Green Tomato Pie

Ingredients

Green Tomato Pie tastes nearly like apple pie.  It was made in areas where apples weren't so common in the summer and fall, such as the Midwest and South.  This recipe makes approximately 1 quart of pie filling, sufficient for a 9 or 10 inch pie.  I use a 9.5 inch aluminum pie tin.  Delicious with whipped cream.

Sour Cream Pie Crust

5 c. of sliced, diced green tomatoes
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter

Method

Prep the pie crust and place in refrigerator while you chop the tomatoes.

Oven @ 425°F.  Put the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place tomatoes in skillet along with all other ingredients.  Stir and let it stew.  The mixture will get thick and bubbly and the tomatoes will exude more juice.  Stew for 12-15 minutes until thick.

Meanwhile, divide a 1/3 of the dough away and reserve for lattice.  Roll out the pie crust dough, place in a 9.5 inch pie tin (or smaller / larger).  Leave a bit of crust overhanging to make a fold-over for the lattice.  When the tomatoes are done stewing, pour the filling into the crust. 

Roll out the remaining dough and then cut 1 inch strips.  Lay them over the top of the crust in a lattice and trim away the excesses.  Fold over the lip of the crust and press into place all around the perimeter.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Warlock's Halloween Pie

This is a dark twist on the Thanksgiving favorite and is great anytime in Pumpkin season.  Its chocolate and pumpkin pie.  The recipe makes 2 nine-inch pies.

Dark chocolate crust
1 1/2 c. (7.5 oz) flour
1/2 c. (1.5 oz) cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. (6 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. (6 3/4 oz) sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
4 3/4 oz grated chocolate (70% cacao) (semi-sweet chocolate chips work fine though)

Pumpkin Cheesecake filling
2 pkg (16 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
5 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c. whipping cream

Chocolate Glaze
1/4 c. icing sugar
1 tbsp. cocoa
1 tbsp. whipping cream
1/2 tsp. corn syrup

Spiced Pecans
1 1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. corn syrup
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Whipped Cream for serving

Directions

Crust
sift flour and cocoa and set aside.  Blend the sugar, butter, salt, baking soda and vanilla with stand mixer until lighter in color and somewhat fluffy.  Add the flour and grated chocolate and blend.  The mixture will be crumbly.  Press into the two pie dishes. 

There will likely be leftover crust mix and these can be pressed and rolled flat to cut into cookies.  Bake the remaining cookies at 350­° for 12 minutes.

Filling
begin whipping the cream cheese in a stand mixer and gradually add the pumpkin so that it blends without lumps.  Add the sugar, and blend in the eggs one at a time.  Add the spices and vanilla and the cream last.  If the mix is still lumpy, run it through a blender. 

Pour the pie filling into the pressed crusts.

Bake in oven for 90 minutes.  Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted comes out non-gooey.

Topping
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the pecans spices, salt, sugar, corn syrup.  Saute on medium heat until the nuts are caramelized.  Spread or sprinkle over the two pies.

Chocolate Drizzle
Place the cocoa and icing sugar in a saucepot and add the corn syrup.  Blend with rubber spatula until smooth.  Gradually add the cream and heat while stirring till bubbling.  Drizzle over the Warlock pies. 

Serve topped with whipped cream.

Sweet Potato Sour Cream Pie

Ingredients

1 prepared pie shell, blind baked at 350 F for 10-12 minutes (lined with foil and filled with dried beans)
1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Tiny pinch of ground cloves
Whipped cream for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the potatoes. Check for doneness by squeezing them, they should be soft. Allow them to cool until they can be handled, then peel and discard the skins, place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and mash with a fork.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
Add the remaining ingredients to the the sweet potatoes and beat with a mixer until smooth and no lumps remain. Pour the mixture into the warm pie shell.
Position the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven. Bake the pie for 45-50 minutes or until the center is just set. Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil if the edges are getting too brown.
Let the pie cool completely before serving.
Slice and serve with whipped cream.

Sour Cream Lemon Meringue Pie

1 recipe Linne Tart Crust

Filling:
4 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 & 1/2 (or whole milk)
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice (read directions before adding)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup sour cream

No-Weep Meringue:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup water
4 large egg whites, room temp
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS
Lemon Filling:
Whisk egg yolks in a bowl set next to stove.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Whisk in half cup of the cream/milk. Add remaining milk and turn heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick. Carefully spoon or pour a little of the milk mixture into the bowl of egg yolks, stirring well – this tempers the yolks. Add yolk mixture back to saucepan and bring to a low boil.

Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir until butter melts, then add 1/4 cup lemon juice. Test to see if it’s lemony enough for you and if not, add remaining lemon juice and zest until you are satisfied with the lemon level. Let cool completely in the saucepan.

Stir sour cream into cooled lemon mixture and pour/spread in pie crust. Prepare meringue.

Meringue:
In a small cup, dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoon of the water. Bring remaining 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add cornstarch mixture to boiling water and cook, whisking stirring constantly, until clear and thickened. Let stand until completely cool.

Using an electric mixer, beat eggs until foamy. Gradually (1 tablespoon at a time) beat in sugar. Reduce mixer to low and add baking soda, tartar and vanilla.

Raise mixer speed back to high and beat in cornstarch/syrup mixture, beating until thick and fairly stiff. Spread over a cooled filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack and chill pie for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

Linne Tart & Pastry Crust

This is a fantastic, buttery crust.  Not quite suitable for quiche's, but great for a tart or pie.  Not flaky, more granular, shortbread-like.

Ingredients

1 cups (130 g) all purpose flour
1 small egg
1/2 tsp. salt (skip if using salted butter)
1 tsp. sugar (for sweet recipes, otherwise skip)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup (~60 ml) sour cream (full fat, NOT light sour cream)

Method

Oven @ 350° F.  It doesn't need pre-baking and works fine baking all at once.  Put all the ingredients for the crust into a bowl and mix with a pastry blender until you have a firm, doughy consistency.  You can chill for 20 minutes, but its not really necessary.  Roll out and press into either a 10 inch spring-form cake pan or a equal sized tart pan.  If you use smaller than 10 inches, you'll get a thicker crust.

Linne Butter Tart

Ingredients

Pastry crust

Filling

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 pinches of salt
1 egg
3 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp flour

Top with pitted cherries, or nuts, raisins, etc.

Method

Cream butter and sugar and salt, blend in the egg, sour cream and sift in the flour.

Bake at 375° F for 24 minutes.  

Southwestern Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe may make more than anticipated.  We made it once and it was great, but I recall we had excess filling and it made a pretty large, deep-dish pie.  We have an old pie/casserole dish that's about 4 inches deep and 9 inches wide.  Makes fantastic pot pies that are very thick.

Ingredients

1 recipe pie crust of your choice
1 lb of chicken, cooked and diced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c uncooked white rice
1 15 oz black beans, drained, rinsed
1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernels
1 green or poblano pepper, diced
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, minced fine (optional)
1 c. sliced ripe black olives
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 c. sour cream
1 c. salsa
2 c. shredded cheese (colby, Monterey Jack; cheddar or a blend)
1 egg, beaten

Preparations

If using a prepared crust, lay it out in the pie pan.  Use a deep-dish pie plate.  If using another crust recipe, make the crust first and put dough in the refrigerator while prepping the other ingredients.

First, put the rice on to cook.  This will take about 20 minutes.  While the rice is simmering, cook the chicken if its not cooked already.  Do so in a tbsp of bacon grease or butter, add the peppers and spices.  In a large mixing bowl, add the corn, beans, olives and the cooked rice, once it's done.  Add the beaten egg and the chicken & peppers mix to this when the chicken's done and Mix together.  

Try to make two layers of filling.  Layer roughly 1.5 inches of the veggie-chicken filling on the bottom of the pie crust.  Then spread half of the sour cream on top, then half of the salsa and half of the shredded cheese.  Repeat with another layer of filling, sour cream, salsa, cheese.  Top the pie with a layer of crust and seal the edges. 

Bake at 325°F for 1 hour.  Should be golden-brown crust with bubbling hot interior and all veggies cooked.

Linne Family Mincemeat Pie Filling

Mincemeat is a rare treat that not so many people know about.  Possibly because less people cook and we're in America.  The impression I have is that this is a British tradition.  The spice, fruit and meat combination is ancient, going back to the Crusades.  Returning Crusaders brought the experiences of Middle Eastern cooking and this influenced British cooking.

This recipe is an amalgam of several.  Years of tweaking this recipe have brought me to this, which is my favorite.  This pie has unmistakable character.  Somewhere between sweet and savory, meaty and fruity, it's a Holiday treat that is definitely surprising.

I think a mincemeat pie ought to have actual meat. Any store bought version and many recipes (including Alton Brown) out there do not make this with meat, though they call for suet.  I have yet to try the recipe with suet as it's hard to find and likely expensive were I to go to a butcher.  Bacon grease does just fine.

Mincemeat is one of those fillings that's heavily preserved between sugar and alcohol and benefits from storing and aging.  I make mine at the beginning of October and it's great by Christmas.  Though you could make it earlier in the year and keep it longer.

I prefer to make my own mixed peel.  It's not terribly hard, but it's time consuming and a pain in the butt to do on the same day.  If you want to make mixed peel, do it on a different day.  Store bought will work too.

This is amazing served with sour cream, though whipped cream is nice too.

Ingredients

Meat:

2-3 lb lean beef (I like it meaty)
8 oz bacon grease

Liquids:

liquid from cooking the beef
1 c. apple cider
3/4 c. molasses
3/4 c. honey

Fruits:

2 lb. granny smith apples
8 oz. raisins
4 oz cherries
4 oz figs
8 oz prunes
6 oz currants
8 oz candied mixed peel, minced

3 oranges, juiced and zested
3 lemons, juiced and zested

Spices:

4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 1/2 tsp ground clove
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp mace
1/2 tsp cardamon
1/2 tsp salt
pinch saffron, optional

Alcohol:

1 c. red wine
1 c. brandy

Preparation (Reserve an afternoon for this recipe)

Get out a large slow-cooker and start it heating.

Simmer the beef in the bacon grease.
While the meat is simmering, chop the fruit.  Larger fruits like cherries, prunes and figs need to be chopped.  Dried cherries should at least be chopped in half.  I slice the figs & prunes into 1/4 inch strips and then cross cut them into chunks.  The apples get cored and cubed into 1 cm chunks.  Don't bother peeling them, the peel contributes pectin to the recipe.  Add all the fruit to the slow cooker.

When the beef is done cooking, cube it into 1 cm chunks and add it to the slow cooker.  Add the remaining bacon grease and the spices, the citrus zests & juices, and the mixed peel.  Add the honey and molasses.

I like to reduce the red wine over a simmering heat.  This takes awhile, but we're in no hurry.  Set a low fire under a small saucepan and add the wine to it.  Let it simmer for ~15 to 20 min until reduced by half.  Add to the pot.

Let the mixture stew for several hours, or overnight on a low heat setting.

When it's done after 4-6 hours, or overnight, add the brandy and mix well.  It's ready for jarring.

Sour Cream Pie & Pastry Crust

Prep time: 20 minutes; Dough chilling time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes dough for 2 single crusts, or 1 double crust

This recipe makes enough dough for a top and bottom crust for a 9-inch pie.

The dough ratio is 1 cup flour: 1 stick butter: 1/4 cup sour cream: 1/2 teaspoon salt: 1 teaspoon sugar. These are the amounts for a single-crust 9-inch pie.

If you are making a 10-inch pie, use 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces, 1  1/4 cup) butter, 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sour cream for a double crust, or 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces) butter, 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sour cream for a single crust.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (260 g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of salt (skip if using salted butter)

2 teaspoons of sugar (for sweet recipes, otherwise skip)

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup, 8 ounces, 225 g) cubed

1/2 cup (115 ml) sour cream (full fat, NOT light sour cream)

METHOD

Soften butter, cut into cubes.  Whisk together flour, salt, sugar. In a large bowl.

With a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal with some chunks of butter. Add sour cream to the flour-butter mixture and blend with pastry blender. 

Gather the pastry dough together into a large ball. Use a knife to cut the ball in half. Form into two disks.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before forming into a pie crust.

 

When it's time to bake, remove dough from fridge, let sit for a few minutes, then roll out.  

You can use this pastry dough for unstructured rustic pies or galettes, or single or double crusted traditional pies. It can also be used for a savory pot pie.

Whether you use the dough for a galette or a double crust pie, it will be prettier with a light egg wash. Just whisk one egg in a small bowl, add a teaspoon of water, and brush lightly over the exposed crust with a pastry brush, right before baking.

 

This pie crust recipe is difficult to pre-bake. There is more fat in it than a regular crust, which can cause the sides to slump if you bake it without a filling. That said, I have successfully pre-baked this crust by freezing it for at least 30 minutes first, lining it with heavy foil, filling it 3/4 of the way with dry beans, then baking it at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Fruit Cobbler - Based on Grandma's

Cobbler, in my experience is a scrambled pie.  I've heard the meaning of the name refers to the batter bubbling up through the surface of the fruit and liquid and forming cobblestone-like features.  This is sort of true with this recipe.  Grandma's was a lot like that.  My auntie makes a great cobbler, but she uses store-bought pie crust and layers that.  Somehow it just doesn't jive.  Dad would disagree though; he loves auntie's cobbler more than any I've made.
Ingredients:

1 stick of butter in a dutch oven

Batter:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Fruit:
8 c. fruit
3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Oven @ 350 F.

Put the dutch oven in the oven with the butter and let it melt.  Check periodically, remove once melted, or else it will start burning.  Reduce heat to 300 F.

Prepare the fruit (chop, hull, peel, pit, etc), add the sugar and lemon, stir and set aside in a bowl.

Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk till evenly blended.  Add the buttermilk and mix until you have a pour-able batter.  If it's too thick add a little more buttermilk.

Pour half of the batter into the dutch oven, evening coating the bottom of the pan.  Add half of the fruit, spooning it with the liquid over the top of the batter.  Add the remaining batter on top of that as a second layer, then spoon the remaining fruit over top.  Pour any excess juice over top as well.  Cover with dutch oven lid and bake at 300 F for 1 hour.

Jam and Rhubarb Curd Tart

This recipe uses jam instead of fresh fruit and sugar to go with the rhubarb.  I used blackberry, but probably any jam will do.

Size: this fills an 11 inch tart pan with a crust already baked and prepared in it

Make one recipe Pate Sablee

1 1/3 c. prepared fruit jam
1.5 lbs rhubarb stems, skinned and chopped
4 egg yolks
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
juice from 1/2 an orange
1 tbsp water

1 hour before making the filling, start by preparing the dough for the crust (see Pate Sablee above).  This must chill for 30 minutes and then bake for 15.

After the crust is baked and cooling, start preparing the Curd filling.

Skin and chop the rhubarb, place it all in a medium pot on stove.  Add the jam, salt, juice and water.  Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes.  While that comes to a boil, separate the eggs and whisk the yolks till smooth.  In a separate small bowl, put the dry cornstarch, then add a little (just enough to make a paste) of the curd mixture, blend it.  Keep blending until you have a mixture that's free-flowing, and add it into the filling pot.

After the 5 minutes cooking time, the rhubarb should be dissolving.  This is the time to temper the egg yolks.  Like with the cornstarch, add a little of the cooking mixture to the egg yolks, whisking them to blend evenly.  Blend about 2/3 c. of the fruit mixture, then pour it all into the pot.  Add the butter.  Cook for another 5 minutes on med-low, stirring constant and slowly.  Do this until the curd mixture has thickened. 

Pour the curd into the baked and cooled tart crust.  Let it cool completely overnight before serving.

Pate Sablee - French Shortcrust

This is a great crust for Tarts and certain Pie types.  It's and lightly sweet, and crumbly, not flaky.  First used it in making a blackberry and rhubarb tart

Quantity:
Makes enough dough for a thick crust in an 11-inch tart pan.  If thinner, there will be leftover that is great for making small tarts or even a galette (an unshaped pie with the dough rolled out and folded over the filling)

250 g flour
180 g. butter, salted
3/4 tsp salt
1 lg egg
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 c. powdered sugar

Start by whipping the granulated sugar and butter together.  This is a bit different than normal pie crusts that want the butter cut into the flour.  This gets the crust to be more crisp and crumbly.  Add the egg, and powdered sugar, and beat in the flour.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes and then roll out on floured surface.  This makes great thin crusts for tarts of various sizes, or thicker.  Roll at 1/4 inch for a thicker crust.

Once you've set the crust in the backing pan, prick the bottom with a fork in various places and weigh it down.  The simplest way is put a sheet of aluminum foil and then fill it with dry beans.  The beans aren't hurt by the high heat, and can be stored again after they've cooled.  Bake the crust by itself (without filling) for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Bret's Banana Cream Pie

Makes enough for one large 12-inch pie, or two 9-inch pies.

This recipe is  Work In Progress.  May need adjusting as it seems too sweet.  The two cans of condensed milk might be too much.
Shortbread Crust
2 1/2 c. flour
6 oz butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp sugar

Custard Filling:
2 cans condensed milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp butter

4 bananas, mashed

2 1/2 c. milk
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 c. flour
6 egg yolks

3-4 bananas for chopping & layering

Topping:
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp powdered sugar to stiffen the peaks further

Crust Prep:
Use a pastry blender and mix the butter, sugar, egg, flour and salt together until somewhat crumbly.
Press this into the pie pan(s)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Chill in freezer for 20 minutes.

Custard Prep:
In a large pot on the stove, add the condensed milk, two cups of the plain milk (reserve half a cup), butter, salt, vanilla.  Begin heating on medium heat.  In a separate bowl, gradually blend 1/2 c. milk with the flour and cornstarch until its smooth & thick.  Add this to the pot on the stove. 

Separate the eggs.  Save the egg whites for something else (optionally make meringue instead of the whipped cream topping) Put the egg yolks into a separate, large mixing bowl and keep on hand near the pot that's heating up.  These are to be tempered with the hot mixture.

Around now the crust should be cool and firm.  Place in over at 375 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

Mash the bananas, add them to the yolks.  This can be put through a blender if you want a smooth banana custard.

Once the condensed milk mixture is steaming hot, gradually add it to the egg-banana mixture and blend it.  Once combined, pour it all back into the large pot and cook over med-low heat until it's good and thick, stirring often.  This again can be blended if you want it very smooth.

Once the crust is done, remove it from the oven.  Change the oven temp to 325 degrees.  Add half of the filling (if making two 9-inchers, use a quarter, or put a half-inch layer down, roughly in each shell).  Then layer sliced banana on top of the custard.  Spread the remaining custard over the top.

If making a large pie, bake it for 40 minutes.  If making two 9-inchers, bake for 30.

Let the pie cool completely.  This will take about 3-4 hours.  Once cooled, put it in the fridge and chill it thoroughly.  This will likely take overnight.

Once completely chilled, make the whipped cream topping. 

Beat the whipping cream and vanilla on high until peaks begin to form.  Gradually add in the powdered sugar.  If necessary, use a bit more cornstarch to stiffen up the whipped cream.  Pile it onto the chilled pie, and top with bananas.

Bret's Apple, Cheddar and Beef Shepherd's Pie

I love British and Irish cooking.  It's very basic and the Shepherd's pie is a favorite pub food type of dish.  This is a delicious and intriguing variation on it.  I thought of the combination of apple, cheddar and beef and thought it would be good.  I'm glad I was right.  The mushrooms and the carrot give a little bit more variety to the texture without detracting from the play of sweet and savory flavors between the main three actors.  If you can get it, serve with Branston Pickle--it's divine.

serves: 4-6
prep time: 1 hour
cook time: 30 min

Ingredients Crust:
4 lb's Idaho or Russet potatoes, peeled
2 eggs
2/3 c. bread crumbs, panko will due, or food process old stale bread
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 c. pan drippings (from filling below)

Filling:
2 lbs ground beef or sirloin/top round, sliced into 1 cm cubes
4 large granny smith apples, cubed; 1 cm
1 lb mushrooms, white or brown, halved or quartered
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
LAST:
2 c. cheddar cheese cut into 1 cm

Gravy Ingredients:
remaining liquid from cooking the filling (~ 1 c. maybe)
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. dry sherry
salt to taste
worcestershire sauce to taste

Oven @ 400 F

Filling Method:
------------------
If the potatoes are very large, halve or quarter them.  Boil until cooked and fork-tender.

While potatoes are cooking, use a large dutch oven and begin browning the beef.  Add all the remaining ingredients except the cheddar cheese.  Cover and cook on med-low for 10-15 minutes to cook all the vegetables.  Once the carrots are cooked, you're good.  Use a colander and drain the filling mix into a large bowl, saving the liquid.

Reserve 1/3 of a c. of the liquid for the mashed potatoes.

Gravy Method:
------------------
Begin making a roux out of the remaining liquid.  Add 1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp flour, and gradually add in 1 1/2 c. milk, the wine, and seasonings, stirring over a medium-low heat.  Stir and cook until it's thick but still runs and has a light caramel color.  Pour into the filling and mix it around.

Mashed Potatoes Method:
-------------------------------
Put the boiled potatoes in a mixing bowl and use either an electric mixer or potato masher.  Add the eggs, seasonings, bread crumbs and liquid.  Mash until relatively smooth.

Assembly:
Use roughly half of the potatoes to line the bottom of the dutch oven.  The thickness should be 1/2 an inch (not quite 2 cm).  Take the potatoes up the sides, making a 'crust' of mashed potatoes by about 4 cm.  Layer in half of the filling and cover with half the cheese cubes.  Add the other half of the filling on top, and spread the remaining half of the cheese.  Spread the remaining potatoes over the top and sides, attempting to seal the filling on all sides with a crust of potatoes.

Bake in oven @ 400 F for 30 minutes, till crust is crispy and cheese is melted.

Serve with Branston Pickle

Lemon Curd Pie

For the tart shell:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt

For the lemon curd:
4 lemons, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the tart shell:
Mix the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the lemon curd:
Remove the zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the lemons to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat.

Fill the tart shell with warm lemon curd and allow to set at room temperature.

Bret's Lime Pie

Instructions for a 10 inch pie crust

Crust

1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp softened butter
1/8 c. sugar
pinch of salt

Filling
1 1/2 cans sweetened condensed milk (use both whole cans if you prefer)
1 c. fresh squeezed lime juice and pulp
3 tbsp lime zest
1/2 c. sour cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

Topping
1 c. sour cream
2 tbsp powedered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Blend crumbs, butter, sugar and salt until the crust mix sticks together slightly.  Press into sides of pie pan.  Bake for 10 min. 

Filling:
Whisk the eggs and yolks with the lime zest until bubbly.  Add sour cream, condensed milk and lime juice, beat until smooth.  Pour into baked pie crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Topping:
Mix sour cream and powdered sugar together and spread over completely cooled pie.

Sweet Potato Pie

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup milk
9 -inch unbaked pie crust
3 egg whites





Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling, using an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, the butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool to room temperature before covering with meringue.

For the meringue, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue onto the pie, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around. Sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until delicately browned. Cool and serve.

Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup shortening

¼ cup butter, cut up, or shortening

¼ cup cold water

Directions

In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until pieces are pea size.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour mixture; toss with a fork. Push moistened pastry to side of bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until flour mixture is moistened. Gather flour mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together.

On a lightly floured surface use your hands to slightly flatten pastry. Roll pastry from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

Wrap pastry circle around the rolling pin. Unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it.

Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry even with the plate's edge. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Fill and bake as directed in recipes.

Deep Dish Pastry Shell

Ingredients 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup cold water

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the egg and water in a small bowl; add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture just begins to clump together. Transfer the mixture out onto a sheet of plastic wrap; fold the wrap over and press the crumbs until they hold together; shape into a circle. Wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a 15-inch circle. Carefully roll the pastry around the rolling pin and transfer to a 9x2 1/2-inch springform pan, pressing it into the sides. Trim the overhanging pastry to 1 inch and press it firmly against the outside of the ring to help prevent it from shrinking. Use the trimmings to fill any cracks. Freeze the shell for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place the springform pan on a baking sheet. Line the pastry shell with a double thickness of aluminum foil long enough to overhang the sides. Bake about 20 minutes or until the edge of the dough is lightly browned. Remove the foil and continue baking the pastry shell for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the pastry cool.

Chocolate Pie

~Here is a great old hard to find recipe~

~ Make sure you like and share so you save it on your timeline ~
Granny’s Cocoa Cream Pie

It’s simple and tasty. This really was a simple desert often used during the 30’s and 40’s.

½ c. cocoa

¼ cup cornstarch/or arrowroot powder (or ½ c. all purpose flour)

3 egg yolks

1 ½ c. sugar

¼ tsp. salt

2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar and salt, then add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot over med-high heat. Cook until thick, beating it smooth. Cream pies take some time to thicken, so stir... and stir (10-15 min). Using a heavy bottom pan really helps. Just keep it up until it thickens. Pour into a pre-baked pie shell. Put in the fridge to chill, add whipped cream if you like :0 Or use the left over egg whites for a meringue topping!

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