Pie Recipes, Please

With the Thanksgiving Holiday approaching I have been thinking about pies. I have grown more fond of pies since marrying Chris because he loves pie,

Also, watching the movie Waitress expanded my pie horizons, if there is an eating establishment like that out there I would like to know where it is.

For all of you pie bakers, or beginning pie bakers, please post your favorite pie recipes or those that you hope might become your favorite.

I am going to try my hand at this Chocolate Smore Pie.
















Ingredients

For crust

• 1 graham cracker crumb crust , baked and cooled completely

For chocolate cream filling

• 7 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not more than 70% cacao; not unsweetened), finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg, at room temperature for 30 minutes

For marshmallow topping

• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce package)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Vegetable oil for greasing

• Special equipment: a candy thermometer

Preparation

Make chocolate cream filling:
Make graham cracker crumb crust and reserve.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put chocolate in a large bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then pour hot cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Gently whisk in egg and a pinch of salt until combined and pour into graham cracker crumb crust (crust will be about half full).

Cover edge of pie with a pie shield or foil and bake until filling is softly set and trembles slightly in center when gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature on a rack (filling will firm as it cools), about 1 hour.

Make marshmallow topping:
Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water in a large deep heatproof bowl and let stand until softened, about 1 minute.

Stir together sugar, corn syrup, a pinch of salt, and remaining 1/4 cup water in cleaned 1- to 1 1/4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil until thermometer registers 260°F, about 6 minutes.

Begin beating water and gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium speed, then carefully pour in hot syrup in a slow stream, beating (avoid beaters and side of bowl). When all of syrup is added, increase speed to high and continue beating until mixture is tripled in volume and very thick, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined, then immediately spoon topping onto center of pie filling; it will slowly spread to cover top of pie. Chill, uncovered, 1 hour, then cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap (oiled side down) and chill 3 hours more.

Brown topping:
Preheat broiler.

Transfer pie to a baking sheet. Cover edge of pie with pie shield or foil and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, rotating pie as necessary, until marshmallow topping is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cool pie on a rack 10 minutes. Slice pie with a large heavy knife dipped in hot water and then dried with a towel before cutting each slice.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Smore-Pie-236387

Molten Chocolate Cakes

I have not had great success lately with the new entrees I have prepared, but I did try out this dessert this week and I love how quickly it came together. For some reason I always thought molten chocolate cakes were time intensive, but they are actually easier than making cookies.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
• Whipped Cream , for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
3. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
4. To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

From Great Food Fast, by Martha Stewart

Salmon over Lentils

I'm so glad people are posting recipes again! To continue this wonderful trend, I am posting one of my favorite salmon recipes. I have only recently discovered lentils and am excited to try them in new things through the winter months.

For mustard-herb butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For lentils
• 1 cup French green lentils
• 4 cups water
• 2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For salmon
• 4 (6-ounce) pieces skinless salmon fillet
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Make mustard-herb butter:
Stir together all ingredients with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Cook lentils:
Bring lentils, water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid, then drain lentils.

While lentils cook, chop leeks, then wash. Cook leeks in butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add lentils with reserved cooking liquid to leeks along with 3 tablespoons mustard-herb butter and cook, stirring, until lentils are heated through and butter is melted. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm, covered.

Sauté salmon while leeks cook:
Pat salmon dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total).
Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sauté salmon, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.

Serve salmon, topped with remaining mustard-herb butter, over lentils.

(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salmon-with-Lentils-and-Mustard-Herb-Butter-em-Saumon-aux-Lentilles-em-241768)

Chicken Noodle Soup

Joseph and I love this soup, Joseph requests it on a regular basis. Plus it is very easy and quick. And as it is now freezing in Philadelphia I will be making this more often.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)
3-4 carrots, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
2-3 cans chicken broth
1/2 bag of egg noodles
Italian seasonings

Directions:
Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and brown in the pot where you will make the soup with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and italian seasoning to taste. Remove from the pot and reserve on a plate. Add celery, onion, celery and chicken broth to the pot (you can do more or less broth depending on how brothy you like your soup, I like this with a little bit less broth and more noodles but it is up to you). Bring to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. Season the soup with salt, pepper and more italian seasoning to taste.

Meanwhile in another pot boil the egg noodles according to the package instructions. After the vegetables are tender add the noodles and chicken to the soup. Simmer for a few minutes until the chicken is warm.

Eat and enjoy.

Flourless Chocolate Torte

For all you chocolate lovers out there, this is a fabulous flourless torte. If you are in the mood for something very rich then try this. I made one of these for Chris' birthday a couple of weeks ago and I wondered why I had not made one in so long. This recipe calls for a heart shaped pan, which we happen to have, but any tart type pan with a removable bottom would work.

Ingredients:

• Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
• 15 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 18 Tbs. (2 1⁄4 sticks) unsalted butter,
  cut into small pieces
• 7 egg yolks
• 9 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1 1⁄2 Tbs. dark rum or brewed espresso (optional)
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 5 egg whites, at room temperature
• 3 cups raspberries
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 300ºF. Grease a heart cake pan and dust with cocoa powder.

In the top pan of a double boiler, combine the chocolate and butter. Set the top pan over but not touching barely simmering water in the bottom pan and melt, then whisk until well blended. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the egg yolks, 6 Tbs. of the granulated sugar, the dark rum, vanilla and salt on medium-high speed until pale and very thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually pour in the chocolate mixture and continue beating until well blended.

In a deep, clean bowl, using a mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining 3 Tbs. granulated sugar and continue to beat until medium-firm peaks form, about 2 minutes. Scoop half of the egg whites onto the chocolate mixture and fold them in gently. Fold in the remaining whites just until no streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake until the torte puffs slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out very moist but not liquid, about 40 minutes. Do not overcook. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes.

To remove the pan sides, set the pan on a can and let the sides slide down. Let the torte cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Just before serving, garnish the torte with the raspberries and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serves 12 to 14.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Dessert, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Simon & Schuster, 2002 ).

Baked Brie with Brown Sugar & Almonds

Yesterday I tried out my mom's recipe for a baked brie party appetizer for the first time ever and it turned out very well! (This is not a picture of it. I forgot to take a picture, but you get the idea).

So, for my first post on Les Cuisinieres I thought I would share it with you...

The recipe is pretty simple, yet it ends up looking like you slaved away in the kitchen all day. The only thing that was a bit tricky was finding a relatively inexpensive wheel of brie. Surprisingly, I found one at Whole Foods.

Ingredients:
1 large wheel of brie
Frozen phyllo dough sheets (usually in the freezer section in the grocery store)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter (melted)
Walnuts or Almonds

1. Thaw the phyllo dough in the freezer overnight. Or, you can microwave the dough for 30 seconds on each side and then let it sit out for 30 minutes. My mom forgot to mention the part about thawing the dough, so I had to improvise.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

3. Cover a 13 x 9 pan with foil. Roll out a few phyllo dough sheets and place them in the pan. Brush them with melted butter.

4. Place the round of brie on top of the phyllo dough and then wrap the sheets around the brie like a present, trying to make it look pretty. I wrapped the dough around the brie and then tucked the remaining pieces underneath. You can also create leaves out of the phyllo dough and place them on top of the brie, but I didn't try anything that tricky for my first attempt.

5. Brush more butter all over the dough that is wrapped around the brie. Then, sprinkle brown sugar and almonds on top. Don't let any brown sugar get on the tin foil or it will start burning and will make the oven smell (I found this out the hard way).

6. Bake the brie until it is browned, for approximately 20 minutes.

7. Serve the brie with crackers, pita chips, or bagel chips and enjoy!

Pasta with Walnut Sauce and Broccoli

This is another success that I stumbled across during my quest for healthier dinner recipes. And it's very fast- we had dinner on the table in less than thirty minutes from start to finish.

1 garlic clove (I would probably add more next time)

3/4 cup shelled walnuts

1 tablespoon bread crumbs

1/3 cup ricotta

2 tablespoons warm water

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus additional for sprinkling

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch broccoli raab, stems trimmed, or chopped broccoli

1 pound pasta

About 1/2 cup pasta cooking water (more as needed)

1. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, turn off and scrape down the bowl. Add the walnuts and bread crumbs, and process to a paste. Add the ricotta, 2 tablespoons warm water and Parmesan. Pulse until well blended. Add the olive oil, and process until smooth. Taste and add salt as desired. Transfer to a wide pasta bowl.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the broccoli raab or broccoli. Boil four to five minutes, until tender but still bright. Drain and chop broccoli raab medium-fine (regular broccoli need not be chopped). Set aside.

3. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta al dente, following the timing instructions on the package but checking a minute or two before the indicated cooking time. Before draining the pasta, add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to the ricotta mixture and stir until well blended. The sauce should have a creamy consistency (add more of the pasta water if necessary). Just before draining the pasta, add the broccoli raab or broccoli back into the pot with the pasta to heat, then drain. Toss at once with the sauce, and serve, passing Parmesan on the side.

(From NY Times Series: Recipes for Health: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/nutrition/29recipehealth.html?ref=health)