Fresh Blue Berry Pie

This is perhaps the most sweet cute and lovely tradtional dish associated with loving moms and grannys:) mostly forgotten but every time you create it or have it with your family, it gives happiness like nothing else. This one is from my fav Betty Crocker although i have altered it a bit to my taste :) 


Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter

2-3 tablespoon milk

4 tablespoons cold water

Filling

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

6 cups blueberries

4 tablespoons cornstarch

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon butter or margarine

Heat oven to 425°F. 

Pastry Dough:
In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and the salt. Mix in butter and milk, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the butter to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky.

With floured rolling pin, roll one round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Filling:
In large bowl, mix sugar and 1/2 cup flour, cornstarch and nutmeg.Stir in blueberries. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over blueberries. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, cool on rack for 2 hrs. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Apple Pie

From my favorite nigella's recipes:

KITCHEN | Books | Nigella Lawson

www.nigella.com/books/view/kitchen-33Cached - Similar

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PASTRY:

• 2 cups (220 grams) all-purpose (plain) flour
• Good pinch salt
• 5 ounces, or 10 tablespoons (145 grams) unsalted butter
• Ice water

FOR THE FILLING:

• 5 apples, any eating variety you like (e.g. 2 Macintosh, 2 Cameos, 1 Gala)
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• Ground cinnamon, to taste

FOR THE GLAZE:

• Milk
• Superfine sugar

METHOD

Serves: 6-8

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C, gas stove mark 7).
2. Make the pastry... cut the butter into small squares, and refrigerate. Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter, and using a pastry cutter, blend in the butter until it resembles wet sand. Bring together, using a few tablespoons of ice water at a time, until almost totally cohesive, then work it for a bit to make it a nice dough.
3. Cut in half, and form each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap (clingfilm) and refrigerate till needed.
4. Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Then cut each apple quarter in half lengthways, then each of those pieces in half horizontally (to give you 16 chunks per apple). You don't have to be this precise... this is just how I find it easy to do...
5. Cover the apples directly with plastic wrap (clingfilm) to prevent browning. Place in the fridge.
6. Melt butter in a 2-quart (about 2 litre) sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add sugar, brown sugar, salt, and water; bring to a bubbly simmer. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring a lot.
7. Meanwhile, roll out your pastry and place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Sprinkle over your desired amount of cinnamon (I like a lot).
8. When the sauce is done, slowly and evenly pour it over the apples.
9. Place the top crust on, seal edges (I put a little water between the two crusts, to help them adhere), roll the excess under, and flute edges. Cut four steam slits in the top to look like a cross but don't connect at the middle. Paint the crust with the milk, and generously sprinkle over the sugar.
10. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C, gas stove mark 7). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C, gas stove mark 4), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Canadian Raisin Pie

Enjoy this soothingly delicious and steamingly crispy pie with your family and friends and make that moment a lasting one. It is just as good served cold as hot. The rich sweet pastry case is crisp and light when hot, yet slightly soft when cold. If preferred, individual pies can be made in the usual way. This will make about 30 pies.

Things you will need:

-175 g soft brown sugar
-2 tbsps plain flour
-pinch of salt
-350 g seedless raisins
- 450ml of water
-2 tbsps of golden syrup or honey
-finally grated lemon and juice of 1 lemon

Pastry:

-275 g flour
-pinch of salt
-2 tsps baking powder
-75g castor sugar
-1/4 tsp vanilla essence
-1 egg seperated
-1 tbsp milk
-150g butter/margarine

Steps to follow:

To make the filling: put all ingredients in a pan. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until raisins are plump and the mixture is thick, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, make the pastry: sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Make a well in the center, put in the sugar, vanilla essence, half the egg yolk, and all the egg white and milk. Stir the ingredients together until evenly mixed, then add the butter or margarine in pieces and beat quickly into the flour mixture. Knead lightly to form a smooth dough, wrap in foil and chill in the refrigerator for 30minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, and use half to line a 23cm/9 inch flan dish. Spoon the filling into the dish, then cover with remaining dough. Prick the top dough with a fork, then brush with the remaining egg yolk mixed with a little milk. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold.