Peach Pocket Pies

Well I feel the easiest way to use a bit of the Peach Pie Filling we canned is to make some little Peach Pocket Pies. I used Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.  I do not usually use these types of product. But with the urge to have something sweet this is easy and half homemade.








Ingredients

1 pint/16 oz of Peach Pie Filling
1 package Pillsbury Crescent Roll
1 egg white
Cinnamon Powder

 Pre heat your oven to 325. Every oven is different so keep an eye on your little pockets





I roll my crescent rolls out directly on to the cookie sheet. This is a really easy desert and one the kids might want to help with.










Have your Peach filling ready to scoop. I put a plop of peaches on you will be able to determine how much. Just make sure you can close and seal them.

The Crescent Rolls are pretty good with the give and take of you stretching them.. Once you put your peach filling in fold it over and seal with a brushing of egg white. Once they are all sealed sprinkle them with some cinnamon powder.

 These little puppies are ready to be brushed and sprinkled.






Now pop them into the oven and bake. Keep an eye on them mine took approximately 12 to 15 minutes. They will be light yet golden brown on the top.








These ones are about half way done. I took them out and was so exited that I did not get a finished product picture. Sorry .....

Pie Crust

Pie Crust a thing of beauty yet a thing that puts the fear of god in a woman!
Well I did it and it was Fabulous! I made my first pie crust from scratch with this recipe and it was so flaky it crumbed right in my mouth. I snagged the recipe from Deb at Smitten Kitchen. It is the perfect recipe using butter not shortening, there is so much out there with regards to shorting and butter. The thing with shortening is that Crisco took out the Trans Fat well ok now what? I went to a local Market that I like to call the United Nations it has everything from every country in this market, truly this Market is a gift for any cook. So I went there and just bought some Plain Wrap Shortening and the Trans Fats are there Unlike you know who Crisco seriously if it comes to the time when government starts to control what you eat - never mind do not get me started on politics.

Alright here is a Pie Crust Recipe.All Butter Pie Dough From Smitten Kitchen


All Butter Pie Dough 
For one double - or two single-crust pies.
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold

Gather your ingredients:
1 cup water, and drop in a few ice cubes; set it aside
In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
Dice two sticks of very cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch pieces
Get out your pastry blender

Make your mix:
Sprinkle butter cubes over the flour & begin working them with pastry blender, to scoop and redistribute the mixture as needed so all parts are worked evenly.
When the butter pieces are the size of tiny peas - stop.

Glue it together:

Start by drizzling 1/2 cup ice-cold water (but not the ice cubes, if there are any left!) over the butter and flour mixture. Using a rubber or silicon spatula, gather the dough together. You’ll probably need an additional 1/4 cup of cold water to bring it together, but add it a tablespoon as a time. Once you’re pulling large clumps with the spatula, take it out and get your hands in there. Gather the separate damp clumps together into one mound, kneading them gently together. Use the heel of your hand.

Pack it up:



Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. I like to use the sides to pull in the dough and shape it into a disk. Let the dough chill in the fridge for one hour, but preferably at least two, before rolling it out.
Go to Smitten Kitchen and look at her pictures and tutorial on pie crust..it is amazing



 Roll out your dough:

Here is what to make sure of  "Your dough stays cold". Flour the counter with plenty of four so it does not stick. If the dough becomes soft just put it in the freezer for a few minutes, Cold is essential.
Have your tools ready to use. A rolling pin , a shaker of flour, parchment or wax paper and cold dough. I use my pastry mat to roll so I can turn it easily but you can use wax or parchment paper.
Roll in one direction at a time and slow. There is no rush. If your dough stick's use a scraper to lift and re-flour also flour the rolling pin. You want to start in the middle and go in different directions it takes time be patient. Be generous with your flour we do not want sticking. You want a 12" circle.

I have a pastry mat this makes it easy to turn. A good investment. Another good Kitchen Tool !


You can just fold your pie crust onto your rolling pin and roll it gently onto the pan. Trim the crust or just fold it in . Mine is really rough but I like that. Any holes or rips just paste it together with a small amount of water. 

Now something not addressed on the other site is Pre-Baked or Not? This will depend on your recipe and what it calls for. If you need to pre-baked here are a few tips.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Prick the bottom all over the bottom with a fork. Line your pie crust with parchment paper, now fill with pie weight or beans work good!  I know my crust had no parchment to separate the pie from the weights. Had none and this was a mistake.


My crust had little marble marks and was uneven but it was flat. You need to use enough beans or weight to fill the bottom completely.



Ok bake the crust for 15 minutes till it just gets color on the edges. Remove the weight and parchment paper and continue baking until it get a light golden color. Remove the crust  from the oven and cool on a rack until completely cooled. Do not fill a warm crust.

Pumpkin Pie 2023

This recipe was done originally in 2014. Well it is 2023 and I am updating this classic. Once I started to bake fresh I never went back to store bought.

 
Fresh baked is crazy good. So grab a pumpkin throw it on a cookie sheet and call it pie! But first here are a few of my changes. I now cut the top off the pumpkin and scrape all the stuff out. I use to just cook the whole thing just as shown to the left. 



Now in 2023 although it is a bit more work it is worth it. I scrape out the pumpkin stuff and save the seeds for the oven to toast up for the kids. Well actually for the grandkids. Once this is done cut the pumpkin up to cook. Any way you wish. I just leave it whole and cook at 375 for approximately 45 minutes until for tender in side. 

A standard pumpkin should cook up to 3 cups of pumpkin puree. I cook much more to have during the year for more pies or to give to the chickens. 

Here is what you need to make the pie along with your pumpkin. 

Ingredients

1 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp of ground cloves
1 tsp of ground all spice
½ tsp pf ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
3 cups of fresh pumpkin

Now a pumpkin is a pumpkin is a pumpkin right?  NO it is not ! There are two types the pie pumpkins and the jack o lantern I grow my own so a jack oh lantern it is. There are also many ways to cook your pumpkin.  My way well easy just wash it put the whole thing on a tray and cook the little guy in the oven at 425 for 45 minutes to an hour and a half till he is fork tender.


Set it aside to cool. Then you can cut him into pieces.


Scrape out the seeds for the kids and hubby you can salt them and roast them in a 350 degree oven till lightly brown and let them cool. Truly a treat the folks in the house will want them every year. I know!

Get rid of the hairy stuff on the seeds.




Once the pumpkin is cooled and you have scraped the inner out, (not the seeds) place the scraping  into your food processor if you don’t have one use your blender or anything that will make a mash that is satisfying texture to you.

Add all your spices and the eggs. You can always add a pinch of cream to thicken it up if you want to. I do but I’m partial to cream in many recipes.








Did you buy a pie crust or make it from scratch.
I made my first one from scratch.
Here is the link bake your own pie crust


Or just buy a pie crust either way it works !

Ok pour your pumpkin mush in the pie crust and cook in the oven for 45 minutes till a fork comes out clean and it looks done not hard to judge this one. Look at my pictures mine was looking pretty good and tasted even better.

Enjoy this was so much easier than I thought it would be










 Looks pretty good for a first try I would say!









Did you clean your seeds and bake them in the oven at 325 for about 15 minutes salt them up and enjoy them.....my kids loved this when they were little now I mail them to the Island of Oakland for Chris to enjoy...he is my seed eater... God Bless

Pioneer Vinegar Pie

This Vinegar Pie was so delightful and I changed the recipe just a bit, not much just a tweak-y. So I can get pretty burnt out on the whole pumpkin thing during the Holiday Season. This year I am turning it around and baking Holiday Pie in as many ways as possible.






This day it is a recipe I found in Martha Stewart Living and it is a Pioneer Vinegar Pie and yes I tweaked it to make it easier. What I did was not put a top on it. This way it is looking more like a pumpkin pie and I used only the bottom crust. It is less filling and looks good to.

Ingredients

Standard Pie Crust (Do you have a recipe if no time just buy one boxed or frozen it works)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon water divided
3 large eggs divided

 

Roll out your pie crust. Fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges of the dough to fit the pan. Bake the crust in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Punch little holes with a fork into the bottom of the crust prior to cooking so it does not lose its shape. Also use some type of Pie Crust Weight. Put a sheet of aluminum and a bag of beans. Empty the beans onto the aluminum. This will hold your crust in place.





Your oven is already to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Notice I am warming everything up with the bowl of a pan pf boiling water. Prevents burn.

Remove this from the heat and whisk in the brown sugar, flour, spices, salt, vinegar and 1 cup of the water. Lightly beat the eggs, and whisk then into the mixture.





Return the bowl on to the stove top and simmer until thickened. until the liquid coats the back of a spoon. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes stir it often.

Remove from the heat, and let it cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Stir it occasionally.
Once cooled pour the filling into the cooled crust.

 Cook in the oven until the center is still soft not to jiggly.

You can serve it warm with Vanilla ice cream. We cooled it down and served it with fresh whipped cream. Delightful!

This really was delicious and a nice change for the Holiday dessert table.

Egg Wash

Well if you go to cooking school the term means a mixture of beaten eggs and some sort of liquid which is then brushed onto foods prior to baking.

When you brush the egg wash and it adds a golden color and sheen to the baked goods.
Also when baking it is also used as a glue to secure two edges of pastry together like when you make filled pastries. It can also be used for calzones, won tons, the list goes on.

Egg Wash Recipe: The typical egg wash recipe consists of about two tablespoons of liquid for each egg. Using less liquid creates a darker egg wash. Egg wash is usually made with water, although milk can be used, too. Some egg wash recipes call for a pinch or so of salt as well.

When you apply your egg wash make sure you do not apple it to heavy/thick. It may seep down in between your crust and the pie pan and it may seal them together. Also if it is to thick it won't seal it will just be a mushy mess.