Mini Pumpkin Pie

I thought long and hard about what recipe I wanted to share.  This is the 200th post for Queens Foodie Mama.  We have come full circle.  December 12, 2013, was my first post.  Almost a year later, I'm sitting here contemplating this past year and all the culinary adventures we have shared. My friends who have been here in person to help me create these recipes and my friends and family across the country helping me and sharing the memories with me.  This has been a journey all about love of family, friends, and especially food.  That has been my guiding inspiration while I have created recipes to share with my friends and family and thought about what I know about their likes and loves.  If you have found a greater appreciation for ingredients you might never have thought about, if you have come to love sharing with your family new experiences of food, then we have shared that experience together, you and I.  

Okay enough of my foodie philosophy and deep thoughts on food.  Why did I choose to make pumpkin pie?  Did you know pumpkins have a long history here in North America, since 7000 BC. In 1850 John Greenleaf Whittier even penned a poem about the beloved pumpkin pie.

Ah! on Thanksday, when from East and from West,

From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest;

When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board

The old broken links of affection restored;

When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,

And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before;

What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye,

What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?

My son Donovan loves pumpkin pie and requested mini pumpkin pies.  He was even my sous chef while we made them for our Thanksgiving feast. These are not your simple mini pumpkin pies, come on you knew they wouldn't be. I wanted to switch up the crust and use something a little more flavorful.  What could be a great alternative to traditional crust? Cookie crust of course, but not just graham crackers.  I decided to go a step further and choose ginger snaps.

 Isn't it so cute, itty bitty, so cute and little?  This is a full flavor dessert in a small package.

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
12 tablespoons softened (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 large Egg
1/4 cup Molasses

Pumpkin Filling Ingredients:

16 ounces Pumpkin Puree (I used homemade, you may use canned)
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 cup Milk
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 large Eggs
1 large Egg Yolk

Preheat Oven to 350 Fahrenheit 

Let's begin with the crust.  Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Whisk butter, molasses, and brown sugar together in a stand mixer.

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients including egg and whisk until combined.

Place aluminum/paper liners in two 12 cup muffin pans.  Place one tablespoon of batter in each muffin cup. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

After they have baked, using the back of a tablespoon, smoosh the cookie down to create
a well.  The crust is complete.

Whisk all the pumpkin puree ingredients until combined.

Pour pumpkin filling into cups within a 1/3 inch of the top of the liner.

Increase the oven to 400 Farhenheit

Bake pumpkin pies for 15-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

They are so cute.  My son was super happy.  Allow to cool on counter and eat at
room temperature.

Serve pumpkin pies with whipped cream, homemade whipped cream preferred.

Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Pie

Printable Recipe Found Here

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
12 tablespoons softened (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 large Egg
1/4 cup Molasses

Pumpkin Filling Ingredients:

16 ounces Pumpkin Puree (I used homemade, you may use canned)
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 cup Milk
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 large Eggs
1 large Egg Yolk

Crust Process:

Preheat Oven to 350 Fahrenheit 

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Whisk butter, molasses, and brown sugar together in a stand mixer.

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients including egg and whisk until combined.

Place aluminum/paper liners in two 12 cup muffin pans.  

Place one tablespoon of batter in each muffin cup. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

After they have baked, using the back of a tablespoon smoosh the cookie down to create a well.  

The crust is complete.

Pumpkin Filling Process:

Whisk all the pumpkin puree ingredients until combined.

Mini Pumpkin Pie Process:

Pour pumpkin filling into cups within a 1/3 inch of the top of the liner.

Increase the oven to 400 Farhenheit

Bake pumpkin pies for 15-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow to cool on counter and eat at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Peach Galette

When I went to Lewin Farms recently, they had the last of the seasons fresh peaches, so of course I picked some up.  My parents and mother in law came to visit this weekend for my son's Baptism.  My dad really likes peach pie, so this morning I made the next best thing, a peach galette.  Galette is like a pie with crust and filling.  It is made on a flat sheet instead of in a pie pan.  Galette is like a French country version of the American pie that we have all come to love.

Summer dessert, perfect for those fresh peaches you found at the store.

Ingredients for Crust:

8 ounces cold Unsalted Butter
4 ounces Lard
5 to 7 tablespoons Water
18 ounces All-purpose Flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

Egg Wash of 1 Egg Yoke and 1 tablespoon Water

Ingredients for Peach Filling:

5 large Yellow Peaches

3 tablespoons Tapioca Flour

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes.

Mix butter, lard, flour, and salt together in a mixer with a paddle attachment or
use your fingers to combine.

Cut peaches into 1 inch wedges.  Sprinkle tapioca flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg
over peaches and gently stir.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Refrigerate crust for 20 minutes.

Cut dough in half and roll both halves into 1/4 inch circles.  Place on a cookie sheet.

Divide peach mixture between both crusts.  Fold crust over the filling.

Brush egg wash onto galettes and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake peach galettes for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Peach Galette

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Crust:

8 ounces cold Unsalted Butter
4 ounces Lard
5 to 7 tablespoons Water
18 ounces All-purpose Flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/2 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

Egg Wash of 1 Egg Yoke and 1 tablespoon Water

Ingredients for Peach Filling:

5 large Yellow Peaches

3 tablespoons Tapioca Flour

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Process for Crust:

Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes.

Mix butter, lard, flour, and salt together in a mixer with a paddle attachment or use your fingers to combine.

Refrigerate crust for 20 minutes.

Cut dough in half and roll both halves into 1/4 inch circles.  Place on a cookie sheet.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Process for Peach Filling:

Cut peaches into 1 inch wedges.  Sprinkle tapioca flour, sugar, cinnaon, and nutmeg over peaches and gently stir.

Divide peach mixture between both crusts.  Fold crust over the filling.

Brush egg wash onto galettes and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake peach galettes for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mini Beef & Potato Pasties

A few years ago, as my contribution to a church social I made beef pasties, and well I haven't made them since.  I tend to be a one hit wonder with certain recipes.  It is a fault I have.  Finally, after thinking about making pasties again, I finally did it.  Today was another bring dinner to a new mom day, just so happens it is the same mom I brought dinner to last Wednesday.  She said her husband doesn't like seafood, but she enjoyed the bouillabaisse and ratatouille without him.  Since seafood was a no go with the new dad, I tried to think like a man and realized meat and potatoes.  Pasties are an Irish meat pie, and are perfect for the meat lover in your life.  

 Meat and potatoes in a biscuit crust, what more  could a man want?  Mushroom gravy too.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Self-Rising Cake Flour
1 1/3 cup Buttermilk (1 tablespoon vinegar with milk added to 1 1/3)
4 ounces cold Butter
2 lbs. Eye Round Beef roast
1 Yellow Onion
4 Idaho Potatoes
2 pints Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons Better Than Boullian Beef Flavor
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Egg Yolk
Cornstarch
Sea Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
Garlic Powder

Make sure your butter is cold. Cut half the butter into pats and the other half into 1/2 inch cubes.  

Using your fingers to mix butter and flour to create pea sized balls of butter and flour.

See my flour butter globules?  These are what make the wonderful flaky layers.  Add the buttermilk and knead until a ball is formed.  Add flour if the dough is too wet.

 Voila we have our crust.

Roll on a lightly flour board into a large 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Fold into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll and repeat previous steps.  These steps are creating the flaky layers.

 Place folded dough on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate.

Butterfly beef roast.  Rub the beef roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Rotisserie for
30 minutes or roast in 350 Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature
reaches 145 Fahrenheit.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

  Rinse, peel, and grate the potatoes.

 Place grated potatoes into a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 5 minutes.

 Rinse grated potatoes under colder water and place in a flour sack towel, squeeze out the liquid.

Peel and dice the onion finely.

Preheat large skillet over a medium flame.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, grated potato and onion.
Stir to coat.  Add salt, and pepper to taste.  Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until
grated potatoes are browned and soft.

 Dice beef into small cubes.

 Add beef to potatoes and stir.

Roll dough into a large 1/4 inch thick rectangle.  Push a 3 inch round cookie cutter straight down into dough, this will ensure the layers are left intact and repeat till all the dough is cut.

 Add 1 heaping tablespoon of beef potato mixture to the dough, fold in half and seal.

 Place completed mini pasties on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water.  Brush on the pasties and sprinkle pasties with salt.

Bake pasties for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Rinse mushrooms and sit into slices.  Saute in large skillet over medium high heat with
1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add water and Better
 than Boullian.  Bring to a boil.  Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and tablespoon water to begin with.
Add cornstarch slurry to mushrooms and water.  If the gravy is thick enough, it is done, if not,
 make more corn starch slurry and add slowly until desired thickness is achieved.

Serve pasties with gravy to dip in.

Enjoy!

Mini Beef & Potato Pasties
Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. Self-Rising Cake Flour
1 1/3 cup Buttermilk (1 tablespoon vinegar with milk added to 1 1/3)
4 ounces cold Butter
2 lbs. Eye Round Beef roast
1 Yellow Onion
4 Idaho Potatoes
2 pints Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons Better Than Boullian Beef Flavor
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Egg Yolk
Cornstarch
Sea Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
Garlic Powder

Process:

Cut half the butter into pats and the other half into 1/2 inch cubes.  Using your fingers mix butter and flour to create pea sized balls of butter and flour.

Add the buttermilk and knead until a ball is formed.  Add flour if the dough is too wet.

Roll on a lightly flour board into a large 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Fold into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll and repeat previous steps.  These steps are creating the flaky layers.

Place folded dough on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate.

Butterfly beef roast.  Rub the beef roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Rotisserie for 30 minutes or roast for in 350 Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 Fahrenheit.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Rinse, peel, and grate the potatoes.

Place grated potatoes into a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 5 minutes.

Peel and dice the onion finely.

Preheat large skillet over a medium flame.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, grated potato and onion.  Stir to coat.  Add salt, and pepper to taste.  Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until grated potatoes are browned and soft.

Dice beef into small cubes.

Add beef to potatoes and stir.

Roll dough into a large 1/4 inch thick rectangle.  Push a 3 inch round cookie cutter straight down into dough, this will ensure the layers are left intact and repeat till all the dough is cut.

Add 1 heaping tablespoon of beef potato mixture to the dough, fold in half and seal.

Place completed mini pasties on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water.  Brush on the pasties and sprinkle pasties with salt.

Bake pasties for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Rinse mushrooms and sit into slices.  Saute in large skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add water and Better than Boullian.  Bring to a boil.  Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and tablespoon water to begin with.  Add cornstarch slurry to mushrooms and water.  If the gravy is thick enough, it is done, if not, make more corn starch slurry and add slowly until desired thickness is achieved.

Enjoy!