Key Lime Pie

After making a fabulous Apple Pie last week, I wanted to try my hand at some more varieties of pie. I checked Joy of Baking and the Key Lime Pie just jumped at me. Of course I had never eaten one before and didn’t even know what it was. But the description was enough to reel me in. I tried to search for Key limes but could not get them anywhere so I substituted for the Persian limes (and now I at least know the difference between a lime and a lemon)

I must say that I did not love this pie but I surely liked it. It was a bit too tart for me and I think cutting back a little on the lime juice would be perfect. I did add more sugar to the whipped cream than the recipe called for and this was to balance the tartness a little. Because we rarely use lemon in desserts in India I am not a fan of them. But if you a like a combination of tart and sweet this is definitely a good recipe. It is smooth, creamy and the crust is amazing.

Recipe Source - Given as is from Joy Of Baking with my comments in red.

Ingredients - Makes 1 - 9 inch (23 cm) pie

For the Crust

1 1/4 Cup (125 Grams) Graham Cracker Crumbs (I used Crushed Digestive Biscuits)

2 Tbsp(30 grams) Granulated White Sugar

5 - 6 Tbsp (70 - 85 Grams) Unsalted Butter, Melted

For The Filling

3 Large Egg Yolks, Room Temperature

One 14 - Ounce (390 Grams) Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 Cup (120 ml) Key Lime Juice (I used Regular Limes) ( I would reduce this to 1/4 Cup as I don't like anything too tart)

2 Tsp Grated Lime Zest (Outer Skin)

For The Topping

1 cup (240 ml) Cold Heavy Whipping Cream (Double Cream) (35-40% Butterfat Content)

2 Tbsp (30 grams) Granulated White Sugar (I used 4 Tbsp)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter or lightly spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan.  

Make The Crust

1. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool while you make the filling

Make The Filling

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes).

2. Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the lime juice and zest. 

3. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, cover and refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Make The Topping

1. Once the filling has chilled, in the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Either pipe (I used a Wilton 1M star tip) or place mounds of whipping cream on top of the filling. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Happy Eating!!

Apple Pie

I baked my very first apple pie when I was 17 years old. I had not been bitten by the baking bug back then (say that fast 5 times!) but it was my sister who was into it a lot. It was she who taught me how to macerate apples and knead a nice dough for the pastry. Ever since my first bite, Apple pie has been my all time favorite dessert.

Of all the times that I have made this I have never used an actual recipe or measurements until now. I would just throw together the ingredients and take it from there. This time I decided to use the recipe from Joy of Baking and see if my pie was good or not. And I am pleased to say that my pie is as good (if not better) than this one right here. It is everything I love; cinnamoney, flakey, sweet... This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Every time I bake a pie I remember one of my sisters who would never eat the filling but only the crust! I would bake the scraps of the dough separately just to make her happy. Oh what good times!

Recipe Source - Given as is from Joy of Baking, with my changes in red

Ingredients - Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie

For The Pie Crust

2 1/2 Cups (350 grams) All-purpose flour

1 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp (30 grams) Granulated White Sugar

1 Cup (226 grams) Unsalted Butter, Chilled, And Cut Into 1 Inch (2.5 Cm) Pieces

1/4 to 1/2 Cup (60 - 120 ml) Ice Water

For The Apple Filling

2 1/2 Pounds (1.1 Kg) Apples (About 6 Large), Peeled, Cored, And Sliced 1/4 Inch Thick (About 8 Cups (2 L)) - I chopped my apples instead of slicing them.

1/4 Cup (50 Grams) Granulated White Sugar

1/4 Cup (55 grams) Light Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg (Optional) - Omitted

1/4 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp (28 grams) Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 Tbsp (15 grams) Cornstarch (Corn Flour)

Make the Pie Crust

1. In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds).

2. Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

3. Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour. 

4. After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).)

5.  Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan ( I used a 10 inch pan). Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. 

6. Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.  I made a lattice top instead

 

Make the Apple Filling

1. In a large bowl combine the sliced apples with the sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours. Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices). Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of juice.

2.  Spray a 4 cup (960 ml) heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, about 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup (80 ml) and is syrupy and lightly caramelized.  (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.)  - I used the stove top method.

3. Meanwhile, remove the top pastry crust from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it has time to soften.

4. Transfer the drained apples slices to a large bowl and mix them with the cornstarch (corn flour). 

5. Then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss to combine.

6. Pour the apples and their syrup into the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make five- 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven. - I cut the rolled dough into strips and made the lattice top at this point.

7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the stone (or pan) to catch any apple juices. Set the pie on the stone or pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Make sure to cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent over browning after about 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Happy Eating!!

Chocolate and Pecan Pie Bars

Every year as Thanksgiving and Christmas rolls in, I start seeing recipes for all the different types of pies like pumpkin, pecan, cranberry etc on the net. Coming from India, I have never tasted any of these pies and my only experience to making them is of the humble apple pie. But that doesn't stop me from drooling at all the gorgeous pictures on various blogs and this year is no different. I love nuts and think that a pecan pie would be amazing. But when I read about it one thing that I figured is that some people think that it's too sweet. Hmmm, I don't like my desserts too sweet, so when I came accross these bars that resemble the pie taste I was happy to try them.

I halved the original recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and loved them. Seriously, I think I ate half the pan by myself. Next time tough I might increase the crust ratio and reduce the chocolate chips. I also reduced the sugar and used Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup. This was sweet enough for me and a perfect little snack when the craving sets in!

Recipe Source - Given as is from Brown Eyed Baker (my changes in red)

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter, Softened
1/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

For The Filling
3 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Corn Syrup - I used Lyle's Golden Syrup
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar -  I used 6 Tbsp
2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
13/4 Cups Coarsely Chopped Semisweet or Bittersweet Chocolate - I used chocolate chips
11/2 Cups Chopped Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. For the crust, mix together the flour, butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Press into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown.
3. For the filling, beat the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla extract with a wire whisk. Stir in the chunks and pecans. Pour evenly over the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.
4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the refrigerator if you live in a warm/humid area with no air conditioning).
 
Happy Eating!!

Dare to make a Crostata?

I just did! After missing out on the Octobers Daring Bakers challenge (too much going on at home - but the doughnuts had me going nuts!), I was all geared up to know what November brought for us. And it was something that I have always admired in the cute glass displays of bakeries. Beautifully decorated crostatas with jam, custard and fresh fruit. Yum! 

Blog-checking lines: The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

According to Simona "Crostata (tart) is an Italian dessert. The base of a crostata is pasta frolla (or pastafrolla), sweet short crust pastry (or sweet tart dough) made of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Pasta frolla is versatile: it provides the base to make crostata with fruit preserves, pastry cream, fresh fruit, ricotta, and other ingredients, and, by itself, it makes very nice cookies."

Though I have made pies before, I have not made a crostata and was happy to try something new. While I could have gone wild with my filling ideas I chose to go the simple route and opt for a crema (pastry cream) filling and fruit topping. Because I did not have a tart pan I decided to use my mini tart pans and make four individual tarts with half of the dough. The other half was used to make a free form Apple and Pecan Crostata.

The pastry cream recipe is from Annie's Eats and makes a great home made custard. As my mom is a diabetic I used Sugar free instead of sugar in the recipe. All I can say is blech!! Somehow I was getting a chemical after taste in the cream even though none of the others could taste it. The cream by itself was good but I will never use the sugar free for desserts again.

Update - Let me clarify here that the recipe for the pastry cream is great and I was the only one who had a problem with the chemical after taste. I'm sure if I made it with regular sugar it would be fantastic. Every one in the house enjoyed the cream without any complaints :)

I used Version 1 from the recipes provided.

Recipes - Crostata di Frutta Fresca

Pastry Cream Recipe from Annie's Eats

Ingredients

For The Pasta Frolla (Tart Dough/Base)

1/2 Cup minus 1 Tbsp (100 Gms) Superfine Sugar Or A Scant 3/4 Cup (90 Gms) Powdered Sugar – I used artificial sweetener

1 3/4 Cup (235 Gms) Unbleached All-purpose Flour

Pinch of Salt

1 Stick (8 Tbsp/100 - 115 Gms) Cold Unsalted Butter (Cut Into Small Pieces)

Grates Zest of Half a Lemon

1 Large Egg and 1 Large Egg Yolk (Lightly Beaten)

For The Crema (Pastry Cream)

2 Cups Single Cream - I substituted with 420 ml whole milk and 4 Tbsp melted butter.

1/2 Cup Sugar - I used artificial sweetener.

A Pinch of Salt

5 Large Egg Yolks

3 Tbsp Cornflour (Called Cornstarch in U.S)

4 Tbsp (50 Gms) Cold Unsalted Butter (Cut into 4 Pieces)

1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

For Assembling

Fruits like strawberries, kiwis, raspberries (whatever you love!)

Jam (Any flavour - I used strawberry)
2 Tbsp Melted Chocolate

Making The Pasta Frolla
1. Whisk together sugar, flour and salt in a bowl.

2. Rub or cut the butter into the flour until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. You can do this in the bowl or on your work surface, using your fingertips or an implement of choice.
3. Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it (reserve about a teaspoon of the egg mixture for glazing purposes later on – place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use).
4. Add the lemon zest to your flour/butter/egg mixture.
5. Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.
6. Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.
7. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.

Make The Crema (While the dough is chilling)

1. Heat the single cream (in my case I combined the milk and butter), 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

2. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.

3. Whisk in the cornflour until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

4. When the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. (The cream thickens very quickly so keep an eye on it)

5. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.

6. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Bake The Pasta Frolla

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Degree C (350 Degree F).

2. Divide the dough in two parts and roll out on a lightly floured surface (I made four mini tarts, if making a single crostata roll out to at least 11 inches). With the help of a rolling pin roll the dough onto the pin and unroll over the base of the pan.

3. Cut a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil large enough to cover the bottom of the crust and extend out a bit over the edges of the pan.

4. You can use pie weights or dry beans to blind bake (I used uncooked rice). Place whatever weight you’re using directly on the parchment paper or aluminum foil in an even layer.

5. Place the crostata shell in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. (Lesser if making a smaller version like me)

6. Remove the weights and parchment paper and continue baking the crostata shell until the border is light golden, about 5 minutes (watch carefully to avoid over-baking, which results in a hard shell). In the absence of weight, the crust may rise in the middle: if that occurs, gently push it back down with the back of a spoon.

7. Remove from the oven and let the crostata shell cool completely before proceeding.

8. If you use a tart pan with removable bottom, release the base from the fluted tart ring, then slide the cooled crostata shell on a serving plate for filling. (Note: If you’ve used a cake pan or pie plate, use a bit of care in taking the shell out of the baking vessel.)

Assemble The Crostata

1. Spread a thin layer of the melted chocolate on the bottom of the cooled shell.

2. Spread the chilled prepared pastry cream on top.

3. Decorate the surface with fresh fruit (You can use any fruits you like - I used strawberries and kiwis).

4. Heat the jam in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, just until slightly melted and easy to stir. Using a pastry brush, paint a light layer of the jam over the fresh fruit.

The crostata must be cool, but not cold, so if you refrigerate it, take it out of the fridge half an hour before serving. This crostata is best eaten the same day it is prepared.

Watch for the Apple Recipe in the next post!

For the complete challenge recipe and directions check out the daring bakers website.

 

Happy Eating!!