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2001

TODAY's CASES:

Candy Cane Pie

----- Original Message -----
From: Beth
To: phaedrus
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 9:23 AM
Subject: Candy cane pie

> Hi, I've been looking for a recipe for candy cane pie every since 
> I seen it in an add for Bakers Square.  If you could find it I 
> would really like it.
>
> Beth

Hi Beth,

Well, I found two recipes for candy cane pie, but none that said it was "Baker's Square candy cane pie." The two recipes are below.

Phaed

Peppermint Candy Cane Pie

9-inch chocolate cookie crust
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 c. cold milk
6 to 8 peppermint candy canes
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. red food coloring
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 T. butter or margarine
1 1/2 T. milk
1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
1/4 t. vanilla

Soften gelatin in 1/2 cup cold milk. Crush candy canes; 
measure 1/2 cup. In saucepan combine 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup 
of sugar, slightly beaten egg yolks and salt. Mix well. 
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly
thick. Add softened gelatin and stir to dissolve. Blend 
in food coloring. Chill until mixture begins to thicken.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar 
and beat until stiff. Beat cream until stiff. Fold gently 
into custard, then fold in egg whites. Chill until filling 
holds its shape when stirred. Stir in peppermint, then 
spoon into pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours.

Melt chocolate and butter together. Blend in milk, powdered 
sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla; blend until smooth. Thin 
with some cream if necessary. Serve over pie.
--------------------------------------
Candy Cane Pie

Yield: 12 servings
[Calories: 190; Fat: 6g.]

12 sugar-free starlight peppermint candies, crushed 
OR 
1/4 cup crushed candy canes
1 qt. reduced fat, sweetened with aspartame vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (6-oz.) chocolate cookie pie crust
1/4 cup fat-free fudge sauce, heated

-Combine crushed candies, with vanilla ice cream.
-Fill crust with peppermint ice cream mixture.
-Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours.
-Serve each slice with 1-2 tsp. of heated fat free fudge sauce.
 

Cooked Eggnog

----- Original Message -----
From: Cara
To: phaedrus
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 2:26 PM
Subject: Eggs

> Hi:
>
> This is the season for egg nogs and I no longer feel comfortable 
> making them with raw eggs.
>
> I read somewhere, but I don't know where, that if you boil an egg 
> for 1 minute it kills all salmonella, etc.  Have you ever heard this.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Cara

Hi Cara,

No, boiling an egg for one minute is NOT a reliable method of killing salmonella.

But, eggnog can be safely made using whole, liquid, pasteurized eggs. You can find them next to regular eggs at the store. You can also use egg substitutes. These products are safe becuase they have been pasteurized. Using either one of these would mean that no further cooking is necessary.

Or, use a cooked eggnog recipe like the two below. Both of these recipes cook the egg mixture enough to pasteurize it.

Phaed

Description: Cooked Eggnog

Serving Size: Makes about 6 cups
Preparation Time: about 30 minutes

Amount/Measure/Ingredient

6 eggs, large, separated into yolks and whites
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. sugar

Preparation:

Cook the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and milk in a double boiler until
thickened and light lemon colored. Remove from heat and place in an ice
bath, stirring until cold. Add the half and half and heavy cream. Heat 
the egg whites, salt and sugar over a pot of boiling water, stirring 
constantly, until 140 F. Remove and beat with a whisk or mixer until 
stiff peaks form, fold this "meringue" into the egg/cream mixture. 
Chill for one hour before serving. Sprinkle with nutmeg before serving.

Optional:

Add 1/4 cup dark rum and 1/4 cup cream sherry to the eggnog and stir well. 
You may also add the rum and sherry to individual serving glasses so 
children and those who don't drink may enjoy it too!
----------------------------------------

New Wave Eggnog

Makes about 16 servings
Make-Ahead: Eggnog should be chilled at least 4 hours before serving, and
served within 24 hours.

This has an even creamier texture than the old-fashioned kind made with
heavy cream. The cooked egg yolks make this the nog of choice for cooks 
who prefer to avoid raw eggs.

4 cups half-and-half or milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 large egg yolks
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup bourbon
2 cups heavy cream
1 pint high-quality vanilla ice cream
Freshly grated nutmeg

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir the half-and-half with 
the sugar until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot. In a 
medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in the hot mixture. 
Return to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 
until the mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon (a thermometer will 
read about 185° F.), about 3 minutes. Strain into another medium bowl. 
Cool completely. Whisk in the rum, brandy, and bourbon. Cover and 
refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 4 hours.

In a chilled, medium bowl, beat the heavy cream just until stiff. Fold 
into the chilled custard. Pour into punch bowl and add the ice cream. 
Grate the nutmeg over the eggnog, and serve chilled.

Dutch Treats

 ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Laura
  To: phaedrus 
  Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2001 9:41 PM

  There are these cookies that are made at a gourmet grocer here 
  in Georgia that my mom and I are obsessed with.  We'd like to 
  make them on our own, but alas...no recipe.  We have searched 
  far and wide.  They're called Almond Pillow Cookies.  They're 
  like sugar cookies with a bit of powdered sugar on them, and 
  they have a pocket of almondy-filling and sliced almonds.  
  It could be marzipan on the inside, but I'm not sure.  
  Please help!  

  Laura 
  

Hello Laura,

Well, I had mixed results. The top recipe is called "almond pillow cookies", but I'm not sure if it's the same as what you want. The second one is called apricot-almond pillows and contains apricot preserves and chocolate. The third recipe is for homemade almond paste. The last recipe isn't for pillows, but it's for an almond-paste filled cookie called "Dutch Treats" that might taste the same even though it's not the same shape. These are the best I can do. I have searched thoroughly.

Phaed

  Almond pillow cookies

  These are delicious, tender, flaky cookies 
  filled with almond paste. 

  Ingredients 

  2 cups all-purpose flour 
  1/4 teaspoon salt 
  1 cup butter, chilled 
  1/3 cup ice water 
  8 ounces almond paste 
  1 egg 
  1/4 cup white sugar 
  2 tablespoons milk 
  1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration 
   
  Directions 

  1 In a medium bowl, stir together flour and   salt. Cut in chilled 
  butter until the texture of the mix is mealy with pea sized lumps. 
  2 Add ice water gradually while stirring with a wooden spoon until 
  dough forms a ball. Cover your dough and chill for 1/2  hour. 
  3 To make filling, in a small bowl, mix together the almond paste 
  and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. 
  4 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C ). 
  5 On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 to 1/8 
  inch thickness, making as square as possible. Cut the dough into 
  strips 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide (about the width of a 
  ruler). Using a pastry bag or a strong plastic bag with a small
  hole cut from the corner, pipe almond filling down the center of 
  the strip starting halfway down. Fold the top half of the strip 
  down over the almond filling to match the bottom, making a pillow 
  shape. 
  6 Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in preheated oven 
  for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. If you are using all
  butter in your recipe, check after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven 
  and cool on a wire rack. 
   
  Makes 2 dozen 
  ---------------------------------------------------------
  apricot-almond pillow cookies

  these are called venetians when you add the 33 different colors 
  which symbolize the italian flag. don't let the length of this 
  recipe scare you away, it's actually quite easy, and produces a 
  very sophisticated looking cookie!

  Ingredients

  1 can (8 oz.) almond paste 
  2 C. all-purpose flour, sifted  
  1 1/2 C. butter, softened
  1/4 t. salt
  1 C. sugar   
  10 drops green food coloring 
  4 eggs, separated  
  8 drops red food coloring
  1 t. almond extract  
  1 (12 oz.) jar apricot preserves
  2 squares semisweet chocolate


  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9" x 13" baking pans, 
  line with wax paper, grease again. Break up almond paste in a 
  large bowl with a fork. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks, and almond 
  extract. Beat with electirc mixer until light and fluffy, about 
  5 minutes. Beat in flour and salt. Beat egg whites until stiff 
  peaks form. With a wooden spoon, fold into almond mixture, 
  blending well.

  Remove 1 1/2 C. batter and spread evenly into a prepared pan. 
  Remove another 1 1/2 C. batter and add the green food coloring, 
  spread evenly into second prepared pan. Add red food coloring 
  to remaining 1 1/2 C. batter and spread in third pan. Bake for 
  15 minutes or just until edges are golden brown. (Cakes will be 
  1/4" thick). Remove cakes from pans immediately onto large wire 
  racks. Cool thoroughly.

  Place green layer on jelly-roll pan. Heat apricot preserves; 
  strain. Spread 1/2 of the warm preserves over green layer to 
  edges; slide yellow layer on top; spread with remaining apricot 
  preserves; slide pink layer, right side up, onto yellow layer. 
  Cover with plastic wrap. Weight down with a large wooden cutting 
  board or heavy plate and place in refrigerator overnight. Melt 
  chocolate over hot water in a small cup. Spread to edges of cake; 
  let dry 30 minutes. (Resist the urge to use more than 2 square 
  of chocolate, it will cause the tops of the cookies to crack when 
  cut). Trim edges off cake and cut into 1" squares or diamonds.
  -----------------------------------
  Almond Paste 

  1 cup sugar 
  1/2 cup water 
  1 teaspoon almond extract 
  11/2 cups blanched almonds, finely ground 
  3 tablespoons water 

  Boil sugar and water to 240°. Stir in remaining ingredients. 
  Makes a firm mixture. Store in refrigerator in a tight container. 
  --------------------------
  Dutch Treats

  1 cup butter, softened
  2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  2 cups all-purpose flour
  Pinch of salt

  Filling:

  3 eggs
  1 cup sugar
  1 (8-ounce) can or tube almond paste, cut into cubes

  Sliced natural almonds (with brown skins)

  Yield: 10 dozen

  In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese to blend. Gradually 
  add flour and salt. Form a dough, wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or 
  until easy to handle. Roll into 1-inch balls. Press 1 ball onto 
  bottom and up sides of an ungreased miniature muffin cup; repeat 
  to fill pan(s). Set aside. (Chill any remaining dough, then repeat 
  after baking first batch.)

  For filling, beat eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add 
  sugar, mixing well. Beat in almond paste. Spoon a rounded teaspoonful 
  into each cup; top each with three almond slices. Bake at 325 degrees 
  for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned and filling is set. 
  Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Fried Bow Knots

---- Original Message ----- 
  From: N.... 
  To: phaedrus
  Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2001 10:12 PM
  Subject: Cookies

  Okay, I am desperately seeking a recipe for what I remember as being 
  called "bow-tie" cookies. Or just "bow" cookies.
  My Mother used to make them, I know you make some kind of dough and 
  cut it into strips and then tie them in a knot, fry them, and put
  confectioners sugar on them.  I believe there are eggs involved.
  Any ideas on what I'm talking about?
  In Slovak, we called them "Chiegi's" or something like that,but I'm 
  not sure they are a strictly Slovak recipe.

Hi,

See below.

Phaed

  Bow Tie Cookies, Or Cheregies 
Darlene Martin

3 C flour
4 T sugar 
1/8 t. salt
1/4 lb.  (1/2 C) Crisco, and more for frying

3 beaten eggs
1/2 C sour cream OR milk
1 t. vanilla

Mix first 4 ingredients as for pie crust.  Add vanilla and sour 
cream to beaten eggs.  (If you use milk the cookies will be slightly 
crisper, sour cream makes them richer.) Make well in flour mixture, 
add in egg mixture.  Blend well with hands. Take approx. 4 inch ball 
of dough and roll out  thin on a floured board (1/8 to 1/16 inch) in 
a rectangular shape.  Use a serrated cookie cutting roller (or knife 
if cutter not available) to cut strips 1 1/2 in. X 5 in. long.  Poke 
hole in middle, turn dough in on itself and pull end through hole to 
form the bow tie.  Fry in Crisco about a dozen at a time ( I use a 
large electric frying pan @ 350 degrees, using enough Crisco to make 
an inch of liquid in pan) for several minutes on each side, until 
golden brown.  Drain on paper towels or paper grocery bags.  Place on 
platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Continue layering cookies 
onto platter.   

This recipe makes several dozen. but I often double or triple and 
make TONS (these are a traditional holiday cookie), because people 
can't stop eating them.  They freeze well, so I often make them ahead.  
If making double or triple batches, the Crisco will need to be changed 
because of browned flour left over in pan. 
   

Weeping Pies

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: STEVE 
  To: phaedrus 
  Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2001 10:02 PM
  Subject: Weeping cream pies

  Dear Phaedrus, 
  I sometimes have a problem with cream pies.  A clear syrup forms 
  and gets the crust soggy.  I know that this can happen with the 
  meringue, but I have had it to form without a meringue topping.  
  I don't know what is causing it and would love to correct what 
  ever I am doing wrong.  Got any suggestions?

Hello Steven,

Well, let's see. Here are some tips on both soggy pie crusts and weepy meringues:

To prevent a soggy crust, refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes. Or brush it with slightly beaten egg white, which serves as a sealant, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
If the crust won't be pre-baked, don't pour in the filling until just before you put the pie in the oven. Setting the pie pan on a metal baking sheet during baking also helps.
To prevent the crust of a custard pie from getting soggy, pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes, let it cool for 15 minutes, then pour in the filling.
Using a heavy glass pie pan helps prevent soggy crusts, because glass absorbs heat better than metal and therefore produces a well-baked crust.
For a cream pie where the crust and filling are cooked separately, always allow both to cool completely before pouring the filling into the shell.
Meringue won't weep if you blend a teaspoon of cornstarch with the sugar before beating it into the egg whites.
Beads on the surface of a meringue can be caused by: humidity in the air, adding the sugar too fast during beating, letting the pie sit before baking, underbaking the pie, baking the pie at too high a temperature, or cooling the pie too quickly.
(These tips are from "The Food Lover's Tiptionary" by Sharon Tyler Herbst)

Phaed

""


Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Phaedrus