Thanksgiving Pie

The best pumpkin pie ever! About 2 inches thick of creamy spice filled goodness. You can use any pie crust even store-bought. Just make sure you cook it before you add the pumpkin filling. 

In this pie, I made a long braid with extra pie dough and then glued it to the pie crust using eggwash (1 beaten egg and 1 tbsp of water). This is one of the best pie crust trims that I've used because it helps prevent the crust from shrinking too much.

Ingredients:

Flaky pie crust dough
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch 
2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin (is about 1-3/4 cups)

3/4 cup 35% cream

3 large eggs, beaten to blend

1/2 cup sour cream

Pie crust:

1. Roll out pie dough and transfer to 9-inch pie dish. Freeze crust 15min (helps prevent the crust from shrinking). Preheat oven 375 F. Line crust with foil and pie weights or beans. Bake until sides are set and dry (about 15min). Remove foil and beans and cook another 15min. Pierce  crust if begins to bubble. Cool the crust for 30min

Pie filling:

1. Reduce oven to 325F
2. whisk both sugars + cornstarch + cinnamon + ginger + and salt in a bowl until no lumps remain.
3. Whisk in pumpkin + 35% cream + eggs + sour cream
4. Poor filling in pie crust
5. Bake pie until the filling puffs at edges and center is almost set. (1h to 1h05)
6. Cool on rack and cover + chill until cold

Serve chilled with soft whipping cream. 

Lemon Meringue Pie

It's been almost a year since my last post but I had a baking bug this week and so I made a Lemon Meringue Pie because it felt like Summer.

I might have already posted a recipe on here but I baked a different one this time. I preferred this recipe by Anna Olson because the flavour of the lemon curd was much less aggressive and thicker. The meringue was also fluffier and the pie itself was much higher and lighter.

For the Pie crust, you can use any pie crust from any recipe including the pre-made frozen ones. Just be sure too cook the crust before you use it. Cook it according to the instructions in the recipe or on the box so until its a nice light golden brown.

Here's the recipe I used and I added 1 tbsp of lemon zest with the lemon juice before adding it to the mix.

Ingredients

Lemon Curd Filling

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meringue

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted

Directions

Lemon Curd Filling

1.   For the filling, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepot, then whisk in the cold water. Have the other ingredients measured and nearby. Bring the sugar mixture up to a full simmer over medium-high heat, whisking as it cooks, until the mixture is thick and glossy.

2.   Pour about a cup of this thickened filling into the egg yolks while whisking, then return this to the pot and whisk just one minute more. Whisk in the lemon juice and cook until the filling just returns to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the butter then immediately pour the hot filling into the cooled pie shell (the filling will seem very fluid, but it will set up once chilled). Cover the surface of the filling with plastic wrap to keep it hot. Immediately prepare the meringue topping.

3.   Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy, then increase the speed to high and gradually pour in the granulated sugar and icing sugar and continue whipping just until the whites hold a medium peak when the beaters are lifted.

Meringue

1.   Remove the plastic wrap from the hot lemon filling, then dollop half of the meringue directly onto the filling (the filling will still be very soft, so work gently). Be sure to spread the meringue so that it completely covers the lemon filling and connects with the outside crust, then use a bamboo skewer or paring knife to swirl the meringue just a touch (this will secure it to the lemon curd). Dollop the remaining meringue onto the pie and use the back of your spatula to lift up the meringue and creates spikes. Bake the pie for about 20 minutes at 325 F, until the meringue is nicely browned. Cool the meringue completely to room temperature before chilling for at least 4 hours.

Méli-Mélo of baked goods

Here are some pictures of various baked goods I've made throughout the years. I'm feeling somewhat lazy tonight so I won't bother writing the recipes. Maybe I'll add them later. Just thought it was about time I added another post so here are a bunch of pictures for your enjoyment (or your mouth's)!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Caramel Crème Brûlée

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Swirl Brownies

4 Tier Cinnamon and Chocolate Cake

Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Hazelnut-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Bowtie Cookies with Apricot Preserves

Apple and Pomegranate Tarte Tatin

A tarte tatin is a French dessert that was first baked in 1880. It is basically an upside down tart where the fruit is first caramelized in butter and sugar before being baked. The traditional tarte tatins are usually made with apples but today a wide variety of berries and other fruits are used. 

Here I have used golden apples and reduced pomegranate juice.

The pomegranate syrup which is added to the apples adds a nice tartness that balances all the sugar and butter.

Make sure you have plenty of extra apples (or any other fruit you're using). They tend to shrink while cooking. Just add more fruits as necessary. 

The crust was deliciously flaky because of the sour cream. I find the best crusts always have some sort of cream in them. 

The best way to eat it is as soon as it comes out of the oven with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Yum! 

This was the first time I had attempted to make this and it was a grand success! It was gobbled up within the day.

Recipe to come.

The Best Things Come in Small Packages

Macarons

There is a lot of appeal in small desserts. Cupcakes are à la mode and the new cookies that everyone is craving are macarons. I don't know what it is... Maybe the delicate decorations and the cuteness of the bite-size portions, or maybe it's just because you don't feel as guilty eating them. Whatever the reason, no one can resist these tiny sweets... including me.

Not only can we make miniature cakes and colorful cookies, we can also make small pies :) 

Nom nom nom...

Bite-Size pecan sugar pies:

I got this recipe from a book called Petite Sweets: Bite-Size Desserts to Satisfy Every Sweet Tooth. These pies were delicious! The crust was made with cream cheese, butter and flour so it just flaked and melted in your mouth. The filling has chunks of roasted pecans which adds a nice crunch to the whole ensemble. The filling is also made with maple syrup! Mmmmm.

The best thing about this recipe is that you don't have to cook the crust before you add the filling like a normal sized pie. 

Before going into the oven

The recipe I used makes 24 of these mini pies. They are about 2cm in diameter and you can eat one in one bite. I think I ate 5 of them at once. That's how good they are!

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A Feast to Remember!

I had my favorite meal of the year yesterday. 

♣■♣ Turkey ♣■♣

♣■♣ Mashed Potatoes ♣■♣

♣■♣ Cranberry Chutney ♣■♣

♣■♣ Gravy ♣■♣

♣■♣ Sweet Potatoes ♣■♣

♣■♣ Squash ♣■♣

♣■♣ Broccoli & Cauliflower ♣■♣

♣■♣ Stuffing ♣■♣

and of course

♣■♣ Pumpkin Pie ♣■♣

These are 3 homemade pumpkin pies I made for our Thanksgiving dessert . 

Top Right: Classic Pumpkin Pie

This pie had a nice flaky crust and a sweet filling that had a hint of autumn spices. It was the easiest pie in the world to make. Once your pie crust was cooled and ready to go, you just had to mix all the ingredients for the filling together in one bowl and poor the mixture into the crust. Bake, cool and savor. 

Bottom center: Apricot Pumpkin Pie. 

This delicious spin on the traditional dessert was basically the same pie as above but with some apricot preserve spread on the bottom of the crust. This added a light sweetness to the filling. With a dollop of sour cream in the pumpkin mix, it was a perfect combination of sweet and sour.

Top Left: Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie 

What is better than a delectable classic dessert with homemade caramel? A  delectable classic desert with homemade caramel and alcohol. I present to you the Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie! With a caramel based filling and a splash of scotch, this was a pie with a kick. Add some Scotch flavored whipped cream and you're ready to enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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