Festive Plum Tart with Walnut Crust

This recipe came from a favorite of mine, Ina Garten otherwise known as the Barefoot Contessa."  I adapted it a little but for the most part it is as she published it on The Food Network.  It is sweet and tart and delicious! 

Ingredients for Plum Tart with Walnut Crust:

2 C. flour
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
pinch of kosher salt
3/4 C. finely chopped English Walnuts
1 1/2 sticks cold butter cut in dice size pieces
1 egg yolk
2 pounds (about 10-12) plums pitted and quartered
Ina used Italian prune plumbs I used red plums

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and cut the butter and egg yolk in with a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or your fingers until combined and has pea sized lumps! 

Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a tart pan with a removable bottom.  Arrange the plums skin side down starting on the outside and working your way into the center.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumbs spreading them evenly across the top of the tart. Bake 40-50 minutes until lightly browned and the fruit is tender.

Serve with whipped cream and enjoy warm or at room temperature.   Yield 1, 9 1/2" tart.

Little Pies, Pecan and Cherry

I could not sleep Saturday/Sunday night so at 3:30 AM I just got up and got busy making what my husband had requested for Sunday Dinner, individual desert pies.  Little ones 3-4" across the top. 

The recipes are all here just use the finder box should you want them.  I was just having fun messing around!  The tin foil pie pans were handy so I just got after it and in no times I was taking out 6 little pies.  Three each pecan and cherry! Yum!

We have been so very busy lately it was really just plain fun to make these and they were delicious! They just hit the spot with our son Mike and granddaughters Emily and Kate!  Felt good doing for fun rather than because I could or should!

Actually one top crust will make two small pie shells and a recipe for filling for an 8" pie will fill three little pans!  So go have some fun should you be so inclined!

Triple Chocolate Brownie Feast, Eat Half Now and Freeze Half for Later

Eating brownies or making sundaes, both hit the chocolate spot!

Today I decided to get up and bake brownies and to serve them as the base for brownie ice cream sundaes for dessert Sunday evening.  I think that sounds just about right after the spaghetti and meatball supper I am planning!  This recipe makes two 9" x 13" pans so I am freezing the second pan for another day.  This is a recipe adapted from Ree Drummond's TV program, The Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients for Triple Chocolate Brownies:

1 pound butter (4 sticks) plus 2 T. for the pans
10 ounces dark unsweetened chocolate (2 1/2, 4 ounce packages)
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa
6 large eggs
2 T. vanilla
4 C. sugar
2 1/2 C. flour
1 1/2 C. semi sweet chocolate pieces

Easy lift out and storage for freezing the second pan after baking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two 9" x 13" pans with foil then butter generously and set them aside.

Melting butter and chocolate, divine.

Use a medium large heavy bottom pan to melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat. 

I measure cocoa over a paper plate.

Stir until smooth then add the cocoa and stir again until smooth.  Remove from the heat and cool for five minutes.

This recipe was made very simply with a pan and a spoon.

Add the sugar and the vanilla and stir together well.  Beat in the eggs all at once.  Fold in the flour until combines then add the chocolate chips and blend. 

Three chocolates are better than one.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.  Test with a toothpick.  The toothpick can be damp but should not have batter clinging to it.  Bake 5 more minutes if needed,

Glistening and ready to bake.

Cool completely.  Lift foil with the brownies out and place on a cutting board.  Slice into squares using a large knife.  I double wrapped the second pan and froze for another day.

For sundaes place a dip of your favorite ice cream atop a brownie, top with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and maybe a cherry or sprinkles!

My theory is chocolate makes everything better!

Watermelon Pops

Summer is here in Indiana and the watermelons are sweet.  This is the second one we have had and both were as sweet and juicy as they can be!  Somewhere, and I can't remember where, I saw the melon cut in a grid and tried it.  The light bulb came on and "Why didn't I think of that?" flashed across my brain!  You get an "icicle" of a slice of watermelon and a nice little square of rind to hold on to!  Handy to pop into your mouth with little muss or fuss.

Just halve the melon.  Place half cut side down and slice across one way at 1 1/2 (or thereabouts) inch intervals.  Than repeat slicing the opposite direction.  AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!  Simple and ready to serve. 

If I am making it ahead of time I store in an extra large plastic bag with the rind ends all pointing out away from the center of the bag.  Easy as can be.

Easy Summer Desserts! Ice Cream Sandwiches and Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake with a Twist!

Easy 12 serving dessert!

While I am not going to bore you with another picture of our Smoked Baby Back Ribs I did think I would share my first ever "Dump Cake" and my made ahead Ice Cream Sandwiches desserts for this Memorial Day's cookout here at home!    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/08/brians-smoked-baby-back-ribs.html   is the link for the "how we do" the ribs.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2015/05/giant-sugar-cookies-easy-and-delicious.html    is the link for the cookie recipe.


TO MAKE THE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES:   I placed a cookie (these are huge) on the cutting board and sliced in half each 4-5" cookie and placed 2 small scoops of softened vanilla bean ice cream on one half.  Next I topped with the remaining half of the cookie and wrapped each dessert in plastic wrap then stored them all in a large freezer bad in the deep freeze to firm up!

9" x 13" dish of delicious!

Ingredients for the Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake:

1 boxed yellow cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1/3 C. brown sugar
1/4 C whole pecans
1 stick melted butter
whipped cream or ice cream

Butter generously a 8" X 13" pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Last step drizzle with melted butter and bake.

Spread the cherry pie filling on the bottom of the pan.  Top this with the crushed pineapple.  Next sprinkle first with brown sugar then with the cake mix.  Scatter with the pecans and drizzle with the melted butter.  Bake in the preheated oven 40 minutes or until done. 

Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of sweet cream or ice cream.  Delicious!  Yield 12 servings.

Black Raspberry Sauce Drizzle Over Cake or Make My Ice Cream Sundae

Warm gooey black raspberry sauce over vanilla bean ice cream for an Ice Cream Sunday.

The thought a an ice cream sundae caught me by surprise and of course set me on a course for a delectable sauce. Short of a hot fudge sauce a warm berry sauce was the one that set me on my path.  Luckily I have frozen berries put up in the deep freeze and it was a short task to defrost a pint of my favorite black raspberries.

Ingredients for Berry Sauce (Use any berries you like.)

1 pint frozen berries thawed
2-3 T. sugar
1/2 C. water
1 1/2 T. corn starch
pinch of salt
1 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla

Add the berries and sugar and salt to a heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to a medium boil.  Meanwhile  dissolve the cornstarch in the water.  Add the water mixture to the berry mixture stirring constantly until thickened.  Add the butter and vanilla and remove from the heat.  Stir well and serve drizzled over cakes, puddings, or ice cream. 

If using large berries you may crush them if you prefer.  Yield about 2 cups of berry sauce.  Refrigerate any unused sauce for later.

Pizza and Pies for Sunday Supper.

Late Sunday afternoon our middle son called and they were on their way here from Indianapolis where they had attended the High School's band contest.  He said they would be picking up pizza and heading over to treat us for Sunday supper!  Soooo.......I hurried up and baked two of their favorite pies for dessert!

Two sticks of butter cut into dice and frozen.

Beautiful and delicious pie pastry from the processor.

I keep two sticks of butter cut into dice and in my freezer for times like these.  It is a fast start to Food Processor French Pie Pastry! And, here is the link for this favorite recipe!     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/09/french-pie-pastry-in-food-processor.html

We ALL love Buttermilk Pie!

And we love Pumpkin pie too.

Then to mix up a Buttermilk pie filling and a Pumpkin pie filling and bake.  And here are these links for the fillings.     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2010/11/buttermilk-pie-my-oh-my.html    and     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/11/pumpkin-bourbon-pie.html     If you do not care for bourbon, just leave it out!

We have a great supper with lots of catching up and conversation, good food, and very little mess!

Persimmon Bread, Picking Wild Persimmons in the Woods of Southern Indiana

Wild Indiana Persimmons are usually about the size of an English
Walnut.

I remember at Grandma's house the lane that led from the barn lot to the "little woods" as my Dad's family called them. Just at the entrance there stood a tall and stately tree.  After the first hard freeze the walnut sized fruits on this tree would darken from their bright apricot color to a darker hue with a pinkish grey hue and become quite soft and sweet.  But if you dare to taste one prior to it's ripening your mouth would pucker with such severity you would NEVER forget the occasion!  Thus was my first taste of a persimmon one snowy day long ago.

They grow on Persimmon trees and are full of hard black seeds between the size of watermelon and pumpkin seeds.

We rode on a wooden wagon pulled by an old Ford tractor, one of several Grandpa had there on his farm.  Dad had driven all us kids out to pick the ripe persimmons.  We all stood much taller on the bed of that wagon and easily reached the soft fruit. After which my Grandmother baked the most delicious persimmon pudding topped with sweetened whipped cream. That was the day I fell in love with the wild persimmons of southern Indiana.

The recipe for her Persimmon Pudding is at this earlier link if you would like to see more about it.     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/12/old-fashioned-persimmon-pudding-my.html

Today I am making something new Persimmon Bread.  My husband's friend who had the trees from where these fruits came Saturday asked my to make him Persimmon Bread so I am testing recipes today!

I cannot think of another way to remove the seeds from the pulp than a food mill.

The first step after picking the fruits is to rinse them off and remove the stems or caps.  Next you need to run them through a food mill to remove the hard black seeds found in the pulp. 

I add the juice of a half of a fresh lemon to 3-4 cups of pulp.

I add the juice of half a lemon to about 3 cups of persimmon pulp.  Most recipes call for 1 or 2 cups of persimmon pulp for a recipe so I froze the pulp in 1 cup packages today.  I yielded 10 cups and tucked them away in the freezer from about 10 pounds of fruit.

I have seen persimmon pulp compared to apricots and honey.  They do sort of look that way!

This recipe is adapted from James Beard's Amazing Persimmon Bread Recipe found on davidlebovitz.com  and it is my first attempt at baking Persimmon Bread.

The loaf came out a dark glossy jewel like loaf.

Ingredients for my adaptation of James Beard's Amazing Persimmon Bread:

1 3/4 C. flour
3/4 t. kosher salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 C. sugar
1 stick (1/2 C.) cooled melted butter
2 large lightly beaten eggs
1/3 C. Kentucky bourbon (Cognac, bourbon, or whiskey will due)
1 C. persimmon pulp
1/8 t. Fiori Di Sicilia (intense citrus vanilla flavoring) You may substitute grated orange zest and vanilla)
1 C. pecans rough chop
1 C. golden raisins

Butter loaf pan and line with parchment paper or dust with flour.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir altogether well.

Spread into the prepared pan and bake 1 hour or until a skewer placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Yield 1 large loaf.

It is truly delicious!

Will keep well one week wrapped securely.  Persimmon bread also freezes well.

Quilt Number Three Starts Today, A Weekend Guest and a Cherry Pie in the Oven.

Starting inherited pieced quilt #3 .

Guess with the cooler weather and the leaves turning I have the "bug" to sew.  No sooner than I had the second quilt finished and on the bed to admire than the tape measure was in hand measuring number three for backing, 6 1/2' by 7 1/2'.   Again, this was pieced by three generations of my late first husband's family and recently given to me. 

This morning I caught up all of the mending as Brian was off on errands, rolled out pie pastry for a cherry pie, and mixed up the filling from the cherries the Saltzman's shared with us.  (I sure wish I had thought of making the cherry pie filling and freezing it in foil and plastic lined pie plates as I have done with the peaches and apples!)

Cherries frozen in the spring make a great pie filling now.

I love making the French Pie Pastry in the food processor.  It is the best ever, fast, and the dough handles beautifully.  I keep 2 sticks of butter dices up in the freezer just to make it up anytime!  Here are the links to my new favorite pastry and for making a fresh cherry pie.  I hope you are fortunate enough to make one real soon!    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/09/french-pie-pastry-in-food-processor.html       thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/05/fresh-cherry-pie.html

Four names with dates of birth are embroidered in one corner of this hand pieced quilt top.

At any rate I traced the names and have started embroidering them onto a corner of the "new" quilt top this morning.  This is fun too!  It will keep my occupied until I get to town to purchase fabric for the backing and a spool of yellow quilting thread I need to repair a quilt Brian's Grandma Ruby made.

It is good I am so easily entertained!

Monday Morning:  It was a lovely weekend and I managed to finish the embroidery as well as have a family dinner and a lot of fun.  I expect it may take me months to do this particular quilt as I plan to hand quilt it.  There are several other projects I plan to sprinkle in as I go to keep things interesting.

1-2-3 Banana Bread

Another 1-2-3 recipe! ONE yellow cake mix, TWO eggs, THREE ripe bananas, just beat together for  2-3 minutes with your electric mixer and pour into a buttered floured loaf pan. Then bake 45 - 50 minutes at 350 degrees F. until a skewer inserted into the center tests clean.  Cool on racks and store tightly wrapped.  If you like stir in a few chocolate chips or rough chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter just prior to baking but that is purely optional.

Yield one very quick and easy loaf of banana bread.

I saw this little recipe a few months ago and it stuck in my mind but I am sorry to say I cannot for the life of me remember where or exactly when.  But, it was too easy a little recipe to forget!

Apple Pie Filling to Freeze, Just POP the Pre-Formed Frozen Filling into a Pie Shell and Bake, TUTORIAL

One of 4 pot pie sized TEST PIES made today,  delicious!

As hoped, I felt great this morning and stood at the sink at 5:00 Am and peeled 10 pounds of the home grown apples from our friends the Linton's.  This yielded 7 pints of peeled and cored fresh apples to process.

NOTE:  10-1-2014,  THIS MORNING I PEELED ANOTHER BATCH OF APPLES AND HAVE 3 PREPARED PIE PANS WITH FOIL, PLASTIC WRAP, AND THIS DELICIOUS APPLE PIE FILLING COOLING IN THE KITCHEN FOR A TOTAL OF 5  THAT WILL BE IN MY FREEZER BY NOON TODAY.  I'M SMILING!

I don't mind to peel and core when the end result is pie filling frozen in disks for another day!

Here is the recipe I have adapted from the Ball Blue Book plus I am making a test pie to be sure this is worthy of my time. (There are 20 more pounds of apples in the downstairs refrigerator.)

Prepared apples in a ascorbic acid bath keeps them from turning brown.

Ingredients for Apple Pie Filling for the Freezer:

7 pints (14 C. ) peeled and  cored cooking apples
2 quarts clean water
8 t. ascorbic acid or fruit fresh
2 1/2 C. flour
1/4 C. + 2 T. flour
2 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
juice of 1 fresh lemon
pinch of salt
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Fruit Fresh.

Place the apples in a bath made of the water and ascorbic acid and you peel and slice them.  This will help retard browning of the fruit.  When this prep is complete  scoop the apples out by handfuls and measure into a very large soup kettle, best if it has a heavy bottom.   You should adjust the recipe based on the amount of apples you have and your preferences.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan of apples and stir together will.  Let stand for about 30 minutes for the juices to begin flowing and stir again.  Heat over medium heat stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.  The juices should thicken.  Reduce the heat to simmer and cook another 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let the filling cool for NOT to exceed 2 hours.

Add remaining ingredients.

Mix well and let sit 30 minutes for the juices to form.

Heat over medium flame and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes.

My method for freezing is to line a 8-9" pie plate with wide heavy duty foil, then place plastic wrap crossing 2 large pieces over the foil.  For this amount of apples I yielded enough to make 3 pies.

First line pie plates with wide heavy duty foil.

Next make a cross with two sheets of plastic wrap to line the indentation.

One I will bake now using the French Pie Pastry in the previous days post and freeze the other two amounts of filling.      thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/09/french-pie-pastry-in-food-processor.html    Actually I made 4 pot pie sized apple pies and a "Grandma Cookie" from the left over crusts using the pastry prepared yesterday.

For pot pie sized pies quarter one disk of pie crust.

Form each piece into a ball and flatten.

Line 4 pot pie tins and repeat with the second disk of crust to make top crusts.

Roll left over dough, spread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Roll up, seal ends and edges, make slits for Grandma's Cookie. Bake with pies.

Ladle filling into the 2 foil and plastic lined pie plates and fold the plastic wrap across the top to seal.

Ladle cool filling into prepared pie plates.

Gather first the plastic wrap all around snugly then the foil.

Place in the freezer until solid then label and store.

Fold the foil across the plastic wrap to seal again.  Place the pie plates with the foil, plastic wrap, and filling into the freezer.  Freeze until solid.  Remove the pie plates and label and date the frozen wrapped disks of filling.  Just unwrap the frozen filling and poop into a crust and bake when needed.  My suggestion for a double crust pie is at 375 degrees F. for 50-70 minutes.

4 Pot Pie sized apple pies.

For my trial pies I directly filled my bottom crust and then dotted with about 2-3 t. butter and added the top crust.  After fluting the edges I brushed with 1 egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of water and sprinkled with sugar.  Then I baked as above.  Note: I baked about 10 minutes less for the 4 smaller pies and the Grandma's Cookie.   AND BY THE WAY THEY ARE VERY GOOD.  YUMMY IN FACT.

One Grandma's Cookie.

Yield filling for 3, 8-9" pies or 2 fillings to freeze and a 9" pie or 4 pot pie sized pies and a Grandma's Cookie.

I also like home canned apple pie filling which admittedly is more work but here is the link, it is delicious and I often give it as a Christmas gift.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/11/canning-apple-pie-filling-my-revision.html