Florida Pie

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbls arrowroot powder
1 1/2 cups orange juice
3 egg yolks
2 large oranges, or 6 clementines or tangerines
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 deep-dish, 9" pie crust, baked

Meringue:
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar

Grate the peel of an orange to get 1 Tbls of orange zest (only the very outer layer of the peel, no white pith). Then peel the oranges, discard the peel, seeds, and as much pith as possible, and puree the oranges and orange zest in a blender. Chop the butter into small cubes. In a bowl, combine the orange puree, butter, and lemon juice.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks until smooth. Place the egg whites somewhere warm.

In a large pot, stir together the arrowroot and sugar. Stir in the orange juice. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. 

Pour a small amount of hot filling into the egg yolks, stirring as you pour. Then pour the yolk mixture back into the pan, stirring constantly as you pour.

Remove from heat. Stir in the pureed orange mixture. Pour into pie crust.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Let cool in the fridge until completely chilled before serving. The longer it has time to chill, the more solid the filling becomes.

Almond Scones

3 cups almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbls honey or maple syrup
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Stir together the almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter as small as it will go, then stir in the honey/maple syrup and eggs, forming a soft, sticky dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Form small balls with the dough, then press them into disks on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Crusty Country Pasties

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat flour
6 Tbls. butter
1/4 cup cold water
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp ground mustard seed

Filling:
1/2 cup diced potato
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup chopped green beans
2 Tbls. oil
1 Tbls. flour
1 Tbls. butter
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable stock

Crust: Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, basil, and ground mustard. Cut in the butter until the flour is all moistened, but leave some larger chunks of butter. Stir in the water to make a soft dough. Press the dough together, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill while making the filling.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, sautee the vegetables with the oil for 3 minutes. Mix together the flour, rosemary, fennel, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, push the vegetables to one side, and melt the butter on the other side. When it is melted, stir the flour mixture into the butter, then stir everything together. Add the vegetable stock and keep stirring as a gravy forms. Then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Divide the crust dough into 4 parts. Roll each section into a thin circle. Get the outline of the circles wet with water or beaten egg. Put 1/2 cup of filling onto each crust piece, and fold the crust over the filling, pinching together the edges to seal it closed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pasties on without touching each other. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crusts are golden brown.

Pety Pernauntes

Period: England, 1300s-1400s
Sources: Medieval Cookery

Crust:
1 cup semola flour
1 Tbls. sugar
1 tiny pinch of saffron
1/8 tsp. salt
6 Tbls. butter
1/4 cup water

Filling:
6 egg yolks
1 Tbls. water
1/2 tsp. gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 cup minced dates
1/4 cup minced raisins, dried currant berries, or similar

For the crust: Stir together the flour, sugar, saffron, and salt. Cut in the butter until it creates moist crumbs, leaving some small chunks of butter. Stir in the water, forming a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge while making the filling.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Dissolve the gelatin in the water. Beat together the egg yolks, gelatin, sugar, and powdered ginger until the mixture is very light, as light as you can reasonably get it. Then stir in the dates and raisins.

Divide the crust dough into 12 pieces, 6 of them slightly smaller than the others. Roll the larger balls out into circles and line 6 cups in a mini tart pan. Put about 2 Tbls. of filling into each cup--there will be a little extra, so divide it evenly. Then roll the smaller balls of dough to make top crusts. Leave a little bit of space, if you can, between the filling and the top crust.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Blueberry Pie

1 double batch of pie crust dough
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tbls butter
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Prepare the bottom pie crust in the pie tin.

Stir together the sugar and arrowroot powder. Cut the butter into the mixture until it is no longer dry. Stir in the cinnamon and lemon juice, then gently stir in the blueberries, to coat them.

Pour the filling mixture into the pie tin.

Place remaining pie crust on top, seal and flute edges. Slit the top crust a few times for steam to escape. Or do a decorative top crust with holes in it.

Place a pie shield or strips of foil around edges before baking. Bake in 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until juices begin to bubble through slits, removing foil or shield at around 25 minutes into baking.

Cool completely before cutting.

(I did not have any foil when I made this, so you can see how the edges need protecting.)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbls. flour or corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, sugar, egg, flour/corn starch, vanilla extract, salt, and nutmeg, until smooth. Gently stir in the blueberries.

Pour into the pie crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Wheat Coconut Pie Crust

This is a very light, crisp, and flaky crust that holds together. Good for tarts, pasties, or any pie with a solid filling that can be eaten by hand.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
6 Tbls. coconut oil
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp. salt

The coconut oil must be solid for a proper pie crust. If it is melted/soft, it will make a crust that is very soft and doesn't hold form (still tastes good though).

Cut the coconut oil into the flour. If you use your hands, it will melt quite easily. Blend it so that some of it is melted in, and some of it is still in chunks. Dissolve the salt in the water, and stir that into the mixture, forming a very soft dough. Press the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic.

Chill for at least 10 minutes before rolling out into a crust. Be gentle, because the coconut oil is quite soft. Use a dusting of flour if necessary to prevent sticking.

To bake the crust alone, bake at 350 F for 27 minutes. Otherwise, follow pie recipe instructions.

Makes a single deep-dish pie crust.

Dark Mustard

2 tsp. horseradish powder
2 Tbls. mustard powder
2 Tbls. whole mustard seed
1/2 tsp. smoked salt
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbls. molasses
1 Tbls. balsamic vinegar

Coarsely grind the mustard seeds in a mortar with a pestle. Combine the horseradish, mustard powder and seeds, salt, and water, and stir thoroughly. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the molasses and balsamic vinegar. Let cure for a day before using.

This is a really strong mustard. For the sharpest, darkest mustard, use brown or black seeds. The mustard shown here used white seeds.

Fried Corn Cakes

The corn fries to a crunchy shell, with a soft interior.

1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbls honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (e.g. corn, beans, minced peppers)

Canola oil for frying

Stir together the corn meal, flour, sugar if using, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in the water and honey if using. It should be a thick, but smooth, batter. Stir in the chives and vegetables.

Heat like 1/2” of oil in a skillet over high heat, then turn the heat to medium when it gets hot. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the oil and press them down into patties. Cook on each side until golden brown. Place them on a cooking rack on top of a baking sheet to drain oil before serving. Eat plain as a snack, or add toppings like basically what you would put on a taco.

Blueberry Soup

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Combine the blueberries, water, sugar, and allspice in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. In small batches, blend the blueberry base with the yogurt in a blender, until the soup is completely smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch thin asparagus stalks
3 Tbls olive oil
1 1/2 Tbls grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbls lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Break off the woody ends of the asparagus by bending them towards the end until the end snaps off.

In a bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and toss to coat them with the oil. Add the other seasonings (minus the lemon juice) and toss to coat.

Place the asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until tender. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot.

Honey Cornbread & Muffins

1 cup corn meal

1 cup flour

1 Tbls baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the mixture. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, and milk. Add to the dry mixture and stir until just mixed, then stir in the honey. It is ok to have lumps, as they will continue to absorb moisture and dissolve.

Cornbread loaf: bake for 20 minutes in a greased 9" square or circular baking pan.

Muffins: Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide the batter into the cups. Bake for 15 minutes.

Corn Tortillas

1 cup masa harina (for more corn flavor & color, use 3/4 cup masa harina and 1/4 cup yellow or blue corn meal)
3/4 - 1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp salt

Stir together the flour and salt. Stir in 3/4 cup water to make a moist dough. Moist enough to stick together, dry enough to form a ball instead of sticky globs on your hands. knead it to make a smooth ball of dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap or a wet towel and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb its moisture. Knead in more flour or water if necessary after it has sat for a while. It should feel like playdough.

Preheat a frying pan over high heat, then turn it to medium.

Prepare a pressing folder by cutting open 3 edges of a plastic storage bag, or cutting a rectangle of baking parchment and folding in half into a square.

Form a small ball of dough, place on one half of the pressing folder, fold over the other half, and use a flat-bottomed plate to press the dough into a circle. Press the tortillas as thin as you can. Peel off the top half, flip the dough onto one hand and peel off the other half of the folder.

Cook them over medium heat until browned on each side.

I made them thicker than store tortillas and didn't try bending them, but I like the texture and flavor more that way.

Pickled Grapes

Makes 1 pint.

1/2 lb grapes (any type)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. black peppercorns
3/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. salt
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 grams (0.1 oz) dried orange peel (Probably 1 tsp.)
9 grams (0.3 oz) candied ginger (probably 1 Tbls.)

(Sorry for the awkward measurements. My orange peel and ginger are in chunks and I didn't want to cut them small enough to measure volume.)

Wash the grapes and remove stems. Put in a clean 1-pint jar.

Cook the rest of the ingredients over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Pour everything into the jar with the grapes. Set aside for about an hour to cool, then put the lid on and turn the jar upside-down to distribute the spices.

Store in fridge. They will take about 24 hrs to cure. They will keep for 4-5 days.

Semola Pie Crust

For a single crust.

6 Tbls butter
1 cup semola flour
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp salt

Cut the butter into the flour until it's crumbly and there's no dry powder.

Dissolve the salt into the water, then stir it into the flour and butter. Stir to make a soft dough.

Roll out on a piece of waxed paper. Use flour if necessary on top and bottom to prevent sticking. Roll to 1/8".

Use the waxed paper to flip the crust over into the pie tin. Trim the edges and fill in any holes, etc.

To bake the crust alone, bake at 350 F for 27 minutes. Otherwise, follow pie recipe instructions.

Lemon Sponge Pie

 

This pie has a light fluffy texture and a very subtle lemon flavor.

1 single batch pie crust
1 cup sugar
1 Tbls butter
2 Tbls flour or corn starch
3 large eggs (or 4 medium eggs)
1 cup milk
2 Tbls lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare the pie crust in a large tin and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, run the eggs under warm water to bring up their temperature. Heat a medium-sized metal or glass bowl with hot water.

In another medium bowl, cut the butter into the sugar and flour. Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. With a wire whisk, beat the egg yolks, milk, and lemon juice into the sugar mixture, until completely mixed and smooth.

Dry out the warm bowl and put in the egg whites. Beat with a machine beater until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the rest of the filling.

Pour into the pie crust. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes, until top is lightly golden and the filling is slightly jiggly. It will continue to solidify as it cools. Can be served warm or chilled.

Variations:
Use different fruit juices. Use concentrated juice for stronger flavor.
Try different pie crusts.
Add spices to the crust.

Brazilian Limeade

4 limes
4 cups cold water
1 12-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Wash the limes and peel two of them. Combine the lime and water in a blender. Blend for about 10 seconds.

Strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the pulp to extract all the juice.

Return the liquid to the blender and the sweetened condensed milk. Blend until creamy and frothy.

Add some ice and blend again until cold. You can add more water to taste if it is too strong for you.

Fried Chicken

Chicken:
Needs to be thawed. Doesn't have to be room temperature, but can't be frozen.
Cut out any bones.
Cut or pound the meat so it is no more than 3/4" thick.

First dredge:
Flour and/or cornmeal.

Second dredge:
Buttermilk, or milk with some acid added. Generally vinegar, but you can amp the flavor by adding salsa, steak sauce, or whatever.

Third dredge:
Mostly bread crumbs. Panko for most crunch, but any kind will work.
Add lots of salt, pepper, and seasonings. (Red pepper flakes, Rosemary, onion powder, Garlic powder, cumin, what you want)

Frying:
I use plain canola oil. Type of oil doesn't necessarily matter as long as it can get hot.
Use at least 1/2" of oil.
Put it over high heat in a frying pan. Once it gets hot, turn the heat to medium to maintain heat.

Process:
Use tongs to handle everything.

First, coat the chicken piece with flour/cornmeal. Then dip it quickly into the milk. Then put it in the breadcrumb mixture, coat it & press the crumbs onto it.

Put the chicken directly into the hot oil. Let it fry, without moving it, for several minutes until the bottom is deep golden brown. Then flip it and fry the other side the same.

Don't have more than 2 or 3 pieces frying at a time so they have space & a more stable temperature.

When you take out the chicken, put the pieces on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet. Extra oil will drip off, and the chicken will cool without getting soggy.

Peppermint Peach Punch

2 cups water
2 mint teabags
1 Tbls ginger root
1/2 cup sugar
3 large peaches
1 Tbls lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 liters sparkling water

Boil 2 cups water. Remove from heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 10 minutes.

Chop the peaches and ginger root, removing peach pits. Combine all ingredients except the sparkling water, and let sit for 10 minutes. Liquefy the mixture in blender, then strain out the solids, which will basically only be bits of peach skin. Return the mixture to heat, and heat it to boiling point. Remove from heat and chill thoroughly. To serve, mix it with 2 liters of sparkling water. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and frozen peach chunks.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

3 Tbls butter
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 Tbls salt
.6 oz fresh yeast or 2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 cup room temp water or milk
1 egg
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour

Filling:
Softened butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Optional: dried fruit, chopped nuts, shredded apple, shredded coconut, other spices, etc.

Directions for stand mixer. You can mix by hand if desired.

Stir together the hot water, butter, sugar, and salt in the stand mixer bowl. Mix in 1 cup of flour with the dough hook on medium speed. Mix in the yeast and lukewarm water/milk. Mix in the egg. Mix in the rest of the flour one cup at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it. It will most likely only need a tiny bit of flour and not very much kneading to get it smooth and buoyant. Coat the outside of the ball of dough with water or oil, cover with plastic wrap or a lightweight cloth, and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled.

Roll out the dough out into a large rectangle, no thinner than 1/2". Spread the entire surface with soft butter, then sprinkle liberally with brown sugar, cinnamon, and other desired fillings.

Roll up the dough longways into a log. Cut it into 12 pieces and place them in a greased 9"×13" pan. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes or until large.

Preheat oven to 475° f. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° f and bake another 5-7 minutes to brown them.

Cover them with your favorite glaze, icing, or cream cheese frosting. I like to put it on while the rolls are still hot in the pan so the frosting melts into them.