Fruits Of The Forest Pie 2003 First Place Nut Food

FRUITS OF THE FOREST PIE

Steps:

• Roll out and place bottom pie pastry into a 9 ½ inch deep dish pie pan; place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Make the filling: in a big bowl, combine the fruit, ½ cup sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and lemon juice; toss well to mix, then set aside for 10 minutes to juice.
• Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and the cornstarch together in a small bowl; stir in the mixture into the fruit.
• Preheat oven to 400°.; roll out top crust.
• Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell, smoothing the fruit with a spoon.
• Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell; place top crust over filling; press the top and bottom pastries together along the dampened edge.
• Trim the pastry with scissors or knife, leaving an even ½-inch overhang all around; flute/crimp edges, as desired.
• Poke several steam vents in the top of the pie with a fork or paring knife.
• Put a couple of vents near the edge of the crust so you can check the juices there later.
• To glaze: lightly brush the pastry with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
• Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes; decrease temperature to 375° and rotate pie 180°; slide an foil-lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any drips.
• Bake about 35-45 minutes until the juices bubble thickly at the steam vents and the top is golden brown; if the top of the pie starts to get too dark, cover with loosely tented foil during the last 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

RICH AND VELVETY CUSTARD PIE - 2003 1ST PLACE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Crust:
• Mix all the dry ingredients together and cut in the shortening to resemble course crumbs. Beat the remaining ingredients, except the egg white, together and add to flour. Stir only to incorporate. Wrap in plastic and chill for several hours. Roll out and line pie dish. Bake crust (halfway) in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Brush with an egg white and bake an additional 5 minutes.
• Filling:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Scald the milk and half-and-half.
• Mix together the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add the hot milk. Very carefully pour through a fine strainer and into the pie shell. Grate nutmeg over the top of the filling.
• Bake for 10 minutes on the bottom rack and then move to the middle rack and reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean or until the middle of the pie is almost set. It will continue to cook after it is taken out of the oven. Cool on a rack.

FREE-FORM FRUIT AND NUT PIES

Steps:

• Toast all the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until evenly brown and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool.
• Pulse the 3/4 cup cool pine nuts and sugar in a food processor until finely ground, about 15 times. Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, and butter and pulse until combined, about 10 more times. Add the egg and pulse until mixture comes together in a soft dough, about 5 times.
• Lay out an 8 by 11-inch sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Divide dough equally into 6 balls and place on the paper, leaving at least 4 inches between each. Press down lightly to make even disks, and cover with another sheet of paper. With a rolling pin lightly roll over the entire sheet to make rounds about 5 inches in diameter. Slide paper onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
• Remove top sheet of paper and cut the parchment into 6 squares (around the dough circles). Place 2 heaping tablespoons of jam on each circle and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon over the crust, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around the edges. Fold and loosely pleat the dough over the edge of the jam, to make a rustic free-form pie. (Use the edge of the parchment or a bench scraper to lift the edges of dough over; it's easier that way. See photo.) Repeat with the remaining disks.
• Whisk the egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and brush over the edges of the crusts with it. Sprinkle remaining pine nuts onto the egg wash. Refrigerate pies for 30 minutes.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Bake pies until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes before transferring with the paper onto a rack to cool.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt, if desired.

FRUITS OF THE FOREST BERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Ease bottom crust in 9-inch pie pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir in berries and lemon juice. Gently toss berries until coated. Transfer berry mixture to the pastry-lined pie plate.
• Trim bottom pastry to edge of pie plate. Place top frust on filling and fold edge under bottom pastry. Flute edge as desired. Prick with fork for steam vents.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until top is golden filling is bubbling. Cool on wire rack.

FRUIT OF THE FOREST PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir apple, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and rhubarb together in a bowl. Pour lemon juice and sprinkle sugar over fruit mixture and toss to coat.
• Line a 9-inch pie pan with prepared pie pastry. Turn apple mixture into pie pan. Cover with remaining pie pastry and pinch and crimp edges to seal the crusts. Cut several air holes into the top of the pastry.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden and fruit is tender and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes.