My Favorite Pie Crust

 

My Favorite Pie Crust

Printable recipe

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

 

Yield: One double or two single crust pies

 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar
1 (5 grams) teaspoon table salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small cubes
1/2 - 3/4 cup buttermilk

 

Directions

In the bowl of your food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add butter cubes and pulse until only small pieces of butter remain, about the size of small peas.  Pour in buttermilk ( I usually start with 1/2 cup) and pulse until dough barely comes together.

Divide into two even discs and chill for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, roll out for desired use, I like to throw the rolled out dough back in the fridge for about 30 minutes after rolling to ensure it is thoroughly cold.  Bake as directed in your recipe.

© 2012 - 2013 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Angel Food Cake

Angel Food Cake
Serves 10-12
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Printable recipe

1 cup (4oz) sifted cake flour
1 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position, have ready a 16 cup tube pan. Do not grease it as the cake needs to climb the sides/center to rise. Sift together your cake flour and 3/4 cup sugar, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, on low gently break up the egg whites then add salt and cream of tartar. Increase speed to medium and once soft billowy peaks start to form, slowly (very slowly!) pour in your remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Once all sugar has been added, continue beating until soft peaks have formed (make sure you do not get to stiff peaks as my cake fell when I did this previously). Add in vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove bowl from the stand mixer and sift in your set aside flour/sugar mix. Sift on about 3 T at a time and gently fold into the whites, repeating until all your flour/sugar has been added. Carefully pour batter into your tube pan and smooth the top. Rap it on the counter a few times to dislodge any air bubbles that may have developed. Bake in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, checking towards the end to make sure it is not getting too dark. If it is, cover top with a piece of foil to slow down further browning. Cake is done once the top springs back when gently pressed and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Invert cake in it's pan to cool, about 2-3 hours. To remove, run a knife along the sides of the pan as close to the pan as possible to keep crust intact. Repeat with bottom and center tube, place bottom side up on serving dish.

© 2012 - 2013 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

New York Blueberry Crumb Cake

New York Blueberry Crumb Cake

Serves 8-10

Printable Recipe

 

Crumb topping

1/3 cup sugar (2 2/3 oz.)

1/3 cup dark brown sugar (2 2/3 oz..)
3/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1 ¾ cup cake flour (7 oz.)

 

Cake

1 ¼ cup cake flour (5 oz.)

1/2 cup sugar (3 ½ oz..)
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
6 T unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 t vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 ½ cup blueberries, frozen or fresh ok
Powdered sugar for dusting

 

Instructions

For the topping, Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt and butter in a medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir until mixture resembles a thick cohesive dough; set aside to cool, 10 minutes.

For the cake, heat oven to 325℉. Line bottom of a springform pan with parchment (you can also use an 8x8 baking dish). In the bowl of your mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. Add butter one piece at a time while mixer is running on low. Continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs and no visible chunks of butter remain, about 1-2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla and buttermilk; beat on med-high until light and fluffy about 1 minute. Be sure to scrape bottom and sides of bowl.

Transfer batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer, top with blueberries. Break up crumb topping into large, pea sized crumbs and spread evenly over batter. Bake until crumbs are golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

 

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

© 2012 - 2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Honey Roasted Peanuts

Peanut Butter Cookies with Honey Roasted Peanuts
Yield: 18 - 20 cookies
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg and milk. Add flour, salt and baking powder, stir to combine. Using approximately 3 T per cookie, roll into balls and then roll in chopped nuts. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. These will not spread much so be sure to flatten slightly. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

© 2012 - 2013 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.