Almond Roca Fruit Pie A K A Toffee Crumb Fruit Pie Food

ALMOND ROCA FRUIT PIE (A K A: TOFFEE CRUMB FRUIT PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spoon fruit filling into unbaked pie shell.
• Mix sugar and flour together; cut in butter using pastry blender. Add crushed toffee candy and mix in with fork.
• Sprinkle toffee candy mixture over fruit filling.
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool. Serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

FRUIT PIE WITH CRUMB TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 5 cups blueberries or other fruit with 3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pour into pie shell; sprinkle with 1/2 recipe Crumb Topping.
• Place on foil-lined baking sheet in lower third of oven; reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake until fruit bubbles and crust browns, 1 1/2 hours. If topping begins to brown too quickly, tent with foil. Let cool 6 hours.

FRIED FRUIT PIES

Steps:

• Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender, fork, your hands, or whatever method works best for you, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Stir together the beaten egg with the water and sprinkle over flour mixture. Sprinkle in the vinegar, mixing lightly, until ingredients are well combined.
• Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
• In a nonreactive pan on very low heat, simmer the dried fruit in the water for 30 to 45 minutes, or until very tender. Add water if necessary to prevent scorching. Allow to cool; mash fruit slightly.
• Stir in the sugar and spices. This step of the preparation may be done in advance and refrigerated; however, warm up the fruit (microwave is fine) enough to take the chill off and make it workable before filling your pies.
• Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and cut it into four equal pieces. You can then cut each of the four pieces into three equal pieces, leaving you with 12 golf-ball-size dough balls.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 5- to 6-inch circle. Your circles don't have to be perfect, and ragged edges are okay.
• Put about 2 generous tablespoons of filling onto one side of the circle of dough. Seal the pie by wetting the inside edge of the dough with water (use your finger) and then fold over the dough, making the familiar half-moon shaped pie. Make sure the edges of the dough are even, and press and crimp to insure a good seal. You can use a fork to give you a bit of a decorative edge if you like. You can also correct the more ragged edges during this step because the dough is pliable. Just make sure the filling is sealed in and that any holes in the dough are crimped.
• Using a deep fryer set at 350, carefully lower the pies into the oil, one at a time. Cook until they turn a nice even golden brown in 3 or 4 minutes. You don't have to worry about cooking the filling -- it's already cooked. The frying process is merely cooking the dough.
• Drain on paper towels.

HOLIDAY ALMOND ROCA

Steps:

• Line a large cookie sheet (or two smaller) with aluminum foil, or lay aluminum foil over a large area on the counter or table.
• Cook butter, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan to hard crack stage (285-290F), while stirring constantly.
• Once heated, pour onto the aluminum foil lined surface.
• Spread out to about 1/4-inch thickness.
• Sprinkle with chocolate chips, let sit until beginning to melt, then spread chocolate out.
• Sprinkle the top with almonds.
• Let cool for 2 hours, then break into pieces.

ALMOND ROCA (ENGLISH TOFFEE)

Steps:

• Spread almonds evenly on a buttered 12 x 17-inch jelly roll pan. (I used a Silpat sheet and only buttered sides and that worked great).
• Mix sugar, butter and water in a large saucepan. Cook over high heat until tan (295°F at sea level). It needs to be past the point where the mixture begins to turn tan. It will be a foamy, thick, medium tan. Be sure to stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
• Pour over sliced almonds and spread as much as possible.
• Sprinkle chocolate pieces over immediately. Let melt a minute or two and then spread evenly with knife.
• When completely cool and chocolate is solid, break into pieces.