SANDRA’S APPLE-CRANBERRY-ORANGE LATTICE TART

A decadently elegant dessert

that I often make ~ it’s also great

substituting pears for apples,

and other dried fruit for the cranberries...

Servings: (8)

Prep: 20 Mins.

Bake: 45 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

Sour cream tart crust:

2 cups all-purpose flower

½ cup sour cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp.

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small slices

¼ cup craisins (dehydrated cranberries), chopped

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cold butter cut into 16 small squares

Topping:

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Garnish:

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

METHOD

 

Preheat oven to 375.  Place a pizza pan in oven to heat.

Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the dough ingredients, except the water, until small crumbs form.  Add the water and continue to mix until dough starts to pull together.  Knead together using hands to form a ball.  Reserve 1/3 of dough, and wrap in plastic and set aside.

Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13” circle.  Place into an 11” tart pan with a removable bottom; trim sides.  Roll out the other 1/3 of dough on a lightly floured surface into an 11.5” circle and cut into 1” strips.

In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients, and spoon into prepared tart shell, then dot with cold butter squares.

Weave the lattice strips as shown in photo on top of tart, and trim sides.  Brush lattice strips with milk.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle over lattice strips.

Place the tart pan on top of the hot pizza pan in oven, and bake tart for 45 minutes until light golden brown.  Cool 15 minutes on rack.  Remove sides and bottom of tart pan, and slide onto serving tart pedestal.  To serve, cut into triangles, and plate, then dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar. ~ Enjoy.

SANDRA'S FRESH LATTICE BLUEBERRY PIE

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A divine blueberry pie
that I'm honored to be able to prepare
with fresh blueberries grown in my own yard...

I found this posted on 3-8-13 via Eats Alaska
@ http://www.eatsalaska.com/
post/27731381039/sandras-fresh-wild-alaskan-blueberry-pie

Servings: (8)

Prep: 15 mins. | 

Bake: 1 hr.

INGREDIENTS

***Filling and Crust

3/4 cup granulated sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon fine-grained kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups fresh blueberries

2 store-bought pie crusts, (or click for recipe here: Sandra's Homemade Pie Crust  [See *Tip below])

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, chopped into pieces

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

***Glaze for crust

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon water

--Some cinnamon-sugar

METHOD

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  

Prepare the crust glaze topping by beating 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl, and set aside with a pastry brush.  Also, tear three separate 3" wide foil strips for lining edge of pie later on, and place a lining of foil over a baking sheet (to capture possible drips), and then set aside as well.

In a large bowl, add the blueberries, and sprinkle with the white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, and gently fold to combine.

Line pie plate with one pie crust.  Pour berry mixture into the crust, dot with butter pieces, and sprinkle with lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Cut remaining pastry into 1” strips, and brush strips with reserved egg mixture, and then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.  Weave the lattice crust top of pie, and crimp and flute the edges of crust to seal.

Place pie on baking sheet, and bake on the mid-shelf of oven for about 15 minutes, and remove and place foil strips around edges to prevent burning.  Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees, and then continue baking until crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

When the pie is done baking, remove the foil strips from edges, and place pie on a rack to cool for at least 1 hour for it to properly set (otherwise it will be runny) - serve with french vanilla ice cream. – Enjoy!

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*Tip:  I make the crust the night before, and refrigerate it in two separate portions wrapped in plastic.  I take the cold pie dough out of refrigerator and let it stand for 10 minutes before rolling it out, which makes for a perfect flaky crust.

SANDRA'S FABULOUS FRESH PEACH COBBLER

A wonderful cobbler 
that you'll have fun making with your family...

Servings: (12)
Prep: 15 mins. |
Crust resting time: 1 hr. |
Bake: 45 to 50 mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS:

***Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons shortening (or lard, my preference)
ice water

***Peach filling
8 fresh peaches sliced, (enough to equal 4 cups)
¼ cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

***Topping
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into very small cubes for dotting between lattice crust holes
Cinnamon/sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

METHOD:

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl to easily work with hands to form into pea-sized pieces. Add the flour, and drop small pieces of shortening in as well and do the same. Toss to coat the butter and shortening with the flour using your fingers, then begin to rub them into the flour with your fingers using the same method. After you've mixed about half of the butter and shortening into flour, wet your hands, shaking off the excess, then continue to mix the butter and flour with your fingers. Continue doing this 3 or 4 times while you're combining the flour and butter. Leave some larger pea-size pieces of butter in crust. Spoon about 5 tablespoons of the iced water in your flour, and then using a fork to slowly incorporate the water, adding more water if need be. Gather it into a ball and place it on plastic wrap, wrapping tight, and place in refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

Score an “X” on the bottom of each peach with a paring knife. Drop them into boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place in a bowl of ice water for a couple of seconds.  Peel skin back beginning at “X,” and remove skin, and then slice peaches into a large bowl.

Combine cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl, separately. Add to sliced peaches in large bowl and fold carefully to combine. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla; folding to combine.

Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with baking spray, and pour peaches into prepared dish.

To prepare lattice crust, roll out dough on a floured surface into a 1/8” thick rectangle (a bit larger than your baking dish). Slice the dough into long strips, and weave them through by lifting every other strip, alternatively, on top of your peach mixture in baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In the "holes" created by the lattice crust, place small pieces of cold butter in them. Sprinkle the overall top with sugar and cinnamon, then spray with baking spray. Bake for 45 minutes to 50 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Serve warm with French vanilla ice cream. – Enjoy!


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Tip: If using frozen peaches, thaw first, then drain – or if using canned peaches, drain first.