Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp

From: Barefoot Contessa at Home – By Ina Garten, Food Network

2 pounds ripe Bosc Pears – 4 pears

2 pounds firm apples – 6 apples

¾ cup dried cranberries

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350°. Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into a 9x12x2-inch baking dish.

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubble. Serve warm.

Nancy’s Notes: Very, very good. The Barefoot Contessa really knows Crisps. In another cookbook she has a Peach Crisp recipe that is also fantastic.

Niny’s Caramel Pie

From: Beyond the Rim – Junior League of Amarillo, page 170

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

2 egg yolks, beaten

2 ro 3 tablespoons flour

½ cup sugar

1½ cups milk

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chopped pecans

3 egg whites, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

Melt ½ cup sugar in a skillet over low heat. Add the water and still until smooth. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl. Pour in some of the melted sugar and beat until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Mix the flour with ½ cup sugar and stir into the skillet. Add the milk and cook over low heat until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in the butter, vanilla and pecans. Pour into the pie shell.

Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Top the pie with the meringue, sealing to the edge. Bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meringue is brown. Yield 6- 8 servings.

Nancy’s Notes: Made January 4, 2010. I served while the pie was still warm, this is definitely better if you let it cool completely. It takes some time to assemble but well worth the effort. I will do again soon.

Apple Cranberry Streusel Custard Pie

From: An old Denver Post newspaper article

1 ½ cups fresh or dry-pack frozen cranberries

2 medium all-purpose apples, pared, peeled and sliced

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup unsifted flour

2 tablespoons cold margarine or butter

¼ cup chopped nuts

Place rack in lowest position in oven; preheat oven to 425°. In large mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. Add eggs, water and fruits; mix well. Pour into pastry shell. In medium mixing bowl, combine sugar and flour; cut in margarine until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over pie. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°; bake 30-40 minutes or until golden. Cool. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nancy’s Notes: Everyone always seems to like this each pie. Michael really like it this year.

Fresh Peach Upside Down Pie

From: A Brochure published by Colorado Peaches about 40-years ago

Line 9-inch pie pan with a 12-inch square of foil. Let excess foil overhang edge. Spread with 2 tablespoons soft butter. Press 2/3 cup chopped pecans and 1/3 cup brown sugar into butter. Fit bottom crust into pan over nuts. Mix 5 cups sliced fresh Colorado peaches, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons tapioca, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Pour into crust, cover with top crust. Seal crust edges. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes, then at 375° for 35-40 minutes. Cool. Turn upside down on serving place. Remove foil.

Nancy’s Notes: Yum, my favorite peach pie. The original recipe calls for unpeeled peaches but I prefer peeled. I like to use freshly ground nutmeg and dot the peaches with small pats of butter before covering with the top crust. Let cool for about 10 minutes, don’t wait too long. The pecan topping needs to still be warm to slide off the foil. I use Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Aluminum Foil for this dish.

Pecan Apple Pear Pie

 

From: Colorado Collage – Junior League of Denver, page 362

Pastry:

2 ½ cups flour ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar (opitonal)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

¼ cup or more very cold water

Filling:

¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, very soft, divided

¾ cup pecan halves

1/3 cup pecan halves

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cup sugar

3 medium, firm, ripe pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Butter Rum Sauce:

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup water

½ teaspoon rum extract

2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

In food processor, combine 2 ½ cups flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar, if desired. Add 1 cup butter pieces and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add ¼ cup cold water and process just until dough holds together. Divide dough in half. Press dough into flat disks, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°. Line 9-inch pie pan with foil, allowing a 1-inch overhang. Spread 2 tablespoons of the butter on foil. Press pecans, round side down, in butter. Pat 1/3 cup brown sugar into butter. Using floured rolling pin, roll out disk of dough on floured surface. Press into bottom and sides of pan but do not trim. Arrange apple slices over crust.

In small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and ¾ cup sugar. Sprinkle half over apples. Top with pears, arranging evenly so top crust will lay flat. Sprinkle with remaining half of the flour mixture. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and add lemon juice. Pour over pears. Roll out remaining crust and place on top of pears. Trim edges closely and seal crusts together. Gently push crust edges toward center of pie. Bake 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375°, and continue baking 40 minutes.

In small sauce pan, combine ½ cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1 cup water. Cook, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and clear. Stir in rum extract and 2 ½ tablespoons butter. Remove pie from oven, cool 5 minutes, and invert onto large serving plate. Serve with hot Butter Rum Sauce and vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Nancy’s Notes: Made Nov. 15, 2009 – excellent. This turned out so perfect I intended to take a picture but were more eager to eat. The way this recipe is written makes it looks like a days work. Here are my simplified instructions:

Line 9-inch pie pan with easy release foil – this is a great product!

Smear 2 tablespoons soften butter on bottom of foil.

Arrange pecan halves, sprinkle with 1/3 cup brown sugar.

Top with one Pillsbury pie crust.

Slice apples into crust, spread evenly.

Mix flour, cinnamon, sugar – sprinkle half over apples.

Slice pears atop the apples – sprinkle with remaining flour mixture.

Top with another Pillsbury pie crust.

Tightly seal the two crusts, trim, gently push edges toward pie center.

Bake as directed.

Slice and savor!

I did not make the Butter Rum Sauce, didn’t really need it but no doubt it would be good – except for the hips.

Nancy’s Blueberry Peach Pie

6 Palisade peaches – sliced

I prefer peaches from Bikki’s Ranch of Liberty

¾-1 cup blueberries – fresh or frozen (not sugared)

¼ cup tapioca

¾ cup sugar

Pinch salt

Fresh ground nutmeg

• Mix together above ingredients, let stand while fitting lower crust in bottom of oiled pie plate.

• Pour fruit mixture into pie crust.

• Dot with small pieces of butter.

• Top with lattice strips, pinch together around rim.

• Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

• Bake at 375-400° for 40-50 minutes.

Nancy’s Notes: I made this a couple of times during peach season. Disappears quickly.