Bear With Me My Friends…Working on My Pie Competition

I haven’t posted since last week. Work and personal life is crazy right now. By the time I usually get ready to blog I’m to tired. Not to mention keeping up with all of you. This week I have a Grand Opening at work, will be casually entertaining a fellow blogger on Sunday, working on some house stuff, seeing Certain Someone off to yet another business trip, and submitting two apple pies to the Buck Town Apple Pie Contest next Sunday. I’ve spent this morning on a practice pie. Cant tell you my secrets yet, but its looking good. I’m incorporating some unusual spices and techniques.Its amazing what I have learned in year from all of you and the Daring Bakers. So wish me luck folks, and I will try to visit you this week if time permits.

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The Surreal Life and a Boiled Cider Pie

About around 9:00 Saturday night I was thinking about how surreal my life was. I was standing under a Big Top style tent working as the hired help for a billionaires birthday bash down by the river next to a power plant. And a week before I was at a posh wedding in England. Talk about the tables turning.I swear about a quarter of the nations wealth was under that tent Saturday night. Not to heavy league politicians and the CEO of my company. She saw me and I was busted. But she smiled and said she doesn’t blame me moonlighting for such a event. The bash is the private party of the year. I was working for the caterer on the ‘front of house side’. But the kitchen was the exciting part me me. In addition to the caterer there were about five of Chicago’s top restaurants teams sharing pace with each other to crank out various buffets. Back there I met Gale Gand! And how nice and approachable she was.!I was buzzing with excitement , but some of my co workers though I was talking about Oprah’s best buddy Gail. Not!If you don’t know who Gale is check out this and this. Most of the staff were excited about the Eagles performing that night. Not me, I was with the cream de la creme of the Chicago culinary scene. I still can’t get Hotel California (kind of ironic if you read this and think about the lyrics)out of my head this Monday. In addition to Gale Gand , I met the owner of the hottest cupcake shop in Chi town. More Cupcakes on the Gold Coast. Little bite size miniatures of perfection. They encouraged us to try some towards the parties end. I was hesitant to try her BLT one, but it was awesome. I said it was like a muffin with a savoury cream cheese butter cream. She corrected me and said it wasn’t a muffin but a cupcake. Anyway the cupcake was good, and I think most of this cupcake business is overrated. I need to visit that store.

I worked and walked my ass that evening and collapsed into bed.Why do I do this! For the experience and the extra income. I have learned so much and maybe one day I will have may own catering company. Certain Someone was at the Notre Dame /Michigan game all day with his boys and doing what comes with that( tailgating, drinking, etc.). I came in about an hour after him. We slept so late from the sheer exhaustion of of our respective days, previous travels, etc. Then Sunday afternoon he flew to Brussels for work and I was left alone. I have been working on a Etsy shop which I will announce in a few weeks. But I was to tired to produce. So I made a comforting dinner. One item I have been meaning to bake was something I never heard off. A boiled cider pie. I had purchased some boiled cider for an upcoming pie competition. Imagine a custard style pie with the tartness of cider. My pie didn’t look like the photos I saw. What I saw had the custard separating from the cider stuff. Mine remained a cider colored custard. I wonder if this was due to me using maple syrup ? Anyway it was delicious. I made my crust using the Atora I brought back from the UK. Atora isn’t the healthiest, but it makes the flakiest crusts. I mean its not as if I’m baking pies all the time!For the boiled cider recipe check out this recipe. To see what I thought mine would look like, check out this post ( they used a different recipe, but the principle is the same). This pie was the texture and color of a creamy pumpkin pie. I definitely see me making this again. The only thing I changed was adding grated nutmeg. After today’s news I need a comforting slice. My 401 K is vanishing into thin air and my real day job is in the retail sector dependant on consumer spending. I wonder how a those guests on Saturday made out today as the markets plunged? Its all so surreal.
A quick note based on comments:
Boiled cider is a reduced no sugar added cider product. You can make it your self by reducing cider for a very long time, or buy it. See the recipe link for a leading manufacturer. I got mine through King Arthur’s. I have read you can substitute frozen apple juice concentrate as well. It is not alcoholic. Just pure non fermented cider.

Chicken,Fennel,Sun Dried Tomato Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust

Today is Day 2 of how I used my vegetable box.I decided to focus on fennel .I was stumped because I have only had fennel in salads. A Internet search pulled up the same types of recipes. I could have roasted it with and served it up with fish or chicken. Nah. I decided to use in a Chicken Pot Pie. Why Not? I had a really good chicken pot pie in the company cafeteria and wanted to do it my way. Rather than a short crust I decided to make a Buttermilk Biscuit crust( need to use that leftover buttermilk from the Daring Bakers Challenge). I figured Certain Someone may like this .Plus there would be leftovers as he and I towards the end of the week will be in opposite directions. While I’m sunning( working ) it up in sunny Florida he’ll need some good leftovers to pull out.I decided to use Martha Stewart’s Biscuit recipe for the buttermilk biscuit.The filling is my inspiration.It wasn’t to thick , all the better to sop up the sauce with your biscuit crust!
Coco’s Chicken,Fennel,Sun dried Tomato Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust
Filling
1 bulb of fennel sliced thin(remove tops).
3/4 cup of frozen peas
3 boneless chicken breasts cooked and cut into cubes( I cooked mine in ground sage, salt ,pepper, bay leaf and parsley.Save any liquid).
1 cup plain yogurt
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
9 sun dried tomatoes snipped into pieces
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons of butter
Preheat oven to 375 .Mix chicken , sliced fennel,peas, and sun dried tomatoes in dish you are baking in.In a pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add flour. Mix like a roux until incorporated.Gradually add chicken broth while whisking. You should have a slightly thickened sauce. Add the yogurt and thoroughly mix.Pour over chicken and vegetables.Make Martha Stewart’s Buttermilk Biscuit ( note I reduced this by half). Roll out a round of dough to top dish.You can add cut outs with the leftover. Brush the tops with Buttermilk and bake for approx 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

 

Dont forget about Tamale Open!

Sweet Tart I Love You…Daring Bakers Challenge Lemon Meringue Pie


They look sweet and innocent don’t they? Those are the ones you always have to watch out for

my mother always warned me!
In my four months as a Daring Baker I have never seen people get worked up over something as they did with this pie /tart .When Jen at Canadian Baker announced her topic as host this month reactions were varied. It seemed as if some were disappointed in this pies simplicity.But don’t judge a book by its cover! A natural reaction after all of our creative juices were let loose on the Yule Logs prior. I welcomed the challenge as I love lemons and need to work on pie crust skills.A very nice crust I must say!

For the record I have not liked lemon meringue pie for most of my life. My mother loved it and used this recipe with Real Lemon. I found the taste weird. Every now and then I found a lemon dessert I liked, but for the most part I stayed away from it. Certain Someone admits its never his favorite flavor.He likes chocolate naturally! Give me lemons in my teas, salads, fish,etc. and I’ll run to it. In dessert I approach with caution and may be just inclined to like it. The glamah gal I am decided to use those famous Meyer Lemons everyone goes on about. Expensive , but so juicy and good!Only the best for my tartlettes.All that said this pie/tart didn’t disappoint. I loved it. I loved it so much I didn’t want to waste any of tartlettes and tried to find them good homes while they were fresh. Time was of the essence because these babies only look and taste good young, but who wants an old soggy tart. So Hollywood, so 15 minutes of fame!Soon they would be all washed up and experiencing a meltdown.My greedy self popped a few over a time and even the Mister said they taste good. Those sweet thangs managed to seduce him for a moment.I could have dropped my tartletts ! So thanks Jen for zesting up our lives in this dreary winter.Next month we will move on to the next hot pastry.It may be sweet, it may be savory. Kind of like, do you gravitate to Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Aniston.I myself like the femme fatale type.But we will always remember those pies. Check out the other Daring Bakers and see their experience.

Challenge Requirements:1. Pie flavor must be lemon

Allowed Modifications:

1. You may make either the pie or the Lemon Meringue Free Form Tartlets (recipe follows Lemon Meringue Pie)

2. You can compliment your pie with a sauce. For example, you can serve it with raspberry or white chocolate sauce.

3. You can use a piping bag to apply the meringue if you like

4. Decoration is up to you – lemon zest or fruit are totally acceptable.

5. High altitude modifications are allowed as long as you stay “true” to the recipe.

6. Conversion for certain dietary restrictions like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan etc. is allowed.

7. Recipe ingredient exception allowed only if allergy or an ingredient not available or cost prohibitive in your region.

Lemon Meringue Pie courtesy of Wanda’s Pie In The Sky by Wanda Beaver 2002

Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:

3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces

2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar

1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt

1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:

2 cups (475 mL) water

1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarh

5 egg yolks, beaten

1/4 cup (60 mL) butter

3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:

5 egg whites, room temperature

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar

1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract

3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

To Make the Crust:Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling: Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

Daring Bakers Extra Challenge: Free-Style Lemon Tartlets(from “Ripe for Dessert” by David Lebovitz)

Prepare the recipe as above but complete the following steps:To roll out tartlet dough, slice the dough into 6 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each circle of dough into a 5 inch disk. Stack the disks, separated by pieces of plastic wrap, on a plate, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Trials and Tribulations Leading Up to the Bucktown Apple Pie Contest

After a peaceful full nights sleep following last nights La Traviata at Lyric Opera, I awoke yesterday to get started on my pies for tomorrows contest. I planned to make 3 types of crusts after all my friends and families critiques. Rather than my sour cream crust I wanted to use http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1737,147173-245200,00.html , I wanted a flakier crust.So I was turning my ignition in my car, and sputter ,splat. The cars check engine light started to flash and car started going dead.So much for the store and contest! And not to mention worry about repair costs. Certain Someone assured me to continue and ask my aunt for a ride the next day to enter (he has golf and will turn up later on ). We got the insurance company to tow the car, and ,he took me to the store with the assurance everything will work out this week. So I got to the tasks of making my crusts. I decided to do a Pate Brisee , which I’ve done before, based on Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. Only with some modifications based on other research. This contest is intense and I already heard a piece on it on National Public Radio. Some people have been preparing all year. And I, only 1 week.
So I decided to use apple cider vinegar , rather than ice water. As I tripled the recipe for 3 double pie crusts( 2 for the contest, 1 for me) I used shortening with the butter( all very cold). I even put the flour in the freezer. I don’t have Kitchen Aide , and I had to work quickly with the hands. I figured it worked with the ancestors, so it will work with me. I added cardamom to the crust and ground almond paste. Here’s the gist of Martha’s recipe with my changes in blue which doesn’t make it Pate Brisse any longer!

Pate Brisee ( Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook)
2 1/2 CUPS all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks( 1 cup) unsalted buter cut into cubes(1 Stick butter, 8 tsps shortneing)
1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed (ice cold apple cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 stick of Odense Almond Paste grated

Combine flour,salt(and cardamom). Add butter(and almond paste) and blend until the mixture resemble coarse crumbs. Add ice apple cider vinegar until dough holds together without being sticky or wet. Turn dough out on a work surface and divide in half. Shape into disks and place in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour to overnight. Dough may be frozen up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before using.
* for the flakiest crusts make sure ingredients( even the flour) are cold before you begin.

Because I used my hands and feared over kneading , my dough was fragile . I rolled out my discs in between wax paper, and peeled the layers of crust off the paper and into the pan/ onto the pie. Any holes I patched quickly and baked the pie at 350 degrees. My oven I discovered is tricky,and last week I over baked my pies, resulting in dryness.During the last 15 min I brushed my egg wash over the pie.

I’m calling my pie Spicy, Nutty, Caramel Apple Drizzle. I’m using a combo of apples such as Cortland,Golden Delicious, and Braeborn. Here’s the bulk of my filling.

assorted apples
apple cider
butter
sugar
instant tapioca for thickening( I ground mine in the coffee grinder)
touch of Black strap molasses
cinnamon
nutmeg
lemon to prevent discoloration
vanilla extract
butter for patting on top before sealing the crust.
egg wash of 1 egg and heavy cream to brush on dough.
caramel for topping after baked
chopped pecans and peanuts( I use salted for contrast)

And here’s my result( I baked 3). Wish me luck.Its my first contest. Gale Gand of Tru and Nancy Mathieson of the
American Pie Council will be some of the distinguished judges.

Post Script Sunday October 14, 2007

Auntie Mame arrived early to drive me to the pie drop off. We got there early and the organizers were kind enough to let me check in. What a great group they are. This event is building up momentum over the years and proceeds of the sale of pie benefit the Friends of Holstein Park(in Bucktown). I explained about my car troubles and how I couldn’t stay to help . They totally understood and said they would call if I won. Before I went to bed last night I fretted about all the professionals and pros involved as judges and entrants. I feared they would laugh at my entry, etc. Certain Someone said I was a pie freak and told me to got to bed. So I’m at home now while he plays golf. If he’s up to it we will try to go back. Other than that I’ll wait to see if I get anything prize wise. Nevertheless I’m glad I entered and had the experience. May this be the first of many contests and exploring.