Pear Frangipane Tart

Frangipane, an almond cream, is a staple in French baking and is a great base for fruit tarts. I used my usual lard-based crust for this pear tart, which I expect the French would frown on most ardently. They use butter of course.

Ingredients: 

• 3 thinly sliced Bosc pears (use whatever pears/fruit you like)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/3 cup ground almonds
• about 4 tablespoons of softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
• a couple of tablespoons of jam thinned with water to a spreadable consistency (I used strawberry)
• 1 pie crust 

Methods:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 

Place your rolled pastry into a pie plate of your choice. I used a 10-inch pan with a removable bottom. Combine the sugar, almonds, butter, eggs and extract well then spread the mixture evenly over the pastry in the pan. Slice the pears thinly and fan out the slices as you place them on top of the almond filling. Brush the top of the filling with the thinned jam. 

I forgot to time the baking of this tart but basically continue baking until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is firm. A toothpick placed in the almond base should come out clean.

Two things to note:

I used whole ground almonds (with skin on) which means the frangipane is darker than it would be if made by the French. Also, they would no doubt blind-bake the pastry prior to adding the filling to bake. Let's describe my tart as rustic.

French Canadian Tourtiere

I've posted this holiday recipe previously. It's very Canadian and very seasonal, so I'm posting it again. 

I bought a very expensive tourtiere from a high-end food shop to serve during the holidays. It had little flavour and a difficult texture. There had to be a better way.

According to the Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook, this French Canadian specialty was originally prepared with passenger pigeon (tourtes). As a child, I read a fictionalized account of the final days of the last passenger pigeon and it just about did me in. It was not until adulthood that I had any idea that my favourite pork pie had any relationship to a now extinct bird.

These days either minced pork or a mixture of different meats is used to make this savoury pie. Many people serve tourtiere on Christmas Eve, but our family often served it on New Year's Eve or on the first day of the new year, (along with oyster stew). This is really wonderful served with chutney and a green salad with an acidic dressing.

Just try not to think about the pigeons.

Ingredients:

• enough pastry for a 2-crust, 9 inch pie

• 3 potatoes

In a heavy 3 quart saucepan combine the rest of the ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 pounds of ground pork 

• 1 small onion minced

• 1/2 cup of boiling water

• 1 clove of garlic, chopped

• 1&1/2 teaspoons of salt

• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt

• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage

• pinch of ground cloves

Methods: 
Cook the meat mixture over a low heat, stirring constantly until it loses its redness and about half of the liquid has evaporated. Cover and cook for 45 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, boil and mash 3 medium sized potatoes. Mix the mashed potatoes into the meat mixture and cool.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Roll out half the dough and line a deep 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Fill with the cooled meat mixture and cover with the remaining dough. Seal the edges and make a cut in the top crust with a sharp knife. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and bake for 30-40 minutes longer. Makes 6 to 7 servings.

Blackberry Cream Cheese Pastries

This is a slightly revised version of a Better Homes and Gardens recipe for blueberry pastries. Basically, these work with whatever fruit and jam combination you might choose to use. 

Ingredients:

• 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1cup fresh or frozen blackberries

• 1/2 cup peach jam

• 17.3 ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed

• 1egg

• 1 tablespoon water

Methods:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. then line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla then beat again. In a small bowl stir together the fruit and jam.


On a lightly floured surface, roll each sheet of the thawed puff pastry into a 10 1/2 inch square. Cut each square into nine 31/2 in squares and transfer the squares to the baking sheets. Using a fork, prick the center of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch unpricked border around all the edges. In a small bowl beat egg and the water together with a fork, then brush the squares with the egg mixture. Spread a well-rounded tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of each square of pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top each with about a tablespoons of the fruit mixture, spreading evenly over cream cheese mixture. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. 

Simple Chicken Pie

This is a very tasty way to use up leftover chicken. And leftover vegetables, if you happen to have them available.

Ingredients:

• double pie crust (use frozen or make your own by following directions of the Crisco or lard box)
• about 3 cups of roasted or poached chicken cut into bite-sized pieces

• about a cup of frozen peas

• about a cup of par-boiled carrots

• one small onion diced and quickly sauteed in a bit of butter to soften

• about 1/4 cup of diced red pepper, sauteed with the onions to soften

• 2 tablespoons of butter

• 2 tablespoons of flour

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves

• about 1 cup of milk, perhaps more

Methods: 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

Combine the meat and chopped pre-cooked/sauteed vegetables in a large mixing bowl then quickly combine the butter and flour in a small saucepan on the stove to make a roux. (See roux-making instructions below) Add the milk to the cooked roux  and whisk it until the liquid has thickened. You've just made a white sauce. Add salt, pepper and thyme leaves to taste, then pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and mix well. Cool the mixture to room temperature, then pour it into the bottom pie crust and top with the second crust. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crust together to form a firm seal, then crust a slit in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape while it bakes. At this point, you can brush the crust with a bit of cream or beaten egg if you want a browner, shinier finish after baking.

Place the pie on a middle rack in the oven and bake until it's a lovely golden brown. This may take 30 to 45 minutes, or longer, depending on the fickleness of your oven. Remember, the ingredients are mostly cooked before the pie enters the oven so baking the pie is all about melding the flavours of the ingredients and getting the crust right. 

Roux Making:    
To make a basic roux, use equal weights of fat and flour. Butter is the most commonly used form of fat; other fats can be used, but will have a different flavor. Melt the butter over medium heat; slowly add the flour to the butter, whisking constantly. Within 2 to 3 minutes the roux will have a consistency of a cake frosting. A white roux is done when the flour loses its "raw" smell and begins to develop a toasty aroma.