POTS AND PANS CITY BLOG

Blueberry Pie is one of those summer delights that everyone waits for each year.  The sweet flavor of the mature berries combines well within a flakey pie crust and is ambrosia for the taste buds.  Serving blueberry pie hot with whipped cream or ice cream adds an extra dimension of extravagance.

Blueberries are one of the healthiest foods available, as well as being great tasting. They are one of the richest sources of antioxidants of all the fruits and vegetables studied.  Antioxidants help fight cell damaging free radicals, which are unstable substances that our body produces as it gets older.  Free radicals damage human cells and DNA.  The antioxidants in blueberries help to slow your ageing processes and reduce the risk of various forms of cancer.  The antioxidants found in blueberries are contained in ‘Anthocyanins’ (which comes from the Greek word meaning ‘plant’ and ‘blue’) and are the reason why blueberries are blue in color.

Blueberry bushes bear fruit from May through October, but the season peaks in July in the Northern Hemisphere.  In fact July is National Blueberry Month in Canada and the United States. 

In Canada, British Columbia is the largest producer of the Northern Highbush Blueberry, which is the most common cultivated variety.  The British Columbia region is the most productive blueberry region in the world and yields about 63 million pounds a year.  Another variety of blueberry, the Lowbush Blueberry, is found in the Atlantic Provinces through to Quebec and Northern Ontario. 

The United States also contributes greatly to the blueberry yield, with New Jersey being a leading producer of the Highbush Blueberry.  Other significant areas of Highbush Blueberries are in the southern states of Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.  Maine produces approximately 25% of all the Lowbush Blueberries in North America.

Blueberry pie is one of the easiest pies to make.  You don’t have to do any chopping or cutting up fruit.  You simply have to wash the fruit, make sure there are not stems still attached, mix the fruit with the sugar, seasonings and corn starch, and throw it in the pie crust.  The addition of lemon brings out the flavor of the berries and adds a brighter taste to the overall pie.

The correct ratio of sugar to get the desired level of sweetness required for a blueberry pie is about an amount of sugar equal to one-fifth of the number of cups of blueberries. 

Blueberry Pie

PASTRY:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup butter

FILLING:

• 3 pints blueberries, washed and cleaned
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2/3 cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ cup cold butter
• 1 egg, beaten with a small amount of water
• 2 TBSP. sugar

Measure all pastry ingredients into food processor.  Blend until just mixed together (do not over-blend or pastry will be tough.)  Pieces of dough should be about the size of small peas. 

Shape dough into a ball and flatten.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 450º. 

Remove dough from fridge and unwrap.  Cut dough in half and roll out one half on floured board.  Line pie plate with dough.  Add blueberries into pie dough and top with lemon juice.  Sprinkle flour and sugar over top, and dot with cold butter pieces.  Roll out remaining dough and top the pie.  Brush beaten egg over top of pie and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 450º for 10 minutes.  Lower oven heat to 350º and bake for 40 minutes longer (until crust is golden brown.)

There is nothing so sweet as a juicy peach when they are in season.  Biting into a ripe fuzzy peach, with the juice running down your chin, is surely one of the freshest and tastiest treats you can find.  That is the food stuff that is made for the gods.  Then when you translate that sweet juicy goodness into a pie it is truly a bit of heaven.

Peaches are the second largest commercial fruit crop grown in the United States today, with apples being the largest.  Major peach producers outside of the States include Italy, China and Greece.  In fact, peaches actually originated in China and have been cultivated there since very early in the Chinese culture.  You can find references to peaches mentioned in 19th century Chinese writings and were considered a favored fruit of the emperors.

Peaches were brought to America in the 16th century by Spanish explorers.  It was not until the 17th century that peaches were introduced into England and French cultures.  In Queen Victoria’s court, no meal was deemed to be complete without the addition of a fresh peach.

Peaches are not only a great tasting fruit, but also a very healthy one.  They contain antioxidants that help protect your body from daily cell damage and many chronic diseases, including certain types of cancer.  Peaches also contain beta-carotene (Vitamin A), Vitamin C and Vitamin E. The red-pigmented Beta-carotene, responsible for the peachy color, transforms into Vitamin A in the body.
Vitamin A helps maintain the skin, internally and externally, and also protects the eyes, helps build strong teeth and bones and helps maintain healthy hair.  Recent Vitamin A research has been linked to reduced rates of cancer and heart disease. 

Vitamin C helps boost your immune system and promotes healing.  It also helps prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke.
A significant amount of Vitamin E is found in peaches.  Vitamin E has been found to be particularly effective in preventing heart disease and breast cancer.

Since peaches are such a healthy, tasty food, it is not surprising that they are used in many recipes—especially in desserts.  Their sweet juiciness provides a delicious way to get many of the vitamins your body needs.
Peach pie has long since been a favorite in many family homes, as well as being a major contender at many county fair competitions.  Peach pie can be made with tinned peaches, but the best ones always use fresh peaches.  Although you can get peaches from May until October, the height of the peach season is in August.

Here is a peach pie recipe that you may want to try when peach season arrives this year:

PASTRY:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 2 TBSP. white sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 tsp. salt
• 5 TBSP. very cold water (approximately)

FILLING:

• ¾ lb. fresh ripe peaches
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 TBSP. corn starch
• Juice from ½ lemon

Egg wash (made up of one beaten egg plus a small amount of water)
Sugar to sprinkle on top of pie

Measure all pastry ingredients, except water into food processor.  Pulse a few times until mixture is the size of small peas.  Through top, add just enough cold water until dough forms a ball.  (Do not over-blend or pastry will be tough.)  Shape dough into a flattened ball and refrigerate for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 450?F.

Remove dough from fridge and unwrap.  Cut dough in approximately thirds- two-thirds will be used for the bottom crust, and one-third for top.  Roll out two-thirds of dough on lightly floured surface and line a pie plated with dough.  Peel peaches and slice in wedges.  Place in pie crust.  Sprinkle lemon juice and then corn starch over fruit, then white sugar.  Roll out dough for top crust and spread over pie.
Crimp edges to seal.  Brush egg wash over top crust and sprinkle with a little white sugar.  Cut vent holes in top of crust with a sharp knife.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

There is nothing better in comfort food than the taste of Mom’s Apple Pie.  That rich smell of apples and cinnamon mingled together just makes you think of cozy family times gathered around by the fireplace on a cool autumn day.  Nothing speaks of home more clearly.

You can create that same feeling of comfort each time you create your own apple pie masterpiece.  Think of the ultimate in flakey pie crust filled with the sweet-tart flavor of apples and cinnamon baking in your own kitchen. 

The best time to make apple pies, of course, is when apples are in season in the fall.  There are thousands of varieties of apples the world over, but the best kinds of pie making apples are the crisper firmer varieties.  Many of these are found readily in Canada and the United States.  One of the more popular pie making apples include the Granny Smith apple, which is a crisp, juicy, tart apple that is speckled and light green in color.  Other good varieties would include Jonathan, Jonagold, Northern Spy, Winesap, or Pippin.  Sweeter varieties that also work well include Fuji, Pink Lady, Suncrisp, Rome Beauty, and Empire. 

Apples that you eat raw out-of-hand do not always make the best apples to use in pies.  Although the flavor of the apple may be great, sometimes the texture of your regular eating apple does not hold up when baking and your pie filling will turn to mush.  An example of a good eating apple that does not do well in pies is the Red or Golden Delicious apple. 

You can also use a mixture of different apples to create your pie, or even a mixture of apples and crisp pears for a little different flavor. 

Making a flakey pie crust can be intimidating for some people, but it really isn’t a complicated process once you know what you are doing.  The trick is not to blend the fat (or shortening) into the flour too much (as you would in a cookie dough).  You also need to make sure that the ingredients you use, like the fat and the water, are extremely cold.  You should learn to work quickly when making pie dough so that the ingredients do stay cold.

A handy tip to making pie dough is to use a food processor.  This eliminates using your hands to mix the dough and the ingredients will stay colder for longer.  If you do use a food processor to mix your dough, don’t overmix it.  Use the pulse setting instead of just letting it run on.  Your flour-fat mixture when pulsed together should have flour-coated pea-sized pieces of fat throughout. 

When adding the cold water to your pie dough, add it a little at a time.  You don’t want to add too much so that the dough is sticky.  You just want the dough to hold together when you squeeze it together with your hand.  Then shape your dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour before attempting to roll it out.

The recipe below is for a cinnamon-y sweet-tart apple pie that will fill your kitchen with yummy smells.  Use the tips above to make your pie and expect to receive rave reviews. Enjoy!

Mom’s Apple Pie

Pastry:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 TBSP. white sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1 tsp. salt
• 5 TBSP cold water (approximately)

Filling: 

• 1 lb. bag of firm cooking apples
• 2 TBSP. + 2 TBSP. cinnamon
• 2 TBSP. + 3 TBSP. white sugar
• 1 TBSP. cornstarch

Egg Wash -made up of one beaten egg + small amount of water
Sugar to sprinkle on top

Measure all pastry ingredients, except water into food processor.  Pulse a few times until mixture is the size of small peas.  Through top, add just enough cold water until dough forms a ball.  (Do not over-blend or pastry will be tough.)  Shape dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour.

Preheat oven to 450?F

Remove dough from fridge and unwrap.  Cut dough in approximately thirds- two-thirds will be used for the bottom crust, and one-third for top.  Roll out two-thirds of dough on lightly floured surface and line a pie plated with dough.  Sprinkle 2 TBSP. cinnamon and 2 TBSP. sugar on bottom of crust.   Peel apples and slice and place in pie crust.  Sprinkle corn starch over apples, then 2 TBSP. cinnamon and 3 TBSP. white sugar.  Roll out dough for top crust and spread over pie.  Prick top all over with a fork to create a few holes for steam to escape.

Crimp edges to seal.  Brush egg wash over top crust and sprinkle with a little white sugar.  Cut vent holes in top of crust with a sharp knife.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Although rhubarb is often mistaken for a fruit, it is actually a vegetable.  It is closely related to garden sorrel, which makes it a vegetable.  Its unique tart taste is a favorite in many desserts and it is especially good in pies.  It is often combined with other fruit like apples or strawberries to give it a sweeter flavor.

Rhubarb was initially cultivated for medicinal reasons and it was not until the 18th century that it began to be grown for culinary purposes in England and North America.

Rhubarb is a perennial plant that is rich in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.  The leaves of the rhubarb plant crop up in early spring and can grow up to a foot or more in width and length.  The plant can reach the height of several feet if not cut back.  The leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous and should not be eaten.  Only the stalks are used for cooking purposes.  Rhubarb is often used in jams, jellies, sauces, stewed fruits and juice, as well as in pies.

Although rhubarb is commonly found in most supermarkets around the country, it is also very easy to grow.  Once planted the rhubarb stalks appear yearly (because it is a perennial) and the plant expands.  The best quality rhubarb is said to be found in Michigan, other northern states and in Ontario, Canada.  You can find fresh rhubarb in early spring through to summer, and winter rhubarb is commercially produced in forcing houses in Michigan and Ontario.  You can usually get two crops of rhubarb out of your garden per year, the first in early May or June and then a second crop in late August.

There are several varieties of rhubarb and it comes in a spectrum of colors ranging from deep red to green.  You can also get pink or speckled rhubarb.  Many believe that the red rhubarb is sweeter than the green, but that is not necessarily true as the sweetness is not really related to the color.  The red is the more popular type among consumers, but the green varieties are often the more productive plants.  Any type of rhubarb can be used in cooking.

As mentioned, rhubarb is excellent when teamed up with other fruit.  The sweet crispness of apples makes a great pairing with the tartness of the rhubarb.  Firm, crisper apples like Granny Smith’s hold up better when cooked with rhubarb, which generally tends to soften and provide a fair bit of juice. 

Here is an excellent recipe for you to try for a true rhubarb taste experience.  It offers both the fruity goodness of apples and rhubarb and has a bit of crunch with the topping.

Apple-Rhubarb Crunch Pie

Pie Crust:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 ½ TBSP. cold water (approximately)

Add flour, salt, sugar and shortening in food processor.  Process in short bursts until ingredients are combined and has the texture of small peas.  Add cold water a little at a time.  Add only enough water to hold pastry together.  Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for about an hour.  After and hour, unwrap and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8” thick shaping into a circle as you work.  Gently lay pastry in pie plate.

Preheat oven to 350? F.

Filling:

• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ cup melted butter

Mix together above ingredients in a small bowl.  Spread evenly over top of pie.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until top is golden and filling is bubbly.

Limes are a small green fruit that are a member of the citrus family.  They have a distinctly unique flavor quite apart from the lemon although they are similar.  The lime tends to have a fresh taste with a very aromatic smell.  The whole fruit can be used in culinary endeavors—the skin, juice and the pulp.  Limes are typically picked and used when they are in their unripe (green) state.  Limes actually turn yellow when they are fully ripe.

Lime trees or bushes like a tropical or near tropical climate to thrive.  There are dwarf varieties that are suitable for growing in large pots on a sunny patio, which can be moved indoors during the winter.

There are several varieties of limes that are typically eaten, which include the Mexican Lime (also known as the Key Lime from Florida fame), the Persian Lime and the Kaffir Lime.  Depending on the variety, the harvesting of limes usually takes place from early summer to fall.  Many varieties, after the tree has been established, continue to produce limes throughout the year.

When buying limes, choose the fruit that is bright green in color, are firm to the touch and which feel heavy for their size.  Avoid ones which have blemishes, have soft spots or that look shriveled.  Whole limes keep well in the fridge and can last for about 10 days or more.  If the skin becomes pitted, the lime has probably reached the end of its storage life.

The juice of the lime freezes well, and you can also freeze the zest if it is to be used chopped or pureed.  It is a good idea to wash your limes thoroughly before using the zest. A good tip when trying to get the juice out of a lime is to roll the whole fruit on a hard surface or counter first.  The pressure releases the juices from the lime.

Limes are considered low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.  They are high in Vitamin C content and in dietary fibre.  They also contain calcium, iron and copper, minerals your body requires for its healthy maintenance. 

As a bit of lime trivia, in the past English people were referred to as ‘Limeys’.  This came from the fact that frequently English sailors used to take limes on their long sea voyages to help ward off scurvy, a disease caused by a Vitamin C deficiency.

Lime Cream Pie

Pie Crust:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 ½ TBSP. cold water (approximately)

Add flour, salt, sugar and shortening in food processor.  Process in short bursts until ingredients are combined and has the texture of small peas.  Add cold water a little at a time.  Add only enough water to hold pastry together.  Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for about an hour.  After and hour, unwrap and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8” thick shaping into a circle as you work.  Gently lay pastry in pie plate.

Bake pie crust at 425? F for 12-15 minutes.  Cool before filling.

Filling:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• Grated zest of one lime
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup well-drained crushed pineapple
• Whipped cream

Combine first 4 filling ingredients in a pot.  Cook over medium heat until thickened.  Gently add in the well-drained crushed pineapple and stir together.  Remove from heat and chill for approximately 3 hours.  Turn into baked and cooled pie shell. 

Serve with generous dollops of sweetened whipped cream.

You have heard of Lemon Meringue Pie and Coconut Cream Pie, but have you tasted the goodness of a Coconut Meringue Pie?  This un-typical pie blends the smooth creamy taste of tropical coconut with the light fluffy sweetness of traditional meringue.  It is a melt-in-your-mouth pie that is sure to be a crowd pleaser at any gathering, family or otherwise.

Coconuts come from a large palm tree, which can reach a height of 30 ft. The coconut palm is found throughout the tropical world and is used for decoration as well as many culinary and non-culinary uses.  The nut from the tree (or coconut) is very light and buoyant and has been known to float away and germinate anywhere the climate is right.  Floating coconuts have been found (and to be viable) as far away as Norway.  But, the coconut does like the warm tropical climates best.

The coconut is a simple dry nut, with distinct layers.  There is the fibrous outer layer or husk with an inner harder layer (the endocarp).  Most coconuts you see in stores are presented in the hard layer form.  The coconut meat is inside of the endocarp and in the very middle is the coconut water.

The coconut meat high in saturated fat, but it contains less fat than some other nuts families, such as peanuts or almonds.   Some believe that the saturated fat in coconuts is actually healthier than the saturated fat found in other foods, but that has yet to be proven.  Coconut meat does contain less sugar and more protein than can be found in other popular fruits such as bananas, apples or oranges.  Coconut is also relatively high in minerals such as iron, phosphorus and zinc.

The coconut water found in the centre of the coconut should not be confused with the coconut milk found in cans in your grocery store.  Coconut milk is grated coconut meat combined with water to form a thick smooth milk-like substance.  Coconut milk is used often in cooking.  The pure coconut water found in coconuts can be drunk fresh.  It has a sweet milk flavor.

Meringue, another essential part of the Coconut Meringue Pie, consists of beaten egg whites and sugar.  The egg whites when beaten change the protein bonding structure to form a stiff consistency.  There are three stages of meringue according the to stiffness of the peaks formed when the beater is lifted from the beaten egg whites—soft peaks, medium and stiff peaks.  Stiff peaks are preferable for making meringue pies.

After the egg whites have been beaten (with the sugar added), the meringue is placed in the oven for a short time to lightly brown the topping.  A soft golden color is desired. 

Tips for making the perfect meringue:

• Be sure the eggs are at room temperature
• When separating the eggs, be sure that there is no yolk whatsoever in the egg whites
• Use a clean, grease-free bowl—glass is best

Coconut Meringue Pie

• 8” frozen pre-baked pie shell
• 1 pkg. (4 serving size) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tsp. coconut extract

Meringue:

• 2 egg whites – room temperature
• ¼ cup super-fine white sugar

Combine vanilla pudding mix, coconut milk and coconut extract in a bowl.  Mix together as per package directions.  Spread in pre-baked pie shell.  Chill for 1 hour.

Beat egg whites and sugar together until stiff and soft peaks form.  Spread over pudding mix. 

Bake at 350? for 10-15 minutes until meringue is golden.  Remove from oven.  Chill pie for another hour before serving.

Custard pies have always been a family favorite because of their smooth creamy texture.  Adding another flavor, like bananas, to the custard increases the flavor experience.  Custard pies can be served cold, as is, but are also great when topped with whipped cream (for another layer of extravagance). If you also add bits of shaved chocolate on top of the whipped cream, you will truly have a dessert that dreams are made of.

Sometimes, though, custard pies can be tricky to make.  Some can turn out lumpy and others watery.  One important tip with custard pies is that they must be kept well chilled if not eaten almost at once.  The eggs can be subject to adverse bacterial activity if not kept refrigerated, even if there is no apparent evidence of spoilage.  As a general rule, custard pies should be eaten within 3 hours of baking. They should then be refrigerated.

If you want to make a good custard pie, typically the piecrust needs to be baked at high heat to be flakey, while the custard filling requires a low heat.  The best way to deal with this problem is to partially pre-bake the piecrust. 

Use a high temperature, like 450° F, to start the pie crust baking.  You bake the pie crust at that temperature for about 10 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 325° F.  The filling should be standing by and ready.  As soon as the pie shell has baked for the required 10 minutes, pull out the oven rack and turn the filling into the hot pie crust.  You can also remove the pie shell from the oven, fill it and then return it to the oven.  You must be quick, however, and return the filled pie to the oven at once without letting it cool too much.

With some custard pies you can cook the filling separately and then just before serving, spoon the cooled filling into a fully baked and cooled pie shell.  You can prepare and cook the custard filling over (not in) a pan of hot water. A good tip when pre-paring a custard filling is when the custard has thickened over the hot water, beat it until it is cool to allow the steam to escape, otherwise the steam will remain in the filling and it may become too watery.

The following is a recipe for a standard Banana Custard Pie.  As mentioned, you can top it with whipped cream or shaved chocolate for a more decadent treat.

Banana Custard Pie

PASTRY:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 ½ TBSP. cold water (approximately)

Add flour, salt, sugar and shortening in food processor.  Process in short bursts until ingredients are combined and has the texture of small peas.  Add cold water a little at a time.  Add only enough water to hold pastry together.  Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for about an hour. 

While dough is chilling, prepare the pie filling.  Have it ready to turn into the hot pie shell at once.

FILLING:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 cups ½ + ½ cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Whipped cream sweetened with ¼ cup sugar

Purée bananas in blender or food processor until smooth.  In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Add puréed bananas and remaining ingredients.  Mix together until smooth.

After the dough has been chilling for an hour, unwrap and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8” thick shaping into a circle as you work.  Gently lay pastry in pie plate. Crimp the edges.  Prick pastry with a fork all over.  Bake at 450° F for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 325° F and fill the shell while it is still hot.

Turn well mixed filling into prepared and partially baked pie shell.  Bake at 325° F for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Cool on rack.  Top pie with sweetened whipped cream before serving.

There are so many recipes for fruit pies, it is nice to try something different once in a while.  This Peanut Butter Pie is a favorite with kids as well as adults.  It has a nutty sweetness that makes it delightfully different.

Peanut Butter (or peanut paste as it is also known) is made primarily from ground roasted peanuts, with or without added oil.  The United States is the number one producer and consumer of peanut butter in the world, but it is also popular in other countries such as Canada, South America, Mexico, Central America, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Guinea, New Zealand, Bahamas, West Africa, North Africa, The Netherlands, Philippines and Saudi Arabia.

There are various types of peanuts, but the ones popular for making peanut butter in the United States are the Runner and Spanish types.  Alabama, Florida and Georgia produce 60% of the peanuts that are used in the making of peanut butter.  Other states that grow peanuts are Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

The peanut butter making process starts when the harvested peanuts are sent to factories for inspection.  The peanuts are then roasted in oven and rapidly air-cooled to stop the cooking process.  This helps to retain the color and oil constituents of the peanuts.  The cooked and cooled peanuts are then rubbed between rubber belts or brushes to remove any excess skin.  The nut kernels are then split with the hearts removed.  They are cleaned and sorted and then sent to the grinder where they are ground not once, but twice. During the second grinding, salt, sweetener and a stabilizer (to keep the oils from separating) is added. 

In the United States, products labeled as peanut butter must contain at least 90% peanuts.  Artificial sweeteners or colors and preservatives are not allows.  Some manufacturers sell what is known as a peanut spread to get around this restriction.  Some brands add salt and sugars such as dextrose, sucrose, fructose or molasses to cater to the tastes of some consumers.

You can buy peanut butter in smooth or crunchy varieties.  Smooth peanut butter is easy to spread and contains finely ground peanuts made into a paste-like consistency.  Crunchy peanut butter has bits or pieces of unground peanuts mixed with the paste.

Peanut butter is rich in protein, Vitamin B3, Vitamin E, magnesium, folate, dietary fibre, arginine and has high levels of antioxidant p-coumaric acid.  Due to the high levels of monounsaturated fats and resveratrol peanut butter contains it can help ward of cardiovascular disease.  Peanut butter prepared with the skins has a greater level of resveratrol and other healthful agents.

Some types of peanut butter can contain a small percentage of added hydrogenated vegetable oil to make the peanut butter easier to spread.  These are high in trans fatty acids, which has been thought to contribute to atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and stroke.  Natural peanut butters do not contain the partially hydrogenated oils.  But peanut butter is considered high in total fat and in calories.

Peanut butter is one of those things that children tend to love to eat.  This Peanut Butter Pie recipe is sure to be a favorite with your family, young and old.

Peanut Butter Pie

PASTRY: 

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 ½ TBSP. cold water (approximately)

Add flour, salt, sugar and shortening in food processor.  Process in short bursts until ingredients are combined and has the texture of small peas.  Add cold water a little at a time.  Add only enough water to hold pastry together.  Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for about an hour.  After and hour, unwrap and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8” thick shaping into a circle as you work.  Gently lay pastry in pie plate.

Preheat oven to 450° F.

FILLING:

• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ¾ cups chopped peanuts

In a large bowl, cream peanut butter and vanilla together with an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar and salt, beating until fluffy with each addition.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Then blend in milk.  Turn the filling into the pastry shell.  Top the filling with the chopped peanuts.

Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes.  Reduce oven heat to 350° F and bake for 20-25 minutes longer or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Cool on rack.

Although you may be familiar with the common southern delicacy of a pecan pie, why not try something a little bit different.  Rum and Walnut Pie blends the buttery, nutty, and a little bit bitter taste of the walnuts with the smooth flavor of rum in this sugary pie.  Try serving it warm with ice cream or cold with a rum flavored whipped cream for that extra bit of extravagance.

Walnuts are the fruit of a large deciduous tree, which belongs to the Juglandaceae family.  There are about 60 different varieties of walnuts but only about 20 are edible.  Walnuts are harvested mainly in the autumn, but can also be picked in their immature green stage in the summer and processed for other purposes.

Although the English walnut is the most typical type of walnut eaten today, the North American Black Walnut is also a good choice for this pie.  Black walnuts, however, are decidedly more difficult to crack.  Most people use a hammer to aid in cracking them, or others believe in spreading the nuts in a single layer on their driveway and driving over them with their car.

Along with other nuts, walnuts are rich in fat.  They contain 64% fat, in fact.  The fat in walnuts however is polyunsaturated, which is said to help lower cholesterol. The fat is probably the reason why they are so tasty.  And when eating walnuts, remember that you don’t typically eat a whole lot of them at one time so you can enjoy them without feeling too guilty. 

The fat in walnuts also makes them susceptible to spoilage and turning rancid.  To help walnuts retain a bit more shelf life, it is best to buy shelled nut halves even though they may be a little more expensive than chopped walnuts.  These tend to stay fresher for longer periods because less of their surface is exposed to the air.  You can also store the walnuts in your freezer in airtight containers to help retain their freshness.

When choosing walnuts at your grocery store, look for firm plump nuts with a slightly oily look to them.  Nuts that look dry or shrunken are probably old and a bit tasteless.  You can also try getting fresh nuts from specialized nut farms that may be in your area. 

Walnuts typically make a great substitute for pecan nuts.  They can be used in a variety of recipes including sweet or savory dishes.  They are great in cakes, pies and breads and are especially tasty served with cheese. 

Rum & Walnut Pie

PASTRY:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 ½ TBSP. cold water (approximately)

Add flour, salt, sugar and shortening in food processor.  Process in short bursts until ingredients are combined and has the texture of small peas.  Add cold water a little at a time.  Add only enough water to hold pastry together.  Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for about an hour.  After and hour, unwrap and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8” thick shaping into a circle as you work.  Gently lay pastry in pie plate.

Preheat oven to 450° F.

FILLING:

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• 1 ½ cups walnut pieces
• 2 TBSP. rum

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Stir in corn syrup and add walnuts and rum.  Pour the filling into the pastry shell.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Christmas doesn’t always have to be about the big Christmas dinner feast.  A special touch for the holiday breakfast can be just as important.  Use a bit of leftover mincemeat from the mincemeat tarts or pie you baked and turn Christmas morning muffins into a delicious special holiday treat.

Mincemeat Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 cup jarred prepared mincemeat
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Topping:

• 1 TBSP. brown sugar
• 1 TBSP. flour
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 1 TBSP. butter

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients.  Mix together until topping is crumbly.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk to mix together well.  Add in nuts and mix lightly.  In another bowl, add egg, milk, melted butter and mincemeat.  Stir together, then pour this over the dry ingredients.  Stir until just combined—do not over mix.

Spoon batter into well-greased muffin tin (should fill 12 muffin cups).  Sprinkle topping over all the muffins.  Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch.