Cherry Raspberry Pie

I've been thinking pie since last night and wondering what I could make from what I have in the house. Half a bag of frozen raspberries and a jar of cherries will work for this pie.

Ingredients for filling
package of frozen raspberries, thawed
2 cups pitted canned pie cherries in juice
1 1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp cornstarch (or arrowroot)
2 tbsp unsalted butter

I'm using my mix in the dish pie crust for this one.

Drain the thawed raspberries, reserve the liquid in a measuring cup. Drain the cherries and add enough of the cherry juice to the raspberry juice to make 1/2 cup. In a sauce pan mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cherries and the cup of juice. Over a medium heat bring to a simmer and cook for approx 5 minutes. The mixture should be somewhat thick and clear. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it is melted and incorporated. Then gently fold in the raspberries. Put the filling into the pie crust. Cook at 350° and bake for another approx 50 minutes.

Sour Cream Apple Pie w/Mix in the Pan Pie Crust

So good it'll make you slap your momma! Seriously, this is one good pie. It's rich, and fruity, and the crust was flaky and perfect. Run, don't walk, to make it;)

Had a few apples and some leftover sour cream, so thought this was worth a go. I'd also seen a recipe for mix in the pan pie crust, so thought that was also worth trying, in place of the frozen yuck I have in the freezer. (The crust turned out so much better that I may need to toss the frozen stuff.)

Pie Crust

1 1/2 c Flour
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 c canola oil
2 tbspn milk

Mix flour, salt, and sugar in pie pan. Slowly add milk and oil. Mix well with a fork and pat out to fit pan. Bake at 350 until brown, usually about ten minutes.

Topping

3 tbspn unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. plus 2 tbspn sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbspn flour

Filling

1 1/3 c sour cream
2/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
3 tbspn all-purpose flour
4 or 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

To make the topping, in a bowl blend the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and flour until the mixture is combined well. Cover and chill the topping.

To make the filling, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, and flour until the mixture is smooth. Add the peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples and stir the filling and apples together.

Spoon the filling into the chilled shell and crumble the topping evenly over it. Bake the pie on a baking sheet in the middle of a pre-heated 350-degree oven, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. (You might need to put a bit of tinfoil on top of the pie during the last 15 minutes to prevent the top from burning.) Transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely.

Cantaloupe Shake

I got a large 1/2 cantaloupe yesterday for $1 at Central Market, so decided to make a cantaloupe shake, mmmmm....

1/2 cantaloupe
Milk
A few ice cubes
Honey, to taste

Mix it up in the blender. Drink before it separates. Very refreshing! Serves 2 very thirsty people, or 4 persons otherwise. This can be a breakfast meal.

Concord Grape Pie

Just as I am about to head off overseas the grapes in the backyard are looking mighty ripe and plentiful. Good thing hubs mentioned to me that he was planning on cutting down the grape vines while I was gone! I showed him the above picture of grape pie from Food & Spice and he was all for just slightly trimming them instead. My plan is to freeze as many of the grapes as I can fit in the freezer and defrost later to use in a few recipes. I love crumble toppings so much better than traditional pie so this one is a must try. My pics will follow in a few weeks!

4 1/2 c of Concord grapes
1 c of sugar
1/4 c flour
2 tsp lemon juice (preferably fresh)
1/8 tsp salt
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell

Streusel Topping
1/2 c of oats
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/4 c of butter, melted

Dash or two of cinnamon

Splash or two of vanilla

Squeeze the end of each grape opposite the stem to separate the skins from the pulp. Set the skins aside in a medium-sized bowl. Put the pulp in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Press the boiled pulp through a strainer to remove the seeds. Add the seedless pulp to the bowl with the grape skins, along with the sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt. Stir well to combine. Transfer the mixture to the (pre-baked) pastry shell.

To make the topping, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, melted butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 35-40 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Peach & Nectarine Crumble

My mother-in-law gave us a huge bag of fresh picked peaches and nactarines this weekend, so I decided to make a crumble. You can fit more fruit into this, since you can use any size baking dish, and I didn't feel like making two pies. This is a loose recipe, so you have to determine your own amounts. I used the same ingredients for the filling as I did for my apricot pie, and based the crumble topping on a few different recipes. The topping was really really lovely, without being too sweet.

Filling
Fruit, cut into 4-6 slices per piece depending on size (In this case about 6 peaches and 10 small nectarines)
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice, preferably fresh

Mix lemon juice with fruit. Whisk dry ingredients together, then gently mix into fruit. Add to baking dish.

Crumble Topping
Oats
Coconut, shredded
Flour
Sugar
Vanilla
Cinnamon, ground
Ginger, ground
Butter, a little bit, melted

Like I said, you have to sort out your own amounts of the above and get the mix right. Mix all the dry ingredients together than add a splash of vanilla and mix in the melted butter. It shouldn't be too moist but not dry either. Top fruit with mix and bake on about 170C/350F for 45 minutes or so, until fruit is completely soft. Enjoy warm or cold. It's fine on it's own. You don't need any custard or ice cream with this one.

Passionfruit Cake

Steve brought home 7 passionfruits from work Friday, so I decided to make something with them, especially as they wouldn't last long in this heat. I did a quick on-line search and found this recipe for passionfruit cake. It's really amazing, so I may need to try more from Amanda.

Cake:
3 eggs
1 c sugar
1 1/2 c self-raising flour
1/2 c passionfruit pulp (about 3 fruits)

Icing:
1/3 c butter (75 grams)
2 c icing sugar
4 passionfruit

Cake:
Separate eggs. Beat yolks and sugar together, gradually add flour and passionfruit pulp.The mix will be very dry. Beat egg whites stiff with a clean beater. Gently fold into the mixture (will be moist now). Bake 40 mins at about 160C.

Icing:
Beat butter until light and fluffy.
Gradually add icing sugar and passionfruit pulp.

Plum Clafoutis

I was just watching the birds knocking some plums off the tree so decided I should try and find one more recipe. Awful timing to have to sort out sweets recipes as we're not yet done with all the xmas goodies!

6 tbsp caster sugar
14 ripe plums, halved and pitted
3 eggs
1 1/4 c low-fat milk
3/4 c plain flour
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 190 C. Butter pie dish and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the bottom. Arrange the plum halves, cut side down, so that they cover the entire bottom of the pie dish. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of sugar over the top of the plums.
In a blender, combine the remaining sugar, eggs, milk, flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour over the fruit in the pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

P.S. Make sure it's cooked before you take it out of the oven...otherwise, it will fall:( I almost had a gorgeous pic for you, but I took it out too soon.

Crockpot Stewed Plums

Seems to be many ways to stew plums, although I do think I will go with the crockpot and a simple recipe.

3 pounds (1.5 kg) Ripe Plums
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 cup water

Halve plums and put in crock pot. Add the sugar, cinnamon and water. Put on the lid of the crock pot and cook on low for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Plums will be soft but maintain their shape. Cook on high if you prefer them to be a mushier texture. I think I'll do some of each, since I have so many freakin plums!
*Freeze for later use.

Plum Pie

I'm going to be making about 10 of these unless I can figure out some other plum recipes;) Our tree is ready to pick (I even caught the neighbour behind us helping herself!) and there are loads, despite half of them already falling to the ground.

Ingredients:
4 c sliced plums
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie pastry

Topping:
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp cold butter

1. In bowl, combine first 6 ingredients; pour into pastry shell.
2. For topping, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Cut in butter until coarse.
4. Sprinkle over plums.
5. Bake in preheated 375F oven for 60 minutes or until golden brown.

Fruit & Yogurt Smoothies

I've been experimenting with smoothies lately. Have made strawberry-banana, mango and mango-strawberry so far. It's a great way to get some fruit and yogurt in and a quick brekkie.

Fruit
Plain yogurt
Ice
Honey (optional)

Just put all in blender. Play around with amounts to get the consistency and flavour to taste.

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Another recipe from Baking Bites that I've been keeping bookmarked.

Crust
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Filling
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 3/4 cup berries)
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Begin by making the crust. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until smooth and fluffy. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. Pour into pan and press into an even layer. Bake for about 17 minutes, until set at the edges.

While the crust bakes, prepare the filling. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberry puree, sugar and eggs and process until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder and salt, then pulse until smooth. Pour filling over the hot crust when it has finished baking. Return pan to oven and bake for 23-26 minutes, until the filling is set. Cool completely before slicing and use a damp knife to ensure clean slices. Store in the fridge.

Pineapple Buttermilk Meringue Pie

I've been eyeing this recipe for a while.

9-in pie crust, prebaked
20-oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (or make your own with milk & vinegar)
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F. Drain can of crushed pineapple and reserve 1/2 cup of pineapple juice. In a large saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Stir in pineapple, reserved pineapple juice, buttermilk, egg yolks and lemon juice. Stir well, then turn on the stove to medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture just comes to a boil and thickens. Be careful not to burn. It will have a lemon curd type of consistency with slow bubbles when it is done. Cover pan and cool to room temperature.

While filling cools, prepare the meringue. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla extract.

Pour cooled pie filling into baked pie shell. Top with meringue, spreading it to the edges of the pie crust to cover the filling completely. Smooth top with a spatula. Bake pie at 375F for 10-12 minutes, until meringue is lightly browned. Cool, then refrigerate before serving.

Apricot Pie

Our fruit tree has ripened, so the only thing to do was...

6 cups apricot halves
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice, preferably fresh
butter

Mix lemon juice with apricot halves. Whisk dry ingredients together, then gently mix into apricots. Fill pre-baked pie crust. Top with bits of butter. Add 2nd crust to top and cut slits. Bake at 200 for about 30-40 minutes until golden and apricot filling just beginning to bubble through the slits. Sprinkle top of crust with small amount of sugar immediately after taking out of oven. Let cool enough to gobble;)

Coconut Pie

I got this recipe out of a book titled Sweety Pies: An Uncommon Collection of Womanish Observations, With Pie. It's a book of pie recipes (obviously) from women in the South of the US. I modified this one slightly by using low fat milk instead of whole and lowering the amount used (recipe called for 2 cups whole milk...but I buy low fat and didn't want to use more than I needed to of the weekly milk supply as I hadn't planned my grocery shopping to suit the recipe). I also used less butter (it called for an entire [US] stick but I used about half, which was actually an accident as I wasn't paying close attention). It was fantastic, warm and cold. The coconut rises to the top and forms a slightly crispy top and beneath is a custard consistency. Lovely!

P.S. Just realised it didn't call for a crust and although I used one, I wonder if you could do without.

3 large eggs
1 c sugar
1 1/2 c low fat milk
1/4 c unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Mix eggs, then add sugar, milk, melted butter and flour, and mix until well blended. Add vanilla and coconut, mix well. Pour into pie plate (after pre-baking the crust) and bake until centre feels firm, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool on wire rack before serving.

Banana Bread

Being in between jobs, I finally have some time to cook decently, and I've even started using my digital camera, so here are some pics finally (and yes that is my very '70s orange kitchen counter...a remodel is a few years in the future). Found this recipe on Taste.com.au and as I had some over-ripe bananas sitting around, thought I might give it a go.

265g (1 3/4 cups) self-raising flour
40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
140g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
2 eggs, whisked
50g butter, melted, cooled
2 overripe bananas, mashed


Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease an 11 x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan. Line the base and 2 opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang a bit.

Sift the combined flours and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Place the milk, eggs, melted butter and banana in a medium bowl, and stir until well combined. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Blueberry & Oatmeal Muffins

These are sooooo good; it's the 2nd time I've made them. Another recipe from the Wanderings, found here. I've been using froxen blueberries, but since these are so cheap to make and I have plenty of all ingredients, I may try again with a mixed berry blend.

1 cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 cup oats
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 egg
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup oil
1 cup blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Set aside. Combine the milk and the vinegar and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Put the oats and the milk mixture into the bowl of a food processor and let sit for a few minutes.
3. Process the mix a few times. Add the egg, sugar and oil. Process for 10 seconds.
4. Combine wet and dry without over mixing. Add the blueberries and stir to combine.
5. Spoon into muffin tins and bake for about 18 minutes.

The 1st time I made these I didn't use the food processor, as I didn't yet have one;) And the 2nd time, I forgot to add the egg, sugar & oil before I mixed the milk & oats mixture into the dry ingredients, so I ended up over-mixing when I put the egg, sugar & oil in with everything else. Both times they ended up great, just a different consistency. Hubs liked them the 2nd time around better, so it simply depends on what you like. Next time I may try adding some bran in with the mix, to make it a bit more healthy.

Lime Custard & Blueberry Pie

Today was a cooking day – Lime Custard and Blueberry Pie, Kangaroo Chili, and Blueberry and Oatmeal Muffins. (Follow the links to see recipes for the muffins.) I needed a day off from house stuff! The pie was pretty simple and really yum. I modified a recipe from Women's Weekly slightly and simply replaced buttermilk with regular milk, as well as used less lime zest than they suggested and a bit more lime juice and pulpy bits.

Shortbread Pie Pastry for crust
3 eggs
½ cup caster sugar
¼ cup milk
Juice from 1 lime
Zest from 2 limes
2 tablespoons custard powder (vanilla)
1-2 cups blueberries
Icing sugar, to dust

Line pie plate with pastry and bake on 200C/400F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 180 and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Beat eggs and caster sugar in bowl until thick and pale, then add milk, lime juice and zest, and custard powder. Mix until combined, then pour into pastry shell. Bake for 15 minutes on 180C, then reduce heat to 160C and bake another 20-25 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, then top with blueberries and icing sugar. Enjoy!

Coconut Lemon Curd Bars

This is a recipe that is worth a second mention. Basically it's the same as my Coconut Lime Curd Bar recipe, except you substitute limes for lemons. I'm thinking about using oranges next time and putting cocoa powder in the base instead of coconut...'Jaffa Cake' curd bars;)

Homemade Cherry Ripe Slices

Ok so this recipe doesn't taste like Cherry Ripes at all, but it came out pretty great anyway. Anything with coconut and chocolate is good! I wanted to make my DH something similar to Cherry Ripes for Valentine's Day and it wasn't quite what I expected, but it's worth a repeat.
Base:
1/3 c sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
100g butter, melted
3/4 c flour
100 g crushed morning or "Marie" biscuits
Filling:
1 1/2 c shredded coconut
1 can condensed milk
Chopped glace/maraschino cherries
Topping:
30g copha (coconut oil)
100 g dark cooking chocolate
1. Mix base ingredients together, spread in bottom of pryex and press down. Cook on 180 for 15 minutes.
2. Mix filling ingredients together, spread over cooked base, and put back in oven to bake for a further 20 minutes.
3. Melt topping mixes together in pan. Spread over cooled dessert, then let set and/or chill before eating.

Apple, Pear & Peach crumble

2 apples
2 peaches
2 pears
cinnamon
1 & 3/4 brown sugar
2 c. oats
1 c. flour
2 tbsp butter

Thinly slice fruit and layer in medium rectangular pyrex slightly greased with butter. Sprinkle 3/4 c. brown sugar, cinnamon to taste & about 1/3 cup water over fruit. In separate bowl, mix flour, oats, rest of brown sugar and butter. Spread oat mix over fruit and press down. Cook in 180/350 degree oven for approx 45 minutes.

*Can be served with custard or vanilla ice cream