RIP hand mixer

Sad news sports fans -- the Big Lots Mixer has mixed its last batter. I'll spare you the gruesome details about how it spent its last moments on earth, but there was smoke and a lot of high pitched screaming (from me and the mixer). An eventual autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was a broken gear. It lived a long and fulfilling life and brought enjoyment to all who tasted its work. It will truly be missed.

Down a mixer, I was limited in my dessert making abilities. But I wasn't going to let this stop me from making a summer treat. In fact, I had the perfect backup. A few months ago, in a moment of genius (or Sudafed-induced hoarding) I found these awesome popsicle molds while I was waiting in line to get a prescription filled. I had an awful sinus infection and the only thing I wanted to eat was icecream and icey-juicys. In my delirium, I imagined myself making delicious homemade popsicles in my favorite flavors to ease my soar throat. In actuality, I spent several days on the couch sleeping, waking up to watch the Real Housewives of New Jersey, and whimpering. 

The popsicle molds sat on my shelf all summer, waiting. With recipe in hand, it was time to christen them. It actually turned out to be a very easy, refreshing dessert, and a great way to use delicious late summer flavors - like super sweet melons. 

I started by cubing half of a very ripe honeydew melon and pureeing it in a food processor. I then added some lime juice to help bring out the flavor of the melon. Finally, a little honey, though we didn't need very much additional sweetness because the melon was already like candy. The mixture is then strained through a fine colander to remove any un-pureed pieces. 

You can call it done here and pour the mixture into the mold if you want. I wanted the popsicles to taste a little more like ice cream though, so I mixed some Greek Yogurt and 1/2 and 1/2 into the mixture. The recipe made a little too much popsicle liquid for my molds, so I poured the rest into ice cube trays. You could put little popsicle sticks right into the ice cube trays if you didn't have molds, or maybe even use it to flavor water or perhaps a nice vodka soda if you omit the milk. 

After that, you just need to find room in your freeze and let everything chill out.

There you have it - a blender-less, but still wonderful dessert.

My pie is better than Suzie's

 

After watching a MasterChef lemon meringue pie bake-off one night, I was motivated to make my own delicious citrus treat. For those of you who watch MasterChef, I think we can agree Suzie and her pie were lame. For those of you who say "what the hell is MasterChef", pickings on Hulu are a little slim over the summertime -- so take what you can get. It turned into an epic night of baking and I think the pictures more accurately depict the process than my words can. 

Candied limes: mandolin sliced, sugar water boiled, sugar coated

Pie crust: mix flour, shortening, and water, chill, then roll

Lime custard: zest and juice limes, mix add egg yolks, and heat over double boiler

Blackberry Compote: Reduce wine and sugar by 1/2 over medium heat. Fold in blackberries

Pie assembly: blind bake crust, layer blackberry compote, custard, and meringue

Brown meringue in oven for 5 minutes

Add candied limes -- enjoy

Lime custard:

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups water 3/4 cups lime juice

2 limes zested 5 tablespoons butter 4 egg yolks, beaten 1 blind baked pie crust

blackberry compote from bon appetite magazine:

Ingredients:

1 cup fruity wine such as a Cab or Merlot 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water  3 cups blackberries

meringue:

Ingredients:

4 egg whites I cup sugar tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons corn syrup pinch of salt

Directions:

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). To Make Lime Meringue: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lime juice and zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell. To Make Blackberry Compote: Bring red wine, sugar, and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, 20-25 minutes. Let cool. Add 3 cups berries; fold gently to coat. To Make Meringue:  If toasting meringue in oven, preheat oven to 450°. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until thermometer registers 238°, 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Meanwhile, beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in salt. Slowly pour hot sugar syrup down side of bowl into whites and beat until meringue is firm and glossy. Continue beating until cool, about 4 minutes. Spoon meringue over lime curd, leaving a 1" plain border, and sculpt decoratively. Tuck 1 cup berries in and around meringue. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Sweet Cherry Pie

Another shipment of tart cherries in the CSA box means enough to make my dad's all-time favorite dessert, cherry pie. It's another recipe from his mom, and just as delicious as the sugar cookies and strawberry jam. He has fond memories of spending the summer in Michigan and collecting as many cherries as possible to justify my grandma making a cherry pie. She wasn't always the most willing baker though, and I can understand why -- this pie is a lot of work! Somehow my dad was always able to convince her (I'm guessing a lot of whining was involved).

The first time I made this recipe was for Fathers Day. It required a trip out to a local farm where they imported Michigan cherries for a few weekends a year. After a few wrong turns, what should have taken 30 minutes ended up taking over 2 hours. But later, seeing how happy my dad was as the pie baked and wafted its sweet cherry pie smell into the kitchen, the longer than expected journey (and four dollars for cherries) seemed a small price to pay.  I included the recipe below just in case anyone has pie-loving man-children in their lives.

Already knowing the work that was ahead of me (making a pie crust, pitting four cups of cherries, assembling the pie, and sitting in a broiling apartment as the pie bakes) I summoned my strength, downed a diet coke, and got to work.

I knew that I was getting better at this whole baking thing when it only took me one try to roll out the pie crust. Look how perfect that circle of dough is! No tears, no flaking, no need to remix water in, re-chill, and re-roll the crust like usual. I'm a pro these days: commissions and/or congratulations are appreciated.  

 

With a perfect pie crust all ready, I made up the cherry filling by boiling cherries, sugar, corn starch, and some water to cook the cherries a little and thicken up the mixture. What you get it this:

I was feeling kind of lazy that night, so instead of making a lattice top which would require making another pie crust, cutting 20 perfect 1 inch strips, and practicing my basket weaving skills, I decided on a streusel topping to just throw over everything. 

 

After 45 minutes in the oven, the pie was ready. I of course sent a picture to my dad and told him how yummy it was. I can safely say that it not only brought a tear to his eye, but also made a grown man cry, since he was several states away and couldn't have any. Whitesnake really knows what they're taking about. That's the power of cherry pie. 

Even cats love it

 

 

 

Grandma Rose's Cherry Pie 

4 C pitted tart cherries

1 ¼ C sugar

3 ½ Tbls cornstarch

1 Tbls butter

¼ tsp almond extract

-Combine cherries, sugar & cornstarch and let stand for 10 minutes.

-Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

-Let boil for 5 minutes or until juice is translucent.

-Stir in butter and almond extract

Pour into pie crust & top with crust.  Cut slits to let out steam.  Bake at 375 F for 45 – 55

Minutes or until crust is brown.