Sweet Cherry Pie and Flaky Crust

 What better way to ignore winter then to bake a bright, juicy cherry pie.  After the holidays and spiced everything, I like the idea of fresh flavors that bring me back to the summer.  Long days at the beach, sandy toes and salty waves seem so far away now that the winter has declared her presence. But for today, let's remember the sunshine and know that we are getting closer to those hot summer days.  

This pie is my dad's favorite and so this one is for him!

Let's start with the filling.  In season, I would buy fresh cherries and pit them, but since it's January, you should be able to find some great organic frozen, pitted cherries.  The only way to make this pie taste like it came from a package is if you buy that canned cherry pie filling.  Please. Don't do that. You deserve better! 

Cherry Pie Filling

2 lbs fresh or frozen sweet red cherries
1 cup sugar, raw or granulated*
zest of one lemon
2-3 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 TBS cornstarch
2 TBS unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 egg plus water for egg wash
raw sugar for sprinkling, optional

*If cherries are super sweet, add 3/4 cup sugar first, mix and then taste.  Adjust sweetness to your preference.


1. Combine cherries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, extracts and cornstarch.  Mix well and set aside.  

Now, on to the pie dough.  You didn't think this would start with any pre-made frozen thing did you? Relax.  This isn't hard at all. It takes some practice, but if you follow these steps, you'll find that pie crust is not as intimidating as you might have thought. 

This recipe yield enough for an 8- or 9-inch single pie crust.  You can also use this recipe for a quiche.  I used a 9-inch pie plate for this one. 

For a double crust pie, I'd recommend doing this recipe two separate times instead of doubling the recipe and dividing up the dough.  It's so simple to put together, doing this twice is no big deal. Promise.

All Butter Flaky Pie Dough

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
10 TBS very cold unsalted butter (cut into TBS sized pieces)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
2-5 TBS ice water

I was taught by a brilliant chef how to execute this perfectly.  You're welcome!  All butter and no shortening makes for the best tasting pies.  This recipe is such a keeper.

Easiest, cleanest and quickest method is to use a food processor.  Also, less "hands" is best until you get really fast at this.  

You don't want warm hands prematurely melting the butter.  Practice makes perfect, but once you get this down, you'll be able to do this in your sleep. Sort of. 

1. In a food processor bowl fitted with metal blade, add flour, salt and baking powder. Pulse to combine.

2. Add all cold butter pieces.  Pulse 2-3 times (count a full "1 Mississippi" each time). Time to check. Carefully look to see if the butter is still in large pieces. You want the butter to be about cranberry sized. If the butter is still too big, give it another pulse. When the size is right, it's time for the water.

Here's a good gauge for when you can start adding water:

3. Add 2 TBS of ice water.  Pulse 2 times. Remove the top of food processor and carefully (there's a blade in the bowl!) take a small amount of flour/butter/water mixture between your fingers.  Press it together. Does it stay together or is it crumbly?  If crumbly, add 1 more TBS of ice water and repeat. (Pulse 2 times, remove top, check dough.)

Not ready:

Ready:

4.  When dough is ready, have a large piece of wax paper or parchment paper (11x14ish) on your counter.  Carefully pour dough mixture from processor onto wax paper. Notice the texture.  Mixture will look like cornmeal with tiny flecks of butter throughout.

5. With opposite corners of the paper, bring to the center and press down on the mixture.  Repeat with the other two corners of the paper and continue to do with until your mixture is a cohesive disc shaped dough.  Place disc in refrigerator for 45 min up to 1 day before rolling out.  

See the little bits of butter through the parchment? Perfect!

PIE ASSEMBLY AND BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°, adjust oven rack to middle position.

1. Roll out each pie crust on a lightly floured surface to 12-inch round.  See PIE DOUGH RULES for tips on rolling out the dough. Keep top of dough refrigerated until ready to place on pie.

2. Add filling to dough lined pie plate and dot filling with 2 TBS cut up butter before adding the top of pie crust.

3. Mix egg and water and brush mixture over top of the crust before placing pie in the oven.  You can sprinkle raw sugar over top of the egg wash if you like.

4. Bake pie for 20 minutes at 425°, then lower temperature to 375°and bake for about an hour longer.  Crust will be deep golden brown and filling will be bubbly. If the edges are getting too brown, take some aluminum foil and carefully cover the edges midway through baking.

PIE DOUGH RULES:

1.  Only use cold ingredients, most especially, the butter and water.  You don't want the butter to melt at all before putting your pie in the oven.  The liquid molecules in the butter are released as your pie bakes and these lovely steam pockets are what causes dough to be flaky.

2.  When your dough is ready, it will resemble cornmeal.  That's what you're looking for.  And, always better to slightly under mix then over mix.

3.  NEVER, EVER pulse or mix your ingredient until it forms a ball. Ever. If you work the dough to this stage, any hopes of a flaky crust are done. 

4.  When ready to roll out the dough, flour your board/clean counter top and rolling pin. Roll from the center outward. Quarter turn the dough and repeat.  Use a bench scraper to help turn the dough. Keep rolling and quarter turning until you reach the desired thickness.  When I'm pretty sure it's close to the thickness and circumference, I place my pie plate in the center of the dough and carefully lift the sides of the dough.  You want the dough to come up slightly over the top of the plate since the dough will shrink a bit in the oven.  This will assure you have enough dough to crimp the edge or at least not shrink too much if you use a tart pan. 

5. You can lattice the dough or use cookie cutters to make a more festive pie top.  I used star shaped cookie cutters for this one. Or you can simply roll out a standard top pie crust.  Just be sure to cut a few slits on the top to help the steam escape while baking. Lattice tops and more decorative tops to pies look pretty and are functional as well.

Here's to the sunshine and my sweet dad.

Enjoy!

MJM

Lovely Lentil Soup

It's been how long?  Well...let's not focus on the past.  It's a new year and I'm excited to be back in the blogosphere.  While I still stick to this not being a blabby life blog, the year has been a big one!  

We moved from Seattle back to the east coast and have been enjoying every second complete with a new home and shiny kitchen to cook and bake my way through the coming year.  Please send me comments or questions or recipe requests! 

While it may be a new year, the basis for my recipes has not changed.  Do it the old fashioned way- no pre-made stuff, no packaged dough (of any kind).  Use fresh herbs and spices and be sure to procure your dairy, meats and veggies from reliable, local, human friendly places.  Not everything needs to be organic, per se, but be an informed consumer. 

What is more important then what we put into our bodies?? 

OK, onto the food...

I'm kicking this year off with a recipe I received from my sweet Aunt Sue, who referred to it as "more of an experiment then a recipe".  In passing the recipe along to me, she recalled writing down the instructions from her mother in law, on the back of an envelope, while riding in a car-maybe 35 or so years ago! 

Now, years and years later, this soup is still being cooked up in her Austin kitchen and has graced many a bowl in all of my Austin, Boston, Seattle, New York and Norwalk kitchens!  Needless to say, it's a keeper.  

I've altered it a bit, but only Aunt Sue would know.  Here's my take on that original recipe.  Let's pay homage to a lovely lentil soup classic on this cold and snowy day. 

This makes for a big pot of soup.

1 bag of dried lentils, thoroughly scanned to assure no little rocks hiding among them.
3-4 celery stalks, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups tomato purée** (see notes below)
1-2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

Splash or two of red wine (no cooking wine!)
Salt and crushed red pepper
Parmesan rind or Pecorino slice
Fresh thyme (2-3 sprigs) and chopped sage (4-5 fresh leaves)
1-3 bay leaves, fresh or dried

1. Coat bottom of large heavy bottom pot with olive oil and heat to medium.
2. Add onion and garlic and over low to medium heat, sweat these veggies until soft.  You want to cook them gently as opposed to sautéing or caramelizing them.
3. Once onions are translucent and softened, add carrots and celery.  Cook until softened.
4. Add lentils, chopped sage, thyme, tomato purée, wine, cheese and bay leaves.  Cover with stock or water.  You want to have twice as much liquid as the veggie/lentils mixture.
5. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer for 35-40 minutes or so.  Check the lentils.  If you like softer lentils, cook longer.  Otherwise, shut off heat and let sit, slightly uncovered for an hour or longer. You may need to add more stock or water if the soup gets too thick.  Always have more stock on hand to thin out soup.  You can add water, but it may dilute all that deliciousness you've been working on.
6. Before serving, take out bay leaves and any thyme stems. Drizzle each serving with good olive oil and serve extra grated cheese.  I add a few pinches of crushed red pepper.

NOTES: If you don't have any homemade tomato purée on hand, there are a few good store bought options. Try Pomi brand or any tomato purée in a box or glass jar. Avoid cans whenever possible, especially canned tomatoes. You want BPA free food containers and the sure fire way to do this to step away from the cans!

As with every soup, this will taste better the next day and the day after that. The longer it sits, the more delicious. Leftovers will last in the fridge for a few days. It freezes well, too.  Make some of this crusty bread to go along with it!

Thanks for the inspiration, Aunt Sue!

Happy New Year and keep making it From Scratch! 

MJM