A Pinch of Love, A Smidgen of Joy - Pecan Pie

Living in Maine, I miss seeing groves of pecan trees that were so familiar to me down South. Harvest time for pecans is in the fall when the trees shed this beautiful, delicious nut. Thankfully, pecans keep well when shelled and frozen in Ziplock bags, so when I travel home to the South, I can bring pecans back with me and have access to freshly-shelled pecans for recipes.

 

I add pecans to salads, pop them into cookies and cakes, roast and season them for snacking, use them in pumpkin bread, toss them into trail mixes and granolas, and include them inside cinnamon rolls. But my absolute favorite thing to do with pecans is making a homemade pecan pie.

You can search high and low for the best recipe for pecan pie, but I've found that the tastiest and most memorable is on the Karo syrup label! My grandmothers used it and my Momma used it, and it always turned out perfectly sweet, gooey, and nutty. Along with a homemade crust, pecan pie is one of the best pies around! And not just for the fall-time holidays, although Halloween and Thanksgiving tend to see more pecan pies than any other holiday.

First, begin with a homemade crust. I borrowed this recipe from a friend who knows her desserts. It's flaky and perfectly flavored. And it holds up well to the syrupy-goodness of the pecan goo. Give it a try with other pies, and you'll see this is one of the best crust recipes!

Homemade, flaky pie crust
(Will make two pie crusts)

Ingredients:

1 stick of cold butter, cut in cubes
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold Crisco vegetable shortening
8-10 Tablespoons of ice water
1 Tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a large bowl, mash with pastry cutter the flour, butter, salt and shortening until pea-sized crumbles. Add lemon juice to ice water, and slowly add tablespoons of the liquid to the solid mixture, incorporating until softened but not too sticky. Combine dough in ball. Cut in half, and mash out until flat. Wrap individually in plastic-wrap, and place in freezer. Take out of freezer after about 15 minutes and flatten with rolling pin. Roll until larger than the pie plate that the pie is being baked in. Place the flattened, rolled-out dough inside the pie plate and crimp the edges. Place in freezer for about 15 minutes just before using it, or if not baking immediately, freeze and thaw 30 minutes before baking.

Karo Syrup's Pecan Pie recipe
(will make one pie)

Ingredients:

1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 - 1/2 cups (6 oz) pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie crust

Directions: Stir the first five ingredients thoroughly using a spoon. Mix in pecans (note, to make a pretty design with the pecans, you can wait and add the pecans on top of the pie, after pouring mixture into crust before baking). Pour mixture into pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool for 2 hours. Store pie in refrigerator. (Tip: Pie is done when center reaches 200 degrees F. Tap center surface of pie lightly; it should spring back when done.)

EnJOY!

Holiday Traditions

As this year draws swiftly to a close, I am reminded that nothing is so valuable as our time together as a family. Traditions established over the years seem to bind us even closer.



Each family , big or small, loud or quiet, has its own traditions that are followed more or less unchanged for a long period of time. Keeping these family traditions alive is not only the responsibility of the parents, but also the grandparents, the uncles and aunts, the family friends and in most cases, the responsibility of children. Whether you consider a family tradition to be the annual  Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas presents and birthday parties, the fact remains that families come closer and share the memories of past rituals performed to honor everyone. Families need those times together to strengthen ties and develop bonds that last for years to come.

We can cherish and keep family traditions alive by doing what we used to do as kids. (Just because you're older doesn't mean you have to grow up! I still hang three special ornaments on our tree that my mother gave me way back in 1964. Each one brings back special memories of Momma, Daddy, and the JOY we shared as we prepared for Christmas.) If you are given the chance help your mother or grandmother bake cookies, wrap presents and put them under the Christmas tree, bake that special cake that she only makes once a year, do whatever it takes to make memories that will last. These are some of the most precious moments you can share with your loved ones. Do not forget or let them vanish.

During the holidays, our family has developed several traditions over the years. For almost thirty years now, my husband has purchased some type of Christmas music box for me (each with a different tune---and believe me, that isn't easy as the numbers of music boxes have grown). On Christmas Eve, we play some of the music boxes (usually in the order they were purchased), then my husband reads the Christmas story from Luke 2 in the Bible, and then we play more music boxes to complete the ritual. Most of the time, the only lights are from the Christmas tree and candles, which adds to the atmosphere as the Christmas story is read.

Several "food traditions" have developed as I've tried new recipes and added them to the list of "must haves" over the Holidays. One of these is a recipe for homemade rum cake. Before I found this recipe, I tried several that either flopped (baked high and pretty, then fell flatter than a pancake), or turned out more like a sponge. However, this is one that I think you will enJOY making and sharing with friends and family. The syrup coating cools to make the outside almost crunchy, while the inside is deliciously light and has just the right amount of rum flavor without the taste of alcohol (which cooks out during the baking and boiling processes). I hope you will give it a try and leave me a comment below about how it turns out for you.

Before we get started with the recipe, let me say that I was just a bit too busy last week when I made this to photograph all the steps. So, if you have any questions about any of the directions, don't hesitate to email me (or if you're local, call me!). You can contact me at pkrains@tcworks.net.

I hope you will consider making this one of your "traditions"---no matter what time of year you choose to do so. Don't forget to print the recipe or copy and paste it to a file and save it in your recipe collection.



Pat's Homemade Rum Cake Recipe

For the Cake:
1 cup chopped pecans
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons + ½ cup Crisco oil, divided
1 - 3.4-ounce package of instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup dark rum
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Rum Syrup:
¾ cup butter
1½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup water
Pinch of salt
½ cup dark rum

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a standard tube pan (12-cup capacity). Lightly toss chopped nuts in flour to coat, then sprinkle them around the bottom of the prepared pan; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture and the 3 tablespoons of canola oil, and mix on medium-low speed for a minute or two – the mixture should look like wet sand. Add the pudding mix and mix again on medium-low speed until combined.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, remaining oil, milk, rum, and vanilla extract. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat until smooth.

5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (My oven takes just a few minutes longer.)

6. When the cake has about 10 minutes left to bake, start the rum syrup. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, add the sugar and the water. Bring to a rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down). Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the rum. Once it is mixed in, return it to medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

7. When the cake comes out of the oven, use a fork to poke holes all around the top. Immediately pour about one-third of the rum syrup over the top of the cake. Pour slowly so it has time to seep into the cake and down the sides between the pan and cake. Let it sit for 5 minutes or until it appears that all the syrup has absorbed. Don't let it sit too long, or it will stick to the pan.

8. Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Using a fork or a skewer, poke holes all over the cake – the top, sides, and around the inside. Don’t be shy – all of the holes ensure that the rum syrup seeps into the cake evenly. Sloooooowly pour the remaining rum syrup over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. You want to do this step very slowly so that the syrup actually seeps into the cake and doesn’t just pool on the bottom of the serving dish.

9. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before serving. Leftovers can be kept, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

 

What holiday traditions do you observe during the year? If you haven't established any, consider doing so as we begin the New Year.

May 2013 be one filled with JOYful BLESSINGS for us all!

 

 

A Bountiful Table

If you grew up watching the Waltons, you may have reminisced along with them, as they gathered around the family dinner table for their bountiful Thanksgiving feast. (See: http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=waltons+thanksgiving&tnr=21&vid=b97f19c5ff80b3561e71c787cdcce784&l=30&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DU.5035158419341352%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fvideos%2Fwatch%2F%3Fq%3DWaltons%2BThanksgiving%26vid%3DD59E42AEFE922789AF44D59E42AEFE922789AF44%26docid%3D5035158419341352&sigr=13sc6i2ll&newfp=1&tit=INSP+presents+The+Waltons+-+The+Thanksgiving+Story+starring+Ralph+...&back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3DWaltons%2BThanksgiving&sigb=11umju1mh) 

Although those days are gone, we can still gather 'round the table and count our blessings as we recall family, friends, and events that have touched our lives throughout the year.

 

No Thanksgiving meal is complete without delicious rolls on the table, whether it’s one of those fluffy dinner rolls or golden crescent rolls (I'll take one of each, please!). Whichever you prefer, hot rolls slathered with butter is a great addition to any celebratory meal (or for a quick snack in the middle of the day). This is an easy dinner roll recipe that I found  a couple of years ago in the Lion House Bakery Cookbook (available here: http://www.amazon.com/Lion-House-Bakery-Brenda-Hopkin/dp/1606411373/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353212174&sr=8-2&keywords=lion+house+cookbook).

 

These rolls are delicious even days later. I always bag the leftovers and microwave them just a few seconds to warm and serve later. I love these with ham and cheese tucked in and warmed for breakfast. This recipe is also great to use for cinnamon rolls.

 

So, let's get started!

THE BEST ROLLS IN THE WHOLE WORLD

First, let's gather the ingredients:

(NOTE: The recipe is on page 84 of "A Pinch of This... A Smidgen of That," but you can also find the complete recipe below, after the tutorial. You can copy and paste it to your word processor and print or save your own copy, if you don't have the cookbook. If you'd like to purchase a cookbook, send me a message using the form at the end of this post.

Gather these INGREDIENTS: 2 - cups warm water; 2/3 - cup nonfat dry milk; 2 - tablespoons dry yeast (2 tablespoons =2 packages); 1/4 - cup sugar; 2 - tsp salt; 1/2 - cup butter; 1 - egg; 5 to 5 1/2 - cups all purpose flour; 1 stick butter, for slathering hot rolls fresh from the oven

In a LARGE glass or stone bowl, combine water and dry milk. (I set my bowl in a sink partially filled with very warm tap water to keep the bowl warm.) Stir until dissolved.

Add sugar, salt, butter, egg, yeast, and 2 cups flour.

 

 

Whisk well until ingredients are wet, then for a minute or two extra, just to be sure you get out all the lumps and it's really smooth.

Add 2 more cups of flour, and mix with a large spatula (it's too much for your whisk) until ingredients are wet and continue mixing one or two additional minutes after that to incorporate all the flour and get it smooth and pasty. Add remaining 1 1/2 c. flour and again work it in well, as before.

Once combined, don't worry if it's still a bit sticky. Just clean the sides of the bowl, clean your spatula onto the lump of dough, and pour about a tablespoon of Crisco oil over the dough, using your fingertips to spread it around over the top to cover. Grasp dough with oiled hands and turn it over to oil the bowl. Turn over once so dough is covered with oil.

Cover with a lint-free tea towel, and let rise in a warm place (as I said, I leave it sitting in a sink full of warm water) until double in size.

 

Once risen to double, or to the top of the bowl, scrape dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. (You can lay out two strips of waxed paper side-by-side, overlapping a little, and cover it with flour to do this. Then, when you're through, just pick up your mess and toss in the trash.) Roll out dough to a rectangle that's about 1/2 inch thick, and brush with melted butter. (I usually melt about 1 stick of butter to cover the whole area of rolled dough.)

 

 

 

 

Using a pizza cutter, cut rolls into desired shape and size.

TIPS ON CUTTING: To cut my rolls after rolling them out in flour, I use my hand to measure the length and width of the strips. My thumb is the width, and from my thumb to the end of my index finger is the length (about 2 1/2 X 5 inches rectangle). I cut all one direction, then the other to make the small rectangles, then roll them up like crescent rolls, tucking the end under the roll when I place it on the pan. To space these, I leave a thumb's width (almost an inch) between them all around. They will use all the space you can give them to rise. Have your butter ready to slather them on top when they come out of the oven.

 

 

 

 

 

Place on a greased (with Crisco solid) or parchment paper lined baking pan.

 

Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until rolls are doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with additional butter while hot.


  Serve HOT with your favorite meal (or microwave and serve with ham inside for breakfast sandwiches).

THE BEST ROLLS IN THE WHOLE WORLD

INGREDIENTS:
2 - cups warm water
2/3 - cup nonfat dry milk
2 - tablespoons dry yeast (2 tablespoons =2 packages)
1/4 - cup sugar
2 - tsp salt 1/2 - cup butter
1 - egg
5 to 5 1/2 - cups all purpose flour
1 stick butter, for slathering hot rolls fresh from the oven

DIRECTIONS:
In a LARGE glass or stone bowl, combine water and dry milk. (I set my bowl in a sink partially filled with very warm tap water to keep the bowl warm.) Stir until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, butter, egg, yeast, and 2 cups flour. Whisk well until ingredients are wet, then for an additional minute or two, just to be sure you get out all the lumps and it's really smooth. Add 2 more cups flour, and mix with a large spatula (it's too much for your whisk) until ingredients are wet and one or two minutes after that to incorporate all the flour and get it smooth and pasty. Add remaining 1 1/2 c. flour and again work it in well, as before. Once combined, don't worry if it's still a bit sticky. Just clean the sides of the bowl, clean your spatula onto the lump of dough, and pour about a tablespoon of Crisco oil over the dough, using your fingertips to spread it around over the top to cover. Grasp dough with oiled hands and turn it over to oil the bowl. Turn over once so dough is covered with oil. Cover with a lint-free tea towel, and let rise in a warm place (as I said, I leave it sitting in a sink full of warm water) until double in size.

Once risen to double, or to the top of the bowl, scrape dough out of bowl onto floured surface. (You can lay out two strips of waxed paper side-by-side, overlapping a little, and cover it with flour to do this. Then, when you're through, just pick up your mess and toss in the trash.) Roll out dough to a rectangle that's about 1/2 inch thick, and brush with melted butter. (I usually melt about 1 stick of butter to cover the whole area of rolled dough.) Using a pizza cutter, cut rolls into desired shape and size. Place on a greased (with Crisco solid) or parchment paper lined baking pan. Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until rolls are doubled in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Brush with melted butter while hot.

TIPS ON CUTTING: To cut my rolls after rolling them out in flour, I use my hand to measure the length and width of the strips. My thumb is the width, and from my thumb to the end of my index finger is the length (about 2 1/2 X 5 inches rectangle). I cut all one direction, then the other to make the small rectangles, then roll them up like crescent rolls, tucking the end under the roll when I place it on the pan. To space these, I leave a thumb's width (almost an inch) between them all around. They will use all the space you can give them to rise. Have your butter ready to slather them on top when they come out of the oven.

TIPS ON FREEZING: After shaping the rolls place them 2 inches apart on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Place the rolls in the freezer and freeze until firm. When the rolls are firm, transfer to a large zip lock freezer bag. Date and freeze for up to 4 weeks. Great to do this when getting ready for the Holidays or when taking meals to needy families. TIPS ON USING FROZEN ROLLS: Arrange frozen rolls 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with nonstick cooking spray or covered with parchment paper. Cover rolls with plastic wrap coated with baking spray. Place in a warm place and let the rolls rise until doubled in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with additional butter while hot.