BLUEBERRY PIE

 Blueberry Pie 

This is a favorite at the holidays . Hope you enjoy this pie!!

Pastry for a Two Crust Pie recipe follows*

4 cups fresh blueberries (preferably organic) or a 15 oz. can blueberries (preferably organic) drained

1 recipe for pastry for a Twi Crust Pie (recipe follows)

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. butter

whole milk or cream for brushing on top of pie

sugar for sprinkling on top of pie crust

Prepare Pastry for a Two Crust Pie Instructions follow*

Mix the sugar and flour together. If you are using fresh blueberries rinse them and pick over the berries to remove any stem pieces. Place the berries into the sugar and flour mixture and mix together until all the berries are coated well with theit cool  sugar and flour mixture. Pour the coated blueberries into a pastry lined  pie plate or tart pan. Cut the butter into several pieces and dot the blueberries with it. Cover the filling with the top pastry and seal the edges of the pie. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of the pie with whole milk or cream. Sprinkle s400ome sugar over the top of the pie, and with a knife make a few slits in the top crust  to let steam escape. Place the pie in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. heck on the pie after the first 15 minutes of baking to make sure it is not browning too fast, and if it is, the heat can be turned down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for the remainder of the baking time. The pie should turn a beautiful golden color on both the top and bottom crusts. Carefully remove the pie from the oven, and let it cool until the pie is just warm. 

Pastry For A Two Crust Pie

Pasta Per Torta 

This pie pastry is delicious with its all butter fat content, and very tender because 1/3 of the flour is cake flour.

Tip:   A glass pie plate is best to use, so that you can see color of the bottom crust and judge when the pie is done.

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

½ tsp. salt

1 cup butter

8 to 10 Tbsp. ice water

Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with 2 knives until the pieces are small enough to be cut in with a pastry blender. Blend until half the butter is the size of small peas and the rest resembles coarse meal.  Add about 1/3 of the water and mix with a fork. Continue adding a little water at a time and mix with your hands until the dough holds together and can be formed into a ball. Do not over mix as this will give you tough dough. For the final blending, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Take ½ of the dough and with the heal of your hand rapidly press the dough down and away from you  in a firm quick smear of about 6 inches, set aside and smear the other half of the dough. Form the dough into 2 flat round discs and wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour, 2 hours is preferable. The dough can be left in the refrigerator overnight. 

Flour your work surface and your rolling pin lightly and flour the disc of pastry lightly also. Flatten a disc by hitting a rolling pin onto the surface 3 times in one direction and then 3 times in the opposite direction.  Roll the dough out from the center until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick and large enough to fit into a pie plate or tart pan with overlap. Fold the dough in half and fit into a pie plate or tart pan. Repeat the rolling procedure with the second disc and fold it in half and lift over the pie that you have filled with your desired filling  and follow directions for baking as recommended.  

Serve with Sweetened Whipped cream recipe follows** 

Sweetened Chantilly Whipped Cream**

Panna Montata

1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. to 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. vanilla extract (to taste)

The cream should be well chilled just from the refrigerator (under 40 degrees F.)  Beat with an electric hand mixer if you have one, otherwise a stand mixer or a whisk.  Start beating slowly so that the cream does not spray out of the bowl.  Beat until the cream is thickened, then add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the Tbsp. of vanilla extract and stir until it is mixed in thoroughly. Taste and add more if needed.  The cream should form soft peaks when the beater is slowly lifted up.  Place in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least an hour before serving to let the flavors meld. 

                                         

Tip:  Beating the cream before adding the flavorings lets maximum air to be incorporated into the cream.

CELEBRATION WHITE CAKE WITH CHERRY AND WALNUT FILLING AND CHERRY FROSTING

Italian Celebration White Cake with Cherry and Walnut Filling and Cherry Frosting - TORTA

This cake is  wonderful for Birthday's, Valentine's Day, or  any celebration.  It has been used for birthdays in my family for several generations.  It is made up of 3 layers so it makes a tall and beautiful presentation.

This cake is perfect without any flavoring, but you may use the optional almond extract, if you wish.

1 1/8 cup butter softened

2 ¼ cups sugar

¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)

3 3/8 cups all purpose flour (be sure to use all-purpose flour, it gives the perfect crumb for this cake.) 

4½ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ cups whole milk

8 egg whites

Grease and lightly dust with flour 3  9x1 ½ inch round cake pans.  Mix together the flour and baking powder and sift.  In a separate large bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light colored and fluffy.  This can be done in an electric mixer or with a hand held mixer.  Add the almond extract at this point if you are using it.  Now, add about ¼ of the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and add alternately with milk.  Beat well after each addition, making sure to end by adding dry ingredients.  Beat the egg whites in a clean dry bowl with a clean dry beater until they form stiff peaks, and then add the egg whites to the batter by gently folding them in.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the pan.  Cool for approximately 10 minutes and invert onto cooling racks.  Cool thoroughly before frosting.

batter by gently folding them in.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the pan.  Cool for approximately 10 minutes and invert onto cooling racks.  Cool thoroughly before frosting.

Maraschino Cherry Frosting

4 egg whites

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup powdered sugar

4 tsp. light corn syrup

2/3 cup cold water

½ tsp. almond extract 

1 Tbsp. maraschino cherry juice, or enough to give the frosting and filling a light pink color. 

Alternatively you cam omit the almond extract, and increase the Maraschino cherry juice to 3 Tbsp.

Place the egg whites, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and water in the top of a double boiler, or a bowl that will fit on top of a pan of boiling water.  Before placing on top of the boiling water beat ½ minute on low speed of an electric mixer or beat with a balloon whisk to blend ingredients together.  Now, place the top of the double boiler or the bowl over boiling water, but not touching the water. Beat constantly with a hand held mixer or a balloon whisk till the frosting forms stiff peaks.  This will take between 10 and 15 minutes.  Remove from the boiling water and add the optional almond extract if you are using it, and the maraschino cherry juice. Mix until thoroughly blended.  Reserve 2/3 of the mixture for the frosting and use the remaining third for the following filling recipe.

Maraschino Cherry and Walnut Filling

1/3 of the above frosting 

5 jars 6 oz. each (30 oz.) maraschino cherries roughly chopped (each cherry should be chopped into fourths.)

12 oz. walnuts (roughly chopped)

Add the chopped cherries and chopped walnuts to the frosting and mix.

Assembly

Place the bottom cake layer on a serving plate.  Spread ½ of the filling over the cake layer.  Place the second cake layer on top of the filling.  Spread the remaining filling on top of this layer.  Place the third cake layer on top of the filling.  Spread the top and sides of the cake with the reserved frosting, using a 1 inch wide offset spatula or a table knife.  Make some free form swirls on the top of the cake.  Bellissimo!

Serve this with vanilla ice-cream and or Sweetened Whipped Cream - Panna Montata. Recipe follows.

A tall domed cake stand is an excellent way to store this cake. If you do not have one, just cover the cake with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator. This cake keeps very well for several days.

                                                                            

Sweetened Whipped Cream - Panna Montata

1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. to 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. vanilla extract (to taste)

The cream should be well chilled just from the refrigerator (under 40 degrees F.)  Beat with an electric hand mixer if you have one, otherwise a stand mixer or a whisk.  Start beating slowly so that the cream does not spray out of the bowl.  Beat until the cream is thickened, then add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the Tbsp. of vanilla extract and stir until it is mixed in thoroughly. Taste and add more if needed.  The cream should form soft peaks when the beater is slowly lifted up.  Place in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least an hour before serving to let the flavors meld. 

Tip:  Beating the cream before adding the flavorings lets maximum air to be incorporated into the cream.

Hope you enjoy this Italian cake

Strawberries with Chantilly Cream - Fragole di Panna

Strawberries with Chantilly Cream - Fragole di Panna

1 pint strawberries

2 to 3 Tbsp. sugar

1 recipe Sweetened Chantilly Whipped Cream recipe follows

Rinse the strawberries and cut the tops off. Place the strawberries in a glass bowl and sprinkle the sugar over them. Place in the refrigerator, and let them macerate for at least 2 hours.

 

Prepare the Sweetened Chantilly Whipped Cream and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to let the flavors meld.

Serve the strawberries in a dessert cup or a stemmed glass such as a martini glass. Spoon the juices that have formed over the strawberries. Top each serving with a dollop of Sweetened Chantilly Whipped Cream.   

Sweetened Chantilly Whipped Cream

Panna Montata

1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. to 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. vanilla extract (to taste)

The cream should be well chilled just from the refrigerator (under 40 degrees F.)  Beat with an electric hand mixer if you have one, otherwise a stand mixer or a whisk.  Start beating slowly so that the cream does not spray out of the bowl.  Beat until the cream is thickened, then add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the Tbsp. of vanilla extract and stir until it is mixed in thoroughly. Taste and add more if needed.  The cream should form soft peaks when the beater is slowly lifted up.  Place in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least an hour before serving to let the flavors meld. 

                                         

Tip:  Beating the cream before adding the flavorings lets maximum air to be incorporated into the cream.

Fresh Peach Pie - Torta di Pesca Fresca

                                                                         

Fresh Peach Pie - Torta di Pesca Fresca

Excellent fresh peaches are available in late August and early Sept.,from Colorado and Washington state.

Ingredients:

Pastry For a Two Crust Pie (recipe follows)

4 cups peeled and cut up fresh peaches

1 to 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (only if the peaches are too bland and they need the lemon juice to brighten their flavor).

3 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. butter

whole milk or cream for brushing on top of pie

sugar for sprinkling on top of pie

Prepare pastry for a double crust pie.

Mix together the 3 Tbsp. flour and the 1 cup of sugar, and set aside.  Peel the peaches (a disposable plastic knife such as one you would take on a picnic does a great job of removing the peach skins, without having to blanch the peaches).  A small paring knife will do the job also.  Cut the peaches into fairly small chunks.  If the peaches are too bland and dry, add the optional lemon juice.  Add the flour sugar mixture to the peaches and mix together until all the peaches are well coated with the flour sugar mixture.  Place the bottom crust in a pie plate and fill with the peach mixture.  Cut up the 2 Tbsp. of butter into small pieces and dot the peaches with it.  Cover the filling with the top pastry and seal the edges of the pie. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of the pie with whole milk or cream.  Sprinkle some sugar over the top of the pie, and with a knife make a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.  Place in a preheated  400 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat  to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is a golden color on both the top and bottom of the pie.  Carefully remove the pie from the oven and let it cool until the pie is just warm.

 Serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe follows), and or vanilla ice cream. 

Tip:   A glass pie plate is best to use, so that you can see color of the bottom crust and judge when the pie is done.  

Pastry For A Two Crust Pie

Pasta Per Torta 

This pie pastry is delicious with its all butter fat content, and very tender because 1/3 of the flour is cake flour.

Tip:   A glass pie plate is best to use, so that you can see color of the bottom crust and judge when the pie is done.

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

½ tsp. salt

1 cup butter

8 to 10 Tbsp. ice water

Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with 2 knives until the pieces are small enough to be cut in with a pastry blender. Blend until half the butter is the size of small peas and the rest resembles coarse meal.  Add about 1/3 of the water and mix with a fork. Continue adding a little water at a time and mix with your hands until the dough holds together and can be formed into a ball. Do not over mix as this will give you tough dough. For the final blending, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Take ½ of the dough and with the heal of your hand rapidly press the dough down and away from you  in a firm quick smear of about 6 inches, set aside and smear the other half of the dough. Form the dough into 2 flat round discs and wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour, 2 hours is preferable. The dough can be left in the refrigerator overnight. 

Flour your work surface and your rolling pin lightly and flour the disc of pastry lightly also. Flatten a disc by hitting a rolling pin onto the surface 3 times in one direction and then 3 times in the opposite direction.  Roll the dough out from the center until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick and large enough to fit into a pie plate or tart pan with overlap. Fold the dough in half and fit into a pie plate or tart pan. Repeat the rolling procedure with the second disc and fold it in half and lift over the pie that you have filled with your desired filling  and follow directions for baking as recommended.   

                                                                                               

Sweetened Whipped Cream

Panna Montata

Ingredients:

1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. to 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. vanilla extract (to taste)

The cream should be well chilled just from the refrigerator (under 40 degrees F.)  Beat with an electric hand mixer if you have one, otherwise a stand mixer or a whisk.  Start beating slowly so that the cream does not spray out of the bowl.  Beat until the cream is thickened, then add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the Tbsp. of vanilla extract and stir until it is mixed in thoroughly. Taste and add more if needed.  The cream should form soft peaks when the beater is slowly lifted up.  Place in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least an hour before serving to let the flavors meld.  

Lemon Meringue Cookies - Meringa al Lemone

Lemon Meringue Cookies - Meringa al Limone

These are light and airy with few calories. They  make a light delicious cookie! They are also wonderful with ice cream. I haven't posted for awhile, and I will try to post more frequently from now on, so check back for new recipes.

4 egg whites - 1/2 liquid cup (you can use pasteurized eggs)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest (preferably organic)
2 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
butter for coating a large cookie sheet

Prepare a large cookie sheet by coating it with butter and set aside. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and let them sit out for 10 to 15 minutes to bring them up to room temperature. Beat on medium speed until the egg whites are foamy, add a few drops of the lemon juice and increase the speed to high speed. When the egg whites begin to form soft peaks, you can gradually add the granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time while beating on high speed. When the whites hold stiff peaks and are glossy, stop beating, and sprinkle  the powered sugar over the egg whites  ¼ cup at a time, and with a large silicon or rubber spatula, fold the powdered sugar into the egg whites. When the sugar has been folded in, you may fold in the rest of the lemon juice and lemon the zest.
Place by teaspoonfuls on the prepared baking sheets.  Place in a preheated 200 degree Fahrenheit oven.  Bake for 2 ½ to 3 hours. then turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven to dry out for another 3 hours.
These should remain white, if they start to turn a light beige turn the heat off and let them continue to dry out in the oven with the heat off.
This recipe can be doubled, but you will have to move the cookie sheets around in the oven to ensure even baking. Switch the sheets from top to bottom and vice versa after 1 hour of baking.

Marguerite's Sugar Cookies - Biscotti allo Zucchero

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These make a festive holiday cookie as well as a sweet treat to make any day more delicious. These cookies are very easy and fast to prepare. A great cookie to make with your children or grandchildren. As a small child I was in the kitchen with my mother baking these sugar cookies. When my son was small he was in the kitchen with me helping to get these ready for the holidays. The marachino cherries seem to be the favorite topping with my grandsons, but do try the walnut halves also, they are delicious and the flavor of the nuts is enhanced  by getting a great toasted flavor from baking.   

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter softened (organic preferably)
2 eggs (organic preferably)
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
sugar for the tops of the cookies
walnuts for the tops of the cookies
marachino cherries for the tops of the cookies
reserved juice from the marachino cherries (optional)

Lightly butter a cookie sheet and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them to the butter sugar mixture. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture. Blend thoroughly and add the vanilla extract. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on your lightly buttered cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass which has a diameter of around 2 inches into a plate of sugar, and then flatten each ball of cookie dough into a cookie the size of your glass. Repeat dipping into the sugar before flattening each cookie. Sprinkle a little additional sugar on each cookie. Place 1/2 of a marachino cherry or a walnut half on top of each cookie. You may drizzle a little of the reserved juice from the marachino cherries on some of the cookies if you wish. Place in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when they are still quite light in color. The bottoms of the cookies should be a very light golden brown, and the tops should remain white.

 

Blueberry Ice Cream Dessert - Mirtilli Dolce

Blueberry Ice Cream  Dessert - Mirtilli Dolce

This is a simple delicious dessert that has been served by several generations in my family. Once the Blueberry Sauce and ice cream is mixed together, it should have a thick texture, be purple in color with the blueberries strewn throughout the whole dessert.

Blueberry Dessert Sauce - Salsa di Mirtilli

1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup sugar

If you are using fresh blueberries rinse them in a colander and remove any stems. Place the fresh or frozen blueberries in a 1 quart saucepan and add the sugar on top of them. Place over med-high heat and stir frequently to make sure the blueberries do not stick to the bottom of the pan or start to burn.  Let the the sauce come to a boil and reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Let simmer stirring occasionally for ten minutes. Turn the heat off and let it cool.

This may be served warm or at room temperature or cold. If you are not using the sauce once it has cooled somewhat, you can place this sauce in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. It is delicious cold. This will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Place a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream in a dessert cup or a stemmed glass such as a martini glass. Place a Tbsp or so of the Blueberry Sauce on the ice cream and thoroughly mix them together until the mixture is thick and thoroughly combined. If it seems thin add a little more ice cream and mix thoroughly.

This seems to work better when mixed in individual servings. Do not blend in a blender, as it tears up the blueberries and gives a different texture and taste.

Lemon Ice - Granita al Limone

Lemon Ice - Granita al Limone

This is easy and does not need an ice cream maker.

Look inside the book at Amazon.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Place the sugar and the water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir often until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it boil about 1 min. until the syrup is sparklingly clear. Let the syrup cool to room temperature. Pout the lemon juice through a fine sieve to catch any small seeds and pulp. Once the lemon juice has been sieved, add it to the syrup and mix together. Pour into a shallow glass or other non-reactive baking dish and place in the freezer. Scrape up the ice mixture with a fork after 20 min. It should be starting to freeze and be somewhat slushy at this point. Leave in the freezer another 20 to 30 min. and scrape up the mixture again with the tines of a fork. Repeat twice more or until it has the texture of shaved ice, and serve. 

This ice can be served while it is still somewhat slushy. It is delicious that way.