Chocolate Chess Pie...

There are many pies that I would call my favorite; nevertheless, there is just not enough space in the bloggersphere to give my complete list here. But one pie that has gone the way of the old Southern culture, like RC Cola and a moon pie, is the Chess Pie. A particularly sugary pie characteristic of a filling composed of eggs, butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Somehow the chess pie has not really become a darling of our new nouveau foodies and made trendy.

That's all for the best, really. Chess pie isn't supposed to be trendy. It's supposed to remind us of grandmother's house, taking us back to a simpler world with a simple dessert. I know that every time I have a slice, a pure satisfaction comes over me as I slowly eat my way through the buttery custard and crust,while remembering wonderful childhood memories.

But we all know those times have changed. And even our palettes have changed. So, below I offer a makeover of this southern classic. This recipe has long been a family favorite. And with its rich, gooey filling, this pie is a choco-holic's dream!



Chocolate Chess Pie

Ingredients:
Butter Pie Crust (see below)
~ Or pastry for a single-crust pie
2 cups sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup milk
½ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Butter Pie Crust; set aside.

For filling, in a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornmeal, flour, and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into sugar mixture until smooth. Stir in pecans.

Pour filling into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake about 1 hour or until filling is set and crust is golden. If crust begins to brown too fast, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F and cover edge of crust with foil. Cool pie on a wire rack. (Filling will fall slightly during cooling.) Chill within 2 hours. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

Serves 8 to 10
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Butter Pie Crust

Ingredients:
½ cup salted butter
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
1 cup flour (unsifted)

Mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl with a spoon. Do not cream! Place the butter and sugar combination on a flat surface and add half a cup of the flour and lightly mix to combine the ingredients. Add the other half of the flour and knead just until a dough begins to form. Do not roll out the dough.

Press the dough into a glass pie dish (you can use metal, but glass performs so much better and cooks more evenly) using your knuckles, so the dough doesn't stick as much. Place in the refrigerator until ready to pour in your pie filling and bake.

Makes one single crust

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George’s notes:

• No one is really sure where the name comes from, but there are some neat theories about it. But here in "The History of Chess Pie" many ideas have been outlined.
• The pie seems to have no relation to the game of chess, which has led to much speculation as to the origin of this term. Some theorize that the name of the pie traces back to its ancestral England, where the dessert perhaps evolved from a similar cheese tart, in which the archaic "cheese" was used to describe pies of the same consistency even without that particular ingredient present in the recipe.
• There is also a theory that the word "chess" pie comes from the piece of furniture that was common in the early South called a pie chest or pie safe. Chess pie may have been called chest pie at first because it held up well in the pie chest.

I want to thank everyone for your thoughtful comments & prayers for my mother. Her surgery was very successful and she is doing extremely well. Mom is a fighter and a difficult individual to keep down, so she will be back on her feet in no time.

Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and know that she truly appreciates each & everyone of you for your kindness. I am still in Florida, but will post when I can. ~ George

Christmas Mincemeat and more...

Mincemeat has been my favorite holiday pie since I was a little boy. Especially when it is made from an old-fashioned mincemeat recipe ~ not the bottled version purchased at your local store. The flavor is sort of like a Middle Eastern mixture of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. There's a definite meaty taste, which I really like, with an ever-so-slight sweet flavor.

You might have noticed that I am a bit of an Anglophile when it comes to cooking. I love the various traditions and legends practiced in England. One legend goes, when mincemeat is made in an English kitchen, all the family takes turns in stirring and making a secret wish. The mixture is always stirred clockwise, the direction in which the sun is assumed to proceed around an earth at the center of the universe. To stir in a counter-clockwise direction is to ask for trouble in the coming year!

So I usually make a couple of batches of my Christmas mincemeat and use it for pies and give jars to family & friends. Hoping they will make a Christmas Mince Pie filled with this delicious homemade mincemeat. Christmas mincemeat is not, as the name suggests ~ meat, if you look at the Christmas Mincemeat recipe you will see it is sugar, fruits both fresh and dried, Brandy and suet.

The recipe below is remarkably easy to make and homemade mincemeat is such a treat it is worth doing. Make your mincemeat ahead of time to give it time to mature but don't worry if you are last-minute, it still tastes good.


Christmas Mincemeat

Ingredients:
1¾ cups dried currants
1¼ cups brown sugar
1½ cups apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1¼ cups golden raisins
1¼ cups raisins
⅔ cup mixed peel of lime & orange, chopped
1¼ cups cold suet, shredded
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Lemons, grated zest and juice
⅔ cup Brandy

In a large baking bowl combine all the ingredients except the brandy. Stir really well making sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight.

Next day, heat the oven to 225 degree F. Remove the tea towel and cover the bowl with foil and place in the warmed oven for 2½ hours. The suet will have melted but don't worry; this is how it should be as the fat is what will help to preserve the mincemeat. Stir well and leave to one side to cool, stirring from time to time.

Once cool stir the mincemeat again, add the brandy and stir again.
Fill sterilized jars with the cold mincemeat, cover a lid. The mincemeat will keep up to one year in a cool, dark place.

Makes 3 – 16 ounce jars

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Old-Fashioned Christmas Mincemeat Pie

Ingredients:
Pastry for 9-inch two crust pie
~ see my basic pie crust recipe below
1 quart prepared mincemeat, recipe above
~ 1 (28-ounce) jar prepared mincemeat pie filling may be substituted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pie crust.
Spoon prepared mincemeat into crust-lined plate. Cover with remaining crust and flute. Cut slits in crust so steam can escape. Cover edge with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake pie 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and filling bubbles. Remove aluminum foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8

* I usually will do a lattice crust on top. Instructions below.
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Basic Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2⅔ cups all purposed flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off button, cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Beat egg and 3 tablespoons water in small bowl to blend. Add egg to flour mixture.

Process until moist crumbs form, adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if dough is dry. On a light floured service, divide dough into 2 balls.

Flatten balls into disk and chill for 1 hour.
Let dough soften to room temperature before rolling.

To make a lattice top:

Before starting the lattice top, roll out half of your pie dough and line your pie dish with it. The dough should extend beyond the rim of the pie dish by about half an inch. Put it in the refrigerator to chill while you work on the lattice. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half of your pie dough to the same extent as the first half (about 3 inches beyond the diameter of your pie dish). It's easier to work with the dough if it is chilled, so if it the dough has softened too much, put the rolled-out piece on a flat cookie sheet and chill it in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

Cut the dough into even strips, ½-inch to ¾-inch wide, depending on how thick you want your lattice strips. You can use a blunt knife with or without a ruler or straight edge to guide you, or you can use a pizza wheel or a pastry wheel if you have one.

Fill your pie shell with the pie filling. Lay out 4 to 7 parallel strips of the pie dough, depending on how thick your strips are, on top of the filling, with about ½-inch to ¾-inch space between them. Fold back every other strip.

Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips as shown. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip.

Now take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip, as shown. Lay down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip, with some space between the strips. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip.

Continue this process until the weave is complete over the top of the pie.

Trim the edges of the strips flush with the dough of the underlying pie dish, which should be about half an inch over the sides. Fold back the rim of the shell over the edge of the lattice strips, and crimp to secure.

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George’s notes:

• Mincemeat developed as a way of preserving meat without salting or smoking some 500 years ago in England, where mince pies are still considered an essential accompaniment to holiday dinners just like the traditional plum pudding. This pie is a remnant of a medieval tradition of spiced meat dishes, usually minced mutton, that have survived because of its association with Christmas. This pies have also been known as Christmas Pies. Mince pie as part of the Christmas table had long been an English custom.
• Today, we are accustomed to eating mince pie as a dessert, but actually "minced" pie and its follow-up "mincemeat pie" began as a main course dish with with more meat than fruit (a mixture of meat, dried fruits, and spices). As fruits and spices became more plentiful in the 17th century, the spiciness of the pies increased accordingly.

Cranberry Sauce & more...

It really doesn't matter if you're in the hills of Alabama, the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado or near the bay at Plymouth Rock; it isn't Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. If you've never made cranberry sauce from scratch, you're missing out on one of the simplest ways to add something special to your Thanksgiving dinner.

When I was growing up in Georgia in the early sixties, fresh cranberries were largely unknown. Cranberries are grown in New England ~ or places that have regular rainfall, a high water table, and four distinct seasons that can be relied upon; conditions that just don't always exist in Georgia.

You couldn’t find fresh cranberries in the supermarket produce section back then, either. Perishable fruits and vegetables were not so widely distributed then, as they are now. But, we always had our cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, thanks to Ocean Spray.

One of the earliest Thanksgiving dinner tasks assigned to me by my mother was to open a few cans of jellied cranberry sauce, slice it, and put it on the table. I loved that job! I'd put a hole in one end of the can with the can opener and open the other end. The ‘sauce’ would slowly slide out in a crimson column, making that lovely vacuum sound. To this day, I still like canned cranberry sauce, but now that we can all buy cranberries that only days before were floating in a cranberry bog, we can be more creative and enjoy the tangy freshness and texture of fresh cranberries.

So, if you have been searching for cranberry ideas for this year's holiday meal, perhaps some of the recipes here will send you packing to the produce section. There you will find all the fresh cranberries you need, all neatly done up in plastic bags. ~ Just remember that it wasn't always that easy, back in Georgia in the early sixties.

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This recipe marries tangy cranberries with the flavors of orange, ginger, and cinnamon.

Mom's Orange-Cranberry Relish

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh gingerroot, minced
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup apple cider
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest

In a 2-quart saucepan, place the fresh and dried cranberries, cinnamon, gingerroot, brown sugar, cider, and orange zest. Stir and simmer over low heat until cranberries pop - about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To serve, transfer to a serving bowl.

Makes 2 to 3 cups

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The next recipe is a delicious chutney. You may find yourself eating it directly from the refrigerator, if you're lucky enough to have any left over.

Caroline's Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients:
6 cups fresh cranberries
1 ½ cups raisins
½ cup water
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup apple juice concentrate
2 cups sugar

1 cup sweet onions, chopped
¾ cup celery, sliced
2 cups tart apples, peeled and chopped

In a heavy Dutch oven, combine the cranberries, raisins and water. Cook over medium-high heat until berries pop. Add vinegar, allspice, cloves cinnamon, ginger root, cayenne, apple juice and sugar; cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the onion, celery and apples. Bring to boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Let chutney cool and thicken before serving.

Makes 5 to 6 cups

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The traditional Thanksgiving meal demands at least one kind of pie for dessert, at least for my family. It's usually brought by a popular aunt, family friend or in-law.

Aunt Esther's Cranberry Pie

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh cranberries, washed and sorted
1 cup raisins (golden raisins make a prettier filling)
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup Water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie

Preheat oven to 450 degree F.
In a large, heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients except for vanilla and butter, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to low-to-medium and, stirring frequently, gently boil the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour filling into an unbaked, pastry-lined 9-inch pie shell, and dot with butter.

Make a lattice top with the remaining pastry dough, and crimp edges.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 35 minutes more or until golden brown.

Serves 6

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George’s notes:
* Did you know that at the end of the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever” from the Magical Mystery Tour album, John Lennon mutters “cranberry sauce.” There was no intended meaning to this; it was just supposed to add to the surreal feeling of the song.
* Cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America and ripen from September through November, lending them well to holiday recipes.
* If you are in the mood for a more traditional pie, check out my post for Cranberry-Apple Pie.

Cranberry-Apple Pie, a touch of color and tartness…

Who can resist a freshly baked pie? Earlier this week I made a pie that combines two classic autumn flavors: cranberries and apples. This is a delicious twist to the traditional apple pie! The touch of color and tartness sets this pie apart from the classic apple pie standby.

The end result is a wonderful dessert worthy of any friends and family get together. Enjoy!

Cranberry-Apple Pie

Ingredients:
Basic Pie Crust - below

Filling:
6 large Golden Delicious apples, cored, peeled and cut slices
1 cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
1½ tablespoons orange zest
1¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
With prepared dough, line a 9-inch pie pan with one round and refrigerate both pan and second round until ready to fill.

In a large bowl, combine the apple slices, cranberries, orange zest, sugar, flour and salt; toss until well mixed. In a small bowl, beat egg and milk together to use as a wash for the crust.

Remove the crust from refrigerator and fill with filling. Brush the edges with the egg wash and cover with the second round, lightly pressing the edges together. Trim any overhang and crumb decoratively to seal. Brush the top crust with egg wash, avoiding the decorative edge (it tends to brown more quickly).

Make 3 slashes in the top to vent. Place pie pan on the middle shelve of the preheated oven and place a large baking sheet on the bottom serve to catch any drippings.

Bake for 1 hour, or until crust is golden brown. Cover pie with a loose piece of foil the last 10 to 15 minutes to avoid over browning. Cool pie on a wire rack for 25minutes before cutting.
Serve warm.

Makes 1 nine-inch pie

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Basic Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup very cold unsalted butter, cut up
4½ tablespoons ice water

Directions
In a bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the butter or shortening and work it through with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Using the tines of a fork, stir in the water 1 tablespoon at a time and work it in with your hands just until you have a smooth ball of dough. (Don't over-handle the dough.) Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place on a floured surface. If you're making 2 crusts, cut the dough in half and put the second half back in the refrigerator.

For each crust, roll out the dough on a floured surface into a circle about 14 inches in diameter and ⅛- inch thick. Gently fold the circle of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold it into a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp the edges, or pinch in a decorative border. Fill and bake as directed in the recipe.

Fresh Plum Galette...

I always regret that summer is gone, and all the warm sunny lazy days become shorter in time. But alas, even here in the southeast, fall brings coolness to the air and a heavy morning dew at first light. These conditions helps produce an abundance of wonderful fruits which makes this season transition very pleasurable. My local Farmers’ Market is full of fruit such as apples, pears, and plums - all begging to be baked into some delectable dessert.



One of my favorites is a Galette, a rustic looking French country dessert. Traditionally it is made with the fruits of the season. A Galette is a free-formed open pie of sorts, where you place a layer of fruit on the top of sweet pastry; which is then carefully folded over the fruit toward the center forming an open pocket. The assembled Galette is then placed in a hot oven and baked until the fruit is bubbly and the pastry has become slightly puffed, set, and the edges are nicely browned.

Fresh Plum Galette

Ingredients:
Gallette
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, chilled
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Plum Filling
6 medium ripe plums, pitted, sliced ⅛-inch
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Brandy flavored whipped cream

Preheat oven to 400° F.

To make Gallette:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Through the food tube gradually add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a wide bowl; using a fork, mix in the water until flour is moistened.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, turn out pastry and roll into 14-inch circle. Set a side.

To make filling:
In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, orange juice and orange peel.



Arrange sliced plums around top of pastry to form a 10-inch circle; working out to in. Sprinkle the top of the plums with the brown sugar mixture. Carefully fold the outer pastry over plum toward the center forming an open pocket shape.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until pastry is golden brown

Serve in wedges with a dollop of brandy cream.