Wednesday, November 19, 2003
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Wednesday, November 19, 2003 |
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Easy as pie Even a novice can serve up a slice of comfort in a crust By JILL WENDHOLT SILVA Hi, my name is Jill, and I suffer from pie anxiety. When I was a child, the only pie my mother served came from a box, so I have spent my adult life foisting Thanksgiving pie-duty on friends and family. But this year I resolved to conquer my fear of crust. To learn the finer points of working with pie pastry, I got some pointers from Joe Gottschall, executive chef at the Euro Cafe at the Sprint Campus and a partner with Kathy Ales Miller in Kitchen Creations, a home-based cooking school. Gottschall, who has worked as a pastry chef at the Milburn and Kansas City country clubs, teaches 10 to 12 classes a month. He recently walked me through the steps of making a pie crust and offered plenty of nifty chef tips along the way. And do you know what I learned? This is not rocket science. Follow Gottschall’s recipe for never-fail pie crust and you’re on your way. And yes, homemade pie crusts may not be as pretty as a Norman Rockwell picture, but your guests will thank you for offering them a slice of comfort from your own kitchen. Never-fail pie crust 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cake flour 1/3 cup granulated sugar (or baker’s sugar) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, cold 1/3 cup butter, cold, cut into pieces 1/2 cup cold water, approximately, divided Sift together flours, sugar and salt. If using a food processor, do this in the work bowl with the steel blade. Using your fingertips, a pastry cutter or a food processor, work the shortening and butter chunks into the dry ingredients. It will be the right consistency when the pastry contains pea-sized lumps. If using a food processor, turn flour mixture out into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup cold water to the bowl and mix together with two forks. Continue to add remaining water until the pastry sticks together when squeezed between your fingers. Shape into 2 flat discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill. Spray a pie pan with vegetable spray; set aside. Sprinkle a clean work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Working in a clockwise fashion, roll pastry into a round to fit the pie pan with 1-1/2-inch overhang. The pastry should be 1/8-inch thick. Fold pastry round over rolling pin and carefully place in prepared pie pan being careful not to stretch the dough. Finish the edges by pressing the dough around your thumb with your other hand’s thumb and index finger. If your recipe calls for a prebaked pie shell, fill pie pastry with pie weights, beans or rice. Spray a piece of foil with vegetable spray and place over the crust. Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 12 minutes until set, but has no color. Mix together filling ingredients, pour into the pie shell and continue to bake according to recipe directions. Makes 2 (9-inch) pie crusts. Southern pecan pie with bourbon and whipped cream 6 eggs, beaten 1-1/2 tablespoons molasses 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 cups light corn syrup 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon bourbon or vanilla 2 (9-inch) Never-Fail pie shells, partly baked 2 cups pecan halves 2 cups heavy whipping cream 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar 2 tablespoons bourbon In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, molasses, sugars, corn syrup, butter, salt and bourbon or vanilla. Divide mixture between two pie shells. Sprinkle the pecans over the topping. Bake at 275 degrees until just set, about 1 hour. Whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form; add bourbon and whip until stiff peaks form. Makes enough to fill 2 (9-inch) pie crusts. Tip: This pie freezes well after baking for up to two weeks. The pie is also easier to cut into slices when frozen. Grandma Gustavson’s pumpkin pie 1 cup pumpkin 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cloves 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup corn syrup 1 cup half-and-half 2 eggs 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell Mix together pumpkin, spices, sugar, corn syrup, half-and-half and eggs. Pour into a pie shell. Bake 400 degrees 15 minutes, then 375 degrees 40 minutes more, checking at 30 minutes to be sure the crust does not overbrown. To prevent overbrowning, place a ring of foil around the edges. Makes enough to fill 1 (9-inch) pie. Sweet potato pie 1-1/2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes 1/2 cup butter, melted 1-1/3 cups sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 large eggs 2/3 cup eggnog 1 tablespoon heavy or whipping cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional) 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel several raw sweet potatoes, cut and boil until tender. Mash the potatoes and measure out 1-1/2 cups. Mix 1-1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes with butter, sugar, flour, eggs, eggnog, whipping cream, vanilla and spices. Pour filling mixture into pie shell. Bake 45 minutes, checking at 30 minutes to see if crust is browning. To prevent crust from browning too rapidly, place a ring of foil around the edge. The pie is done when a knife inserted midway between the center and rim comes out clean. Enough to fill 1 (9-inch) pie. Note: If desired, substitute 2/3 cup canned, unsweetened evaporated milk for eggnog. If evaporated milk is used, increase sugar to 1-1/2 cups. For additional flavor interest, experiment with other flavor extracts, substituting coconut, orange or pineapple extract for lemon extract. n
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped Carefully hollow one loaf, leaving 1 inch on sides and bottom. Cube removed bread and additional loaf. Place bowl and cubes on baking sheets and bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Blend mayo, sour cream and dip; mix together in a large bowl. Add artichoke hearts, spinach and water chestnuts; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Transfer to bread bowl and serve with toasted bread cubes. King’s Hawaiian Cranberry Macadamia Nut Stuffing 6 cups (8 ounces) 1/2 loaf - King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread 1 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup margarine or butter 1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed 1/2 teaspoon.dried thyme, crushed 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (chopped) 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 to 2 tbsp. chicken broth (optional) Cook celery and onion in margarine or butter in a small saucepan until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in sage, thyme, and pepper. Place dry bread cubes in a mixing bowl. Add celery mixture, macadamia nuts, and cranberries. Add the 1/2 cup chicken broth, tossing to moisten. Use to stuff one 6 to 8-pound turkey. (Transfer any remaining stuffing to a casserole, adding the 1 to 2 tablespoons chicken broth, if desired, for extra moistness; cover and chill casserole until ready to bake. Bake the casserole, covered, in a 325-degree oven during the last 30 to 45 minutes of turkey roasting until stuffing is heated through. Serves 6 to 8.
King’s Hawaiian Rocky Road Bars 1 16-ounce loaf King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread 1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate morsels 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows, divided 1 cup chopped pecans, divided 1 10.8-ounce package non-dairy whipped topping 1 cup vanilla yogurt Lightly coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and place into an extra large mixing bowl. Set both aside. In a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat; stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Reserve 1/2 cup marshmallows and 1/2 cup pecans for garnish. Stir in whipped topping, and remaining marshmallows and nuts. Combine chocolate mixture with yogurt. Blend well. Fold chocolate mixture into bread until all chunks are well coated. Spoon into baking dish until evenly spread. Garnish with reserved marshmallows and nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares to serve. Makes 12 to16 servings. Preparation time: 20 minutes King’s Hawaiian Bread Sandwich Platter A time-honored tradition practiced during the holidays is to serve turkey, ham, or other types of meat as the main course at family meals. King’s Hawaiian suggests taking a different approach to the traditional main course by allowing guests to make their own King’s Hawaiian sandwiches. Or for a post-holiday buffet substitute the sandwich platter with King’s Hawaiian Turkey Sandwich Supreme using leftover turkey. Prepare the meat of your choice to your liking, slice it and arrange it on a platter, serve hot or cold. On an additional platter arrange various cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and any other topping that you feel your guests may enjoy. Conventional condiments can accompany seasonal ones such as cranberry sauce and gravy. Arrange King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls (12-pack, account for 2 per person) near the platters of meat and cheese. Turkey Sandwich Supreme 1 16-ounce loaf King’s Hawaiian Bread 1/4 cup Ranch-style dressing 10-ounce deli-sliced turkey breast 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 1 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 4 fresh plum tomatoes, diced Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare bread for sandwich filling, slice off top. Set aside. Carefully hollow out loaf within 1 inch of sides and bottom. Reserve removed bread for other use. Brush inside and top of bread with dressing. Line bottom of shell with turkey. Toss together 1/2 cup of cheese, spinach, onion and tomatoes. Spoon over meat. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Replace top. Wrap loaf in foil. Bake 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes. Remove foil and slice into wedges. Can be served hot or cold. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings. In addition to these recipes provided by King’s Hawaiian, other holiday food items can be added to enhance your buffet table. Find additional recipes and information on where to find King’s Hawaiian bread and rolls by visiting www.kingshawaiian.com.
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