Lattice Work Pies

I could not remember the last time I tried doing lattice work on a pie, so I thought it was time to just try it. And it really is easier than it looks. I most recently tried it with a rhubarb pie and then a mixed berry pie, which I will give the recipes for, but the main idea here is to give a pictorial on how to assemble and create the top.

Roll our your favorite double pie crust as usual, fitting the first into the pie dish so that the edges come up quite high. I like to give the base a light egg wash before filling it with fruit. Adding some lemon zest to a berry pie enhances the flavor. I mix the dry ingredients and spoon them over the fruit, then just shake and tap the dish.

Roll our your second half the same size and cut strips.

Taking every other strip . . .

loosely lay them on the fruit  the same way, starting with the smallest  so that they fit the size of the pie. Leave the ends alone.

Beginning with the next smallest, lay it the opposite direction,
lifting every other strip you cross. Repeat with each strip following the size pattern
and alternate how you begin each row . . . whether the strip goes over or under.

 

Once you have the pie covered, fold the ends under the bottom crust and  flute the edges. Give it an egg wash and dust with coarse sugar if desired.

Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

• 5 cups, slightly peeled, chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 1 egg

Method:

1. Pour boiling water over rhubarb, allow to sit a few minutes and drain.
2. Mix sugar and flour and then stir in the egg.
3. Mix fruit with sugar filling and fill pie crust.
4. Cover with second pie crust, lattice work or your favorite crumble mix.
5. Bake at 375 F for 60 - 90 minutes, until filling bubbles through slits. (I like to freeze them raw, the longer baking time is for frozen pie)

Mixed Berry Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 cups blueberries
• 3 cups mix of raspberries, blackberries and/or pitted cherries
• lemon zest
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp tapioca

Method:

1. Do a light egg wash on bottom shell and fill with fruit. Add a sprinkle of lemon zest and cover with sugar/flour/tapioca  mixture.
2. Cover with top, adding slits if not doing lattice work. Apply a light egg wash.
3. Bake at 375 F for 60 - 75 minutes, until juices bubble through slits. Will take about 15 minutes longer with frozen pie.



Sour Cream Raisin Pie

I like raisin pie but often find them a little too sweet. So if you feel the same then this is the pie for you. I like the creamy and tart flavor that sour cream adds to this pie.

• 2 cups raisins
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pastry for 8" pie, double crust, unbaked

1. Combine raisins, water, and sour cream in saucepan, bring to boil and cook for 4 minutes until raisins are plump.
2. Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon. Stir this into the raisin mixture, continue to cook and keep stirring until thick.
3. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool slightly.
4. Pour into an 8" unbaked pie shell. Cover with top crust and cut slits to vent.
5. Bake in a 425º oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden in color.
6. Cool, serve with vanilla ice cream. Delicious.

Bread for the Journey

\

And whatever you do, whether in word of deed, 
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Colossians 3:17

My daughter, hearing me tell of my joy in putting together a particular photo album, commented that it seemed to her this was my way of giving thanks to God. Although I had not thought of it in that way, it did ring true in my heart and I have come to see how we've been given certain interests, not only for our own pleasure, but as a way to see God's ways in our life and a means to show our gratitude to Him.

This past week I was in line at the grocery store when the elderly man ahead of me did not have enough cash to pay for his groceries. He was just telling the cashier to take something off, when the lady behind me handed a ten dollar bill over to help him out. I stood there, thinking to myself, "Now this lady is giving thanks for what she has, by sharing it." Isn't that how we should live?

So whether you decide on a random act of kindness, set a beautiful table, crochet a blanket, bless someone with a song, fix a flat tire, write a thank you card or celebrate a milestone  ... life has endless opportunities for each of us that are more meaningful when we see our own particular service as a way of acknowledging what God has given us.

And what about when things don't go as planned?  How do we give thanks in all things?  Maybe our ultimate show of gratitude is in trusting God that He has a better plan. When others see an unwavering faith, that too is a way of giving thanks because we recognize God's power and wisdom in His perfect timing.

May I learn to allow daily small things to be opportunities to show a grateful heart ... in word and deed.

photo thanks to Jen Giesbrecht

Beets with Herbs & Butter

 It's the end of July which tells you that most of my produce is ready in my garden.

This week we have been enjoying beets.

You either love them or hate dislike them.

Here are some scrumptious ways to eat fresh and colorful beets.

Raw ~ Slice them up and serve them with a sprinkle of chile and lemon.

Soups ~ Make a traditional Ukrainian Borscht. 

Roasted ~ This is my all time favorite.  They are tender and juicy.

In a Salad ~ Today beets are making a statement in many salads. 

Pickled ~ Pickled beets have been around forever. Enjoy the tangy vinegar taste.

Desserts ~ yes, you can even enjoy a velvety beet cake.

 A quick trip to the garden:

• Hand pick the smallest ones.  They are tender.
• Wash them, cut down the foliage leaving a stem of three inches.
• Boil them for 30-40 minutes.
• Drain the water and slip off the skins with your hands.
• If you prefer to keep your hands clean, you can also use a paper towel.
• Add fresh herbs as they complement their natural sweetness.
• Add a touch of butter, salt, and pepper with a quick squeeze of lemon.
• Beets keep for quite a while in the fridge if you remove the greens.

What's your favorite recipe for beets?

Tuna Melts

For this recipe I usually use canned tuna, but if I happen to have left over grilled salmon, I will use that. You can use the bread or buns you have on hand or add some extra home-made goodness by making your own French Bread. If you have not tried this recipe I need to tell you again how easy it is. I substituted half of the white flour for multigrain.

Ingredients:

• thick slices of bread
• 1 (120 gm) can of tuna
• 1 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons taco sauce or salsa
• 2 small pickles, chopped fine
• grated or sliced cheese

Mix tuna, mayo, taco sauce and pickles. Spread on bread and cover with grated or thinly sliced cheese. Bake at 350º F until cheese has melted.

Farmer sausage meat buns

Try this recipe to make a little something for the family to take along for their work / school lunches.
I made the dough a little higher in fiber, used low fat cheese and low sodium farmer sausage. You can try turkey sausage or garlic sausage.  Really any sausage you have on hand can be used.

Dough:

• 1 1/2 c. oats
• 3 c. whole wheat
• 3 c. unbleached flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 pkg. instant yeast
• 1/4 c. oil (can be left out)
• 4 c. of really warm water

1. mix all the dry ingredients including the dry yeast
2. add water and incorporate well.
3. add more unbleached flour as necessary to make a soft dough
4. knead about 10 min.
5. let dough rest about 20 min.
6. divide dough in 64 equal pieces

Filling-

• farmer sausage, cut into 64 equal pieces
• cheese cut in 64 sticks
• mustard

1. flatten out each piece of dough and put in a little mustard, a piece of sausage and cheese.
2. fold up sides and pinch the seams together, place seam side down on a parchment lined baking pan.
3. some cheese tends to melt out and it makes for easier clean up.
4. let rise about 1/2 hour. bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

64 sounds like a lot, but the kids have them polished up in no time!

ENJOY!

Trudy's Granola

Living healthy becomes important as we have so many choices today.
I have a sister-in-law who always shares some wholesome healthy recipes.
I started making this granola a few years back,
and this has become one of my staples in our home for our grandkids.
He calls granola, "Crumbs"
Whenever the little one is hungry he says,
"Oma, can I have some yogurt with Crumbs?"

5 Cups Quick Oats
1/2 Cup Sesame Seeds
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
1 Cup unsweetened med-coconut
1 Cup Sunflower seeds
1 Cup almonds
1 Cup cashews

Mix all these ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl.
I make sure that I chop my almonds and cashews coarsely.
In fact I use any nuts, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts etc. that will equal two cups.

In a small bowl, I mix the following ingredients.
2 tsp. almond flavor
1/4 Cup water
1/4 Cup oil (not virgin oil)
3/4 Cup honey
I stir these ingredients and blend them together with my Brown mixer.
It makes the right consistency.
Then mix the wet ingredients with the dry.
Stir till all the ingredients are moist.

Bake in the oven in a 9x12 cake pan at 350'
Stir every three minutes for up to 30 minutes.
I prefer my granola crunchy.

When cool, pour Granola into a container and freeze.

Serve over yogurt, add some fresh berries,
(In winter I add frozen berries)
Cover with a large spoonful of Granola.
This has been a life saver for many a quick healthy snack.

Baumkuchen Torte - Gluten Free

****

Baumkuchen - German meaning 'tree cake'. The baked torte has 'rings' resembling the rings of a tree, hence the descriptive name.

I was going through a box of old recipes from years ago and found this one hand written by me on the back of an old brochure.
I didn't remember ever making it .. but it was such an unusual method that I needed to try it .. and of course gluten free was the order!
(To make it regular - exchange the flours for 2/3 cup wheat flour and 1/3 cup cornstarch and leave out the xanthan gum)

Ingredients and Method

Mix 2 cups of sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla --- Set aside

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond
• 6 egg yolks

Beat above butter , sugar and extracts - then add egg yolks one at a time beating well after each addition.

Add to butter mix the following dry ingredients (mix flours together before adding)

• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/2 cup white corn flour
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp salt

Set mixture aside.

• 6 egg whites (at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup sugar

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff.

Stir a small amount of the egg whites into the butter/flour mixture, then carefully fold the mixture into the beaten egg whites.

Pre-heat oven to 'high broil' - and move oven rack so that it is about 6 inches or so from top element.

Grease an 8" spring form pan. ( I don't have an 8", so I used my 10" - and adjusted the number of layers and the amount of batter in each layer)

1. Spread a scant 1/2 cup of batter on the bottom on pan.
2. Place pan under broiler and bake for 1 or 1 1/2 minutes until lightly browned .. Watch it carefully.
3. Remove from oven and add another 1/2 cup of batter . Again broil under element. (if it browns too quickly lower your rack)
4. Repeat this step until you have 5 layers.
5. Now spread half the sour cream mixture over the fifth layer and broil 1 minute until set.
6. Repeat the batter layers as before , 1/2 cup of batter, broil... another 5 more layers.
7. Spread the remaining sour cream mixture over the top and broil 1 minute until set.

Let the torte cool for 15 minutes. Remover sides and let cool completely.

Pipe your favorite butter cream icing around the sides and cover top with a thickened fruit filling -- home made or bought. (I cooked 2 cups of frozen raspberries sweetened with sugar, strained it to remove seeds and then thickened it with cornstarch.)

I found that this torte (refrigerated) tasted better the third/fourth day than the day I made it so it is a great make-ahead dessert.

****

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I have a number of recipes for peanut butter cookies and this is a delicious addition to my collection. We really liked the creamy filling sandwiched between the cookies.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Beat softened butter, peanut butter and sugars till light and fluffy.
2. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
4. Add flour mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Drop by tablespoons on parchment lined cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.
6. Press cookie with a fork dipped in sugar, the dough is soft, I double dipped the fork in sugar.
7. Bake in a 350º oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
8. Remove from oven, place on cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup icing sugar

1. Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.
2. When cookies are completely cooled spread filling between cookies.
3. Yield: 18 sandwiched cookies

Bread for the Journey

Seeing Clearly

There are times when we can't make a whole lot of sense of things that happen around us. With the passing of time...things sometimes become a little clearer.. And sometimes not. But one day we will see the whole picture...and then everything will be crystal clear. For now...we often look through the smog.

This is how we have viewed our favorite mountain peak at times this past month. Through the smog! As the smoke from one of B.C.'s many forest fires wafted our way...the mountains all but disappeared in the haze.  It was hard to tell the colour of the barn just down the road...and the mountain peak was barely visible in the distance.

A photo taken a few months ago at the very same spot gives a clearer perspective. Then it was obvious that the barn was red! And the snow capped peak of Mt. Cheam was clear and seemed so much closer.

Sometimes it is a matter of perspective. Sometimes it is the passing of time. And then there are those things that will just never make any sense...here on earth. But one day...the smog will all be lifted!

Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me.

~ 1 Corinthians 13:12