Sometimes a store bought pie just won't do because a homemade one is SOoooo much better. For those occasions I have several recipes for the holidays for deserts that will make you the star of the show.
Apfel-streudel
1 pound sweet apples -- peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 slices brown bread, crumbled
1/2 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1/4 cup butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a bowl, combine apples, raisins, cinnamon, sugar and bread crumbs. Stir well.
Spread 8 sheets of pastry generously with melted butter and lay them on atop the other on a baking sheet. Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the top sheet, then roll the sheets up to form a log shape. Brush with melted butter again.
Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and fruit is tender.
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Apple Pie
Piecrust:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 tablespoons cold water, plus 5 tablespoons cold water, as needed
Filling:
6 Jonagold apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
Salt
Crunch Topping: (optional)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar and 1 table spoon cinnamon
Dash salt
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
To prepare the piecrust, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening with your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons water over the flour, and gently toss with a fork. Push the flour to the sides of the bowl, add the remaining cold water, and mix until all is moistened and combined. Divide the dough in half, and form each half into balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
In a large mixing bowl toss the apples with lemon juice. Combine the sugar, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the apples and toss until completely coated. Set mixture aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one ball into a 12-inch circle, and place into a 9-inch pie plate.
Transfer the apple mixture into the pastry lined pie plate. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the apple mixture. For the top crust, roll out remaining dough, place on top, and seal and flute the edge. Cut slits on top crust to allow steam to escape.
For optional crunch topping do not cover with second layer of dough. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Using a fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over top of crust.
To make the egg wash, crack egg in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt, whisk, and brush on top of the pie. Cover pie with foil to prevent over browning, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes until crust is golden and apples are tender.
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Baklava
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1/2 pound walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 pound blanched almonds, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 pounds filo pastry
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
In a saucepan, combine 3 cups of the sugar, the water, honey, lemon juice cinnamon stick and whole cloves, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves, and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the walnuts, almonds, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves and set aside.
Unroll the filo dough on a flat surface and keep it covered with waxed paper and a damp towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle. Remove 8 filo sheets, fold, cover and refrigerate for the top layer. Using a pastry brush, brush a 15 1/2 by 11 1/2 by 3 inch baking pan with some of the melted butter. Lay a filo sheet on the bottom of the pan, brush with butter, and repeat using a total of 8 sheets. Sprinkle a handful of the nut mixture over the top filo sheet. Layer 3 more filo sheets, brushing each with butter, and sprinkle again with a handful of the nut mixture. Continue until all the filo sheets and nuts are used, being sure to brush each sheet with butter. Use the reserved 8 sheets of filo for the last, top layer.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Using a long, very sharp knife, cut the baklava into small diamonds: First make 6 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts. Cut straight down until the tip of the knife touches the bottom of the pan, and keeping the knife straight, cut in a straight line all the way. Next, cut diagonally across the lengthwise cuts to form diamonds, starting in one corner and making cuts until you reach the opposite corner.
Heat the remaining butter until it bubbles and pour it over the top of the pastry. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until evenly golden and flaky. Remove to a rack and spoon the cooled syrup over the entire pastry. Cool in the pan, then serve pieces individually, placing them in decorative paper cups if desired.
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Boysenberry Pie
Ingredients
Pastry for Double-Crust Pie (recipe follows)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen boysenberries
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons raw sugar
Pie crust
2 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
Directions
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
1. Prepare pastry; set aside.
2. For filling: In a saucepan on low heat add 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup flour. Add boysenberries. Stir gently until combined.
3. Transfer berry mixture to pastry-lined pie plate. Trim the pastry to edge of pie plate. Cut slits in the remaining pastry; place on filling and seal. Crimp edge. Brush pie with milk and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with foil.
4. Bake in a 375 º oven for 25 minutes for fresh fruit. Remove foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more for fresh fruit or till golden brown and filling is bubbly. Makes 8 servings.
Pastry for Double-Crust Pie: In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening till pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all the dough is moistened (6 to 7 tablespoons cold water total). Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten 1 dough ball. Roll dough from center to edge into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Transfer filling to pastry-lined pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate. Roll remaining dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Place remaining pastry on filling; trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired.
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Candied Apples
2 C. sugar
2 C. corn syrup
1/3 C. cinnamon heart candy
1 C. water
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. ground cloves
6-10 medium apples
Remove stems from apples, wash and pat dry. Insert a wooden skewer in each apple, running through the stem end to base without protruding all the way through. Combine sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon candies and water in a medium size saucepan. Cook until candies dissolve, stirring constantly. Be careful not to boil. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves. Mix thoroughly.
Boil mixture to 300° F (hard crack) using a candy thermometer, without stirring. While mixture is boiling, spray a chilled cookie sheet with oil. As soon as mixture reaches 300° remove it from the heat and quickly dip each apple in one by one. Set apples on prepared sheets, standing on their bottoms until mixture hardens.
Let apples reach room temperature before eating.
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Mulled Apple cider
Ingredients:
1 gal Apple cider
5 sticks Cinnamon (snapped in half for luck)
2 English Breakfast tea bags
1 Orange washed and sliced
1 tblsp whole Cloves
1 tblsp Allspice
Fresh grated nutmeg
Mixing instructions:
Place loose ingredients into a cheese cloth or large tea strainer for easier extraction later. Simmer the ingredients together for 3 hours in a crock pot set on high, serve hot. Top with fresh nutmeg if desired.
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English Banana Caramel Dessert
This "jolly good" dessert was originally created in an old London bakery. At one point in time it was very popular throughout all of England. It has now has spread throughout Europe and the Americas, especially the northeast region of North America, particularly Boston. The ingredients are simple, the time it takes to prepare is short, and the dessert is simply delicious!
Ingredients:
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 refrigerated can of cinnamon rolls
1 cup caramel topping (similar to sundae toppings)
2-3 cups vanilla ice cream (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, combine bananas, vanilla, and melted butter, until bananas are well coated. On a cookie sheet, unroll two cinnamon rolls, leaving the two triangles attached to form a square. Place 1/4 of banana mixture in the center of each pair of rolls.
3. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Heat the caramel topping and drizzle over dessert. Serve warm. It can also be served with a side dish of ice cream if one chooses.
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Traditional Pumpkin Pie
Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar
Dash of salt
4 tablespoons frozen butter, cut in pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, frozen in pieces
1/2 egg, lightly beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the flour sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the frozen butter and process until it is the size of large peas, about 5 seconds. Add the frozen shortening and process for 3 seconds. In a measuring cup, combine the egg and the water. Add egg mixture and process for 5 seconds. Empty the dough onto a counter and incorporate Remaining flour without overworking the dough. Let rest 2 hours
Pumpkin pie filling:
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
In small bowl, combine sugar, salt and spices. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for 45 minutes or until firm.
