Apple Dumplings

From Shirley Evans
Makes 6 servings

1 package of pie crust mix
6 baking apples (each about 3 inches in diameter), pared and cored
3 Tbsp. raisins
3 Tbsp. chopped nuts
2 c. brown sugar (packed)
1 c. water
sweetened whipped cream

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry for two-crust pie as directed on package except on lightly floured board, roll 2/3 of dough into 14-inch square; cut into 4 squares. Roll remaining dough into rectangle, 14x7 inches; cut into 2 squares. Place an apple on each square.

Mix raisins and nuts; fill center of each apple. Moisten corners of square; bring 2 opposite corners of pastry up over apple and press together. Fold in sides of remaining corners; bring corners up over apple and press together. Place dumplings in ungreased baking dish, 11-1/2 x 7-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches.

Heat sugar and water to boiling; carefully pour around dumplings. Bake around 40 minutes or until crust is brown and apples are tender when pricked with fork. Spoon syrup over apples 2 or 3 times during baking. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream.

Peach Dumplings: Substitute 6 peaches, peeled, halved and pitted, for the apples and 1/4 cup cranberry relish for the raisins and nuts. Fille centers of each 2 peach halves with relish.

Almond Puff aka Scandinavian Kringler

From Shirley Evans
Makes 10 to 12 servings

1 c. butter, softened, divided
2 c. flour, divided
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. water, divided
1 tsp. almond extract
3 eggs
Prepared Glaze (see below)
Chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 1/2 cup butter into 1 cup flour. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; mix with fork. Round into ball; divide in half. On ungreased baking sheet, pat each half into a strip, 12 x 3 inches. Strips should be about 3 inches apart.

In medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil. Remove from heat and quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at one time, until smooth. Divide in half; spread each half evenly over strips, covering completely.

Bake about 60 minutes or until topping is crisp and brown. Cool. Frost with glaze and sprinkle generously with nuts.


Glaze: Mix 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. softened butter, 1-1/2 tsp. almond extract and 2 Tbsp. warm water until smooth.

Master Pie Crust

From Andie Evans
Makes 2 crusts

Butter gives this forgiving crust its rich flavor, while shortening ensures supremely flaky results.

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Process flour, butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, and salt in a food processor until butter resembles tiny pebbles, about 25 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually add 3/4 cup ice water, using a fork to stir until dough is a mixture of clumpy wet pieces and sandier pieces, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if dry. Press plastic wrap over surface of dough. Chill in the bowl at least 1 hour or over night.

For a single- or double-crust unbaked pie crust:

Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into a disk. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disk into a 13"-14" round. Roll over rolling pin and transfer to the pie dish. Pick up the edges and allow dough to slump inside the dish. Trim, leaving about 1" overhang. (For single-crust pie, fold overhang under and crimp edges.) Chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

For a blind-baked pie crust:

Preaheat oven to 375°. Prick chilled crust in pie dish (see instructions, above) alll over with a fork. Line crust with foil or parchment paper. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven; lift out foil and weights. Reduce temperature to 350°. Return to oven and bake, using fork to prick any bubbles that have formed and pressing down on them with back of fork, until crust is light golden brown, 20-25 minutes longer. Let crust cool completely.

Banana Tartes Tatin

From Andie Evans
4 servings
active: 30 minutes
total: 30 minutes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 firm ripe bananas, peeled, cut on a diagonal into 1/4"-thick slices
4 6" rounds puff pastry cut from one package of puff pastry, thawed
Vanilla ice cream (optional...but not really)

special equipment:
Four 5"-diameter, 1"-high crème brûlée dishes

Preparation


Preheat oven to 400°. Place dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Smear bottom of each dish with 1 Tbsp. butter. Sprinkle each evenly with 2 Tbsp. sugar. Overlap slices from 1 banana over sugar, arranging in concentric circles to cover. Top each dish with 1 puff pastry round, tucking in edges of pastry.

Bake until pastry is golden and puffed and filling is bubbly, 20–25 minutes. Invert onto plates and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Clark's Quiche

From Dana Schrader

Makes 16 servings (2 pies)

1/2 pound thick sliced bacon
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, finely diced
2 cups finely diced smoked ham
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 tablespoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. Cook spinach according to package instructions. Allow to cool, then squeeze dry.
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Stir in mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes, or until soft. Stir in ham and cooked bacon. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine spinach, sour cream, salt and pepper. Divide, and spread into pie crusts. Layer with bacon mixture. Mix together Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Parmesan, and sprinkle over pies. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and pour over pies.
Place pies on baking sheet, and bake on middle shelf in preheated oven for 40 minutes. The top will be puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 6 servings
Time: 45 minutes

1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed chicken broth
1 1/3 c. water, divided
4 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 c. quartered medium mushrooms (about 8 oz.)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. frozen peas
1/3 c. AP flour
1 (15-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
2 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken

Combine broth, 1 c. water, carrots, potatoes in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the broth mixture and peas. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Whisk the remaining water into the flour until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into vegetable mixture. Boil, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat.

Unroll 1 piecrust onto a floured surface. Measure and roll, if necessary, to fit 1 inch larger than top of a shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Line the baking dish with the crust.

Stir the chicken into the vegetables mixture and pour into the baking dish. Place the remaining crust over the filling; trim and flute edge. Cut a scalloped round from the center with a cookie cutter. Bake until filling is bubbly and crust is browned, about 20 minutes.

Swedish Almond Rusks

From Shirley Evans

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
pinch salt
1 c. sour cream
2 eggs
4 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 c. sliced almonds

Combine all ingredients and form into 3 or 4 long rolls. Place on cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Then take out and slice  1/2 inch thick. Place back in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until light brown and dry.