Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Pumpkin Walnut Pie

Here is the second pumpkin pie recipe I promised. This is one of my favorite holiday pies, and it's making a return to Thanksgiving after a 3 year absence. It has all the heartiness of a pumpkin pie, but with a sweet crunchy walnut layer on top. Seriously, I'm hoping that there are going to be some leftovers.

NOTE: There is no way around it, you MUST use SOLID-PACKED pumpkin for this recipe. If you use any other kind, the walnut layer will sink to the bottom and the pie will never finish cooking.

NOTE: I ran out of sugar, so for the walnut layer I substituted brown sugar for white sugar, and for the pumpkin layer I also added 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon.

INGREDIENTS:
PUMPKIN LAYER:
1 unbaked 9 in. pie pan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

WALNUT LAYER:
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup walnuts

1) Combine all the pumpkin layer ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2) Spread pumpkin layer in pie shell.

3) Combine walnut layer ingredients, coating the walnuts well.

4) Carefully spread walnut layer over pumpkin layer.

5) Bake at 350 F. for 40-50 minutes.
(it's in my fridge taunting me with its deliciousness...)

Cinnamon Pumpkin Pie

It's the night before Thanksgiving, and I am so glad my baking is done. I cranked out three pies this morning, and I just finished helping my mom make her stuffing. So like I promised, here is 1 of 2 pumpkin pie recipes that I said I would post. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup milk
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 in.)

1) In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon.

2) In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs.

3) Stir in pumpkin and sugar mixture.

4) Gradually add in milk




5) Pour into pie shell.

6) Bake at 400 F. for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F. for 45-50 minutes
Pie is ready when a fork inserted near the center comes out clean.
(this pie is saying 'put whipped cream on me')

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

How to Roast a Pumpkin

Hey everyone! So Thanksgiving is going to be at my Aunt's house, and I was asked to bring a couple of pies. I'm going to feature both of these pies tomorrow, and for one of them I'm using a small sugar pumpkin. I've always used canned pumpkin before, so this was a new exciting adventure for me, and it was super easy. Let me show you how to roast your own pumpkin.

1) Preheat your oven to 350 F.

2) Cut your small pumpkin in half.

3) Scoop out all the stringy pulp & the seeds from inside.
(P.S. Be sure to save the seeds so you can toast them later!)

4) Place the 2 halves face down in a shallow baking dish.


5) Add water, coming up 1/4 inch up the side.

6) Cover the dish with foil, and seal tightly.

7) Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size.
(you're going to need a min. of 45 minutes, then check every 5 min.)
 
8) Scoop out the pumpkin and discard the shell
(The meat should be a darker orange and soft.)

 There you have it! It's super easy and took about 90 minutes from start to finish. My pumpkin still had some lighter non-soft spots, but I didn't want to leave it in the oven any longer for fear of it drying out. Shouldn't be a problem though; I covered the pumpkin with foil and let it sit on my counter while I waited for it to cool down. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for not one, but TWO pumpkin pie recipes!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

My Journey with Beer

This is my last non-dessert post for awhile, I promise. :)

To start, I have never been a beer person. I have always preferred hard liquor, and to a lesser extent wine. I didn't really learn about beer until I was in college and started hanging with my friend Frankie, whose family is originally from Wisconsin. The first time I went to their house, I discovered that they had a full-sized refrigerator for just their beer!

I still can't drink Bud, Miller, Coor's, Dos Equis, etc, and I also don't like IPA's or Pale-Ales. I'm a lager kind of girl (amber to dark), and seeing as how I've kind of been jonesing for some beer, I decided to take a trip to my local Total Wine & More. I made my own six-pack, and I can't wait to try them out.

FROM L-R
Shock Top - Pumpkin Wheat Ale
Bison - Organic Chocolate Stout
Bison - Organic Gingerbread Ale
Samuel Adams - Cream Stout
Samuel Adams - Cherry Wheat
Guinness - Extra Drought

Friday, November 18, 2011

Chicken Pot Pie

I know, this is a baking blog, but this was so good that I wanted to share. I have to start by saying that I was never really a pot pie person. I always found that they were dry, or that they were so rich that they upset my stomach. This recipe is stick to your ribs fantastic, and perfect for cold weather.

WARNING: The recipe below is not exact, and it only made 2 pot pies. Feel free to add more or less for your own needs.

INGREDIENTS:
chicken
frozen vegetables
garlic powder
pepper/salt
chicken broth
bay leaf
flour
butter
milk
pie crust

1) Cut and cube chicken. I used thigh meat which I HIGHLY recommend. I feel that the darker meat gives the pot pie a more hearty flavor. Added bonus, it holds up to boiling really well.

2) Boil the chicken and frozen vegetables in chicken broth for 15 minutes. I used the Korr's chicken broth in those little plastic containers. I also seasoned it with garlic powder, black pepper, and a bay leaf.

3) Save some of the chicken broth (you'll need it for the cream sauce), and then drain before setting aside.

4) MAKE A RUE! Melt butter (I used 2 tbsp.) over a low heat. Once it's melted slowly add in 2 TBSP. of flour until combined. Add your spices (garlic powder & pepper), then add a touch of chicken broth, followed by 1/4 cup of milk. Let simmer over medium high heat until sauce thickens, then remove from heat.

5) Divide chicken mixture into tins.


6) Pour sauce over mixture, then stir.

7) Place pie crust over the top of the pot pie. I didn't put the crust on the bottom of the pie, because I personally could not handle that much breading. I also used a roll-out pie crust which you can find in the dairy section at your local grocery store. It's seriously my new favorite thing. NOTE: Be sure to cut a few slits or poke a few holes in the pie crust, or your pot pies will explode.

8) Bake for 40 minutes, at 375 F. VOILA! You have pot pie!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Adventures at the AZ State Fair

Happy November guys! I'm still in a sugar coma from Halloween, but other than that things are going great. Just wanted to post some pics from my trip to the State Fair on the 23rd. I went with my friend to see Gavin DeGraw, and then we partook of some deep-fried food. First up: a cheeseburger to soak up the fried goods.

This was a really delicious burger, despite the girl who took my order being a complete and utter moron. I had mine plain with just cheese and thousand island dressing. It was so yummy, it had a nice smoky flavor without being too in your face. This is a burger I would want to eat again.

May I present to you, DEEP-FRIED GOODNESS
l: deep-fried skittles, r: deep-fried kool-aid

DEEP FRIED SKITTLES:
Don't concentrate too hard on what these look like on the inside, that's what turned my friend off. You have to get past that to taste the awesomeness inside. These are amazingly tart, and if you like Skittles you should definitely give these a try. It seriously tastes like a really tart fruit pie.

DEEP-FRIED KOOL-AID
This was the one that both my friend and I really liked. First off, I love the nitric red color on the inside. As for taste, it tastes like a Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berry. It's really good, and something you really should try. Or if you feel up for the challenge you can make your own. 

Anyway, I was going to get a deep-fried twinkie, but I passed and I'm really glad I did. My stomach was not happy with all the deep-fried goodness, and I spent most of the night lying on my side telling my stomach I loved it. Sigh, only at the fair.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...