Granny Mahoney's Irish Bread

Thank goodness my Mother-in-Law doesn't read my blog. I'm not entirely sure she'd be pleased that I am putting her old family recipe online! Anyway, I never met Granny Mahoney in person, but the old gal had some seriously good recipes. You can find her Mince Pie in my recipe section as well.

"Irish Bread" can mean many things. After doing a little research and speaking to several Irish friends over the years, I have come to the conclusion that there are many variations of what we Americans call "Irish Bread." It can have raisins or it can be plain Soda Bread (I am told that we Americans mistakenly call all Irish Bread "Soda Bread," when in fact real soda bread does not have raisins, and the raisin kind is either called Raisin Bread or just called Irish Bread). It can have caraway seeds or not (and some people are VERY opinionated about this ingredient!) Some breads are slightly sweet, while others not so much. A food historian claims that (historically) traditional Irish bread was not sweet at all and had nothing in it. There is also Irish Brown Bread, which is a kind of soda bread made with wheat flour.

Irish Breads vary based on which part of Ireland the recipe comes from and who tweaked it along the way. Every Irish person will tell you that his or her mother/grandmother made it a certain way, and THAT is therefore the real way to make it!

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a 12" cast iron skillet.

4 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon salt (yes, a Tablespoon)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (you can leave these out if you don't like them)
 2 Tablespoon Shortening or Margarine
1 1/2 Cup Raisins (half dark, half golden)
2 Cups Buttermilk

Soak the raisins in hot water while you get the other ingredients ready.

Put the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Cut in the shortening. Drain the raisins and pat dry with a paper towel, then add them in. Pour in the buttermilk. Stir well. Turn out onto a generously floured board and knead well, adding more flour as you go. This dough will be very sticky at the start. You want to knead it "Til it's as smooth as a baby's bottom" as my Mother-in-Law says.

Put it into a greased and floured Cast Iron Skillet (12" is ideal) and bake approximately 1 hour until golden on top and set in the middle. Cut a cross in the top if desired (there is a heated debate in my husband's family about whether or not there should be a cross in the bread).

NOTE: If you do not have a Cast Iron skillet, beg, borrow or steal one for this - it really does make a difference! Otherwise you can use a round cake pan (10" or 12") but the crust will not quite be the same.

 

Cool the bread until just warm before cutting.

Getting Even - Leveling cake layers

Getting your cake layers even may seem like such a basic thing, but it is something that has to be learned. Why should you bother to make all the layers nice and even? After all, we all remember the homey look of old-fashioned cakes with a domed top. Well, that looks fine for one or two layers with simple frosting. But when you are stacking three or more layers on top of each other, having a slightly domed top on each one will make the cake less stable. It will also look less appealing, and could create problems if you plan to do some intricate decorating. Having even layers is also one of the visual things that takes a cake from "homey" to professional.

 

There are several different methods for levelling off the layers once they are baked, but it is better to try to get even layers as you bake, so you don't have to cut away a domed top in the first place.

 

Prevention is key:

Essential supplies: Professional quality pans, Parchment paper, Bake Even Strips, and Non-stick spray.

Line pans with parchment paper - it is the only surefire

way to not have your cake stick to the pan.

Spray the parchment paper as well as the pan.

PANS:

Use professional pans. Professional pans will be made of sturdy aluminum in most cases. They will have very straight (not angled) sides. You should NOT be able to "nest" your pans within each other. Note: I personally do not like dark coated non-stick pans for baking (they can cause over-browning and are not truly non-stick). My favorite brand is Magic Line, which you can buy online or at most professional cake supply stores. And don't worry - Professional pans need not be expensive. You can buy two 9" Magic Line pans for under $20. There are other great brands out there, just make sure they are sturdy not flimsy, and have very straight sides.

This pan is lightweight (but sturdy) aluminum, with very straight sides.

Notice that it does not have a dark non-stick coating.

The sides to these 6" pans are straight, so they cannot nest inside each other when stacked. This is a good way to test pans in the store before buying.

 

Getting nice straight sides on a cake is not easy to do with the regular cake pans you buy at a department store (or even some cookware stores). You may not have noticed it, but most of them have sides that angle slightly outward. To get really straight sides you need professional pans.

Oven temp:

Get an oven thermometer and take your oven's temperature to make sure it is not over or under-heating. Adjust the temperature accordingly.

Weigh the batter:

I like to use a kitchen scale to weigh the batter so you have an even amount in each pan. This avoids having one layer that is thicker than the other.

Bake Even Strips:

I love these things. You soak them in water and then affix them to the outside of the cake before baking (see pic below). They come in large and small sizes.

Flower Nail Method:

Putting a flower nail upside down in the center of the pan will help the cake bake evenly because the metal core heats up and bakes the batter around it. This is recommended for larger layers (12" or larger). I prefer to use bake even strips instead of the flower nail, but with a large layer I do both. Be sure to spray the flower nail with non-stick spray (in addition to the pan itself). When you flip the cake out of the pan, turn it upside down onto a cooling rack, letting the nail go through the grates of the rack. When it is upside down, slowly pull the nail out of the cake by the flat end, and let the cake cool. There will be a very small hole that can easily be covered with frosting.

If you DO have to cut a domed top, or if you want to torte the cake (cut the layers horizontally to create more layers for filling) here are some suggestions:

Use a sharp serrated knife, such as a long bread knife. I also recommend placing the cake on a cake turntable. It is not necessary, but I find that it makes the cutting easier.

First, measure the cake layer before cutting:

1) Take a ruler and measure where the domed area starts (at the lowest point) and mark it with a toothpick. Measure all the way around the layer, marking the same height with toothpicks as you go. Then cut just above or below the toothpicks. OR you can use Christa's Easier Method:

2) Christa's Easy Method: Skip the toothpicks. I set my cake on a turntable and measure where it needs to be trimmed. Then I take my knife, and, keeping the ruler at the cake with the other hand, I start cutting at the same mark all the way around. When I have cut a little bit into the cake, I set aside the ruler and follow my cut mark, working the knife into the center as I turn the cake on the turntable.

 

NOTE: As you get better, you will be able to just eyeball it for many of your simpler cakes. A basic, pretty layer cake does not need to be measured precisely - I usually eyeball my cakes unless they are going to be stacked and need to be very level.
 

Baking 101: Getting Even Cake Layers

Getting your cake layers even may seem like such a basic thing, but it is something that has to be learned and there are a few different methods to do it. Why should you bother to make all the layers nice and even? After all, we all remember the homey look of old-fashioned cakes with a domed top. Well, that looks fine for one or two layers with simple frosting. But when you are stacking three or more layers on top of each other, having a slightly domed top on each one will make the cake less stable. It will also look less appealing, and could create problems if you plan to do some intricate decorating. Lastly, having even layers is one of the visual things that takes a cake from "homey" to professional.

Prevention is key: Try to get even layers as you bake, so you don't have to cut away a domed top in the first place. My layers frequently come out without any dome at all, which makes things much easier!

Essential supplies: Quality pans, Parchment, Bake Even Strips, and Non-stick spray.

Line pans with parchment paper - it is the only surefire

way to not have your cake stick to the pan.

Spray the parchment paper as well as the pan.

PANS:

Use professional pans. Professional pans will be made of aluminum in most cases; sturdy but not overly heavy. (I personally do not like dark coated non-stick pans for baking.) These pans heat evenly and have very straight (not angled) sides. My favorite brand is Magic Line cake pans, which you can buy online or at most professional cake supply stores. You can also buy Wilton pans at any craft store or online. But beware with Wilton - they also put out a line of pans which are geared toward amateur bakers and do not have nice straight sides. So take a good look at what you are buying. And don't worry - Professional pans are actually not expensive. You can buy a set of two 9" pans for under $20.

This Magic Line pan is lightweight aluminum, with very straight sides. Notice that it does not have a dark non-stick coating.

The sides to these 6" pans are straight, so they cannot nest inside each other when stacked. This is a good way to test pans in the store before buying.

Getting nice straight sides on a cake is not easy to do with the regular cake pans you buy at a department store (or even some cookware stores). You may not have noticed it, but most of them have sides that angle slightly outward. To get really straight sides you need professional pans.

Oven temp:

Get an oven thermometer and take your oven's temperature to make sure it is not over or under heating. Adjust the temperature accordingly, and take the temperature every time you bake.

Weigh the batter:

If you have a kitchen scale, weigh the batter so you have an even amount in each pan. This avoids having one layer that is thicker than the other.

Bake Even Strips:

I love these things. You soak them in water and then affix them to the outside of the cake before baking (see pic below). They come in large and small sizes.

Flower Nail Method:

Putting a flower nail upside down in the center of the pan will help the cake bake evenly because the metal core heats up and bakes the batter around it. This is recommended for larger layers (12" or larger). You can try it for smaller layers, but I prefer to use bake even strips instead. With a large layer, I do both the bake even strips and the flower nail. Be sure to spray the flower nail with non-stick spray (in addition to the pan itself). When you flip the cake out of the pan, turn it upside down onto a cooling rack, letting the nail go through the grates of the rack. When it is upside down, slowly pull the nail out of the cake by the flat end, and let the cake cool. There will be a very small hole that can easily be covered with frosting.

If you DO have to cut a domed top, or if you want to torte the cake (cut the layers horizontally to create more layers for filling):

Use a sharp serrated knife, such as a long bread knife. I recommend using a cake turntable, it is not necessary but will make the cutting easier.

You can measure the cake layer three different ways before cutting:

1) Take a ruler and measure where the domed area starts (at the lowest point) and mark it with a toothpick. Measure all the way around the layer, marking the same height with toothpicks as you go. Then cut just above or below the toothpicks.

2) Christa's Easy Method - Use a ruler without the toothpicks - this is the method I use most. I set my cake on a turntable and measure where it needs to be trimmed. Then I take my knife and, keeping the ruler at the cake with the other hand, I start cutting at the same mark all the way around. When I have cut a little bit into the cake, I set aside the ruler and follow my cut mark, working the knife into the center as I turn the cake on the turntable.

3)   If you have some cake boards on hand, put the cake boards into your pan (however many you will need to boost the cake layer up so that the dome is over the edge of the pan). Set the cake on top of them, boosting the cake layer up inside the pan so you can use the pan edges as a guide to cut.

As you get better, you will be able to just eyeball it for most cakes. Generally it will only be when you are doing elaborate decorations or tiering a cake that you need to be absolutely precise!

Bon-Bons and Cake Truffles: Ways to use up leftover cake scraps

If you are a cake decorator, you will often have scraps leftover from sculpted cakes. It seems like such a shame just to throw those scraps out! Here are three things you can do with cake scraps:

Cake Bon-Bons - Put your scraps in a food processor and press pulse until they are all reduced to small crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a bowl. Have a liquid of your choice ready, such as cream flavored with a little vanilla extract, almond extract, or a touch of liqueur. Another liquid that some cake decorators like to use is liquid flavored coffee creamer (i.e. Irish Cream or French Vanilla). Whichever liquid you choose, add it to the crumbs just a spoonful at a time. How much liquid you need will depend on the volume of crumbs you are using. You are done when you can gather the crumbs together and roll them into a good tight ball. Roll balls of about ping-pong ball size, and lay them on a plate or cookie sheet. Refrigerate until set, at least one hour. When they are chilled, cover them with milk icing: Mix 2 cups confectioner's sugar with one tablespoon milk. Stir well, adjusting the sugar or milk until you reach a thick but pourable consistency. You can add a touch of vanilla or some coloring to the icing if you wish. Pour spoonfuls of icing over the bon-bons slowly, covering each one. Add sprinkles, if desired, right away before the icing hardens. Store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Cake Truffles - Same process as for bon-bons, but cover with melted chocolate instead of milk icing. (Just melt some chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler for a few minutes until smooth. Keep the melted chocolate hot over the double boiler as you are taking spoonfuls out to cover the balls, otherwise you may need to reheat it). You can then roll them in nuts while wet or roll them in cocoa powder after the chocolate dries.

Toba Garrett's "Spackle Paste" - Toba Garrett, renowned cake decorator and author of The Well-Decorated Cake, has this recipe for "Spackle" Paste: Mix 3-4 Cups of leftover cake crumbs with 1/2 to 3/4 Cup Buttercream to make a thick paste. This is something you can spread over cakes just like spackle paste on your walls - it fills in gaps and holes, making a nice even surface to work with. After covering it with spackle paste, you would then frost the cake as usual. You can also use this paste as a filling between layers. the crumbs give it a nutty flavor, so it is a "faux-nut" filling.

Homemade Boston Cream Pie

Mmmm...this is one of my husband's favorites. If you aren't from New England, you may not know Boston Cream Pie, but it is actually a cake. Two layers of yellow cake with a custard filling inside and rich chocolate ganache oozing over the top of it. The recipe varies a lot from place to place, but legend has it that it was invented at the Parker House Hotel in Boston, circa 1855.

Cake:
One recipe Sour Cream Yellow cake baked in a 9" round pan. Bake and cool.

Vanilla Cream filling: (this recipe is adapted from the King Arthur Baking Book)
3 Cups Whole Milk
1/2 Cup Sugar
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/3 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons butter

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 1/2 cups of the milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean (if using extract instead, add it last). Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, flour, egg yolks and remaining milk together in a small bowl.

Whisk a small amount of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture to temper the eggs, then add a little more (you do this a little at a time so that you don't curdle the egg yolks). After you have added two or three small spoonfuls of the hot mixture, pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the milk mixure, and bring it back to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for thirty seconds. It will thicken a lot. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Top it with some plastic wrap and refrigerate until cooled.

The King Arthur Baking book says to pour the mixture through a fine sieve at this point to get any lumps out, but I didn't find it necessary. Perhaps if you were making pastry cream for napoleons or something very delicate, you would want to do it. The King Arthur book also says to fold in 1 cup of whipped heavy cream (whipped to soft peaks) after the custard is chilled to achieve a lighter cream. I find that the thicker cream is great by itself and it is what I see most often for Boston Cream pie, so I don't add in the whipped cream at the end, I just use the vanilla custard itself.

Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup chopped Semi-Sweet chocolate bits (you can use chocolate chips)
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup just to a boil, being careful not to let it scorch. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate bits until they are melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Let this glaze cool, stirring occasionally, until it is just warm or room temp.

Assembling the Cake:
Cut the yellow cake in half horizontally. Spoon the custard filling onto the bottom half of the cake until it is almost at the edge. Put the top cake layer on and press down gently until the custard comes to the edge. if it oozes out, scrape the excess off with a knife. Spoon the chocolate ganache over the cake, a little at a time, pushing it to the edges and just over so some of it drips down the sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Foolproof Pie Crust Tips

I used to be literally in tears over pie crusts. That old saying "Easy as Pie" seemed to be completely untrue! But after the advice of several family bakers and years of trial and error, I now feel like I have some (almost) Foolproof pie crust tips to share:

You can use your favorite flaky crust recipe, or try mine: Christa's Flaky Pie Crust

• Have your butter or shortening chilled
• Use ICE water instead of room temperature water. If you need to add extra water to get the dough to come together, use only a few drops at a time.
• Chill the dough before rolling it out. I put a ball of dough between two sheets of waxed paper and then flatten in a bit. I store it in the fridge or freezer until I am ready to use it. If I am freezing it for later use, I always put the dough (still in the waxed paper) in a ziploc bag and squeeze the air out.





• Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper (or plastic wrap). You have to reposition the waxed paper a few times, but it doesn't stick to the rolling pin or the board this way. It also allows you to add little or no flour during rolling, which keeps the dough from getting tough.

• Measure how big your circle of dough is before transferring it into the pan. Seems like common sense of course, but it is easy to think you have made it large enough when you haven't. You can measure by simply holding the pie tin, upside down, over your circle of dough. Make sure it is a couple of inches larger than the pie pan. I also love those Pastry boards that have pie circles on them so that you can measure while rolling, like this one: Pastry Board
• Transfer the dough into the pie pan using the waxed paper - peel off one side, then place that side into the pan, position it where you want it, then peel off the top layer of waxed paper and ease the dough into the bottom of the pan.

Fill the pie crust with your favorite filling. For Blind Baking instructions (for certain fillings) see below.

Assembling a two-crust pie:

You can cover your pie with a top crust using the same wax paper technique - peel one layer of the wax paper off, lay the exposed crust over the filled pie, then peel off the waxed paper from the top. This allows for easy repositioning if necessary. Seal the top crust to the bottom crust by brushing a little milk on the bottom crust and gently pressing the top and bottom crust edges together. (If it is a fruit pie, I like to use the little bit of leftover fruit juice that is in the bowl after macerating the fruit to brush on the crust instead of milk).  Then follow crimping instructions (same as for a single crust pie) below:

For a single crust pie:

Cut off the excess dough (or for a thicker edge, you can just tuck the excess under the edge and pinch it together). Crimp the edges by lifting a bit of dough onto your index finger then using the  index finger and thumb of your other hand to pinch the dough into a "fluted" shape.  Alternately, you can press the tines of a fork into the edges to crimp them together. As you make more pies, you can experiment with fancy edges, but I like a simple fluted edge myself. 

For Lattice Crust:

Lay your bottom crust into the pan and fill it as desired. Dot with butter (if desired) before starting your lattice. Roll out your top crust and cut it into strips 1/2" to 1" wide (this is a personal preference. I like mine on the wide side so I have fewer strips to work with). Lay strips across the pie in vertical lines, spaced evenly. Then fold back every other strip halfway (see picture below). Add a strip going in the horizontal direction across the unfolded strips, then place the strips back into place. Fold back the alternate strips and repeat the process. When you are done, press your strips into the edge to seal before crimping the edges.

Most Pie crusts benefit from being brushed with milk or egg and then dusted with sugar before baking. For Shaker Lemon (or Meyer Lemon) Pies, I like to use a dusting of course sanding sugar, the kind with very large granules. For Apple pie, I like to use cinnamon sugar. Check your pies about halfway thorugh baking to see if the edges are getting too brown. If they are, you can gently place strips of tin foil around the edges and press them lightly to "hug" the crust edge. You can also use a pie shield, which is sold in most cooking stores. But pie shields are a set size, and crusts don't always conform to that specified size.

Bake according to your recipe's instructions, and then...Voila!

Blind Baking:

Blind baking is where you bake the crust before filling it. This is a requirement for certain types of liquidy pie fillings, otherwise the bottom crust will not bake and will turn out soggy. To blind bake a crust, roll it out and transfer it into a pie pan as instructed above. Then prick it all over with the tines of a fork. Then line the crust with tin foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans (see picture below).

Bake the crust in a 450 degree oven for about ten minutes. (Time will vary a little based on crust ingredients and type of pie pan used, so watch carefully the first time you do it to make sure yours does not over brown.)

Into the world of Bread-making!

This Sourdough bread was more than a week in the making! I have recently dipped my toes into the vast world of bread-making, feeling a bit guilty that my focus has been almost entirely on desserts for years. I felt like maybe I'm not a true baker until I know how to make bread. So I'm studying up on it and learning how to make sourdough, wheat, soft sandwich bread, and cinnamon rolls. As soon as I feel like I have a bit of a handle on it, I will blog about my learning experiences here! As with desserts, I am sure it takes years to get to be a really good bread-maker. But it's never too late to learn something new, right?

Chocolate Rolled Cookies

This is a sophisticated alternative to the usual rolled sugar cookie. These chocolate cookies are not overly sugary, so they tend to appeal more to adult taste buds. But if you wanted to make a kid-friendly version, you could use all white sugar (instead of a mix of white and brown) and exchange the coffee for milk. This recipe comes from Toba Garrett, the famed cookie and cake decorator, in her book Creative Cookies. They are versatile, like any rolled sugar cookie - You can decorate them with icing or fondant for something special, or you can make sandwich cookies with them. You could add jam to make a chocolate version of a linzer tart. But my favorite is to just give them a drizzle of mocha icing!

1 Cup Butter
2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 large Egg
1 Tbsp Extra Strong Coffee
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder (the recipe says Dutch-process, but regular is fine)
3 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars together with an electric mixer for two minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then Beat in egg and coffee. (I also like to add a touch of vanilla even though the recipe doesn't list this). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl, then gradually add it to the butter mixture, adding the last cup of flour by hand. This is a stiff dough and you need to get your hands in there to work in the last little bit.

You do not need to chill this dough before rolling out, and in fact it will be too stiff if you do. If you do need to make it ahead of time, store it in the fridge but take it out about an hour before rolling.

Roll about 1/4" thick and bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of your cut-outs.


Here are some things you can do with these cookies:

Fancy Decorating...

 Sandwich cookies...

Mocha Hearts: For the Mocha glaze, mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 Tablespoon espresso powder, and just enough milk to thin it to a drizzling consistency. Stir well until the sugar and espresso powder are dissolved. Drizzle over the cookies.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

I am not vegan, so if there is anything I've overlooked here, please let me know! But people ask me to come up with vegan recipes all the time, and I realized that since this chocolate cake contains no eggs or dairy, it fits the bill nicely. It is the same as the Quick and Easy Skillet Cake with only a minor modification to the frosting.

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder (natural, not dutch-process)

1 Cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 cup cold Water

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Grease or line with parchment paper one 9" cake pan for a single layer, or two 6" cake pans for a double layer cake.

Sift dry ingredients together and stir with a fork until well-mixed. Make three wells in the dry ingredients. Pour the oil into the first well, the vinegar into the second, and the vanilla into the third. Pour the cold water over the top of it all, then stir with a fork until well-blended. Pour into greased or parchment-lined pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool, then frost.

Vegan Mocha Frosting:

4 Tablespoons Crisco

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

dash of salt

2 Tablespoons strong black coffee

Cream together the Crisco, sugar, cocoa and salt until well-mixed. Add the liquid and beat until fluffy. You can do this by hand since it is such a small batch, you really don't need to use a stand mixer for this.

If you prefer just a glaze on top, you can omit the crisco - just mix the coffee (or use soy milk if you don't want the mocha flavor) with the sugar and cocoa powder. You can add more liquid or more sugar to get the consistency you want.

Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie

Despite what we all say about Apple being the All-American favorite, THIS is the pie everyone drools over. Maybe it is the combination of the sweet meringue and tart lemon that goes so good together, or maybe it's just that the billowy meringue piled high on top looks so impressive. Maybe it is the fact that pie lovers know this one is like a hothouse flower - delicate, prone to wilting, and a bit temperamental. I don't know, but pie lovers RAVE about Lemon Meringue pie like no other. This particular recipe is my mother's. She is not a big pie baker, but this is the ONE pie she bakes, and it is her signature dessert. (Incidentally, my mother claims that making this is as easy as...well...pie. But what does she know? I have made tons of pies over the years, and I am officially labeling Lemon Meringue as one of the comparatively high-maintenance ones. So there.) If I haven't scared you off from trying it yet, let me tell you that it is WORTH THE EFFORT! This recipe calls for double the amount of meringue, because Mom likes it piled high and peaked, never swirled!

Fair Warning: This pie is best served the same day it is baked. The meringue will wilt and shrink a little by the next day, and if by some slim chance there is any left after two days, it looks downright pitiful! So be sure it is nice and fresh.

Prepare one recipe for Flaky Pie Crust (You will use the bottom crust only, so freeze the other half for later use). Pat the dough into a pie pan, flute the edges, and blind bake it. (Blind Baking is pre-baking the crust before filling it: Prick the crust bottom a few times all over with a fork, then put some tin foil inside the crust and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then let it cool.) Leave the oven on so it is already preheated for the next step.

Filling:

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

3 Tbsp Cornstarch

3 Tbsp Flour

dash of salt

1 1/2 Cups Hot Water

3 Slightly beaten egg yolks (save whites for meringue)

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1/3 Cup lemon juice

Mix Sugar, Flour, Cornstarch, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Cook until boiling, then reduce heat and cook two minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Mix a small amount (about 1 tsp) of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and stir. Add a little more and stir again (this is to temper the egg yolks so they don't cook and curdle). Then add the yolk mixture back into the pan and cook two more minutes, again stirring constantly, until even thicker. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon zest, then slowly pour in the juice. Pour into the pie shell. Make meringue right away so that you can top the filling with meringue while the filling is still hot.

Meringue:

6 egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 Teaspoon cream of tartar
6 Tablespoons Sugar

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add sugar two tablespoons at at time, then beat until peaks are stiff and glossy.  Spread over the lemon filling, being careful to "seal" it to the crust well at the edges.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until the meringue is nicely browned.

Let it cool for at least an hour before slicing. I prefer to let it cool to room temp, which is usually 2+ hours (This pie is delicate - if it is too hot it will fall apart). Slice it with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

Valentine's Day Cake

This striped Valentine's Day Cake is made up of layers of Red Velvet Cake and Strawberry Butter Cake, topped with Whipped Strawberry Buttercream. To create this cake, you need four things:

1) Recipe for Red Velvet Cake

 

2) Recipe for Strawberry Butter Cake 

 

3) Recipe for Whipped Strawberry Buttercream

 

4) Instructions for Levelling Cake Layers (to get the stripes even)

 

I used two 8" pans and cut each layer horizontally into two pieces. Then you will have four layers of each color. I used two red pieces and three pink pieces to create striped layers, putting a thin layer of raspberry jam between each color (you can't really see it). Alternately, you could use the pink frosting to fill between layers. This will give you an extra cake layer to munch on or freeze for another project.

 

You will have leftover batter, especially with the Strawberry Butter Cake, so plan to use it up on cupcakes or mini-cakes.

 

Happy Valentine's Day!