Peach Cream Pie

Here  is one of my favorite recipes that I got from my Mother in law years ago.  The recipe card with her hand writing is all splattered and stained, now, which shows how much it has been enjoyed.  It disappears quickly, so double the recipe if you can. I am a firm believer in doubling everything... I think it comes from raising a lot of hungry kids and wanting to be one step ahead.  I  usually freeze the extra meal when  I double up a recipe, but I have not frozen this one... I don't think it would freeze very well.

Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees.  Blanch the peaches in boiling hot water for 1- 2 minute. Cool slightly and then skin them.

Don't you think they look pretty? Soft, juicy, shiny, peachy, deliciousness.

Prepare a pie shell.  I used my favorite Pie Crust recipe Here

Slice the peaches and arrange them in a pretty way in the bottom of your pie shell.

I couldn't "not" post more pictures than I needed… because... the peaches are just so pretty. Have you ever found that it is hard to sort through your pictures and get rid of them because you just don't need that many for what ever it is you are posting…. but to delete some of them was hard.  I was feeling that way with this post.  Peaches are just such  a peachy subject.

Mix together your remaining ingredients.

Pour the mixture over the peaches.

You could almost eat it just as is; but.... no no, the dough would be raw:) .  Place Foil over entire pie and put into a preheated oven.

Bake for ten minutes, then reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 50 minutes more still covered.  Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until center is set, and the crust is lightly golden.

Cool and chill.  Serve Cold.

 Peaches and Cream Pie 

Ingredients:1 Single Pie Crust
Fresh Peaches (about 5-7 large)
2 Tablespoons Organic Non-GMO Cornstarch
1 Cup Organic, Unbleached Sugar, Coconut Sugar or Sucanat
2 egg yolks
1 Cup Whipping Cream
1 T Vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  
2. Blanch your peaches in boiling water for about 2 minutes then strain and cool; now your skins will slip right off; then pit them.  
3. Cut them into halves, quarters or eighths, whatever suits you.  The amount of peaches I use varies every time, depending on the size of peaches and the size of my pie crust. 
4. Lay your peaches in the pie shell.
5. In a bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks and whisk well.  Add cream and vanilla and whisk again.
6. Pour over the peaches.
7. Cover Pie with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then reduce heat to 350.  Bake for an additional 50 minutes... or until the cream filling has set somewhat firmly.  
8. Take the foil off and bake 10 minutes more.
9. Cool and then chill in the refrigerator.  
10. Serve Cold.

Enjoy!

Cherry and Blueberry Slab Pie

I made this American Flag Cherry Slab Pie for the Grandsons……but I must confess that I was craving a little Cherry Pie myself.  A slab pie is a great way to feed pie to a crowd, so it is nice to cook one up for a special occasion when there are more than a couple mouths to feed.  I decided to make a Cherry Slab Pie with just a traditional top, but then I realized the rectangular shape of the sheet pan made a perfect flag, so I couldn't  resist. 

Make the dough: this recipe uses half whole wheat and half white flour, with butter and shortening cut in until  thoroughly blended.  Add water and mix until all clings together well, and then divide into two balls (with one bigger than the other).  

Roll out to fit a Jelly Roll or Sheet Pan.

Place Blueberry Mixture in one corner of the crust.

Put Cherry Mixture in remaining pie  shell.

Top with remaining dough rolled thin and cut into Stars and Stripes.

Bake 40 -50 minutes.  Cool approximately 1 hour.  You can also add an icing if desired.

Note:  Sour Cherries are more red in appearance and sweet cherries are often much darker, almost black once baked.  I had sweet cherries, but if you have a chance to get some sour cherries for this pie, it would look prettier.  Adjust the sugar for either type of Cherry according to the tartness or sweetness by a little taste testing.

Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice or grated into flour

1 cup Natural Palm Shortening
8 to 10 Tablespoons ice water

For Cherry Filling:
8 cups (2 3/4 lb./1.25 kg) pitted fresh or frozen cherries
3/4 to 1 cup granulated organic cane sugar
1/4 cup Cornstarch
2 teaspoon. Almond Extract

For Blueberry Filling:
2 cups fresh or frozen Blueberries

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1/4 cup granulated organic cane sugar

For Icing:
1 1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
1 tsp Almond extract
4-6 teaspoons milk or cream (enough to make to make a drizzling consistency).

Directions:

For Crust:

1. Measure flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. 
2. Cut in butter and shortening until well distributed into dough.
3. Add water a tablespoon at a time, stirring and mixing until dough clings together well.
4. Divid dough into two balls, making one ball slightly larger than the other.  The bottom crust will require the larger ball of dough.
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until filling is ready. You may make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate until needed if desired.
6. When ready to use, roll out larger ball of dough into 13 x 18 inch rectangle on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper,  (slightly larger than the size of an approximate sized sheet pan).
7. Lift wax paper with dough and gently roll dough onto a 12 x 17 inch sheet pan (or close approximate size).  Press dough neatly into the pan.
8. Trim dough at the top of the rim of the pan.
9. Roll remaining dough into a rectangle  approximately 6 x 17 inches long.
10. Cut strips to form the stripes of the flag. 
11. Cut stars out the scraps of dough, using a tiny star shaped cookie cutter.

For Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. For the Cherry Filling, measure cherries, into bowl; add sugar, cornstarch and almond extract and stir to mix well.
3. For the Blueberry Filling, measure blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla in a second bowl. Stir to mix well.
4. Spread Blueberry filling in one corner of the of the sheet cake, making a small rectangle that will represent the blue part of the flag.  
5. Spread the Cherry filling in remaining part of the flag.
6. Top with remaining strips of dough to make the stripes in the flag.
7. Add dough stars.
8. Bake in preheated oven 40 - 50 minutes.
9. Cool approximately 1 hour.
10. Drizzle with icing.
11. Serves 12

For Icing:

1. Mixing Icing ingredients until smooth.
2. Drizzle over pie.

Cut, Serve and Enjoy!

Happy Fourth of July everyone.

Muffin Tin Mini Beef Pies

Okay, a pie and a muffin all at once… that is a double yummy right?  I made these little Beef Pies when I was making the Calico Pie that I posted a few days ago.  This is the same recipe made in a Muffin Tin this time.  I love the Muffin Tin meals, because they make wonderful "Grab and Go Meals".  The self contained servings work wonderful in packed lunches and picnics; Luke and I enjoyed these in the car on Sunday.  They were easy to grab and pack, and easy to eat on the run.

First step, prepare enough pie dough for two double crusts pies.

You can use a puff pastry, or a favorite pie crust recipe.  Here's the link to my favorite pie crust recipe.

  Cut out circles with a drinking glass or biscuit cutter. 

 Place each circle into a muffin tin.  Shape and set to the side.

Peel and dice potatoes, beets, carrots and onions.  Mince garlic and parsley and slice and chop mushrooms.  

Place together in a large skillet along with ground beef.

Saute until vegetables are beginning to get tender, and meat is cooked (I use a lean grass fed beef, so there is very little fat that cooks off of this beef.  If you want to precook the beef, and drain the fat off before adding the vegetables, you could do it that way as well.)

Add flour.

Stir until evenly blended.

Pour in Beef broth and stir until well combined.

Stir and cook until a thickened gravy is achieved, then remove from heat.

Add peas and mix together.  Spoon  into the little pie shells.  

Place a pie shell topping over the top, and bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Calico Pie

Ingredients:
2 double crust pie crusts, or the equivalent Puff Pastry sheets.
2 lbs ground beef
3 potatoes peeled and diced
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 small beet, peeled and diced
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh peas.
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups beef broth
salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Prepare vegetables and set aside as follows:
2. Peel and dice potatoes, carrots, beet and onion.
3. Mince garlic and parsley
4. Chop mushrooms
5. Measure peas.
6. Put ground beef, and all the herbs, and vegetables into the skillet, and brown on medium high heat.
7. Dust and mix flour into vegetables.
8.  Slowly stir and add beef broth.
9. Mix gently and cook until broth has thickened into a gravy.
10. Pour into a prepared Pie shell.
11. Place top crust over filling and pinch sides together
12. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes 
13. It might be necessary to cover the crust with foil.  I cook this for about 15 minute, and then place a foil cover over it to keep the edges from becoming too dark.  You can remove the foil the last 5 or ten minutes as well, and allow it to crisp up a little.
14. Cool about 10 minutes and serve. 
15. Makes 1 dozen muffin tin pies.

Enjoy!