All-Butter Pie Crust

Some people maybe intimidated by making pie crusts or just pie baking in general. Pie crusts are super easy to make and you don't need any fancy stand mixers or anything.

I prefer the all-butter crust over the butter-crisco kind.  You can make this crust the day before and have it ready for when you start making your pies. It will also freeze for up to 2 weeks.





Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup ice water

1. In a large bowl mix all of the dry ingredients together.

2. Add the butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter (or your hands) to incorporate the butter. Mix until the batter looks like pea-sized butter chunks. The dough should be coarse; don't over work it.

3. Add the ice water a little at a time until until the dough comes together. Form into two equal sized balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill for at least an hour before using. This will help keep the butter solid, so your dough will be nice and flaky. When you're ready to make your pie, let the dough rest at room temp for about 10 minutes and then roll out on a lightly floured surface.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together. 

Add the butter to the dry mixture.

Use a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter.

Mix till its in pea sized form.

Add the water a little at a time.

Mix till the dough is coarse.

Form the dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Toasted Pecan Pound Cake

I've been going through my pantry and trying to use up all of the little tid-bits in there. I found some pecans, leftover from the holidays. I really want to tone down the amount of food I have in my pantry, so I'm not having food go to waste and I want to start having more natural foods in there.

This pound cake recipe I got from my usual go-to 'The Fearless Baker," by Emily Luchetti and Lisa Weiss. Its perfect for the summer and pairs well with fresh strawberries or raspberries.

Ingredients:

1 cup pecan pieces

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soften

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp grated lemon zest

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk or 3/4 cup whole milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

2. Spread the pecan pieces in one layer in a small baking pan and put in the (preheated) oven. Set a timer for 10 minutes and check the nuts to see if they're a light golden brown. If not, toast 2 minutes longer. Set aside to cool.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

4. Using the stand mixer, or the medium bowl and a handheld mixer, on a medium-low speed, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed until well combined before adding the second egg. Scrape down the side of the bowl with the rubber spatula.

5. In a small bowl, stir the buttermilk with the vanilla.

6. With the mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk, again mixing until combined. Add the remaining flour, then the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the pecans.

7. Using the rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly, nudging the batter into the corners of the pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

8. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a small knife around the cake to loosen it from the pan and invert it onto a piece of parchment or plate. Let the cake cool to room temperature before slicing.

Toast the pecans

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.

Remove the toasted pecans from the oven.

Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest,

Beat till creamy.

Add one egg at a time and beat.

Add the vanilla to the buttermilk.

Add half the flour and mix well.

Add half the buttermilk

Looking good!

Add the rest of the buttermilk and flour mixture and mix well in between each addition. 

Chop up the pecans, if they're not already chopped.

Stir in the pecans to the batter.

Spread evenly in a bread pan and bake.

Let sit in the pan for 15 minutes.

Remove from the pan and let cool completely. Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

This is my take on the recipe from "Bake, The Essential Companion," by Alison Thompson. Its a super moist and flavorful cake. Next time, I need to use a bigger pan, so more of the syrup will be absorbed into the cake. 

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, diced, softened

1 1/2 cups superfine sugar

4 eggs

Grated zest of 3 oranges

Grated zest of 3 lemons

1/4 cup poppy seeds

2 2/3 cups self-rising flour, sifted

1 1/4 cups canned organic pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 tbsp freshly-squeezed orange juice

6 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 10-in round or square pan with parchment paper.

2. Beat the butter and superfine sugar, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on high speed for 5 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the orange and lemon zests, poppy seeds, sifted flour and pumpkin. Mix on low speed until combined.

3. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (While cake is baking, prepare the syrup.)

4. To make the syrup, combine the sugar, lemon juice and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then remove from the heat.

5. Pour the hot syrup over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. 

Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. This will make it easier to remove the cake later.

Beat the butter and sugar.

Beat till pale and creamy.

Add the lemon and orange zests. 

Shift the flour into the mixing bowl.

Add the pumpkin.

Save the lemons and oranges for juicing.

Add the poppy seeds and mix together.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Brownies

I got this amazing baking cookbook, while I was in Portland last month and I couldn't wait to share my baking adventures with you. Its called "Bake, The Essential Companion," by Alison Thompson. I switched out dark chocolate, for milk chocolate and semi sweet chocolate, from the original recipe.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups chopped dark chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter, diced
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups superfine sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chopped dark chocolate, extra
1 1/4 cups finely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 8-in x 12-in brownie pan with parchment baking paper.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth.

3. Whip the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, on high speed for 10-minutes until pale and creamy. Fold in the melted chocolate. Sift the flour into the bowl and add the extra chocolate and walnuts. Fold gently until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

4. Bake the brownies for 30-40 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely in the pan, then cut into squares.

So moist!

Lining the bottom of the pan, makes it easier to remove the brownies after they're baked.

I didn't have superfine sugar, but I placed granulated sugar in the Vitamix and pulsed it a few times. It actually turned out pretty close. 

I had to keep mixing and replacing the bowl bake in the microwave. 

Melted chocolate :)

Whisk that sugar and eggs!

Nice and fluffy.

Fold in the chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture.

Don't over mix it!

Add sifted flour, nuts and chopped chocolate.

Spread in the pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy with milk!