December Notes

If you missed today's meeting (as did I - had to make an unscheduled visit to the pediatric dentist - everyone is okay!) then you missed out on learning how to make Carol's YUMMY pies! There was also a sock exchange and much fun and festivity.

We won't meet again until January 15th, with GUM meetings on the 3rd and 5th Thursdays of January.

HOWEVER - we are doing a Pint-Sized Adventure on January 8th. There will be more follow-up emails coming, so watch for those after the first of the year!

Carol's Recipe's from this morning:

Betty Crocker 8 or 9 inch Two Crust Pie
(But you are really going to make 3 crusts from it)
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons cold water

Whip as 4 tbs water into the shortening. Add salt and flour and mix with a fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (adding remaining water if needed). Divide dough into three pieces and shape into rounds on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Roll pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate. Fold pastry into quarters; unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

"His Favorite" Apple Pie

Make pie crust. Line a 9" pie pan with first crust. Prepare 6-8 cups pared, cored thin apple slices. Arrange half of slices in pastry-lined pan.

Mix 1 cup sugar,
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Sprinkle half of this mixture over apples in pan. Arrange remaining slices on top and cover with remaining sugar mixture. Dot 1 tablespoon butter over filling. Roll remaining dough and lay over apples. Fold under edges of bottom crust, press together to seal. Cut decorative slits in top for steam to escape. Brush pastry with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in hot oven (425 F.) 45-55 minutes.

We also talked about a streusel topping for pumpkin pie. This is the recipe for Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie with streusel topping (from Cuisine At Home Magazine).

for the pie--
1 baked pie shell
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz.)
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. table salt
1 cup heavy cream

for the streusel topping--
1/4 cup crushed gingersnaps
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. chopped crystallized ginger
2 Tbsp. butter melted
Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk eggs, brown sugar, and molasses together in a bowl until combined. Add pumpkin puree ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, and stir until blended. Stir in cream until mixture is smooth; pour into prepared pie shell and bake until set, about 40 minutes. Prepare streusel topping while pie is baking. Combine gingersnaps, pecans, crystallized ginger, and butter in a bowl until gingersnaps are saturated with butter.
Scatter streusel generously over the center of the pie and return to oven. Bake until center is set, pie puffs in the center, and streusel is crisp, 15-20 minutes more. If needed, shield pie. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.