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Winter Desserts

December 29, 2015 - Radio Kitchen - Winter Desserts
 

We're in the middle of the holidays and I'm willing to bet that more than a few of us are bending our diets a bit.  This time of year, it's tough to pass up those wonderful desserts that folks make for us.  So if you feel like indulging a little bit (because you can work it off later) Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School has a few ideas.  And it all centers on making a pie.

Since Jerry naturally will analyze a cooking challenge, he pointed out that there are actually three common pie crusts that you want to include in your repertoire.  One perfectly dry (short), one that is egg-rich, and one that is just a little bit sweet.  First the crusts.

                    Paté Brisée
(Short Crust)-a basic crust recipe for almost any savory and some sweet fruit tarts.

Ingredients:
1 ½  cups  all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
½ teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons ice water

Combine flour, butter and salt in a food processor.  Process using the pulse button for four or five short pulses.

Turn the processor on and pour the ice water into the dough just until it begins to form.  Stop processing immediately.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands.

Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc.

Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to two or three days.

                Paté Brisée a l’Oeuf-
This is a slightly richer version than the basic recipe and can be substituted any time Paté Brisée is called for.

Ingredients:
1 ½  cups  all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
4 Tablespoons ice water

Combine flour, butter and salt in a food processor.  Process using the pulse button for four or five short pulses. Add the egg.

Turn the processor on and pour the ice water into the dough just until it begins to form.  Stop processing immediately.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc.

Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to two or three days.

             Paté Brisée au Sucre
This is a slightly sweeter version than the basic recipe and can be used for any dessert tart.  Note that this recipe calls for milk rather than water making an even more luxurious crust.

Ingredients:
1 ½  cups  all-purpose flour
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
¼  teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sugar
4 Tablespoons cold milk

Combine flour, butter, salt, baking powder and sugar in a food processor.  Process using the pulse button for four or five short pulses.

Turn the processor on and pour the milk into the dough just until it begins to form.  Stop processing immediately.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it together into a ball with your hands. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and from it into a flat disc.

Cover the dough completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to two or three days.
 

And now a few delicious pie recipes.

            Sweet Potato Pie with Chocolate Covered Bacon

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup evaporated milk
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

Sweet Potato Pie cont’d

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Add milk, sweet potatoes, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; mix well.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 35-40 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 6-8 servings.
 

              Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
½ (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup dark corn syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon or water
4 large eggs
¼  cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½  teaspoon salt

Fit piecrust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.

Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly onto bottom of pie crust; set aside.

Combine corn syrup and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk about one-fourth hot mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared piecrust.

Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until set; cool on wire rack
 

             Traditional Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lb. Cortland apples (about 4 medium)
1 lb.Granny Smith apples (about 2-1/2 medium)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
½  tsp. ground cinnamon; more to taste
¼  tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 large egg white
2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 Tbs. cold unsalted butter cut into small (1/4-inch) cubes
4 to 6 Tbs. all-purpose flour

Make the filling:
Peel the apples, cut each in half from top to bottom, remove the cores with a melon baller, and trim the ends with a paring knife. Lay the apples, cut side down, on a cutting board.

Cut the Cortland apples (below left) crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces, and then halve each piece diagonally.

Cut the Granny Smith apples (below right) crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, leaving them whole. Put the apples in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice.

Combine the brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, kosher salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Don’t add this to the fruit yet.

In a small dish, lightly beat the egg white with 1 teaspoon water. Set aside.

Butter a 9-inch ovenproof glass (Pyrex) pie plate, including the rim, with the 2 tsp. of softened butter.

Rub 2 to 3 Tbs. of flour into the surface of a pastry cloth, forming a circle about 15 inches across, and also into a rolling pin stocking.

If you don’t have a pastry cloth, rub the flour into a large, smooth-weave, cotton kitchen towel and use a floured rolling pin.

Roll one of the disks of dough into a circle that’s 1/8 inch thick and about 15 inches across.

Lay the rolling pin across the upper third of the dough circle; lift the pastry cloth to gently drape the dough over the pin and then roll the pin toward you, wrapping the remaining dough loosely around it.

Hold the rolling pin over the near edge of the pie plate. Allowing for about a 1-inch overhang, unroll the dough away from you, easing it into the contours of the pan.

If the dough isn’t centered in the pan, gently adjust it and then lightly press it into the pan. Take care not to stretch the dough. If it tears, simply press it back together—the dough is quite forgiving.

Brush the bottom and sides of the dough with a light coating of the egg-white wash (you won’t need all of it).

Leaving a 1/4-inch overhang, cut around the edge of the dough with kitchen shears.

Combine the sugar mixture with the apples and toss to coat well. Mound the apples in the pie plate, rearranging the fruit as needed to make the pile compact. Dot the apples with the 1 Tbs. cold butter cubes.

Rub another 2 to 3 Tbs. flour into the surface of the pastry cloth and stocking. Roll the remaining dough into a circle that’s 1/8 inch thick and about 15 inches across.

Use the rolling pin to move the dough.

As you unroll the dough, center it on top of the apples. Place your hands on either side of the top crust of the pie and ease the dough toward the center, giving the dough plenty of slack.

Leaving a 3/4-inch overhang, trim the top layer of dough around the rim of the pie plate. Fold the top layer of dough under the bottom layer, tucking the two layers of dough together.

Press a lightly floured fork around the edge of the dough to seal it, or flute the edge of the dough with lightly floured fingers.

Lightly brush the top with cold water and sprinkle the surface with the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar.

Make steam vents in the dough by poking the tip of a paring knife through it in a few places; it’s important to vent well so that the steam from the cooking apples won’t build up and crack the top of the crust.

Bake the pie:
Cover the rim of the pie with aluminum foil bands. This will prevent the edge of the crust from over browning.

Place a rimmed baking sheet or an aluminum foil drip pan on the oven rack below the pie to catch any juices that overflow during baking. Set the pie on the rack above.

Bake until the top and bottom crusts are golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 60 to 75 minutes; to thicken, the juices must boil, so look for the bubbles through the steam vents or through cracks near the edges of the pie and listen for the sound of bubbling juices.

During the last 5 minutes of baking, remove the foil bands from the edges of the pie. Cool the pie at least 3 hours and up to overnight before serving.
 

Al Spoler, well known to WYPR listeners as the wine-loving co-host of "Cellar Notes" has had a long-standing parallel interest in cooking as well. Al has said, the moment he started getting serious about Sunday night dinners was the same moment he started getting serious about wine. Over the years, he has benefited greatly from being a member of the Cork and Fork Society of Baltimore, a gentlemen's dining club that serves black tie meals cooked by the members themselves who are some of Baltimore's most accomplished amateur cooks.
Executive Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Corks restaurant is fascinated by food and wine, and the way they work in harmony on the palate. His understanding of the two goes all the way to the molecular level, drawing on his advanced education in molecular biology. His cuisine is simple and surprising, pairing unexpected ingredients together to work with Corks' extensive wine offerings.