bread pudding because I could not see croissants go to waste

This Christmas there seemed to be a lot of talking about Moms going on.  Part of that was the elusive hunt for the sour cream raisin pie.  And it was the first Christmas without my Grandma, my Mom's Mom.  My Dad's Mom was one of those cooks who never measured anything.  I get given a lot of crap for doing the same.

Finishing off the book portion of the Christmas shopping, my Mom took us to her favorite bookstore.  I could have spent all day there!  New books.  Used books.  Places to sit and read.  Places to eat.  Library downstairs.  Yes, really.  

We had lunch there and the salad I had there actually was big enough to feed everyone salad for dinner after I ate off of it.  Both my Mom and I had croissants for dessert.  Her's was almond.  Mine was chocolate.  But these were large croissants and there was about half of each left over.

After they sat on the counter back at the house for a day, I decided it was time for bread pudding.  But then I pulled a Grandma.  I cut them up into bite sizes pieces.  I beat an egg.  I dumped in maybe a half cup of heaving whipping cream.  Mixed that with maybe a quarter cup of sugar.  A couple teaspoons of vanilla was added to the mixture and then the croissants were added.  I let that soak for a bit.

After the soaking, into an oven proof casserole and I baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes or until there were golden crunchy corners.  I like golden crunchy corners and so does my Mom.  She nibbled on this for the next couple days.  She was still nibbling when we had to leave.

Sorry.  This is the closest to a recipe I can write down.  I am becoming my Dad's Mom.  But that is not a bad thing.  Either Grandma for that matter!  Both are missed. 

apple galette

It is three days before Christmas, the house is full of sweets and baked goods, but I was reading The Violet Bakery Cookbook.  What do I need to do?  I need to make an apple galette. 

I am probably not normal.  Maybe crazy is the correct description.  Three days before Christmas and I had already baked about ten batches of cookies and three batches of scones!  Let alone the urge to experiment with sour cream raisin pie.  There are reasons why I buy 25 pound bags of flour and sugar.

So I tried the apple galette recipe.  Actually, I did not.  There were too many hands in the kitchen and I totally screwed up the recipe.  Hands.  Voices.  Questions.  I really am used to working alone.  But it still turned out wonderfully.

The first thing to do is buy really good apples.  Somehow, I found very flavorful honey crisp apples that were smaller then my fist.  I think that took care of everything.  This seemed to disappear as a peckish snack:  grab a piece as you were walking by because you were peckish.  It worked very well at room temperature.

apple galette

one pie crust recipe,

5 smaller then fist size honey crisp apples

2 tablespoons butter

2 to 8 tablespoons sugar

2 cups unfiltered apple juice

1/2 cup sugar

Make sure the pie crust is refrigerated.  It will work better.

Peel and core the apples.  Save all the peels and cores.  Slice into 1/8" slices.  My Dad used a cheese cutter.  (Really.  Told you I got a lot of help.  It is his kitchen.)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Roll the pie crust into a 12 inch round.  Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Neatly stack the apples in the center of the pie crust leaving a clear edge that is one to two inches (More help with "neat."  Pretty stacked picture in the book).  Roll the edge to the apples.  You will want a wall to hold in syrup.  Dot with the 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.  Sprinkle with more sugar if the apples used a very tart.  For prettiness, the edge of the pie crust can be sprinkled with sugar as well.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the pastry is golden, the apples tender, and there is the potential for bubbling.

While the galette is baking, put the peels, cores, apple juice, and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Simmer for twenty minutes.  Strain.  Reduce over medium heat for 10 more minutes.

To serve the galette, slice and pour over with the appley caramel sauce.  I just poured about 1/4 of the sauce over the galette and then sliced.  The cookbook suggested ice cream too but I do not really think it was needed.

This was excellent but I will let you know because of the sweetness of the apples, I used a quarter of the sugar called for.  Part of that was screwing up.  I also used a quarter of the butter called for.  Again, too much help.  And a quarter of the sauce.  Too sweet with the honey crisp apples.  With something a different breed of apple, you might need more of everything.

But, lovely.

keeping my ears warm

When we were in Washington over Christmas, it was cold and rainy.  I had my silk scarfs with me, which I have been wearing to keep my ears warm and hair out of food.  But they were really not warm enough for my parents house and I had allergies going.  Which means that I was headed for an ear infection which I really did not wish. 

My parents have always kept the house on the chilly side of warm during winter.  It is just easier to put another sweater on.  But I needed more then my scarfs and I did not really wish to wear a hat, so I found out where the closest local yarn store was, got driven there, and bought yarn.  Yes, I bought yarn for a headband but mitts were also made.  And a hat.  And more mitts.  And. . .  There will be more pictures.

I was really pleased with how it turned out.  I have been wearing it around our cold and gloominess in Texas as well.  When the sun came out, I did go back to silk.  And the best thing was that I did not get an ear infection even with allergy sniffles!  This is exciting.  I do plan to make another.  I will actually have to figure out what I did the first time, which took much pulling out!

I am just going to laugh at myself now!

sour cream raisin pie - nope, it is right

Happy New Year!  

I have had two quiet days in a row.  Yes, I worked yesterday but it was quiet and I was asleep before midnight.  I did wake up at 1:30 am for no apparent reason but I fell asleep.  Today has just been quiet puttering.  Kitchen clean.  Some bread made.  Some spinning and sewing  A bit of a walk.  A grocery run.  Just everyday things.  I was pondering this pie and thinking about trying the experimentation again even though my Dad is not here.  This is very close according to him.  He said it needs to be just a tad closer to a pecan pie.  The only difference is brown sugar and I am thinking about trying just that.  Too bad he is not close by to taste test.

But, my forgetful head must write down this step.  This is an excellent step and good pie according to my Dad and my Beloved.  Just not quite a thirty year old memory.  On the right path.

I took the Highway Cafe Chess Pie and tweaked.  More raisins.  No walnuts.  A couple tablespoons of flour.  Sour cream and a bit more.  Nutmeg.  Is that more then a tweak?

almost right sour cream raisin pie

Note:  November 2018 I got told I did it.  This is my Dad's Mom's pie.  I am still tweaking the baking temperature to get it as moist as he remembers but the taste is correct!  I win!

2 1/4 cups raisins

boiling water

one pie crust recipe (remember to keep everything as cold as possible)

1 cup brown sugar sugar

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream soured with one tablespoon white vinegar

2 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place raisins in a bowl and soak with boiling water for at least 10 minutes.

Line one pie tin with the pie crust.  

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Mix in the eggs one at a time.  Mix in the vanilla and nutmeg.  Mix in the soured cream.  

Drain the raisins.  Dry as much as possible.  Dust with the flour.  Mix in to the custard mixture.

Pour into the prepared pie crust and bake for 45 minutes or until set.

Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Brown sugar.  Next time brown sugar and then I am awfully close!  Still, a good old fashioned pie.

"a custard with raisins"

As I mentioned yesterday, when I was at my parents I was trying to recreate a 30 year old memory.  I talked with my Dad about it a lot and come to find out it sounded a lot like a buttermilke chess pie.  When he mentioned that Grandma put flour in it I was "wait a minute, that is a chess pie."   My Mom looked at me a bit crossed eyed.  I have obviously lived in the southern region of the United States too long to know this.  Or just read too many cookbooks.

Grandma always baked by a pinch of this and a dash of that.  This recipe was not written down and when my Mom tried to learn it did not work.  My Mom measures everything.  I definitely bake bread by a pinch of this and a dash of that.  There was something I recently baked that I thought I was following my Grandma's footsteps.  It is why I quietly chuckle when someone gets all up and arms about having to be precise.  Not my Grandma.

I looked at all the recipes that my Dad had been given or had been tried and none of them really had the chess pie feel to them so I took a buttermilk chess pie and modified it.  That means heavy whipping cream that is soured with vinegar, raisins, and nutmeg.  Do not forget the nutmeg because it might not add a large flavor but it changes it just a bit I was told.

As my Dad said, this version was getting there.  He remembered more raisins.  But otherwise good flavor.  He forgot to mention that he remembered it to be more like a pecan pie but Grandma did not use corn syrup.  I still have more experimentation to do because of that.

This was my Beloved's favorite version, though he would not turn his nose up at the next one.  My Beloved like flan and this becomes more like a flan with raisins.  He brought the rest of this pie home.  It is why this version has to be documented.  Notice though, he would not turn his nose up at the next one which means I have to document that as well.  

I made a lot of pie.

sour cream raisin pie - more like custard with raisins

one pie crust

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

5 eggs

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup raisins, soaked in boiling water

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll out the pie crust and line a pie tin.  Make sure the crust is well pressed into the corners of the pan.  Crimp the edges to make the pie pretty.  

Put the raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water.  Swish them around a bit and make sure there are no stems.

Put the vinegar in the heavy whipping cream.

Put the sugar and flour in a large bowl.  Mix in the eggs and soured cream until well blended.  Mix in the vanilla and nutmeg.

Drain the raisins.  Dry off a bit and toss with a small amount of flour.  Mix into the custard mixture.

Pour into the pie crust.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is set.  

I actually had a carmelized sugar crust form at 45 minutes but at 40 minutes it did not look set enough.

I actually did not get a picture of a piece of this pie on a plate.  I was lucky to have the camera out but this shows why my Dad said it needs more raisins.  There should be raisins all the way to the top.  But, this is why my Beloved likes it because it is custard with raisins.

For such an old fashioned pie, this is pretty darn good.