PEPPERMINT STICK CHIFFON PIE

PEPPERMINT STICK CHIFFON PIE

Another long remembered, if not nearly essential flavor of the Holiday Season is the Peppermint Stick or Candy Cane.  Countless people that I asked about personal favorite flavors immediately responded with the minty, cool, sweetness of this red and white striped confection.  It’s rather inescapable, and rightly so.  This simple little treat seems to be incorporated into so many wonderful recipes this time of year.  It’s as iconic with the Holidays, and enjoyed by most everyone.

And why shouldn’t it?  Candy Canes have a somewhat interesting history all their own:

The origin of the candy cane goes back over 350 years, when candy-makers both professional and amateur were making hard sugar sticks. The original candy was straight and completely white in color.

Around the Seventeenth Century, European Christians began to adopt the use of Christmas trees as part of their Christmas celebrations.  They made special decorations for their trees from foods like cookies and sugar-stick candy. The first historical reference to the familiar cane shape goes back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, bent the sugar-sticks into canes to represent a shepherd's staff. The all-white candy canes were given out to children during the long-winded nativity services.

The clergymen's custom of handing out candy canes during Christmas services spread throughout Europe and later to America. The canes were still white, but sometimes the candy makers would add sugar-roses to decorate the canes further.

The first historical reference to the candy cane being in America goes back to 1847, when a German immigrant, August Imgard, decorated the  Tannenbaum, or Christmas tree in his Wooster, Ohio home with candy canes.

This Holiday season, why not try a new twist on an old favorite.  This delicious chiffon-style pie is a sure-fire winner, as well as a proven crowd pleaser.

PEPPERMINT STICK CHFFON PIE:

For Crust:

·         1 Package Nabisco Chocolate Wafers

·         1/3 Cup Sugar

·         6 Tbs. Butter, Melted

For Filling:

·         1/2  Cup Sugar

 ·         1 Cup Peppermint Stick Candy, Crushed

·         Envelope Unflavored Gelatin

·         1/4  tsp. Salt

·         1 1/4  Cups Milk

·         3 Egg Yolks, Slightly Beaten           

·         1 tsp. Peppermint Extract

·         4 – 5 Drops Red Food Coloring

·         1 ¼ Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

For Garnish:

·         2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

·         4 Tbs. Powdered Sugar

·         1 tsp. Peppermint Extract

·         Crushed Peppermint Stick Candy & Chocolate Shavings (If Preferred)

  

DIRECTIONS:

For Crust:

Process chocolate wafers in a food processor and set aside into a mixing bowl.  Add sugar and melted butter and mix thoroughly until all crumbs are coated.  Press crumbs into a baking sprayed pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5 – 7 minutes.  Cool completely before filling.

For Filling:

In a saucepan, combine sugar, the 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy, the unflavored gelatin, and salt. Stir in the milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir the mixture until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

Remove from heat; stir in food coloring, additional ½ cup of crushed peppermint candy, and peppermint extract. Chill mixture until partially set (consistency of unbeaten egg whites).

Beat the 1-1/2 cups whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into gelatin mixture. Chill until mixture mounds when spooned.

Spoon into cooled chocolate wafer crust. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or until firm.

Top the pie with additional whipped cream.  Garnish with additional crushed peppermint stick candy and chocolate shavings. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

EGG NOG CREAM PIE

Egg nog Cream Pie

Nothing quite says Happy Holidays like some of the more traditional, time honoured flavors that many of us have come to intrinsically know and treasure.  Memories of holiday seasons past seem to be laced with the scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and peppermint.  Haul out one box of decorations, and visions of more than Sugar Plums dance in the most reminiscent heads.  Holiday cookies, baked goods, and confections replete with chocolate, coloured frosting with sprinkles, coconut, and all-things-sugary wash over you, and you know that with that first bite of your favorite Holiday treat that the season is most assuredly here.

I asked several friends for their feedback on their personal favorite flavors and treats of the season, and most all of them said the same thing:  Egg Nog. 

Egg Nog is definitely an acquired taste.  Either you love it, like it, or hate it.  At its core, it’s essentially a heavy cream based beverage, sweetened with sugar, and thickened with egg yolk.  More traditional connoisseurs will insist that this beverage absolutely MUST be served with some small (or large) amount of spirits, particularly brandy or rum, and should be served slightly warm.  Popular garnish always seem to be a cinnamon stick, or a sprinkling of ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

As with most recipes, I try and do a little research on the origins of them to have a better understanding of the history of the dish, as well as the modifications it may have seen to what we now identify it as.  We can once again thank our friends in England for this recipe. 

Eggnog can technically trace its origins back to England, where it began its life as a popular hot beverage known as a Posset, during the Medieval period.  Possets were an milk based dish, commonly served warm.  There are multiple variations across Europe of this particular beverage, and though the exact origins can’t be immediately traced to one exact country, scholars seem to feel most confident than once again, England wins.

Naturally, being the curious Dutchman, I had to look to my own culture to check in on our contributions to Egg Nog.  And wouldn’t you know, we have a variation made with whiskey:  Advocaat!

However you call, make, or enjoy this rather fantastic Holiday beverage, the hope is this slight derivation on the traditional format will bring you as much enjoyment!

EGG NOG CREAM PIE:

·         2 Tbs. Sugar 

·         3 Tbs. Cornstarch

·         6 Eggs, Yolks Only

·         3 Cups Egg Nog, Divided

·         2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

·         2 tsp. Rum Flavoring

·         1  Graham Cracker Pie Shell

 

DIRECTIONS

Place the sugar and cornstarch in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and whisk together.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup eggnog.  Add the eggnog mixture to the dry ingredients in the saucepan and whisk together. Add remaining 2 3/4 cups of eggnog & Rum flavoring to the saucepan and whisk well. Cook on medium high heat until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add vanilla; whisk well. Pour into the graham cracker pie shell. Refrigerate 4 hours or more to set.

MINCED CRANBERRY PIE

MINCED CRANBERRY PIE

Every family has their own traditions that have graced their tables at Thanksgiving since time began.  Most everyone I know has their own special recipes for stuffing or dressing, techniques for roasting or frying turkey, or the countless variations on mashed or sweet potatoes.  However you choose to celebrate, nearly every Turkey Day feast seems to have one usual component:  Cranberry.

Growing up in Western Michigan, my family found themselves sitting down to break bread at the Thanksgiving table with two kinds of cranberry sauce.  The time honored version in the can, which was admittedly, something you just couldn’t stray far from.  However, over time the lovely addition of minced cranberry relish with a light, lemon infused whipped cream would join the menu.  And for those who were thinking it, Yes.  Yet another table-top influence of a certain Dutch Matriarch.

Minced cranberry relish recipes pop up all over the internet for both Holiday and canning related cooking.  My favorite recipe comes from the rather brilliant mind of a gentleman who saw the desperate need for improvement over as he rather adroitly pointed out:

“Anything that SLIDES out of the can, hanging in mid-air above the serving dish, and retains its can-like shape once it gets there ISN’T meant for normal consumption by humans.”

I suppose it’s fairly obvious that we don’t serve canned cranberry sauce at our table at Thanksgiving anymore.

Instead, I’m passing a little secret recipe from my family to yours for this delicious Minced Cranberry Pie.  This recipe can be altered to taste, and is table-slapping amazing as a relish as well as in a pie crust or tartlets.

MINCED CRANBERRY PIE:

·         Pie Pastry for a 2-crust, 9.5” deep-dish pie pastry

·         1 Lb. Fresh Cranberries, Ground

·         1 Orange, Ground (rind and all)

·         2 Cups Sugar

·         1 Tbs. Grand Marnier Liqueur

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a food processor, grind up your fresh cranberries until nearly the consistency of pickle relish.  Set aside in a medium bowl.  Cut your whole orange, rind and all, into 8 pieces.  Place in food processor and grind for 2 – 3 pulses until a similar consistency as that of your cranberries.  Mix orange mixture into your cranberries.

As you mix your cranberry and orange mixture together, gradually add your sugar into the mixture.  Stir your combined fruit and sugar mixture until well blended together, and add your Grand Marnier liqueur to taste. 

Allow mixture to refrigerate for  1 – 4 hours to cure.  Add more sugar to taste if a less tart filling is preferred.

Roll out pie pastry and lay into a baking sprayed pie plate.  Spoon cranberry filling into your pastry shell.

This pie is typically baked as a 2-crust pie, and the filling can be covered with the top crust in a traditional fashion, or with cookie cutter pieces done in a shingle fashion, as shown in the photograph at top (unbaked).

Place a cookie sheet underneath the pie plate to catch any juice run-off.  Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until top crust is golden brown.

DEEP SOUTH BOURBON PECAN PIE

DEEP SOUTH BOURBON PECAN PIE

A family favorite in our circle is this wonderful Deep South Bourbon Pecan Pie.  Where this is certainly not a new recipe, it’s been one that has made its way to family gatherings on both sides of Lake Michigan, and always seems to be enjoyed.  My hope is that as you gather yours around you during the holiday season you’ll be interested in trying it as well. 

Not so long ago, this little pie became a staple for Thanksgiving in my family.  In fact, it was the first pie that I brought to my very first Thanksgiving after moving to Chicago in 2000.  It’s seen plenty of mileage on it, and can possibly be said to be a nearly fool-proof way to get to invite back to anyone’s home for another visit that includes a meal and good company.

Pecan pie can be somewhat problematic, despite it seeming relatively easy to throw together, and it’s equally simplistic components.  This pie is a great one if you’re interested in capturing some true essence and flavor of The South, and without all the handwringing on whether the filling will set completely.  It’s a fantastic end to any meal and pairs well with just about anything and is a fantastic colder weather flavor.

DEEP SOUTH BOURBON PECAN PIE:

·         1 (9-inch) Deep-Dish Pie Shell, Unbaked

·         1 Cup Brown Sugar

·         ¼ tsp. Cinnamon

·         ¼ tsp. Cloves

·         3 Tbs.  Butter, Melted

·         1/2 Cup Dark Corn Syrup

·         3 Large Eggs, Beaten

·         2 1/2 Cups Pecan Halves, Crushed

·         2 Tbs. Bourbon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and melted butter.  Add the corn syrup, eggs, pecans, and bourbon, and stir until all ingredients are combined.

Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell, and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet.   Bake for 10 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees , and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

**Garnish Options:  To create a nice, finished look to this pie, consider finishing the pie top with 2 cups of pecan halves to decorate the outer edge of the pie shell, and adding a star in the center.  Another option is to use seasonal cookie cutters to cut additional shapes out of pie pastry dough like that pictured above.

"BIG FITZ" STEAK & ALE PIE

"BIG FITZ” STEAK & ALE PIE

When I found this recipe earlier this fall, I knew it was definitely a heartier pie, perfect for cooler weather, like November.  As irony would have it, when I was considering which ale to use, I was reminded of The Great Lakes Brewing Company, which has a fantastic porter, named after…you guessed it…”The Edmund Fitzgerald.”  The choice was obvious.

Growing up in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest, many of us may be familiar with stories of the great many shipwrecks that have taken place over the last several hundred years on Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.  As I write this posting, we’re into early November, and no shipwreck stands out further in my mind that that of the “Edmund Fitzgerald.”

For those who are passingly or unfamiliar with this story either courtesy of the song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, by Gordon Lightfoot, let me elaborate a bit more for you with some details:

The “Edmund Fitzgerald” (“Big Fitz” or “Mighty Fitz”), was an iron ore ship owned by the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Weighing in at 729 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 38 feet tall, “Big Fitz” lived up to its name.  The ship was launched on June 8, 1958, and predominantly served as a working cargo ship transferring taconite iron ore pellets from mines near Duluth, Minnesota to Great Lakes ports in Detroit, Toledo, etc. 

“The Fitz” left port in Superior, Wisconsin on November 9, 1975 for Detroit, Michigan with a cargo of 26, 116 tons of iron ore pellets, and a crew of 29.  During the evening hours of November 10^th, the ship ran into severe winter weather conditions on its route through Lake Superior.  Experiencing hurricane force winds and waves up to 35 feet high, “Edmund Fitzgerald” continued on course, in the hopes of making White Fish Bay to safety.  Shortly before 7:10pm, the “Edmund Fitzgerald” disappeared from radar, sinking 17 miles from their port of safety, taking all 29 crew members with her.

There are countless theories, books, and websites dedicated to “Edmund Fitzgerald” and its tragic sinking.  Investigations have taken place over many years to gain better understanding on what caused the disaster, and the final resting place of the ship is a protected site by both the US and Canada.  The wreck was visited on July 4, 1995, and the original ship’s bell removed from the site, replaced with a replica inscribed with the names of the captain and crew members.  The bell is on display at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historic Society Museum.  A memorial service is held yearly at The Mariner’s Church in Detroit, where the names of those who perished are read, accompanied by the ringing of the bell in remembrance of each individual.

From a personal perspective, I’d grown up hearing stories of “The Fitz”, but knew it only as a part of Great Lakes history.  The summer before my sophomore year in high school, my family took a trip to see a performance of the play “Ten November”, by Steven Dietz.  The show would have a very profound effect on me, particularly several months later when I worked on a production of the same show at my high school.  The story became much more real, and the legend part of me.

On a final and personal note, I’d like to take a brief moment to remember the 29 men who served as the crew of the “Edmund Fitzgerald.”  In particular, I pause to pay tribute to 43 year old Allen G. Kalmon, Second Cook.

“….The Legend Lives on…”

“BIG FITZ” STEAK & ALE PIE:

CRUST:

·         2 Packages of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, Thawed

FILLING:

·         3 Tbs. Flour

·         Salt and Black Pepper

·         1 ½ Lbs. Beef Stew Meat, Cut Into ¾ Inch Pieces

·         3 Tbs. Vegetable Oil

·         1 Large Onion, Chopped

·         1 tsp. Minced Garlic

·         2/3 Cup Beef Stock

·         2/3 Cup Great Lakes Brewing Company – “Edmund Fitzgerald” Porter Ale

·         1 Bay Leaf

·         ½ tsp. Thyme

·         1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce

·         1 Tbs. Tomato Paste

DIRECTIONS:

Season the flour with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss the beef in the flour, shaking off any excess.  Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a skillet, browning the beef in batches over high heat until browned on all sites.  Remove beef and set aside.

Add remaining, 1 Tbs. of oil to skillet and fry the onion over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the stock, ale, bay leaf, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and browned beef.  Bring mixture to a boil, scraping up any brown pieces from the bottom.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender.

In a baking sprayed pie plate, lay the puff pastry in two pieces, allowing dough to drape over pie plate edges.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and vegetables to the pie dish.  Reserve 2/3 cup of the gravy from the skillet, and pour the rest over the meat mixture.  Allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll our remaining pieces of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.  Cut strips of dough, roughly 5/8 inch wide, and weave in a lattice pattern over the top of the cooled filling, the strip edges falling over the edge of the pie plate.  Trim pastry around the edge of the pie plate, and roll crust edge towards middle of the pie, sealing the edges.

Bake for 25 minutes until puffed and golden.  Serve hot pie with any remaining re-heated gravy.

BANANA TOFFEE "BANOFFEE" PIE

BANANA TOFFEE “BANOFFEE” PIE:

Recently, some good friends of mine from Minnesota, suggested a pie that I was familiar with, but hadn’t given thought of trying due to the filling content:  Banana Toffee.  I was intrigued, so I figured I had to give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised at not only how easily it went together, but more so, that the flavor combination of banana and caramelize toffee wasn’t all that terrible.  In fact, it was pretty delicious.

Naturally, I had to do a little research on the origins of this particular pie, and come to find out this crazy flavor combination is courtesy of the British!  Credit for the pie's invention is claimed by Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie, the chef and owner respectively at The Hungry Monk restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex. The claim to have developed the dessert in 1972, having been inspired by an American dish known as "Blum's Coffee Toffee Pie", which consisted of smooth toffee topped with coffee-flavored whipped cream.

BANANA TOFFEE “BANOFFEE” PIE:

CRUST:

·         2 Cups Nilla Wafers, Crushed

·         1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

·         7 Tbs. Butter, Melted

FILLING:

·         7 Tbs. Butter

·         ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar

·         1 Can Condensed Milk

TOPPING:

·         4 Small Bananas, Sliced

·         2 ½ Pints Heavy Whipping Cream

·         2 Tbs. Powdered Sugar

·         Heath English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, crush Nilla Wafer cookies into crumbs.  Remove to a mixing bowl and blend brown sugar with crumbs.  Mix in melted butter until crumbs are thoroughly coated.  In a baking sprayed pie plate or tart pan with removable bottom,  pour crumb mixture and press evenly against side and bottom of plate.   Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter and sugar over a low heat, stirring all the time until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil for about a minute, stirring until a thick golden caramel forms.  Spread the caramel into your crust chill in the freezer for about 1 hour, until firm or until ready to serve.

Remove your pie from the freezer.  Slice two of your bananas into thin slices and arrange in a circular pattern on the top of the toffee later. 

In a mixing bowl, begin whipping your heavy whipping cream.  Slice the remaining bananas and fold half of them into the softly whipped cream.  Spoon whipped topping over the sliced banana covered toffee layer.  Garnish with remaining banana slices and Heath English Toffee pieces.

PORK AND APPLE EN CROUTE

PORK AND APPLE EN CROUTE:

I admit it.  I love historical cooking.  Even more so, when I have recipes, concepts, or techniques that have been passed down or shared amongst friends.  A very good friend and fellow historical cooking enthusiast introduced me to a wonderful method dating back to the early 1500’s.  Though refined over time, the “en croute” method, or baking of a meat filling in a full pastry shell, is still as popular as ever. 

For those who are either unfamiliar with, haven’t had, or perhaps have but don’t remember a dish of the “en croute” style, it’s fairly simple.  The term "en croute" indicates a food that has been wrapped in pastry dough and then baked in the oven.  Salmon en croute and Beef Wellington are often the most common entrée recipes.  Your pastry can be either very light and flakey for recipes with lighter filling, or with more flour and shortening, a slightly heavier dough is perfect for a meat filled pie.

I recently tried this delicious variation on a English Victorian picnic staple, courtesy of the book PIES:  Sweet and Savory, by author and chef, Caroline Bretherton.  This is perfect hot or cold, and travels well as well as refrigerates well for about 3-4 days.

PORK AND APPLE EN CROUTE:

FOR DOUGH:

·         2 1/3 Cup Flour

·         1 ½ Cups Shortening or Lard

·         1 tsp. Salt

FOR FILLING:

·         1 Tbs. Olive Oil

·         1 Onion, Finely Chopped

·         3 ½ Oz. Pancetta or Proscuitto, Finely Chopped

·         1 ½ Lbs. Ground Pork

·         3 Sweet Apples, Peeled, Cored, and Grated

·         2 Tbs. of Apple Juice (or cider)

·         ¼ tsp. Nutmeg

·         1 Tbs. Sage

·         Salt and Pepper

FOR EGG WASH:

·         1 Egg Yolk, Beaten

·         1 Tbs. Cold Water

DIRECTIONS:

FOR DOUGH:

To make the dough, mix your flour shortening (or lard), and salt until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Add 6 Tbs. cold water, a little at a time, and bring together into a ball.  Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

FOR THE FILLING:

Heat olive oil in a skillet and fry the onion and pancetta (or proscuitto) for 5 minutes, until soft but not fully brown.  Set aside to cool.  Mix the pork, apples, apple juice, nutmeg, and spices together in a large bowl well by hand.  Mix in cooled onion mixture by hand.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Split the dough ball in half.  Roll out one ball of the dough on a well-floured surface into a large circle, about ¼ inch thick, and use it to line a baking sprayed 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Make sure to overlap your edges.  Trim all but ½ inch of the overhanging dough.  Use your fingers to push the dough down into the corners of the pan.

Pile the filling into the tart crust, pressing it down firmly.  Roll out the remaining piece of dough to make a circle large enough to cover the filling.  Brush the edges with a little of the egg mixture, placing the top on the pie, and press down firmly to seal.  Crimp the edges by rolling the edges under towards the center.  Brush the top with the remaining egg and poke two holes in the top of the pie to vent.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until golden brown.  Set the pie aside to cool fully.  Before serving, carefully push the bottom of the tart pan upward to remove the pie from the pan.  Serve with the tart pan bottom underneath to help stabilize when cutting.  This pie can be stored well wrapped in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.