Tarts

I've been baking again.  Cooking healthy, not so much, but baking yes, yes, yes.  For my last book discussion I wanted to make an almond crumble cherry pie but didn't get around to it the night before.  So the day of I improvised and made tarts.  I have made streusel topping several times but I liked the idea of this one since it was different.  It called to use marzipan which is a mixture of almond paste, egg whites, and sugar.  I couldn't find marzipan so I just used almond paste and the crumble turned out fine.  The tarts turned out great.  They are so simple to make.  Since I have to keep my co-workers fed and happy I had to make the tarts again since not all of them got it the first time.  The second time around I wanted to make a strawberry tart as well.  I used a short cut and went with the pre-made glaze but I think it turned out fine.  Next time I'm going to make homemade.  My spoiled staff at CN got a taste as well.  Like I said I have to keep them fed.

Almond Crumble Cherry Tart
from Betty Crocker

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• 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
• 8 oz Almond paste
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cans (21 oz each) cherry pie filling
•  1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl place the almond paste and butter.  Cut together with a pastry blender or fork until well blended.  Add the oats and flour until crumbly.  You may need to add more flour until you get the right consistency. 

On a baking sheet unroll one of the pie crusts and place it on one side of the pan.  Open one can of the cherry pie filling and mix in 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.  Pour the cherry filling onto the middle of the crust.  Sprinkle half of the crumble mixture over the filling and fold up the crust around the filling to seal it in.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  You can fit two tarts on a large baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is cooked through.


 













Strawberry Tart
A Lacey Creation

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• 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
• 2 pints fresh strawberries
• 2 containers strawberry glaze
• 1 8oz light cream cheese
• 1 8oz light cool whip
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Slice strawberries in half.  Place them in a bowl and mix with glaze.  On a baking sheet unroll a pie crust.  Arrange strawberries cut side down all around the middle.  Spoon some more glaze over the strawberries.  Fold the crust over the filling to seal it in.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  You can fit two tarts on a large baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is cooked through.

In a bowl mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended.  Add the cool whip.  Once the tarts are cool garnish with the cream cheese mixture.

Milk Pie

My grandma used to make a milk pie. I never did get to experience my grandma's cooking because she died before I was born but my mom really liked her milk pie. She told me that after she would get done making pies she would piece together a crust in a pie plate with the pie crust scraps and right in the crust she would mix together milk, sugar, and vanilla. Mom didn't know the precise recipe. I tried finding a recipe that was like what grandma used to make and I came close one time. After my mom died I found out about Hoosier Cream Pies. Hoosier Cream Pies I think originated from the Amish. The recipe seemed similar to what my mom described as grandmas recipe. I finally made this pie and it's really easy and really yummy. I think mom would have loved it.

Milk Pie
recipe from Turkey Creek Lane

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1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 heaping tablespoons flour
1 pinch salt
2 cups Milk or Cream (or enough to fill pie shell)

Preheat oven to 410 degrees. Mix brown and white sugar with flour. Sprinkle flour/sugar mixture over pie crust. Beat egg yolk with milk. Fill pie shell. Take a spoon and swirl it through the milk mixture a couple of times. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.

Bake at 410 degrees for 10 minutes.Then bake at 350 for 45 minutes. The filling should be bubbling. The center should still jiggle. Be careful not to overcook or the filling will not set.

Mini Peach Pies

I have an obsession with mini foods. I think it's the cuteness of mini foods that gets me the most. And then I like the portability of mini foods. How you don't need a fork to eat them. You just grab them with your fingers and eat. Lastly I think I love mini foods because it's okay to eat 3 or 4 or 10 of them right? Right? Well maybe not 10 but I won't tell if you won't. I made these cute little peachy pies for Carol's book discussion group last week and I heard they were a hit. I have to keep them spoiled with the homemade treats and it keeps me baking. I have often thought about starting my own Goodies to Go business so I could make some extra cash doing what I love but honestly I'm not sure where to start. How do I sell myself? How do I get myself known? What do I charge? I'm not a business person. Maybe I should ask someone who is to help with that. I just want to bake and make peoples taste buds and bellies feel good with my creations.

These pies were really good. Nice and peachy.


Mini Peach Pies
taken from Cook Au Vin

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8 cups ripe peaches, skins on (I used a 4 pound container from Sam's it was just enough)
1 1/3 cups sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons butter
1 packaged refrigerated pie crust

Pit the peaches and dice into a small dice. In a large bowl, gently stir together the peaches, sugar, flour and nutmeg. Let rest for 20-30 minutes until the juices release and syrup begins to form. Place a strainer over a large soup pot and place the peach mixture into the strainer. Allow the syrup to fall into the pan, reserving the peaches. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat, reduce to low and cook for 10 minutes or until the liquid begins to thicken. Stir in the peaches. By adding the peaches in last, you avoid overcooking them and turning them to mush. Mine cooked for about 5 minutes and it thickened so I added the peaches and cooked for about 5 more minutes.

Off heat, add the vanilla and butter, gently stirring until the butter melts. Let cool to room temperature. The filling can be made in advance and refrigerated.

Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Unroll one of the pie crusts and using a rolling pin thin out the dough just a little bit. Cut circles big enough to fill a mini-muffin well. Gently place the circles into the muffin tin as if you were filling a pie plate. Fill with pie filling, almost to the top. With remaining dough pieces, gently cut out whatever shape you want to top it with. I cut strips for these, but you could cut out small hearts or stars. Or just cover with rounds. With one box of pie crusts I was able to make about 32 mini pies. I had enough pie filling to make a whole pie. Which in the original recipe she did. Or you could make 32 more mini pies. So you could 1/2 the filling recipe.

Bake the mini pies at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.