So, are you buying it? Are you buying the marketing messages of "You don't have time to cook.", "You don't have enough skill to put together a meal", "You aren't smart enough to figure out all this nutritional information on your own"?
I can tell you, I'm not buying it, and I don't think you should either--because when something is important and is made a priority in your life (...like eating well), you DO have the time, you DO have the skills, and you ARE smart enough to filter through these marketing messages.
Don't buy in to the food industries marketing tactics--because that's all they are. Think before you buy and put your money where your mouth is...
~as you may remember, I made pastry last week (so yummy--if it wasn't so bad for me...I could eat it every day!) I froze enough for 2 pie shells, and had enough left for 1 pie in the fridge. So, today Madeleine and I decided to make dessert with it as it needed to be eaten up. Fast, easy and not "so bad" for you as it contained lots of fruit, and lots of love!!
Apple Gallette (Tart)
(this is a free form pie of sorts--rustic and delicious!)
pastry for 1 pie shell
4-5 apples, peeled and sliced
2-3 tbsp flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
Roll out pie crust. Place on a baking sheet. Mix apples, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl and toss until well coated. Pour apples into centre of pastry. Dot with butter. Loosely fold pastry up around apples--use a little water to bind it together where it has folded over itself--the centre will be open as the pastry will not be big enough to cover.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes--turn down to 350 if pastry is browning too quickly. Tart is done when a fork or knife easily pierces the apples.
Showing posts with label Pies/tarts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pies/tarts. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Pulling out all the stops!
I have spent the better part of the last hour or so, perusing my cookbooks--looking for a real gem or two to make for dinner tomorrow and have pulled out some real old goodies that I had almost forgotten about! I don't know about you , but it seems to me I have had so many favourites over the years, that I sometimes have a hard time keeping track of them all!
In any case, here is one that I have never forgotten--my Mom used to make these for special company when we were little...I can still feel the drippy taffy in my mouth...
Taffy Tarts (from Food that Really Shmecks)
Enough pastry for 12 tarts (you can use frozen tart shells if you are running short on time--but the "real" pastry will make these a gift you will never forget!)
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
2 eggs
Dissolve the sugar in the beaten eggs, add syrup and melted butter. Pour into tart shells and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
In any case, here is one that I have never forgotten--my Mom used to make these for special company when we were little...I can still feel the drippy taffy in my mouth...
Taffy Tarts (from Food that Really Shmecks)
Enough pastry for 12 tarts (you can use frozen tart shells if you are running short on time--but the "real" pastry will make these a gift you will never forget!)
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
2 eggs
Dissolve the sugar in the beaten eggs, add syrup and melted butter. Pour into tart shells and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
PIE in the sky.
It is Christmas Eve tomorrow--Pie making day! I will bake a mincemeat pie for my Dad and my Father in Law--they wait for it all year! I don't think it would be Christmas if we didn't have one...
Today's tutorial will be pastry. Mmmmm....
I have tried just about every pastry crust recipe you can think of over the last few years, and the BEST recipe hands down is the one my Grandma taught me...wait for it....made with lard. I have tried butter, shortening, a combination thereof and many others, but none are as flavourful or flaky as a lard crust.
Good pastry doesn't have to be elusive--but you do need to follow a couple of tips to make it successful!
1. always use a pastry cutter--the more you handle the flour/lard mixture with your hands the less flaky (read: tough) it will be.
2. always use a cold egg and cold water
3. it is perfect when you think it looks like it needs just a little more water--it doesn't. It is perfect--let it be :)
4. add a little love, that always makes it better!
This recipe is right from the NoName Lard box--how easy is that?
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 lb lard cut into chunks
1 egg
1tbsp white vinegar
cold water
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. With pastry blender, cut in lard until mixture resembles course meal with a few pea size pieces.
In a measuring cup, beat egg with vinegar. Add enough cold water to make 1 cup, mix well. Drizzle onto flour mixture a bit a ta time, mixing in with a fork, until dough looks evenly moistened and holds together when lightly pressed between your fingers. You may not need to use all the liquid.
Divide into 6 equal balls (for 9 inch pie), 4 for 9 1/2 inch pie. Wrap in plastic and pat into discs. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using. (at this point you can refrigerate for up to 1 week , or freeze for a few months.)
Roll on lightly floured surface. If dough cracks while rolling, allow to sit at room temp. for a few minutes.
Tip: even more favourite for me than pie....my Grandma always made tarts with the extra dough. Cut the pastry into rounds and fit them into muffin tins (so that the dough almost reaches the top of the tin.) Add a bit of your favourite jam to each tart and bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or so. Mmmm!
Enjoy!
Today's tutorial will be pastry. Mmmmm....
I have tried just about every pastry crust recipe you can think of over the last few years, and the BEST recipe hands down is the one my Grandma taught me...wait for it....made with lard. I have tried butter, shortening, a combination thereof and many others, but none are as flavourful or flaky as a lard crust.
Good pastry doesn't have to be elusive--but you do need to follow a couple of tips to make it successful!
1. always use a pastry cutter--the more you handle the flour/lard mixture with your hands the less flaky (read: tough) it will be.
2. always use a cold egg and cold water
3. it is perfect when you think it looks like it needs just a little more water--it doesn't. It is perfect--let it be :)
4. add a little love, that always makes it better!
This recipe is right from the NoName Lard box--how easy is that?
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 lb lard cut into chunks
1 egg
1tbsp white vinegar
cold water
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. With pastry blender, cut in lard until mixture resembles course meal with a few pea size pieces.
In a measuring cup, beat egg with vinegar. Add enough cold water to make 1 cup, mix well. Drizzle onto flour mixture a bit a ta time, mixing in with a fork, until dough looks evenly moistened and holds together when lightly pressed between your fingers. You may not need to use all the liquid.
Divide into 6 equal balls (for 9 inch pie), 4 for 9 1/2 inch pie. Wrap in plastic and pat into discs. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using. (at this point you can refrigerate for up to 1 week , or freeze for a few months.)
Roll on lightly floured surface. If dough cracks while rolling, allow to sit at room temp. for a few minutes.
Tip: even more favourite for me than pie....my Grandma always made tarts with the extra dough. Cut the pastry into rounds and fit them into muffin tins (so that the dough almost reaches the top of the tin.) Add a bit of your favourite jam to each tart and bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or so. Mmmm!
Enjoy!
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