What came first, the pumpkin or the pecan?

Yahoo! We are just days away from my second favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. There are a few reasons why i love this holiday. I would like to say that the first reason is the food, but I'd be lying. The biggest reason I love Thanksgiving is that I get to spend of full day of cooking, laughing and sharing memories with my family.

In my house we start cooking the night before actual Turkey Day. We have to make the cornbread for the stuffing (or dressing as we call it), pies are made the night before, and we also make a breakfast casserole to have in the morning. Then, at the crack of dawn on Thursday Mom and I are up, with coffee in hand and we are chopping away. Celery, onions, sausage, all meet the knife, and we are thankful for their sacrifice.

The rest of the day is filled with me, Mom and Dad moving about the kitchen, with pots clinking, burners boiling, and Mr. Turkey roasting away. The smells fill the kitchen quickly and little by little the magic starts to happen. Deviled eggs are made, green been casserole is browned, pea salad is refrigerating, marshmallows on the sweet potatoes are melting, biscuits are rising, gravy is thickening, cranberries are jellied, pickled and olives are trayed and of course Mr. Turkey is carved.

My plate is piled with food, and I'll probably go back for seconds. The crowd of family now moves to the living room to surround the TV and watch some football. The dogs sit close and stare with puppy dogs eyes, begging for a morsel. After a few hours and some games, the pies, pumpkin and pecan, are unveiled, coffee is brewed, wine is opened and we all sit around the table talking about memories past. This is also the time that we bust out the shopping ads and create our plan of attack for the next days shopping mission.

It is for all of these reasons that I love Thanksgiving. I love spending all day with my family, I love, love the food, I love the football game, I love playing games at the table, and I love to be able to reflect on everything I am thankful for.

This week I was thankful for TWD for a few reasons. Vibi from La Casserole Carrée was our recipe queen this week and she chose Dorie's Thanksgiving Twofer Pie. It's half pumpkin and half pecan. I was so excited about this one, because my pie crust actually worked. When TWD made our blueberry pie, my pie crust was dumped in the trash and store bought was substituted. But not this time! My pie is completely home/hand made! The pumpkin filling had an extra kick thanks to the rum, which I really liked. And I loved the crunchy topping and nutty pecans. If you're anything like my family where we always make a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie, your life may have just got a little easier thanks to this scrumptious hybrid!

Summa' Summa' Summa' Time

Can I just say how much work sucks! Here I am, nearing the end of summer, not yet been able to take a vacation, more tired than I've ever been and only realizing that this is the way of adulthood. There aren't any more nights of riding my bike around the neighborhood past sunset. The idea of playing with June Bugs is no longer appealing. Staying up past my bed time is not even a thought. And I hate to say it, but all of my "chores" are now completed before my adulthood bedtime of 9:00.

Where do the days go? Summer used to last forever. It was full of vacations, sleepovers, loads of ice cream, watermelon spitting contests and nights of sleep out on the giant trampoline in the backyard. Now all I dream about when i get off work is getting some food in my belly and going straight to bed.

Life's funny isn't it.

We always want what we can't have, and when we get to the point of having what we've always wanted, we realize that we don't want it anymore. I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles, or so I've heard. But at least we have food to help take us back to those lazy summer days!

So, here we are at yet another Tuesday, celebrating another recipe down in this journey to complete Dorie's amazing book! Michelle, of Michelle in Colorado Springs, was our hostess this week. And what a treat she chose...Dorie's Summer Fruit Galette. And let me tell you, there could not be an easier recipe out there.

My Peach Galette with Pomegranate Jelly came together so quick and easy that it will definitely be one of my go to recipes when I'm ready for something quick and easy! Hope you all enjoy! Happy baking :)

It's a Love Hate Relationship

One of my favorite movies growing up was Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (and not the Tim Burton film!!). Just the thought of getting to stay at such an elaborate candy factory all day and eating as much sweets as I wanted seemed so amazing! I remember watching that movie a hundred times and each time there was something new that I had missed the first 76 times I watched it. Of course the most distinguishing factor of that movie was the Golden Ticket.



Right after I saw Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory for the first time (not completely understanding that this was strictly a movie) I would get so excited to get a candy bar from the store. I'd immediately tear open the wrapper and be devastated that there was no Golden Ticket, I quickly learned what the difference between real life and make-believe in the movies meant. But it was incredible what a rush I would get from opening those candy bars. Not only was there the overwhelming joy of getting to eat a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, but there was also the thrill of looking for that twinkly gold wrapper inside that would unlock my sweet tooth's fantasy world. And even though I never got a ticket, and finally figured out I never would I still had my candy bar to comfort me :)



I must admit thought, that while I loved the movie, I didn't really care for all of the characters. I especially disliked Violet Beauregarde. There was something about her that just didn't sit right with me. Maybe it was the fact that she was chewing the same ole crappy piece of gum for lord knows how long, or that she was so bossy, or that she wore that awful blue jumpsuit. I haven't yet, after about 20 years of watching that movie quite figured it out yet, but I know that i just didn't and don't like her. So, for some odd reason my Double Crusted Blueberry Pie for this weeks TWD reminded me of Violet.



The pie was amazing and had really great flavor, but the crust was not my friend. I actually had a really hard time making this silly crust, I think my problem was that I added too much water. (So after cursing the pie crust out for not coming out right I went to the store and bought a refrigerated, premade pie dough. I know, I know I shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't help it I was about ready to loose it with the dough!) Once I had that problem resolved everything came out amazing! I used frozen blueberries instead of fresh, and they actually held their texture and shape a lot better than the fresh would've. Each bit was a burst of blueberry goodness.



So maybe my connection to TWD and Violet was that there was a part of each of them that I didn't like, or that Violet blew up to be a gigantic blueberry, rolled away to be drained, just like I drained my giant blueberries in my mouth after each devilish bite! Thank you Amy (of South in Your Mouth) for stirring up some wonderful childhood memories (visit her website for the recipe).

As American as Apple Pie

On the day that we are celebrating America's Independence I figured no dessert could be more appropriate than Apple Pie! It's no wonder why this pie is one of America's most favorite and maybe most patriotic dessert. The combination of crunchy, sweet apples, with spicy cinnamon and of course a crispy crust will melt your heart instantly. With it being the Fourth of July, I couldn't just make any ole Apple Pie, I had to go all out.



I remembered a few month's ago seeing this amazing Apple Pie on a Food Network show, and immediately knew this would be the perfect Birthday Pie for my beloved country. The original recipe is an enormous "Savannah High" Apple Pie, which calls for 24, yes 24, apples...I decided to half it and use 12. 12 crispy green Granny Smith apples still turned out to be a lot, especially when you're finely slicing the apples instead of just making chucks. But the end effect was to die for. You see, with this recipe you slice the apples very thin, then stack them in layers creating a really tall, really packed apple pie. And did I mention there's streusel layers in between apple layers? You heard right bloggers! Then you top the whole pie of with a layer of crust, which after its baked, gets a layer of sticky, gooey caramel pecan topping. I can't begin to tell you how good this pie was!



I can't wait to enjoy this pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream while we watch fireworks burst up above to commemorate this beautiful country and all it has to offer! And to all of those who have fought so hard to keep providing Americans with the independence, freedom and glory that we treasure I can't thank you enough! Happy Birthday America!!!

A Trip to Florida for Tuesdays with Dorie!

It's my first Tuesday as a TWD member and I couldn't have been more happier with the choice! Dianne of Dianne's Dishes was the lucky picker of the week and chose Florida Pie. At first, when reading the recipe it sound like it was going to be reminiscent of Key Lime Pie, but with a hint of coconut, and I must say I was wrong. While the pie does have a lime cream center, the most amazing, and my most favorite, part of the pie was the coconut cream base. I reminded me a lot, which is also Dorie's description, of the filling in an Almond Joy or Mounds candy bar...can you say YUM!



Seeing as how I am still adjusting to my new apartment I have not yet been able to invest in a food processor (hopefully next week) so I used a store bought graham cracker pie crust. I was surprised at how quickly this pie comes together and how quickly it made me want to get in my bathing suit and eat it while lounging in a beach chair.



Some people really believe that food can take you places, and I am one of those people. A few years ago I went to Jamaica, and this pie totally took me back! Back to the smoldering, sweaty heat, but the refreshing taste of something like Florida Pie quickly cooling down your body. I hear the little Jamaican girls surrounding me in the shallow, lapping waves, asking me why my hair is so different than theirs. Following me around the beach just in awe of my nationality and differences.



When food can give you that kind of feeling, you know it's a keeper. I can't wait to share this pie with my family and see where it takes them!



P.S. - I was super stoked to be able to use my little blow torch for the first time :)

Florida Pie
1 9-inch graham cracker crust (page 235), fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, separated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

To Finish the Pie with Meringue:
Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into the meringue.

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.

Happy Pi Day!

It's the beloved 3.14! When I was younger this was probably one of my favorite days to go to school, I always looked at the month of March in hopes that the 14th feel on a school day. Now you're probably wondering why on Earth any child would want to go to school.

Well, the answer is Pi Day at school was simply that, it was Pie Day. My school would dedicate the entire day to everything pie, and hello...how much do I love pie! We would have pie walks and pie eating contests, pie tosses and pies in your face. It was simply heaven! And even though I was an undercover math geek March 14th was the one day I didn't have to be embarrassed to proclaim my love of math...because everyone else as doing it to. But after the 14th my admiration for math was again tucked away for another year.

It always amazes me the traditions one carries on, especially if they were ingrained in you from a young age. So when I began talking about Pi Day two nights ago with my boyfriend, contemplating what kind of pie to make for this glorious day I was shocked when he asked the dreaded question, "What is Pi?". My mouth almost hit the floor, I went on to explain to him my middle school memories only to get the "blank face" response. He had no clue as to what I was talking about, and here I am at 23 years old still believing that everyone celebrates Pi Day. My heart was absolutely broken.

To make me feel better (and to spread the word about Pi Day), this post is dedicated to all of you out there who never had the chance to experience all the great things Pi Day has to offer. March 14th should be filled with meringues and fruits, chocolates and creams, double crusted and crumbs, piping hot and frozen pies of all kinds! As an offering to anyones first Pi Day, I give to you Raspberry-Peach Crumb Topped Pie! Happy Pi Day bloggers!

Daring Bakers Will Make You Pucker!

I must admit when I saw this month's Daring Bakers Challenge I was a little relieved! Lemon Meringue Pie...totally doable! I've made crust before, even some form of pie custard and I've definitely made meringue, so I figured I had this challenge in the bag! And what a better way to start the New Year than with a light, refreshing, make ya crave for warmer weather pie!

So one cold January day, hours before the Packers were set to play the Giants, in what was to be one of the most upsetting days of my life (sorry Packers:0( ) I set out to complete my DB Challenge. As I went to print out the recipe I was curious to see other DB's experiences and after reading some of the posts I was a little nervous. Many DB's were having trouble with the custard and meringue being too runny and ruining their crust. But I calmy read and re-read the instructions and just decided "To heck with it...if it's runny then oh well".

I got together all of my crust ingredients, which came together easily in my food processor, which made me very excited. I eagerly placed my crust into it's new glass pie plate home, and tried to give it a little decorative edge...which totally didn't work. Carefully poured my pie weights in, to reveal a "clink,clink,clink" sound that got my heart beating in excitement, and sent the shell off the the oven. When The shell came out I couldn't help but to snag an edge of the crust, which was soo good I was totally ready to get eat the crust by itself. It was so light and flakey and really reminded me of a sugar cookie...I know right! What could be better than a sugar cookie crust!

With the crust set off to the side to cool I got to work on the custard. I was sure to watch the boiling points of my custard, not want to over cook it and completely ruin my pie. So at the sign of the first bubbles (thanks to Tartelette's advice) I turned off my flame. I was in shock at how thick the mixture was, but at how much yummy lemon zing it had from the fresh squeezed lemons! The baby chick yellow of the custard had me mesmerized for a few moments day dreaming of the warm weather that is soon to come. Whoa snap out of it Steph!

My creamy custard was poured into it's golden brown pie shell and left to cool for a few hours. Those few hours gave me time to watch my Patriots go on to be champions and left me contemplating the fate of the upcoming Packers game. With my family glued to the T.V. in suspense of Brett Favre's future I was beginning to hear comments about my pie. "Maybe if we had some pie to distract us from the game this wouldn't be so bad!" And that was my hint that it was time to make the meringue. My family is not very patient when it comes to dessert, as you can tell.

The clear egg whites sat in the silver Kitcheaid bowl ready to be whipped into stiff peaks, and so they were. Within minutes I had transformed clear mookey liquid into a thick, white peaky pillow. Not waisting a second I plopped my meringue on top of my pie, using my spatula to create some outrageously pointy peaks, gave my pie a good luck blessing and shoved her in the oven.

"Beep, Beep...Beep, Beep" the oven was calling my name! With one last prayer I opened the oven door and literally jumped for joy.Sitting in front of my was the most gorgeous Lemon Meringue Pie I had ever seen. The peaks were a mocha brown but the base of the meringue had kept it's winter white color. With the family pressing my for their pie I cut into the billowing mountain tops with out much time for it to rest.

As the knife slowly pulled out the very first slice, I held my breath. And to my amazement I just cut a perfect piece of pie. The entire slice came out perfectly, as if I had been making Lemon Meringue Pie from the moment I was born! Words cannot describe to you the sense of accomplishment that I had felt. Not to mention that the taste of this pie was one of the best I've had. Even my boyfriend, who hates Lemon Meringue couldn't help but eat the entire slice that had been handed to him.

Daring Baker's Lemon Meringue Pie Challenge: A Success!!!

Lemon Meringue Pie
Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:
¾ cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.2 mL) salt
⅓ cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
¼ cup (60 mL) butter
¾ cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
½ tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
¼ tsp (1.2 mL) salt
½ tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
¾ cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

For the Crust:

Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt. Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of ⅛ inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about ½ inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

For the Filling:

Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated.

Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

For the Meringue:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

When Life Knocks You Down, Have Pie!!

It's funny how each of us choose to deal with life's mishaps. For some people they journal, for others they open themselves up to friends, for me I turn to dessert. There's something about dessert that is so comforting to me. The aroma, the taste, the texture, the amazing combinations of flavor, all appeal to my sense and turn a horrible day into sweet sorrow :) Dessert will listen to all of my problems and never once judge me or correct me, dessert agrees that I am always right and offers me it's shoulder to lean on.

But it is that sense of comfort from dessert that I find so mind boggling! I mean even after writing the ways in which dessert offers me comfort and solace I still find it hard to believe that food has that kind of effect on people. The effect of becoming your best friend when dessert can't even talk. How is it that I trust dessert with so many of my secrets and feelings, but am too afraid to share them with people that I've known my whole life? Or when I feel all alone in this big world that dessert can turn it around, making me feel instead that I am on top of a little bitty world?

Maybe I will never know what it is about dessert that draws me in so close, and maybe I don't need to. If a slice of pie makes me happy, then by gosh I'm gonna have it! So here's to finding happiness in the New Year, however that maybe!


And to kick off my year of joy and happiness I turned to an amazing recipe from Epicurious for a Triple Berry Pie with Crumb Topping. Suddenly the holiday blues melted away and I was reminded of the warmth of the sun shining on my face in the midst of summer. My feet gently sweeping across the prickly spears of green grass, while relaxing with a nice glass of cool ice tea. I'm telling you, this pie took me to the wonderful days of summer that I am so longing for, and was allowed to escape to for a few blissful moments!

Pumpkin Patch

With the air getting a little crisper in the morning and the leaves slowly changing colors, it can only mean one thing. Fall is here! And with Fall comes pumpkins, and I mean lots of pumpkins! So to get a jump on my pumpkin baked goods, I decided to try out two recipes that really grabbed my attention.

The first was a scrumptious looking recipe from the wonderful Peabody, whose blog (culinary concoctions) is one of my favorites. Peabody made these adorable little pumpkin muffins but had the surprise of chocolate covered raisins inside! I can't tell you how simple this recipe was to make. And the pumpkin was spot on, you know how sometimes you'll have a pumpkin loaf and the taste is just overwhelming? Not these babies, they were absolutely perfect. And the smell of pumpkin baking in my oven was enough to make me pull out my hair. I just love the smell of fall baking flavors filling the house. It just reminds me so much of the holidays, family and plain ole good memories. My only complaint with this recipe was the fact that I couldn't quit eating those damn chocolate covered raisins!! I should've wait to open the bag until I was ready to dump them all into the batter, but for those of you that have been keeping up with my posting, you would know that batter covered chocolate raisins wouldn't even have stopped me :)


The only thing that I changed in this recipe was to make my muffins in a mini muffin tin. I planned on taking them to work and wanted to make sure that I would have enough to go around. The mini muffins were a perfect bite sized portion, but only helped to make me think that eating 7 of them was ok, since they were so little :) Damn those muffins!! Check out Peabody's blog, Culinary Concoctions for this amazing recipe!

The second pumpkin recipe that I made was a take on the classic Pumpkin Pie. I saw this recipe on the cover of Holiday Baking and almost wet my pants I was so excited!! This pie is a triple layer pumpkin pie!! Yes, that's right...T-R-I-P-L-E L-A-Y-E-R!! The first layer is a cream cheese base, infused with orange zest. The second layer is the pumpkin pie layer. And the top, most amazing third layer is a mixture of chopped pecans, chopped health bars and brown sugar. TO DIE FOR!! I cheated a little and bought a pre-made Pillsbury pie crust, which I have never used before, and am amazed at how good the crust was. That is definitely a product I will use for future pie projects! Can I just say this pie was so yummy, and the textures and flavors were out of this world! My tongue and brain couldn't figure out if I was having pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie with pecan topping, or pumpkin cheesecake with pecan topping! But I will tell you one thing, my stomach was not at all confused, all it knew was that this recipe was a winner and belly pleaser!! With a nice dollop of whipped cream on top, this pie was a no fail way to kick off fall!!