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.

Hungarian Custard Slice

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Hungarian-Custard-Slice-Kremes-2639440?prm-v1#directions

Haven't tried yet, but looked good.

Ingredients

VANILLA INFUSED MILK
2 cups milk
1 vanilla pod
***
FLAKY PASTRY
1- ½ cup + 1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup chilled hard margarine
1 pinch of salt
4 Tbsp cold water
4 tsp vinegar
***
CUSTARD LAYER
8 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp flour
2 pkg. or 2 Tbsp real vanilla sugar
3 pkg. gelatine [21 g]
¼ cup unsalted butter
8 egg whites
½ cup sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
candy thermometer is essential
***
TOPPING
¼ cup icing sugar
Instructions

Make the vanilla infused milk first.
• Heat the milk in a saucepan.
• Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, and add the bean pod to the milk.
• Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour.
• Next make the flaky pastry.
• In a large bowl crumble the flour and the chilled margarine to fine crumbs.
• Mix in the salt.
• Place the cold water and the vinegar in a small dish.
• Pour the liquid over the pastry crumbs.
• Stir to combine and gradually form a rough ball.
• Generously flour a board and roll out the pastry into a thin rectangle.
• Roll up the pastry and divide into 4 parts.
• Roll each division into a thin rectangle.
• Stack the four rectangles on top of one another.
• Chill for twenty minutes.
• Divide the chilled pastry into two equal halves.
• Roll out the first pastry very thin.
• Fold it in half and place the folded edge in the middle of the 9X13 baking pan.
• Unfold and arrange the pastry with deep folds as in the photo.
• Let the dough go up the sides halfway, pastry will shrink during baking.
• Place in a preheated 400F oven for 14-18 minutes.
• Keep a watch, pastry burns easily.
• When the pastry is golden brown, remove pan from the oven.
• Immediately cut pastry into twelve squares.
• Divide the long side by 4 and the short side by 3.
• Wait a few minutes and very carefully remove the squares and set them aside in the same order as they were in the pan. These will go on the top later.
• Roll out the remaining dough and arrange it in the baking pan as before.
• Bake the second pastry sheet and set it aside. This will be the bottom of the krémes.
• Next make the custard layer.
• In a medium sized bowl beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar for 8 minutes
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, gelatine and the vanilla sugar.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the beaten egg yolks and beat until smooth.
• Remove the vanilla pods from the vanilla infused milk.
• Gradually add the vanilla infused milk to the bowl with the eggs and the flour.
• Transfer custard to a medium sized pot.
• Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pot so you can keep an eye on the temperature.
• Over medium heat and continually stirring heat the custard.
• Do not let custard heat beyond 80C [176F] for this recipe.
• When the custard reached 80C remove from heat.
• Stir in the butter and set aside.
• While the custard is cooling whip the egg whites.
• With clean beaters beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Add the lemon juice and beat until almost stiff.
• Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until very stiff and shiny.
• Very slowly and gradually, gently fold the custard into the stiff egg whites.
• Pour on top of the bottom pastry layer and place in the fridge.
• Make sure the pan is level on the shelf.
• When the gelatine is beginning to set, place the pastry squares on the top.
• Let the krémes chill thoroughly.
• Before serving generously sift icing sugar on the top.
• Cut the slices between the pastry squares.

Pretzel Buns

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 -115ºF)
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or honey
2 1/4 teaspoon (7 g or 1 package) active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups (637 g) bread flour
1/4 cup (57 g or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda

To finish
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sesame seed


Directions
1. Place the warm water and barley malt syrup (or honey) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Stir the liquid together to dissolve the sweetener. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the liquid and stir with a fork to dissolve. Let sit for 5 minutes to proof. The top of the liquid should be foamy. If it isn’t discard and start over with fresh yeast.

2. Once the yeast has proofed, add the flour, butter and salt to the liquid and stir it with the dough hook on slow speed until the liquid has absorbed all the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and pulls away cleanly from the side of the bowl.

3. Pull the dough off the hook and out of the bowl, and coat the bowl with cooking spray. Stretch the dough into a ball, gathering the rough edges of the dough into one side and then place in the bowl, with the rough edges down. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit to rise until the dough has doubled, about 50 to 60 minutes.

4. Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line two baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper. Place the water and baking soda in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring to make sure the baking soda has dissolved.

5. Once the water has been brough to a boil, divide the dough into 10 even pieces. Form each piece into a ball, then boil half the balls in the baking soda water for 45 seconds. Flip the ball upside down and boil for an additional 45 seconds. Remove the balls from the water and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.

6. Beat the egg yolk and water together and brush the top of each bun with the egg wash. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top of the buns. The egg wash will help the sesame seeds to stick. Bake in the oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until the buns are a dark pretzel brown. Rotating the pans once during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.

Makes 10 buns.

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.

Bret's Texas Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Brownies
1 c. butter
1 c. strong coffee
1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs

Frosting
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. butter
3 tbsp cream
1/2 tsp salt
2 c. powdered sugar

Oven @ 350°F
In a saucepot, put the cocoa powder and blend with the butter as it melts over medium heat.  Once you have a chocolate-butter paste, blend in the coffee and heat till nearly boiling.  Remove from heat.

In a separate mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and vanilla.  Blend in the coffee/butter mixture.  Add the eggs and buttermilk and blend until smooth.

Pour into a greased 13x9 baking pan.  Bake in oven @ 350 for 30-35 minutes or until center is solid.  Use a toothpick to test if it comes out clean.

While the brownies cool, make the frosting.
Blend the peanut butter with the butter, salt and add the powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time.  If the mixture gets too thick, add some cream.  Blend in all the powdered sugar and if still too thick (it should be easy to spread) add another tbsp of cream.

Spread the frosting over the brownies when they are completely cool

Huckleberry Buckle

Huckleberries are hard to get, but they're delicious when you can get them and afford them.  The first time I got to try them was because a friend picked some up at a farmer's market in July in eastern Washington.  I don't know how much he was exagerating but he said each serving of the buckle ought to cost $5.  That implies perhaps $20 for a 3 c. bag of berries.

The optional lemon juice works best on blueberries.  Huckleberries are like very potent-tasting blueberries and their a fair bit tarter. 

For those that don't want to bother or can't get huckleberries, blueberries work wonderfully.

1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. white sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. milk
2 1/2 c. huckleberries
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
optional: 1 tbsp lemon juice

Oven @ 375° F
Butter a 9x9 baking pan.

Cream the butter and 1/3 c. of sugar.  Mix in the dry ingredients.  The mixture should be crumbly.  Blend in the sour cream.  Gradually add the milk until you have a smooth batter.

Spread the batter evenly into baking pan.

Put the berries into a saucepot, and add the 1/2 c. of water and the 1/2 c. of sugar.  A tbsp of lemon juice works well here if you want the fruit tarter.  Cook on stove until the berries have burst and it's got a deep red color and foamy consistency.  Pour this over the batter in the pan. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Bret's Fried Chicken

I usually deep fry chicken thighs.  There's too little meat to bother with on wings, drumsticks are okay and breasts take too long. 

Marinade:
10 chicken thighs
2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp kosher or sea salt

Coating:
2 c. flour
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
canola or peanut oil for frying