Friday, November 19, 2010

Chocolate Armagnac Pecan Pie

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Pie Crust:
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 stick butter, cold and cut into small chunks
1 Tbl shortening (this helps keep the crust consistent)
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate,
chopped up

3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Armagnac
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Crust: combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and shortening and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle on the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Use your hand to press the whole thing together when done. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten to a disc, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Cover the disc of dough with flour and roll out on a piece of waxed paper into a circle. It will be a little bigger that the waxed paper. Using the waxed paper, flip the dough over and into a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully press the dough into the plate so it fits tightly and tuck under the excess dough and crimp the edges.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Filling: melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, remove from heat and let cool. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy and then blend in the sugar. Stir in the corn syrup, vanilla, bourbon, salt, and the melted butter mixture until well blended.

Arrange the pecans on the pie crust and carefully pour the egg mixture over them.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set and rather puffy.
Cool the pie completely.

Serve with whipped cream:

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
a splash of vanilla

Combine and whip with an electric mixer until firm, but not butter.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Rum Raisin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup golden raisins
2 Tbls rum

1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup organic raw sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbls wheat germ (or a little more if you like)
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips (more if you like)

Put the raisins to soak in the rum.
Preheat oven to 370 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugar
Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Combine the flour and salt and baking soda and add to the creamed mixture.
Add the raisins and the rum, then the chips and nuts, and finally the oatmeal.
Mix well.
Bake for about 8 minutes. Your oven will influence the baking time.
They want to be lightly golden brown.
Cool and a baking rack, and store.