Cranberry Curd

 I think my jaw literally dropped when I turned to page 108 of December's Cooking Light, and saw a Mason jar full of delectably smooth, Christmas-red cranberry curd, with the subtitle, "share this tangy treat."  Or don't, and eat the entire contents with my fingers!

The recipe looked simple, and make-ahead, which made her perfect for one of my Christmas Eve appetizers!  We served her with cream cheese and baguette slices, and she was definitely the belle of the ball.  I don't think I've ever genderized a recipe before, but this one, definitely a lady.  Not only gorgeous and delicious, but thoughtful!  The curd is thick and smooth like a cream, but also tart and low in fat (see nutritional info below) - so perfect for starting off a new year! 

We used up the whole batch on bread, but CL suggests this is also excellent swirled into Greek yogurt or oatmeal.  Guess I'll just have to make some more.

 Cranberry Curd (print recipe)
Makes 2 1/2 cups

1/2 cup water
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 T unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 T cranberry juice or Grand Marnier

1.  Combine water, lemon juice, and cranberries in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until cranberries pop.  Place cranberry mixture in a food processor; process until smooth.  Strain cranberry mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.  (Mine was too thick to strain, so I just used it all.  Solids were pretty well processed.)

2.  Combine sugars and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined (yum.)  Add egg yolks and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in cranberry mixture, cornstarch, and salt.

 Place mixture in the top of a double boiler.  Cook over simmering water until a thermometer registers 160 degrees and mixture thickens (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently.  Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in juice/liqueur.  Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.

Hazel was quite the kitchen helper over winter break!

Per 2 tablespoons: Cal 67; Fat 1.9g; Prot 0.7g; Carb 12.1g; Fib 0.8g; Chol 35g; Iron 0.2mg; Sod 20mg; Calc 8mg

Recipe from Cooking Light, December 2012

1 year ago:  Chocolate Clementine Cake with Hot Chocolate Sauce
2 years ago:  Seriously Real Instant Hot Chocolate
3 years ago:  Irish Oatmeal

Chocolate-Cherry Cookies with Hazelnuts

 These little biscuits are unbelievable.  And, one my current favorite recipe features, quick and easy.  No batches in and out of the oven.  No wasted space on the baking sheet.  These darlings cook in one big corner-to-corner cookie, which you later slice into diamonds with your pizza wheel, but not before melting and spreading a boatload of chocolate on them, and sprinkling with toasted hazelnuts.  YUUUUUUUUM!

"But, Kari," you say, "your cookies aren't diamond-shaped!"  And that would be because I took geometry in the summer of 1989 - yes, summer school, to get a year ahead in math, and because the guy I liked was in summer school that year and I could ride the same bus as him, and it was sooo worth it - and haven't used a lick of it since.  I thought, Diamonds.  That means go diagonal.  So I went diagonal.  In both directions.  And ended up with squares.  Not very even ones, either.  Turns out, to get diamonds you have to go straight in one direction and diagonal in the other.  Thank you, summer school. 

Chocolate-Cherry Cookies with Hazelnuts (print recipe)
Makes about 50

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped dried cherries
3/4 cup (5 1/2 ounces) superfine sugar
1/4 tsp salt
16 T unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into sixteen 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped

1.  Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position and preheat to 375 degrees.  Line an 18" x 12" baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the flour, cherries, sugar, and salt at low speed until combined, about 5 seconds.  With the mixer running on low, add the butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until the mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer.  Add the vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until the dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

3.  Press the dough in an even layer into the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

4.  Immediately after removing the baking sheet from the oven, sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips; let stand to melt, about 3 minutes.

 5.  Use an offset icing spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer, then sprinkle evenly with the chopped hazelnuts.  Cool on a wire rack until just warm, 15 to 20 minutes.

6.  Use a pizza wheel to cut the cookies into 1 1/4-inch diamonds - this is done by cutting strips straight in one direction, and diagonally in the other.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Baking Illustrated: The Practical Kitchen Companion for the Home Baker

1 year ago:  Cranberry Lime Scones
2 years ago:  Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake and Frosting
3 years ago:  Blue Blueberry Muffins

Mint Chocolate Popcorn

I hope you have already had the distinct pleasure of encountering those pink-and-white peppermint marshmallows they sell around Christmastime.  They make seriously delightful rice crispy treats, add minty fun-lovin' to a mug of chocolate, and, at least at our house, are very persuasive when it comes to bribes.

 This year, I actually flipped the bag over, to discover an intriguing and super easy recipe for peppermint chocolate popcorn, which we immediately made and took to a big post-Thanksgiving family party.  Dang good, people.  Tiny bit of salt, lots of marshmallow and chocolate, with the trademark crispy crunch you always want from a popcorn snack.  When melted with chocolate, I have to say, the mallow mint is very subtle, but with a dash of peppermint extract, equilibrium is restored.

Mint Chocolate Popcorn (print recipe)
Makes about 12 cups

1/2 tsp salt, divided
12 cups warm air popped popcorn
4 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
40 Jet-Puffed Mini Peppermint Mallows
1/4 to 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, optional

1.  Heat oven to 275 degrees.  Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt over popcorn in a large bowl; toss to coat.  Set aside.

2.  Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently.  Add marshmallows; stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 tsp salt and peppermint extract, if using.

3.  Pour chocolate over popcorn; toss to coat well.  Spread onto a greased baking sheets.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp, stirring after 15 minutes.  Cool on wax paper.  Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe from the back of the peppermint marshmallow bag

 

1 year ago:  Sticky Toffee Pudding

2 years ago:  City Bakery Apple-Raspberry Upside-Down Cake

3 years ago:  Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread

I should start a new tag/label called "Classics" - the important basics everyone needs at least one good recipe for.  Lemon Bars.  Chocolate Cake.  Cinnamon Rolls.  Whole Wheat Bread - that's what kind of recipe this is.  Homemade wheat bread is comforting beyond description.  Ed tells stories of coming home from school as a teenager on baking day:

"Mom baked bread twice a month - she made 6 to 8 white, the same number of wheat.  My brothers and I would come home and there'd be fresh, hot bread - we'd slice it, slather with butter and jelly - the four of us easily demolished two loaves in one sitting.  Mom had to shoo us out to save some for the rest of the week."

That's what kind of bread this is.  I like to eat some warm, then toast it for breakfast the next few days.  I also like to pretend I'm a pioneer woman, turning out fresh bread for my kinsfolk, with creamy butter from the churn, and a pitcher of milk to dip it in.

Many "classic" bread recipes make 2 to 3 loaves, so please note: this makes one.  Obviously simple to multiply - might as well, if you're making one anyway.  And if you've got anyone like Ed in your family, you'll need to, just to get a slice, yourself.

Whole Wheat Bread (print recipe)

Makes 1 loaf

1 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey, molasses, or maple syrup**
3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 T of the water of the recipe
1/4 cup nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 tsp salt

*Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lesser amount in summer or a humid climate

**I recommend honey or maple syrup, unless you really love molasses

1.  Mix and knead all of the ingredients together to make a soft, supple dough.  Adjust the dough's consistency with additional water or flour, if necessary.

2.  Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover it, and allow it to rise until it's puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours.

3.  Shape the dough into an 8" log.  Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or until the center ahs crowned about 1" above the rim of the pan.

4.  Bake the break in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning.  The finished loaf will register 190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.

5.  Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.  If desired, rube the crust with a stick of butter; this will yield a soft, flavorful crust.  Hello.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

1 year ago:  Parker-Parker House Rolls
2 years ago:  Pound Cake Cupcakes with Lemon-Lime Glaze
3 years ago:  Texas Sheet Cake

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Went and got me some Vanilla Bean Paste, that's what I did.  And I plan to use it every single chance I get.  I think it's fancy, and supremely delicious, and gives you vanilla bean flecks in a vanilla extract syrup, with none of the vanilla bean scraping work.  It even says on the bottle, Finest Quality. 

You can get such Fine Quality on Amazon for a pretty penny (plus shipping.)  Or Sur La Table.  Or CHEFS.  Or, if you're lucky, like me, to live near a Home Goods store, you can just browse their gourmet aisle and pick yourself up a bottle or two for just $5.99 each (plus tax.)  Love it.

My VBP's maiden recipe was this super awesome springy, bouncy, perfect marshmallow.  I made it in a jelly roll pan, then used an oiled pizza cutter to cut it into thin strips one way, then mini marshmallows the other way.  They went with my hot chocolate stir stick bar at the church Christmas party.  Good thing I like those people so much.  Not that the marshmallow was that much work; it really wasn't.  But I used a whole tablespoon of my precious VBP, and I wouldn't do that for just anyone.

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows (print recipe)
Makes 96 1-inch cubed marshmallows or about a gazillion minis

About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar plus 3 T cornstarch
3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar (cane sugar worked just fine)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (alternately: 1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean, 2 teaspoons almond or mint extract or maybe even some food coloring for tinting)

1.  Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar mixed with cornstarch.  If you want to make mini marshmallows, use a jelly roll pan so the marshmallow will spread out and be shorter.

2.  In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.  It will become a gelatinous mass, and may fascinate your science-minded children.

3.  In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

4.  With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer.

 
5.  In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.

6.  Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. An oiled pizza cutter works great for this, especially if you are making mini mallows.  Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar/cornstarch mixture back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.  Or you can shake them in a plastic bag. 

Do ahead: Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week.

Sorry no pictures of the finished mini marshmallows - we cut them and ran to the party, no time for a photo shoot.  And of course, there were none leftover.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet, December 1998 by Smitten Kitchen

1 year ago:  Crazy Good Cinnamon Quick-ish Bread
2 years ago:  White Chocolate and Vanilla Bread Pudding
3 years ago: The Christmas Haul

Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks

Let's start 2013 off with a recipe I may have made more than any other in 2012. 

I made about 200 of these for our church's Christmas party in December, then helped stir and ladle hot milk from the stove all night, so everyone could have made-to-order hot chocolate.  When you put me in charge of the cocoa bar, you're not going to get Swiss Miss. 

Cutest mug ever, right? 

I didn't invent the whole idea, but it did evolve.  First, I thought of those chocolate-covered spoons you stir into coffee, but I didn't think it would be enough chocolate for a good 8-oz. cup of cocoa.  I hunted around food blogs for awhile, and came up with a few renditions to try - the first was just chocolate, but it bloomed within hours, and I needed something that could keep.  (And there was no way I was tempering chocolate for this quantity.)  The next one I tried was too fudgy, and fell off the stick at room temperature (but still made good hot chocolate.)  We drank a lot of cocoa at our house those first weeks of December.  Our counter became lined with Tupperware of chocolate experiments, and Poppy came to ask regularly if she could taste one of my "speriments." 

 Eventually I settled on a simple ganache, with half the cream, so it would stay just solid at room temperature, but still melt into a creamy mug.  Don't mind if I say so myself, they were the hit of the party.

 

Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks (print recipe)
Makes 12

12 oz. chocolate chips or other semisweet/dark chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 T cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
12 lollipop sticks
Cooking spray

1.  Melt chocolate and cream in microwave, for 20-30 seconds at a time, until chocolate is just melted; stir until smooth.  Add cocoa powder and stir in.  Add any flavorings you want, like 1/2 tsp peppermint extract or 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon.  Or leave plain chocolate.

2.  Spray a 12-well ice cube tray with cooking spray and dust thoroughly with cocoa powder.  Scoop chocolate mixture into a piping bag or gallon Ziploc and snip off the corner.  Pipe chocolate into the tray cups.  Stick a lollipop stick into the center of each one, giving it a twist as it goes in, to make sure the chocolate attaches.  Sprinkle anything on top that you want, like jimmies, nonpareils, coarse sugar, etc.  Or leave plain chocolate.  Chill for a at least 1 hour in the fridge.

3.  To remove chocolate from ice cube tray, twist the tray a bit like when you are getting ice out.  Place upright and gently wiggle sticks out.  If they don't come easily, run the underside of the tray under hot water for a few seconds and try again.  They should come out easily after that.  Store in refrigerator for a few days or at room temperature for a few hours.

4.  To make hot chocolate, heat 8 ounces milk in microwave or on stovetop, until steaming but not boiling.  It needs to be pretty hot.  Place stir stick in, and stir until chocolate dissolves to make one freaking decadent cup of cocoa.  Top with nutmeg, cinnamon, whipped cream, and/or marshmallows. 

Variations: 
- To make peppermint stir sticks, I added 1/2 tsp peppermint extract and a handful of crushed candy canes to the chocolate after it was melted but before piping into the molds. 
- To make salted caramel, I piped a big blob of dulce de leche on top of each chocolate cube, and sprinkled with a pinch of flaked salt just before serving. 


1 year ago:  Easy Pretzel Fudge
2 years ago:  Gearing Up for 2011
3 years ago:  Yeasted Lemon Poppy Seed Bread with Nutmeg Butter

I Digress

Wow, what a month, huh?  It was the longest month, it was the shortest month.  I also do really think we had our best times and worst times of 2012 this December.  Luckily, the worse part was earlier, when we were juggling a whole lotta stress and work; the best was the last week, when we all just took time to chill out, hang out, and be.  Together.  Obviously the blogs didn't get much action, but that's life.  Now I have lots to blog about.

I just checked my VGP 2012 photo folder and there are like 30 recipes I never got around to posting.  I will.  Plus some really awesome awesomeness I made over winter break.  In the meantime, I've made some other really good food that's not traditional VGP material, but I want to share.  Sorry no piccies of my own, just links.  But the pics on the links are really great, so go there.

Sometime this month, I started craving scrambled eggs.  But not my own scrambled eggs; no one wants to eat those.  Rubbery gray-yellow blobs with burnt edges - no thank you!  We've taken eggs OFF our breakfast chart, except the occasional hard-boiled, because I have one of these, so I don't mess them up.  But other than that, I'm not very good at eggs.

I really wanted some good ones - creamy, well-seasoned, not over-cooked.  I didn't know when I could get out to a good diner for some.  Then a few nights ago, I decided, I can do this.  The internet is a wealth of knowledge and crazy foodies - there must be instructions on making proper scrambled eggs.  I didn't have to go far.  Thank you, theKitchn.  Absolutely amazing, and just what I was craving.  I'll (hopefully) never overcook my eggs again.  I even had chives!  It was a great meal for one.

Photo from theKitchn

 Now let's talk about Christmas Eve.  We hosted, and including us, the headcount came to sixteen - eight adults and eight children.  I would say dessert was the worst part, and even that was pretty good, so it was a lovely successful dinner, thanks to my brother Dave's helping hand when we got in the weeds.  Here's what we had:

Appetizers
Creamy Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Cups
Cranberry Curd and Cream Cheese on Baguette
Cranberry Juice with Ginger Ale

Salad
Pomegranate Salad with Honey-Cinnamon Vinaigrette

Main Course
Roast Stuffed Pork Loin with Port Sauce (it looked just like the picture!)
Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan (so good and easy - definitely doing this side dish for Dinner Swap sometime!)
Citrus Green Beans with Pine Nuts (also delicious)

Dessert
Salted Caramel Cheesecakes 
Hot chocolate stir sticks (recipe coming)
(ice cream for the kids)

The cheesecakes were OK, I just had some trouble getting them neatly out of the muffin tin, so they were messy looking.  The caramel sauce from the recipe didn't turn out well, so I rummaged in the fridge - and it may not surprise you I had at least three kinds of caramel in there - and made a sauce from Smucker's caramel sauce, Nestle dulce de leche, and Fat Toad Farm Vanilla Bean Goat's Milk Caramel.  It was breathtaking.

Photo from myrecipes.com

I guess that's all for now.  My New Year's resolution is to keep baking and posting whenever I feel like it.

I'm into lofty goals like that.

Dessert Club: International

 This is the big one, folks.  I throw exactly one holiday party a year, and it's our November/December Dessert Club.  I look forward to it like crazy.  It's how I kick off my holiday season. 

This year we decided to forego our usual "holiday cookies" theme and go back to one of our all-time favorites: International.  How can you go wrong?  We had six countries represented in nine dishes, and they were all...to. die. for.

Chocolate-Cherry Brioche (mine)
FRANCE

Naan-e Berenji (Persian Rice Cookies)
IRAN

 Triple Layer Berry and Brown Sugar Pavlova  
(so delicious and melt-in-your-mouthy)
AUSTRALIA

Tres Leches Cake
MEXICO

Poppy Seed Cake
UKRAINE

Nougat Montelimar
FRANCE

Jamaican-Spiced Upside Down Cake (also mine)
JAMAICA

Strawberry Savarin
FRANCE

...and while it was not a requirement to make a holiday dish per se, it is only fitting that our winner of the evening was this...

Bûche de Noël  
FRANCE

 It was beyond amazing, and I'm not even talking about how perfect it looked, from the log-swirled ganache to the meringue mushrooms.  It had an orange marscapone filling inside the most perfect chocolate sponge.  It completely deserved to win on every level.  I got the recipe; I'm trying to decide whether to attempt it myself for Christmas this year.  I certainly wouldn't mind eating it again!

At our holiday party, we also do a gift exchange.  Last year it was kitchen gadgets.  This year it was cool ingredients.  And, you guessed it, what you get is what you have to use for January - that's the theme.  Everything was fabulous, but I think some will be easier to use than others.  We did the exchange white-elephant-style, so there was stealing.  I think the most stolen item was vanilla bean paste, followed closely by coconut sugar.  I ended up with those chocolate bars down front, no complaining from me!  But the most coveted item was definitely toasted hazelnut flour, and it was also the last gift opened, so no one could steal it.  Talk about lucky!

And before everyone left, I handed out their favors - our 2012 Dessert Club ornament.  This is our third Christmas of Dessert Club, and I love hanging our three DC ornaments on our tree.  Look at all that whipped cream!  Merry Christmas!

Apple-Cranberry Pie

 No clever prose for this one, my dears.  This one was requested for Thanksgiving, and while I'm skimming it by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I hope you will still be able to make it.  Because cranberries and apples, always excellent.  And this comes from last year's pie night winner, and she seriously knows pies.

Apple-Cranberry Pie (print recipe)

8 oz. (2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 c orange juice

1 c plus 1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c water

1 Tbsp cornstarch

3 1/2 lbs Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored,and sliced 1/4 in thick

1 recipe double-crust pie dough

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. Bring cranberries, orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp salt to boil in medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing berries against side of pot, until berries have completely broken down and juices have thickened to jam-like consistency, about 10-12 minutes. Off heat, stir in water and let cool to room temp., about 30 min. Can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.

2. Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 1/4 tsp cinnamon, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and cornstarch together in large bowl. Add apples and toss to combine. Cover and microwave, stirring with rubber spatula every 3 minutes, until apples are just starting to turn translucent around edges and liquid is thick and glossy, 10-14 min. Let cool to room temp., about 30 minutes. Can be stored in fridge up to 2 days.

3. While fillings cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll 1 disk of dough into 12 in. circle on lightly floured counter. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto 9-in. pie plate, letting excess dough hang over edge. Leave any dough that overhangs in place. Wrap dough-lined pie plate loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Roll other disk of dough into 12-in. circle on lightly floured counter, then transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.

4. Spread cooled cranberry mixture into even layer in dough-lined pie plate. Place apple mixture on top of cranberries, mounding in center. Loosely roll remaining dough round around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto filling. Trim overhang to 1/2 in beyond lip of pie plate. Pinch edges of top and bottom crusts firmly together. Cut four 2-in. slits in top of dough. Brush surface with egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar.

5. Place pie on heated baking sheet and bake until crust is light golden brown, about 25 min. Reduce oven temp. to 375, rotate baking sheet and continue baking until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 25-30 min. Let pie cool on wire rack until filling has set, about 2 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temp.

Recipe from the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

Salted Almond Praline Tart

 Here's the creation that WON "Pies & Tarts" night at Dessert Club, which is no small feat.  But it was pretty awesome.  I think the Salted Almond Praline, that went on as a garnish, and was both addictive and super easy to make, was the kicker that pushed it over the edge.  Stunning with creamy almond-scented filling, fresh raspberries, and spicy-salty crust and praline, I humbly admit it did stand out. 

Better Homes and Gardens teamed up with the Almond Board of California for a "Crowd-Pleasing Almond Dishes" contest, and you guessed it, this was one of the winners.  So now it's a two-time award winner.  So you should make it this week.  And maybe every week after.  Definitely for your next recipe contest.  Yum.

  
Salted Almond Praline Tart (print recipe)
Makes 12 servings

Almond Crust:
2 1/2 cups broken cinnamon graham crackers (or cinnamon Teddy Grahams)
1 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup softened butter

Almond Tart Filling:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 1/2 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 egg and 1 egg yolk

Salted Almond Praline:
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sugar
2 T melted butter
1 T water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt

Garnish:
Whipped cream
Fresh raspberries

1.  Preheat oven to 325F.  Prepare crust:  In food processor, combine grahams, almonds, and sugar.  Cover; process until finely ground.  Add butter.  Pulse to combine.  Press into bottom and sides of 10-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom.  Chill 15 minutes.  Place on foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned; cool.

2.  Prepare filling: In saucepan combine 8 oz. cream cheese and white chocolate.  Stir over low heat until melted.  In bowl beat remaining cream cheese on medium to high for 30 seconds.  Beat in sugar until smooth.  Beat in melted mixture until combined.  Beat in sour cream and extract until combined.  Beat in egg and yolk until combined Pour into crust.

3.  Bake in 325F oven 35 minutes or until center is nearly set when gently shaken.  Cool on rack 30 minutes. Loosen crust from side of pan, but do not remove.  Chill at least 2 hours. 

4.  Make Salted Almond Praline: Heat oven to 325F.  Line a baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  In bowl combine 1 cup sliced almonds, the sugar, melted butter, water, cinnamon and salt.  Spread evenly in pan.  Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely on rack.  Break into pieces.

5.  Remove tart from pan.  Top with whipped cream, Salted Almond Praline, and raspberries.  Serve.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, July 2012

Crustless Cranberry Pie (a.k.a. "Cranberry Awesomeness")

I'm deeply sorry I don't have a "slice" picture for this pie.  It came a little later than the others, and I forgot to "slice-and-shoot" before we gobbled it all up.  But this was one of my favorites of the night.  I asked her, "What's this called, Cranberry Awesomeness?"  She said she liked that and wouldn't tell me the real name.

Which led to a DC discussion of how I say "awesome" way too much, and even my iPhone signature says, "Sent from Awesomeland."  While it is anything but true, it conveys what I want it to.  Then someone said that she recently said, "awesome" in a conversation and got called out on it, and told "awesome" is dated and not on conversational trend anymore.  To which I reply, whatevs.  It's a classic that has not gone the way of rad or gnarly, but risen in the colloquial ranks to rub shoulders with the likes of cool.  To which my brother, who lived in England for three years, said, when a Brit wants to sound American, they always say, "Awesome!"  Which proves my point.  I think.

Regardless, I mean to bestow my highest praises on this cake-ish pie when I call it awesome.  Awesomeness.  I envision having it for a light breakfast Thanksgiving morning, snacking on it with a bit of milk or herbal tea while the heavy cooking gets underway.  Or as a dessert the same day, with a dab of cream, letting the tart berries burst on your palate surrounded by sweet almond-scented crumbs.  I've just done such a good job describing it, I might have to go make me some right now.

Crustless Cranberry Pie (a.k.a. "Cranberry Awesomeness") (print recipe)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 inch pie pan.

2.  Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts, and toss to coat. Stir in the butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. If you are using frozen cranberries, the mixture will be very thick. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

3.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

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