Dreams - Lemon Meringue Pie

I tease my friend D. about his dreams.

This kicked off when we marveled at sea lions in La Jolla Cove, picked up steam when we explored Las Vegas, kept popping up when we hiked in (and admired) the Grand Canyon, and most recently, revived as we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on foot (twice...). You see, D. is a visiting scholar from Italy, here for 6 months then gone, back to complete his Ph.D. in Palermo. He's the adventurous type, and keen on exploring as much of the States as he can reach before returning home. The joke began when he declared, "my dream!" in his lilting Italian accent as we drove out from Riverside for each of our various adventures, and just hasn't let up.

One boy's dream is another girl's project. If his (English) word is dream, then mine is project. From trekking around the Riverside hills to my Ph.D., each one of my own dreams seems much more achievable when I call them projects and break them into steps. To me, dreams are those far-away wishes that you make, eyes half-closed, when you can't quite see how to make them true. Projects require work. Projects are real. Projects can be kneaded and folded and baked.

One such project is lemon meringue pie, but I seemed to be perpetually short of lemons, eggs or both. Turns out, though, D's favorite dessert is lemon meringue pie. The surest way for me to finally! accomplish something is a promise to another, and his birthday was in November (I'm sorry, blog!). I made it a point to pick up lemons and extra eggs the next time I went to the grocery store, and in one fell swoop, I managed to bring happiness to my friend and fulfill one of my own dreams. Then, two weeks ago was our adviser's birthday, and I could not bring myself to accept one of the too-sweet, mass-produced things from the grocery store bakery as the treat. As I muddled about in indecision, D. finally suggested lemon meringue pie again.

After making our adviser nervous about a sudden lab meeting that had been called, where none of his students would tell him the reason, we managed to surprise him with a small party. He then turned the tables by raising the stakes for next year. Apparently, when he was a grad student, someone in the lab programmed one of their research robots to drive up to his adviser with the cake. The gauntlet, it has been thrown!

The next morning, I received the news from D. that the solitary leftover slice had been a satisfactory breakfast. Dreams achieved.

Lemon Meringue Pie, adapted from use real butter
Makes one 9" pie

Pie (crust, borrowed from Chez Pim)
1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold salted butter
2 tbsp water

You'll need a large, flat surface, a rolling pin, two pieces of plastic wrap (optional, but they make life much easier..), a sharp knife, a large bowl, a cup and clean hands.

Lay one piece of plastic wrap on your flat surface. Put the water in the cup for easy access.

Dump the flour into a large bowl. Cut the butter into slices and drop them into the flour, then break them apart with your fingers. Coat each piece of butter with the flour. Add the water, mix it about with your fingers, then start to fold the flour and butter onto itself. I like to take half the mixture, dump it back on top of itself, turn the bowl, and repeat. Once you have a cohesive dough, pick it up and place it on the plastic wrap, then cover it with the other piece of plastic wrap. Start to roll it into a rectangular shape, so that you can keep folding it a few more times. If the plastic wrap starts to stretch, remove it, dust the dough with flour, replace the wrap and turn it over. Keep folding until you have a smooth, workable piece of dough. It's simpler than it sounds, and better instructions (and pictures!) are found on Ms. Pim's lovely website.

Once you have your crust, roll it out and transfer it to your pie pan. Form your edges, then put it in the fridge or freezer. At this point, preheat your oven to 350F. Once the oven is 350F, prick the pie crust and parbake for 15 minutes. This step is to prevent a soggy crust. If you have your egg whites handy, you might wish to save a few drops in a separate bowl, then brush the saved egg whites onto the crust when it comes out of the oven. This tip is borrowed from Dessert First.

Lemon (filling)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
Pinch salt
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. In a saucepan, boil the water. Turn the fire off, then whisk in the sugar, cornstarch and salt and turn the fire back on. It will immediately thicken and turn somewhat translucent. When the pudding mixture starts to boil, temper the egg yolks by whisking in a bit of the pudding at a time. Pour the egg yolks and pudding back into the pan. Cook until it begins to bubble again, a bit alarmingly. Turn off the fire again and whisk in the butter, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour this into your half-baked pie crust.

Meringue (topping)
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
Pinch salt
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

You need a clean whisk for this. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, whisk the egg whites, cream of tarter and salt until it forms soft peaks. Pour in the sugar and whisk until it forms stiff peaks. Top the lemon filling, preferably touching the pie crust with the meringue. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, until a nice, light brown. Alternatively, if you are cooler than I, and possess a propane torch, please use that (and send me pictures!).

Enjoy!

Learning Experience - Strawberry Orange Tart

I have a love-hate relationship with cornstarch.  On one hand, it can help thicken a creamy pudding, or substitute for cake flour.  On the other, it's grainy when overcooked and grainy when undercooked, and I can't quite tell the difference between the two types of grainy.  Luckily, I found out in this pastry cream that 1) grainy pastry cream is less noticeable partnered with sweet tart crust and soft strawberries and 2) the graininess actually seems to dissolve after a day in the refrigerator.  Still, cornstarch is something I will play with cautiously.  

The other components of this dessert, however, seemed to work.  I borrowed Smitten Kitchen's Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell recipe, which requires close attention to detail.  And a food processor, which I do not have.  The foil that lines the inside of the crust must be pressed a little bit into the frozen crust in order for the crust side not to collapse, but where I did manage it, the crust was perfectly browned and sturdy.  This is another point about the crust; I actually prefer the folding method from Chez Pim's One Pie Dough to Rule Them All.  Although the Unshrinkable is sweet and sturdy, it leans towards cookie territory when I make it.  Next time, I would use the Unshrinkable recipe and the Lord of Pie (I love LOTR so much...) method, which is similar to puff pastry.  I have essentially tossed both recipes in a bowl and folded until they're evenly blended, and splashed in some metaphorical vanilla, to boot.

The strawberries, although oddly huge, were delightful.  Organic, sweet, flavorful from the farmer's market, the sugar was almost unnecessary.  I liked this, though, because the maceration resulted in a lovely strawberry syrup that worked its way into a lemon-orange cream later along the way. 

The pastry cream recipe was from Dessert First's beautiful strawberry tarts.  Aside from the cornstarch fiasco (my own curse....), it was delicious, and the perfect base for a touch of orange zest, which I strained out before cooling it for the tart.  I made about ¾ the recipe, which was about perfect.  I still have issues with pastry cream, curd and generally custard-like items being runny, but I think I just have issues with sweet items cooked on the stove.  Caramel, I can do.  Ice cream custards, just fine.  Anything else... shall we say, a work in progress...

Fresh strawberries, indulgent pastry cream, crisp pastry!

Strawberry-Orange Tart adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Chez Pim and Dessert First

Makes 1 9" or 10" round tart

Tart Crust adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Chez Pim

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons (1 stick + 1 tablespoon) cold butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)

1 egg (I use large)

Egg white for glazing (optional)

Equipment

1 large mixing bowl

1 butter knife

OR 1 food processor (I don't have one)

¼ teaspoon measure

¼ cup dry measure

½ cup dry measure

1 cup dry measure (optional if you can count to 3)

A refrigerator and a freezer

Hard, flat surface for the dough + rolling pin (optional)

9" or 10" round tart pan + aluminum foil to wrap the inside of the crust

Butter to grease the pan and foil 

Fork to prick the crust

Pastry brush or small spoon to glaze (optional)

Directions

1. Cut the butter into small pieces and put back in the fridge.  In the large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt.  Toss in the butter pieces and quickly rub into the dry ingredients until you have large flakes of butter, about the size of beans.  Crack the egg directly into the bowl and mix quickly, until the dough is vaguely cohesive.  Wrap the stuff in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the pastry cream.

If you have a food processor, lucky you!  Toss the butter and dry ingredients and whiz until you have chunks of butter the size of beans.  Add the egg and whiz a little more, until the dough is vaguely cohesive.  Wrap and refrigerate and proceed as usual.

2. Butter the tart pan.  Take the dough out and fold it in thirds.  Roll it out or press it down with your hand, then fold it in thirds the other way.  Pim has a great set of instructions and photos here.  If the dough becomes too soft at any point in time, pop it back in the fridge for about 30 minutes or so.  Once the dough is cohesive, roll it out or gently press it into the tart pan, prick it several times with a fork and freeze for at least 30 minutes.  The dough can keep for several days (possibly weeks, actually) in the freezer if wrapped well.  

3. Just before you take out the frozen dough, butter the foil.  Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Press the foil on top of the frozen dough, making sure to touch every bit of the tart crust.  The foil against the crust will work its magic, keeping the crust from falling down as it bakes.  Put it back in the freezer until the oven is at 375°F.  

4. Bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes.  At this point, remove the foil and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes, or golden brown.  If you like, when the crust is done, you can brush the hot crust with egg white to help seal it and prevent it from getting soggy when it is filled.  

The white bits are the cooked egg white, but you actually don't notice the
egg once the tart is filled.  Except that the crust is perfectly crisp :)

Orange Pastry Cream adapted from Dessert First

Makes about 1 cup or so of pastry cream (enough for a thin layer in the tart)

Ingredients

¾ cup whole milk (I used ½ nonfat, ½ evaporated.  We're a strange family :))

3 tablespoons sugar

Small pinch salt

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cornstarch 

3 egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla

Zest from 1 orange (more or less) 

Equipment

1 small saucepan

1 rubber spatula

2-cup liquid measure

½ teaspoon measure

1 teaspoon measure

1 tablespoon measure

Strainer

1 small mixing bowl

Plastic wrap to cover the bowl 

Directions

1. In the saucepan on medium-low heat, heat the milk until it steams, stirring most of the time.  Meanwhile, in the 2-cup liquid measure, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch.  Once the milk is steaming, pour a little into the egg yolks and mix.  Pour in a little more and mix, then pour the whole egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Yay, you have tempered eggs!

2. Take the custard off the heat.  Add the vanilla and orange zest and mix thoroughly.  Allow to steep until around room temperature.  This will take a while.  Go finish and bake the pastry crust, then mix the strawberries and do your laundry or clean the kitchen (not at the same time!) while you wait for both the pastry crust to chill and the pastry cream to cool. 

3. Strain the cooled custard into the bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge until cold, around an hour or so.  

Macerated Strawberries

Makes, well, as many strawberries as you put in

Ingredients

15 (about 2 cups) massive strawberries, sliced (more if you have normal strawberries)

1 tablespoon sugar

Equipment

1 large mixing bowl

1 tablespoon measure

1 rubber spatula

Directions

1. Toss the strawberry slices with the sugar.  Allow to sit.  Sneak one, they're tasty :)

Some Assembly Required

Equipment

Flat surface for serving (I used a nice wooden cutting board)

Metal spatula or knife for spreading pastry cream

Spread the pastry cream in the tart shell.  Arrange the strawberry slices on top.  If you like, take an extra strawberry with the stem still on it, carefully slice not quite all the way through it several times, and gently fan it out to be a strawberry flower.  You can also sprinkle some white chocolate flakes on top for garnish.  Enjoy!

 

Pie Crust Conquered - Homemade Pop Tarts

After many, many weeks (time moves 3x faster once midterms are announced, doesn't it for you?), I finally get around to bringing you one of my favorite triumphs: pie crust.  Now, this is not a tart crust.  When I tried to use it for a purpose not meant to be, it slumped and shrank and fell fearfully, sinking to the bottom of the pie pan in defeat.  However, it was still delicious.  Light and flaky, crisp and shattering under your teeth with ample buttery flavor, it nonetheless supports a filling perfectly.  Deb of Smitten Kitchen brought us this recipe years ago, but I think it's another one worth writing about again.  Besides, the scraps of crust brought us these delightful beauties :)

Yes, this recipe as written only makes 5.  They're entirely worth the work.

Although the pie crust is simple (I now understand the meaning behind, easy as pie!), it does require some forethought and space.  And if you follow the recipe as originally written (double this recipe, except the sugar), it requires quite a bit of butter.  Luckily for me, I now live in an apartment on campus and have a clean, empty, reasonably non-wobbly table available, but for those of you who do not, a large cutting board works reasonably well.  Put a damp towel underneath to prevent slippage.  This crust is most well-behaved after about 45 minutes of refrigeration, so try to plan accordingly.  

I immediately fell for these layers.  How could you not...?!

Crust adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes about 1 9" round crust, or about 5 Pop Tarts

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold butter

½ large egg, beaten well (save the other half for the glaze)

1 tablespoon milk

Equipment

1 medium mixing bowl

1 rubber spatula

1 whisk (optional, but handy)

1 sturdy butter knife (for cutting the butter)

½ teaspoon measure

1 tablespoon measure

1 cup dry measure

Directions

1. In the mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.  Cut the butter into about 16 slices and toss them into the bowl, coating with the flour mixture as you go.  With your hands, quickly break the pieces of cold butter apart, until you wind up with some pieces and some crumbs.  Add half of the beaten egg and the milk, then gently fold to make a cohesive dough.  It will come together rather reluctantly, but rest assured that the less you mess with it, the more tender and flaky the crust will come out.  If the butter in the dough softens at any point, toss it in the fridge for 15 minutes or so.  Once the dough just barely comes together, refrigerate it for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, put together the filling.

Filling from Smitten Kitchen

Makes about 9 tablespoons

Ingredients

3/4 cup jelly of your choice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Equipment

1 small saucepan

1 rubber spatula 

2-cup liquid measure

1 tablespoon measure

Directions

1. In the saucepan, mix the cornstarch and water to form a slurry.  Add the jelly and mix completely, then bring to a boil.  Set aside.

 

Assembly

Equipment

Sturdy countertop

Small, sharp knife for pastry (the cleaner the cut, the flakier the pastry edges)

Pastry brush or small spoon for egg glaze)

The other half of the egg you were wondering what to do with when you made the dough

Fork for pressing the edges of pastry

Toothpick for pricking the pastry (optional) 

Baking sheet

Parchment paper for lining

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Make sure this sheet fits in your fridge!

2. Divide the dough in half, then roll out each half to be rectangular sheets.  Patience, young Padawan.  Eventually, yours too will be even and flat.  Cut the sheets into pairs of rectangles.  With the half batch of pie crust I made, I had 10 rectangles, plus scraps, equaling 5 pop tarts in the end.  

3. Brush a bottom crust with some egg, then about a tablespoon of filling.  Not too much filling, or it will squish out the sides.  Put a top crust on... the top.  With a fork, gently crimp the edges of the pastry.  Gently lay the whole pastry on the prepared sheet, then brush a little more egg on top.  Carefully poke the top of the pastry several times to prevent the blimp effect.

4. Repeat with the remaining rectangles, then put the whole thing in the fridge for about an hour.  With about 15 minutes to go (or however long your oven takes to preheat), preheat the oven to 350°F.

5. Once the pastries are cold, bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until beautifully golden on the top and the whole kitchen (maybe the house) is fragrant with toasted butter.  Allow to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then let them cool completely on a wire rack.  Enjoy!

Sweet, lightly salty, crispy, perfect bites...!

Dedication - Almond Tarts

My best friend turned 21 yesterday.  Happy Birthday in Oregon! 

Earlier this semester, she kindly gave me a set of 12 tiny silicone baking cups.  Colorful and adorable, I had to wait until I had some free time to play with them and finally give them the attention they deserved.  These almond tarts are for her, requiring her patience and thoughtfulness to put together and bake.  They also borrow a little of her creativity, made entirely from scraps of leftover dough.  Once I post the second yogurt recipe that I promised, I'll put up the reason for this delightful leftover dough.

I'd like to add another note: she is a stellar baker.  I think she'd like these.

Crust adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes about 1 9" round crust, plus scraps (this recipe only uses the scraps...)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold butter

½ large egg, beaten well (save the other half for the glaze)

1 tablespoon milk

Equipment

1 medium mixing bowl

1 rubber spatula

1 whisk (optional, but handy)

1 sturdy butter knife (for cutting the butter)

½ teaspoon measure

1 tablespoon measure

1 cup dry measure

Directions

1. In the mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.  Cut the butter into about 16 slices and toss them into the bowl, coating with the flour mixture as you go.  With your hands, quickly break the pieces of cold butter apart, until you wind up with some pieces and some crumbs.  Add half of the beaten egg and the milk, then gently fold to make a cohesive dough.  It will come together rather reluctantly, but rest assured that the less you mess with it, the more tender and flaky the crust will come out.  If the butter in the dough softens at any point, toss it in the fridge for 15 minutes or so.  Once the dough just barely comes together, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Filling straight from the flames of It's on Fire!!!

Makes about ½ cup truly addicting confection

Ingredients

3 tablespoons almond butter (my favorite is raw, crunchy, unsalted from Trader Joe's)

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Equipment

1 tablespoon measure

1 small bowl or 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whatever's handy

1 sturdy spoon

1 rubber spatula (probably the one you used for making the crust...)

Directions

1. Thoroughly combine both ingredients.  Taste for flavor and texture, adjusting the balance and adding the tiniest pinch of salt if need be, and try not to inhale it before the tart crust is ready.  Refrigerate until the tart crust is ready.

Assembly

It looks like this, after assembly and before the glaze.

Equipment

12 mini silicone baking cups (or something similar, but butter and flour if you do)

1 rolling pin

1 good counter or other surface for tart crust dough

3" round cookie cutter

1 small, sharp knife for trimming tart crust dough

1 pastry brush or small spoon (for egg glaze)

1. Remove the tart crust from the fridge and gently roll it out to about 1/8" thick.  Carefully cut 3" diameter circles from the dough and lay them in the silicone cups, gently patting them down to fit.  Trim the tops flush with the cups if you need to. 

2. Fill each tart with about 1 teaspoon of almond filling.  I have found that the best way to do this is approximately roll it into a ball, then pat it into the crust.  When you are done, refrigerate all the tarts for at least an hour.  

3. Brush or spoon a little of the beaten egg on top of each tart and preheat the oven to 350°F.  While the oven preheats, put the tarts back in the refrigerator.

4. Once the oven is ready, bake the tarts at 350°F for about 15 minutes.  Remove when they are nicely browned on top and you detect a heady almond fragrance.  Allow to cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!

Also lovely topped with a little raspberry jelly.

Always Deliver on a Promise - Apple Pie

Sometimes I'm fast.  Usually, I'm painfully slow, with no reflexes to speak of and only picking up concepts long after the exams are graded.  When given an assignment, inevitably I wind up finishing it at last minute.  It took me a good two or three weeks from when my friend gave me the apples to actually making and delivering this pie.

Colorful, pretty apples....

With exams, homework and research, this pie was made between 1:00 and 4:00am.  Somehow, I think it was completely worth it.  Magically, the apples remained incredibly fresh in my roommate's fridge (I borrow some of her fridge space).  I really have to find the name and source of these apples, because they were seriously amazing.  Crisp, sweet, tart and flavorful, they peeled excellently.  I think I ate half the peels while peeling and slicing the apples.  The cores were hard to cut through, but I was borrowing a friend's small paring knife.  The apples also held together when cooked.  I baked the pie for a full hour, and they still retained a certain snap to them when speared with a plastic fork and rapidly devoured.

Apple tart, with fewer apples and a variation on the topping.

The crust was from the blog Not Without Salt, which used to be called Artisan Sweets after the author's bakery.  I am in love with this crust.  It's easy to work with, doesn't require refrigeration and is tender and delicious.  It's not flaky, but rather sturdy with a pleasantly mild flavor and very comforting.  

The topping was from Teens Cook Dessert by Megan and Jill Carle, originally for a Cinnamon Swirl Cake.  The idea was actually from Dutch Apple Pie from the same book.  I have no idea whether the recipes for the toppings are the same, but I don't have access to the book when I'm not at home, and it seemed like it might work.  It did :)

Finished pie!

Pie Crust from Not Without Salt

Makes one reasonably thick 9" diameter crust

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup milk (I use whole milk because that's what I can buy at the food court)

½ teaspoon salt

Equipment  

1 large mixing bowl

1 rubber spatula
2-cup liquid measure
1 cup dry measure 
½ teaspoon measure
1 9" pie pan (I used my 9" round cake pan.  Shhh...)
Lining material of choice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prep a pie pan in your favorite method, whether that be lining with foil, parchment paper or butter, or a combination, or none at all.

2. Mix all ingredients in the bowl, then either press into the pie pan or roll out and place in the pie pan.  I chose to press because I don't have a rolling pin.

3. Bake the crust at 350°F for about 15 minutes, just to cook it and ensure that the crust won't be soggy when the pie is done.

Apples 

Makes a little more than enough for one 9" round pie

Ingredients

6 large Apples

¾ cup sugar (white or brown, your choice)

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Equipment
Sharp paring knife or apple peeler
Chef's knife if you have it
Cutting board
Large bowl for apples
Small bowl for peels and cores

Directions

Mix the lemon juice with the sugar in the large bowl.  As you peel and chop each apple, toss the slices with the lemon and sugar so that each slice is covered.  When all the apples are done, toss with a teaspoon of cinnamon.  You should now have a bowl of apples sitting in some sweet, flavorful liquid.  Save that!  It's useful for adding a touch of sugar and spice to many baked goods, like pumpkin bread, or cooked desserts like pudding.

Cinnamon topping from Teens Cook Dessert by Megan and Jill Carle
Makes roughly 1½ cups, enough to cover a 9" round pie + extra

Ingredients
¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt (optional if using salted butter)
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Equipment
1 medium bowl
1 fork

Directions

Mix all ingredients together until crumbly and reasonably homogenous.  You may also use your fingers right before applying to apple pie.  Be careful, if you use 6 apples the apples will mound up and the topping may simply fall off the sides of the pie.

Some Assembly Required:

Arrange the apples in the pie crust for maximum structural integrity and top with the cinnamon topping.  Bake at 350°F for about 60 minutes, until the apples are mostly cooked and the topping is crisp.  Allow to cool somewhat, then slice and enjoy!