden brown. Remove from oven allowing to rest for 1 minute. Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese or crumble cheese over top.  

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Out with the extreme cold and in with some warmer winter temperatures, so to speak. - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie, a holiday favourite and an flavour that sums up the autumnal season. My daughter helped create this classic dessert. She was truly pleased with her effort and we  all enjoyed her effort.   

Hope everyone had a lovely long weekend! - JD 

Coconut Pie

I made this during the holiday season although it may be made anytime. A rich, eggy coconut pie that is semi-sweet and voluptuous . 

Coconut Pie

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make homemade pie pastry 

or use 1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup flaked coconut

2 eggs

1/2 cup hot water

grated lime pee of 1 lime

juice from 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

whipped cream, optional

fruit, optional

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Make your favourite pie crust and form the crust into a deep pie dish. Prick holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack. If using a ready made deep pie shell do the same as just stated.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF. In a large bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, coconut, eggs, water, lime peel, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour into crust.

Bake 30 minutes or until knife inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with whipped cream or fruit, if you wish. 

Notes: Ovens vary therefore I found I had to bake the pie for an additional 20 minutes, for a total bake time of 50 minutes.

The winter break is over. Time to settle back into a regular routine. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! - JD 

Leftovers #35 ~ Chicken Stout Pie

The Braised Chicken in Stout, I made for St. Patrick's Day offered plenty of leftovers so I decided to make a pie rather than serve it with the usual suspects... potatoes or rice. I threw in some peas and added leftover roasted potatoes and made a lovely pie crust to encase it all. So delicious!  

Seems like this week disappeared before I could blink. Have a good weekend everyone! 

- JD   

Pumpkin Pie with Crumbly Nut Topping

This time the dessert was the focal point of the holiday meal but then again when is it not. Classic pumpkin pie is sweet and full of warm spices with a golden amber perfection. Even though this recipe uses condensed milk I found that the pumpkin pie taste was not overly sweet. The nut topping was a wonderful change from the usual dollop of whipping cream or vanilla ice cream. You may use this recipe or what ever pumpkin pie recipe you like however I do recommend you try this crumbly nut topping, you won't be disappointed. It is a such a simple topping that can be made for many different pies.   

Pumpkin Pie

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1 can (15 ounce) of pumpkin purée

1 can (14 ounce) of sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or British mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 - 9 inch unbaked ready made pie shell or make pastry dough using whatever pastry recipe you have; roll out and form the dough into a pie baking dish. Use unbaked.  

Crumbly Nut Topping 

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2 tablespoons of flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon dried orange peel

2 tablespoons of butter, chilled

1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC)

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin purée, condensed milk, the beaten eggs, cinnamon, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice or British mixed spice if using, freshly grated nutmeg and salt. Stir to mix everything together nicely. Then pour the pumpkin mixture into the unbaked made pie shell or a unbaked ready made pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

While the pie is baking, you can prepare the crumbly nut topping... In a medium bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, dried orange peel, chopped walnuts and chilled butter; mix together with a fork or use your clean fingers. 

When the 15 minutes are up remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the topping over the pie. Before placing the pie back into the oven; Reduce the heat to 350ºF (175ºC) and bake an additional 40 minutes or until set. 

Our modest feast. Oven baked ham with homemade orange cranberry sauce, mashed sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts with champagne vinegar.

Hope everyone had a nice long weekend. We did. I am feeling much better however I managed to scratch my cornea. Which is awkward and painful. Regardless, I am back on the mend. - JD 

Pi Day

Today being Pi Day I made these two delicious pies... a savoury broccoli and cheddar quiche and a French apple. Happy Pi Day! - JD 

Steak and Guinness Pie

This pie is pretty substantial and is a British classic. The recipe was taken from Jamie Oliver's cookbook, Happy Days with the Naked Chef. I made only a few modifications to this  easy classic. For the Jamie Oliver recipe click *here*  and search Steak and Guinness Pie or Steak, Guinness & Cheese Pie with a puff pastry lid. Although the latter recipe comes up on his website it may be more of an updated one so I will include the recipe from Happy Days with the Naked Chef. Which is a great cookbook by the way.  

Jamie Oliver's Good Old Steak and Guinness Pie

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680g/1and 1/2 lb stewing beef, diced

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 heaped tablespoons flour

olive oil

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

4 sticks of celery, washed and roughly chopped

2 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped 

1 handful of mixed herbs (rosemary, thyme and bay), leaves picked

565ml/1 pint of Guinness 

2x 400g/14oz tins of tomatoes

1x500g/1lb 2oz pack of puff pastry 

1 beaten egg

Season your beef generously with salt and pepper, sprinkle with flour and toss around until coated. Heat 2 to 3 lugs of olive oil in a large casserole-type pan and fry your meat, in two batches if need be, until golden brown. Add the onion and fry for 1 more minute, then add the carrot, celery, parsnips and herbs. Fry for a further 4 minutes then pour in your Guinness. Add the tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil. Stir around, then simmer for around 2 hours or until the meat is really tender. The sauce should be nice and thick with an intensely tasty flavour. Season. At this point you could serve it as a stew with mash, or it will keep really well for a good 5 days in the fridge (while improving in flavour at the same time).

To make the pies, preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Put your meat filling into an appropriately-sized baking dish or dishes. I like to make small individuals pies - any high-sided round oven proof bowls are fine. Roll out your pastry, dusting with flour as you go, until 0.5cm/1/4 inch thick. Cut out 6 circles about 1cm/1/2 inch bigger than the tops of your bowls. Brush the rims of your bowls with beaten egg, then place the pastry circles on top, squashing the excess pastry down the outside of the bowls to secure. Lightly score the top of the pastry in a criss-cross fashion and brush with more of the beaten egg. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling. 

Notes: I had ran out of olive oil so good thing I bought that Camelina oil, I used that instead. Dried herbs work in a pinch. I used tins of diced tomatoes. I omitted the celery and added chopped baby potatoes instead. Added a dash here and there of cumin. Buying meat from the butcher's, Acme Meat here in E-town, made a difference in just over 1 hour the beef I used was tender. 

Shepherds Pie

This is a classic comfort dish that can be varied in many ways. Simple ingredients coming together to create a very fulfilling dinner. 

Shepherds Pie

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12 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 packages of ground (minced) chicken

1 -2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 

1 onion, peeled and diced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

about a handful of frozen yellow and green beans

1 x 796ml can diced tomatoes

1 x 156ml (5.5 fl oz) tomato paste

2 - 3 tablespoons HP sauce (brown sauce) 

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon Tandoori powder

salt and pepper to taste

PREP: 

Peel and chop potatoes. Set aside.

Peel and dice onions. Set aside

Peel and slice carrots. Set aside.

Using a can opener open the tin of diced tomatoes and tomato paste set aside. 

Gather the spices - cumin, Tandoori powder and salt and pepper. Set aside. 

Fill a large stock pot with the potatoes. Fill the pot with water, just enough to cover the potatoes. Add a little salt. Place the pot on a large element on top of the stove and turn that element on high. Let boil until tender. A fork should pierce through them with ease.

Meanwhile...

Sautee the onions in a fry pan with a bit of vegetable oil. Before the onions become completely transparent add the ground (minced) chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

stirring occasionally and cooking until the meat is done all the way through. When the chicken is cooked add the cumin and stir. Add the carrots. Stir to combine. Let the carrots cook for a few minutes then stir in the green and yellow beans. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and HP sauce. Stirring to combine after each addition. Add the Tandoori powder and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thicken a bit. 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. 

By this time the potatoes should be done. If not let them boil some more until ready. If ready then remove them from the heat and drain. Return the drained potatoes back the the pot and mash. The mashed potatoes do not have to be perfectly smooth a few lumps are fine. Once mashed stir in a good amount of butter and stir until combined. 

Remove the meat mixture from the heat and transfer it into a large casserole dish. Let cool slightly. This will give you a few minutes to tidy up. 

Then spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture. Making sure with each spoonful to smooth it out over the meat mixture until the entire meat mixture has been covered with the mashed potatoes. When done run a fork over the top, making any pattern you wish. 

Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbling and the top has slightly browned and crusty. If the potatoes are not browned to your liking after 30 minutes place under the broil for a few minutes. Being careful not to scorch. 

When done remove from oven. Let sit for a few minutes then serve. 

Notes: You can adjust the amounts of cumin and Tandoori powder or omit them all together and choose different spices and seasonings. Add different vegetables. Try mashed sweet potatoes rather than mashed potatoes. Use curry paste for a completely different flavour and take. Add shredded cheese on top. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We did, although I was unfortunate to have sprained my finger which has effected any holiday baking I was going to do this week. I hope that I will be back to it by Thursday or Friday. - JW  

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   

Deeper 'n' Ever Pie

And here it is. In all it's cheesy glory the Deeper'n'Ever pie. This definitely cured any unvittled eye shrink one might have had. Due to the size and depth and the fact that I made it earlier in the day I first warmed the pie in a preheated 350º oven for about 1 hour. I tested it with a metal chopstick to make sure it was heated all the way through. Once that was accomplished I placed a generous amount of grated old cheddar cheese on top. Waited until the cheese had bubbled then removed the dish from the oven and served straight away. The Deeper'n'Ever pie was tasty and saw Dibbuns and non-Dibbuns go for seconds and thirds. This is an easy recipe because essentially it is just layers of mashed vegetables. Also if you bake it straight away. However if you choose to do it the way I did by making it in the morning and baking it later it may be a bit of a process. I can assure you that all the effort is worth it! My son was very pleased with the effort and a full round table discussion regarding Brian Jacques Redwall was plenty.        

The top crisped up and the cheese bubbly with nestle layers of potato, carrot and turnip. 

Piping hot and disappearing fast!

Hope you all have a great weekend! - JW 

The REDWALL Cookbook

This is my son's cookbook. And I could not be more pleased when he asked for a cookbook for Christmas. However I sense an ulterior culinary motive here and he has succeeded.  He knows I  like to review all cookbooks regardless if it is based on a book or a movie, outdated or old, tongue and cheek, new or vintage. My cookbook collection is extensive and he happily has added one of his along the sidelines.  

All recipes are based on the Brian Jacques Redwall series. Something that my son reads religiously. This cookbook is fun and enjoyable for any Dibbuns at heart. Even if you have not read the Redwall series you can still get a sense of the characters and storyline. Culinary and literary tales combine amongst the recipes which are divided into the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. 

Tonight I am serving Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie. Which recipe was handpicked by my son. I will serve this with English bangers and a spinach salad. Another day I will make the Loamhedge Legacy Nutbread.  

Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie

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1 pound (3medium) potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 pound (4 medium) carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 pound turnips or rutabaga, peeled and chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

1 cup (2 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese or any hard cheese

Crisp green salad, for serving  (optional)

Pickled beets, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Place the carrots and turnips or rutabaga in another saucepan, cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Boil all the vegetables until soft, 10 - 15 minutes.

2. Drain the vegetables separately, then return them to their pans and add half the butter to each pan. Mash the vegetables until they are smooth and season with salt and pepper. 

3. In a deep casserole dish, spread the alternating layers of mashed vegetables, starting with the carrot mixture and finishing with a layer of potato. Roughen the top with a fork.

4. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake on the top shelf until the cheese is bubbling, about 15 minutes. 

5. Serve with a crisp green salad and pickled beets if desired.

Here was my effort in the kitchen this morning. Although I did have a bit of help. My husband decided to peel and chop the potatoes and turnip before dashing off to work.    

This was the best kitchen workout. Peel, chop, boil, cook, and mash. 

 First a layer of the carrot mixture goes on the bottom of the dish.

 Then a layer of potato. Keep alternating until you finish with a layer of potato on top.

   

Finished. The grated cheddar cheese still needs to be placed on top however since I am baking this later I will add it then. Will post a picture tomorrow in all it's melted cheesy glory. - JW

My Week in Food

We started off the long weekend with scrambled eggs. Slices of sausages, green peppers, green onion and dashes of cumin and paprika made this a hearty breakfast. A savoury way to start the day. 

Pumpkin Pie. Next to rice pudding and bread pudding this is so comforting and smooth. This is my son's favourite therefore no holiday would be complete without it. 

Hummus with Pita. Snacking and munching. Hummus is a favourite of mine. There are so many things you can add and have with hummus, that is why it is so appealing. Just blitz some chickpeas, tahini paste, crushed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of water to make it all spreadable.  

I rarely and I mean rarely cook steak let alone red meat for that matter. And to be perfectly honest I wasn't quite sure on how to prepare and cook it. After much thought I decided to marinate it overnight in the following: ginger syrup, crushed garlic, honey, cumin, pepper and a pinch of salt. There were sweet hints of spiciness. Paired with Fortnum and Mason's Highgrove Spiced Fruit Chutney. Letting the contrasting flavours play with one another. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW