Cooking with the Kids: Martie and CCA Chefs Club Huntsville

I have the great honor of working with many different groups and one of my favorites is the CCA Chef's Club from Huntsville, Alabama. The group is comprised of junior high and high school students who have a love of cooking and may possibly want to seek a career in food one day. I've had the chance to hang out with the kids a number of times; we cooked together last holiday season and made my chocolate roulage recipe. Last year, some of them were able to come to Birmingham for a tour of the Southern Living campus, the legendary test kitchens and the studios where I film my videos for MyRecipes.com. 

 

I asked the group for a family traditions recipe and they selected this old school whip pie crust recipe to share. Filled with fresh blackberries or your favorite fruit filling, try it for yourself. Here are some photos of the kids with their own variations. The pie crust recipe calls for items I've never even heard of: a pie crust cloth and a rolling pin cover. I guess that just shows how old school it this recipe really is. If you do not have these items, just make the substitutions I've indicated.

CCA Chef TIP:  The use of a pastry cloth and rolling pin cover helps keep the pie crust from absorbing too much flour when rolling it out.  Too much flour and too much handling make a tough pie crust.

WATER WHIP PIE CRUST

(Recipe for 9” two-crust pie)

3/4 cup Crisco
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon milk
2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted once before measuring)
1 teaspoon salt

Put 3/4 cup Crisco in a mixing bowl.  Add 1/4 cup boiling water and 1 tablespoon milk; whip with a fork until water and milk are incorporated into the Crisco.  It should be smooth and thick like whipped cream.  Sift in 2 cups sifted all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir quickly, with round-the-bowl strokes, into a dough that “cleans” bowl.  Take up dough in hands and work gently into a smooth, blended round. Handle dough as little as possible.  Divide dough in half; roll each half separately. Place one half of the dough onto a lightly floured pastry cloth. (ok to use floured plastic wrap) Using a rolling pin with cover, (ok to simply flour the rolling pin) roll out the bottom pie crust.  Once dough has been rolled out, use the edge of your pastry cloth to carefully raise dough up and over the rolling pin.  This will make it easier to transfer rolled dough to the pie tin.  Fill the bottom crust with desired filling.  Roll out second half of dough and place on top of pie filling.  Trim dough ½ inch beyond pan, and flute edge.  Make several slits in top of pie crust for steam vents and sprinkle with sugar.  (Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon if making an apple pie.)  Baking temperatures and times depends on the filling you have placed inside.

Blackberry Pie frpm CCA Chefs Club HuntsvilleFresh Blackberry Pie Filling

3 cups fresh blackberries rinsed and drained

4 tablespoons All-Purpose flour

1 cup sugar plus more to sprinkle on top of crust

4-5 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

Place blackberries in bottom pie crust.  Layer the remaining ingredients.  Cover filling with top pie crust; seal and flute edge. Make several slits in top to allow the steam to escape. Sprinkle top with sugar.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  Cool on cooling rack for 2 hours before serving.

Thanks to all of my sweet future chefs for providing us with the recipe and photos of all the fun! Hope to see you all again soon.

 

Party Desserts: One Bite Banana Pudding

I'm working on my menu for a charity event in Chicago next month... will have a Southern theme. The desserts will be an assortment of minis: pecan pie, peach tartlets and banana pudding. The host didn't want to have to worry with lots of small glasses. Here's my solution... I had some pate a choux left over from the previous post on cream puffs just hanging out in the fridge. What to do.... what to do? Then I see the fruit bowl out of the corner of my eye and it hits me! Put the insides of the banana pudding into puff shell! This dough makes the best little puffs and they are hollow. Perfect for filling. The experiment was a total success. Best of all, these tasted just like the banana pudding my mother used to make! BLISS! 

ONE BITE BANANA PUDDING

I have 3 components to this recipe: the pate a choux, the pastry cream filling and the meringue top. I have it broken down into segments below. You don't even have to do it all at one time. I made the choux the day before serving. I made the pastry cream the following morning and I made the meringue just before I wanted to put them in the oven. The meringue will not hold so plan on using it as soon as you whip it up. Hope you love these!

*CHEF'S NOTE: For assembly, you will need 1-2 ripe bananas

CREAM PUFF DOUGH RECIPE (Pate a Choux)

Makes about 22-28 small puffs depending on how large you pipe them out

Prep: 10 minutes    Bake: 20 minutes   Difficulty: Intermediate

Supplies: Cookie sheet, parchment paper, piping bags or ziptop bags (don't use a cheap one- it will break)

This is a classic Pate a Choux dough. I always mix mine by hand because I don't want to wash the extra bowl of the mixer but some believe (Alton Brown and Jacques Pepin for example) that you have to use a mixer to incorporate the eggs. I did a blind taste test and I cannot tell the difference in taste nor in texture or appearance.

1 cup water

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup all purpose flour

4 eggs 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Get out a large measuring cup or short glass (I find a pint mason jar works great) and put the ziptop bag into it, open the top of the bag. This will give you some stability as you spoon the dough into the bag.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Put the water, butter, salt and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until the butter is just melted. Reduce the heat to very low. Add the flour all at one time, mixing with a wooden spoon. Cook over low heat until you start to see a little "film" on the bottom of the pan- only about 1 minute or even less. The dough will come together in a ball. Remove from the heat and allow to cool just a little bit but not too much; the dough has to be warm to accept the eggs. If the dough is too hot, you cook the eggs. This is not good.

If you are using a mixer, this is the time to transfer the dough to the bowl of your mixer. I use the same saucepan and put it on top of a dish towel to keep it from slipping around as I beat in the eggs. It is essential to add the eggs one at a time to your dough. I usually put all 4 eggs in a small bowl and just slip them in, one at a time, beating each with a wooden spoon until it is incorporated then I add the next egg and repeat. At first, it will seem as if you've made a mistake but do not stop. In a few seconds, the dough will go from slippery to a bit sticky as the egg is accepted into the dough. Do this 4 times. Take care not to be too aggressive with the wooden spoon because I have actually tossed an egg out onto the floor... that is how slippery the dough is in the beginning.

Once you have the eggs fully incorporated, spoon the dough into the pastry bag or ziptop bag you have set up. You can use it right away or it will hold beautifully in the fridge until you are ready to use it. I have waited a day or more, in fact, but let the dough sit out at least 20 minutes before you try to pipe it onto the baking sheet or you may blow out the side of the ziptop bag. Again, not good.

Pipe the dough into heart shaped or little puffs (see photo at the top) For the heart, draw the outside and then fill in the middle. For the puffs, I find that swirls don't cook as pretty as simply applying pressure to the bag until the puff is the size I want, then pull the bag back. It forms a little tip when you do this so before you put the into the oven, wet your finger with water and push down any little peaks so they don't burn.

Bake the puffs for 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees. Open the door and quickly rotate the pan and reduce the heat to 350 degrees for 10-12 more minutes. It is important not to simply switch the pan to an oven set to 350. The puffs will deflate.

I've had to trial and error this timing with my oven... and to my taste. I don't want dried out puffs but I also don't want them too wet or eggy. Grab one out, let it cool slightly and check the inside to see if it is what you want. If so, remove them from the oven. If not, give them a minute more.

Take a small paring knife or even a toothpick and puncture the top of the puff so the steam can escape. Allow them to cool on a rack before filling.

1. Boil the butter. 2. See the film. 3. Slippery. 4. Accepted. 5. Ziptop bag prep. 6. Ready to pipe.

1. Piping bag filled. 2. Choux piped onto parchment. 3. Push down any peaks. 4. Pierce the top to release steam.

PASTRY CREAM

For my banana pudding, I did not use a vanilla bean like I normally would because I didn't want the bean flecks in the custard. 

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Prep: 5 minutes    Cook: 12 minutes      Chill: 10 minutes

Supplies: Large bowl filled 1/2 full with ice and water

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk plus 3 ounces more (a little more than 1)/2 cup)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract plus a tiny drop each of almond and lemon extract

8 egg yolks in a medium heat-proof bowl

1/2 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 stick unsalted butter 

Make an ice bath in a heat proof bowl by filling it 1/2 full with ice and water.

Put 1 cup of milk and the cream  in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer. (you will see the little bubbles foaming around the edges of the pot)

Remove from the heat.

Add the sugar to the yolks and whisk for 30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.

Put the saucepan back onto medium heat and bring it back to a simmer. Once you reach the simmer, temper the eggs by briskly whisking a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs; keep whisking constantly; adding a little more of the hot mixture into the eggs. Continue whisking it in until you have it all incorporated and then return to the saucepan. 

Next, use a fork to whisk/dissolve the cornstarch into the remaining 3 ounces of milk. I just use the measuring cup because it shows the ounces on the outside. It is just under 1/2 cup of milk.

Put the saucepan back over medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Continue whisking or stirring over medium heat. As you are stirring, suddenly, you will notice it beginning to thicken up. Don't think you have ruined it or curdled it. Just keep stirring until it just comes to a boil and is thick. Remove from the heat. 

Put the saucepan into the ice bath you prepared earlier; take care not to allow any water to get into the pan and continue stirring to cool the custard a bit. Add the vanilla, almond and lemon extracts plus the butter and stir until it is completely melted and incorporated. Transfer to a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap or spoon into a piping bag. Refrigerate until ready to use.

ASSEMBLY

1. Slice the tips off of the puffs. Eat or save for later.

2. Pipe a dollop of pastry cream into the puff.

3. Slice a banana and add one slice on top of the pastry cream.

4. Pipe more pastry cream into each puff, filling it completely.

5. Make the meringue (see recipe below) and top each puff.

6. Bake until the meringue is golden brown.

7. Eat 3-4 as soon as they come out of the oven while warm.

MAKE THE MERINGUE TOPPING

I learned how to make meringue from my mom and I love the way hers was always so light and fluffy. However, my sweet and uber talented pastry chef friend, Geri-Martha taught me to first whisk the egg whites and the sugar together over a double boiler to dissolve the sugar so there is no grit remaining. For the photo above, I did not use the double boiler method, but for the party, I will. I like the texture better if you bother to do the double boiler step. Also, many people use cream of tartar or vinegar in their meringue. I don't because I personally think it creates more "shrinkage" where the meringue pulls away from the crust.

FYI: The ratio for meringue is 4:1. An egg white is about 1 ounce. Therefore you would use about 1 cup of sugar for every 4 egg whites.

CLASSIC MERINGUE RECIPE

4 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the egg whites and the sugar in your mixing bowl (make sure it is heatproof or use a heatproof bowl) over a double boiler that is simmering. Do not let the water touch the bowl and make sure the heat is not a full boil but a simmer.

Rapidly whisk the whites and sugar together until there is no grit remaining. This happens faster than you might think.

Remove from heat. Dry off the bottom and sides of the bowl. Put it on your mixer  stand with the whisk attachment. (if you do not have one, you can just use your hand-held mixer) Start at low speed for 30 seconds then increase the speed to medium high and beat until shiny and stiff peaks form when you lift the whisk from the bowl.

Immediately spoon the whites into a piping bag or ziptop bag. They will not hold long. Snip the tip of the bag and pipe onto your prepared shell taking care to "seal" the edges with the meringue.

Bake at 425 for 4 minutes or until golden brown. 

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Fresh Peach Tarts

Peach season is just weeks away and there is nothing I love more than peach cobbler. My mom used to make them almost every day in the summer. Since I don't always need a whole cobbler or pie, here's a way you can make just the number you need. Don't be afraid of making pastry crust. This one is super fast, super simple and it is just about no-fail. There is hardly any way to make it wrong; it is always flaky, buttery, and so delicious! Use it with any fruit but reduce the amount of butter in the filling if your fruit is really juicy. You can easily double the recipe if you want to make a larger amount and you can make the tarts as large or small as you like.

FRESH PEACH TARTS

Makes 2-3 tarts

For the pastry:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar plus 1 teaspoon reserved

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced

2 tablespoons ice water plus a few drops (you may need a few drops more if the dough seems a bit dry)

For the filling:

1 1/2 pounds fresh peaches, sliced (4-5 medium peaches, overly ripened peaches can be a bit too juicy so just ripe peaches actually work best)

1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon fresh orange juice or substitute Grand Marnier or orange liqueur

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces

1 tablespoon orange marmalade, heated for a finishing glaze

Egg Wash (optional)

1 egg, beaten with a teaspoon of water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter, a little at a time, pulsing between additions until the butter is the size of peas. Then, turn the food processor on and add the ice water all at once through the feed tube; stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough out onto a piece of floured plastic wrap. Just make it into a round, don’t over work the dough because it will be tough. Wrap the round with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.

When you are ready to make the tarts, lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Use a biscuit cutter or a knife to cut 2-3 smaller circles. I like to use a small saucer as a guide and cut around it. Wrap it over the rolling pin and transfer it to a baking sheet.

For the filling, peel and cut the peaches. I like the look of slices- I usually slice a medium peach into 8-12 slices. Put the peaches in a bowl and toss with the orange zest and orange juice or orange liqueur.  Next, add the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the cold butter. Mix all of the ingredients together until the peaches are well coated. Spoon the peaches onto the crust, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all the way around.  Gently fold the border over the peaches to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle. Finish the crust with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Simply beat the egg well and lightly brush it over the crust before baking. Sprinkle with the reserved sugar.

Bake the tarts for 20-22 minutes, until the crust is golden and the peaches are tender.

Make a finishing glaze by putting a teaspoon of orange marmalade and a few drops of water in a heat-proof bowl and microwave for a few seconds. Lightly brush the top of the peaches with the orange marmalade. Allow to cool slightly before cutting. 

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Recipes from Friends: JoAnn's Key Lime Martini Recipe

Party thrower JoAnn Harrison's recipe for Key Lime Pie MartinisI love dessert cocktails... you get the sweet and the cocktail in a glass and don't have to double up on the calories! This holiday season, offer your guests a selection of dessert cocktails. A dessert drink bar is easy to set up. Provide lots of glasses, cocktail shakers, liqueurs and mix-ins and a recipe for 4-5 different dessert drinks so guests can make their own. This is a sure-fire hit!! This recipe for Key Lime Pie Martini was provided by our sweet friend JoAnn Harrison. Thank you JoAnn! These are my new favorite!

KEY LIME PIE MARTINI

Key Lime Pie Martini with optional whipped cream and crushed graham cracker toppingMakes 1 cocktail

3 tablespoons Licor 43 (vanilla liqueur)
1 tablespoon lemon or citrus flavored vodka
2 tablespoons key lime juice or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely crushed cinnamon graham crackers (optional)

Whipped cream, lime zest, and/or lime wheels for garnish (optional)

Add all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake until frothy and well chilled. Pour into chilled, stemmed martini glasses which have been rimmed with finely crushed cinnamon graham crackers and a lime wheel. Or you can get really decadent and garnish with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and lime zest.

GET MORE DESSERT COCKTAIL RECIPES FROM MARTIE KNOWS PARTIES:

OATMEAL COOKIE MARTINI

PEPPERMINT BARK MARTINI

HOT APPLE PIE TODDY

AND LOTS MORE........

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Friday Pie Day: Classic Chicken Pot Pie

Who says pie has to be sweet? Some of my favorite pies are savory... pizza, for example:) My mom used to make the best chicken pot pie from leftover chicken. She'd whip up that crust so quickly, it all seemed to come together in a moment. You can take some shortcuts with this recipe but I wouldn't. Make it when you have plenty of time. I found the process to be almost as fun as eating it.

CLASSIC CHICKEN POT PIE

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts on the bone, skin-on  (this keeps the chicken juicy)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chicken broth plus 1/2 cup optional

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups carrots, diced

2 potatoes, peeled and diced medium -sized

1 small onion, diced

1 1/2 cup fresh green peas (you can use frozen if you have to)

1 teaspoon thyme (I used fresh- you can use dried but use less)

For the pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water, added a little at a time

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Be careful to get enough water but not too much. The crust will tear easily as you handle it if there is not enough water. Dump the dough out onto a floured piece of plastic wrap and form quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in the plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Allow the dough to sit out for 3 minutes before you roll it out onto a floured surface. *REPEAT this process if you want a bottom crust for the pie.

For the chicken: put chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove. Add the carrots and the 1 small diced onion to the drippings and roast for another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove and allow the chicken to cool slightly. Remove the meat from the bones and shred or dice it.

For the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the chicken broth. Add bouillon cubes and dissolve completely. Fill another pan half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the peas. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove the peas and rinse to stop the cooking process. Set aside. In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions and carrots over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until softened. Stir in the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken broth to the sauce, whisking it in a little at a time. Simmer over low heat for 2-3 more minutes, stirring, until thickened. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the chicken, potatoes, peas, onions and thyme. Mix together carefully. Check seasoning. Add more salt or pepper as needed.

Prep your baking dish by greasing the bottom and sides with butter or use a cooking spray if you prefer. You can either make this in one large baking dish or divide the filling between 4-5 small ovenproof dishes for individual servings. 

*If you are using a bottom crust, shape it to fit the dish or you can just cut it into strips and line the bottom of the dish. Use a fork to prick the dough and bake for 10-12 minutes or until it begins to turn brown.

Spoon the filling into the prepared dish. If you are using a bottom crust or if you like a very moist filling, you can add 1/2 cup chicken broth over the filling before topping with the crust.

For family style dish, roll the dough into a shape large enough to fit over your dish and to drape over the sides by 1 inch all the way around. For individual servings: divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Place the circle on top of the dish and trim 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Using your thumb and pointer finger on one hand and your pointer finger of the other hand, crimp the edges of the dough to make a pretty edge or simply fold the dough over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with a scant pinch of sea salt and/or cracked pepper if you like. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. The cook time will depend on the size of your dish. If the edges start to turn too brown, you can cover just the edges with a bit of aluminum foil.

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