Maida Heatters Pumpkin Pie Food

MAIDA HEATTER'S CHOCOLATE FUDGE PIE

Steps:

• Position oven rack 1/3 up from the bottom of oven; preheat to 350°.
• Add butter and chocolate to the top of a double boiler over warm water on low heat.
• Cover until partially melted, then uncover and stir until completely melted and smooth.
• Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat (use electric mixer) the eggs well.
• Except for the chocolate/butter mixture, add all the remaining ingredients; beat well.
• Then beat in the chocolate and butter mixture.
• Turn into the prepared, partially baked crust; the filling will come almost to the top of the crust.
• Handle very carefully and place in the oven.
• Bake for 50 minutes; do not bake any longer even if the filling appears soft.
• Turn oven heat off; prop the oven door partially open, and let the pie stand in the oven until it is completely cool (the filling will puff up during baking and then will settle down to a thin layer that will crack while cooling).
• Refrigerate for several hours.
• Whipped cream: in a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, whip the cream with the remaining ingredients until it will just hold a shape.
• Shortly before serving spread the cream in a thick layer over the top of the pie.

MAIDA HEATTER'S PANFORTE CIOCCOLATO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the almonds in a shallow cake pan and bake them in the center of the oven, stirring once or twice, for 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
• Move a rack to the lower third of the oven and lower the temperature to 325 degrees. Cut a round of parchment to fit the bottom of a nine-inch springform pan, two or three inches deep. Cut a strip (or two shorter strips) about an inch and a half wide to go around the sides of the pan. Butter the sides and bottom of the pan. First put the strip (or strips) around the sides of the pan, just touching the bottom and covering only part of the way up on the sides. Then put the round in the bottom of the pan. Butter the papers on the bottom and the sides, dust all over with fine dry bread crumbs, invert over paper to shake out excess crumbs and set the pan aside.
• Put all the candied fruits in a large mixing bowl. Sift together over the fruit the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper and espresso or coffee powder. With your hands, mix the fruits with the dry ingredients, thoroughly separating and coating the pieces. Add the almonds and hazelnuts and mix again. Set aside.
• Put the honey and sugar in a saucepan with a six-cup capacity over moderate heat. Stir with a wooden spatula until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Then insert a candy thermometer in the pan and let the mixture boil without stirring until the thermometer registers 248 degrees (stiff-ball stage); the mixture will reach this temperature soon after it comes to a boil.
• Now you must work very quickly before the hot syrup cools and hardens. Pour the syrup onto the fruit mixture, stir with a heavy wooden spatula to mix, and -- without waiting -- transfer the mixture to the prepared pan (there will be just barely enough syrup to moisten the dry ingredients).
• Immediately cover with a piece of plastic wrap and press down on the top with your hands to press the mixture into an even layer. Then use a can or a small saucepan or any round and flat piece of equipment to press down very firmly on the top to form a compact layer. Quickly remove the plastic wrap.
• Bake for 40 minutes. (You will not know by looking or testing that the cake is done; it will become firm as it cools.) Do not overbake.
• Set aside to cool. When the cake is completely cool and firm, remove the sides of the pan and the paper strip (or strips) on the sides. Cover the cake with a rack and turn upside down. Remove the bottom of the pan and the paper lining on the bottom.
• Place the cake upside down on a length of wax paper. Through a fine strainer, generously sprinkle on confectioner's sugar, forming a thick coating. Then carefully turn the cake right side up and sprinkle sugar on that side also. There should be a generous amount of sugar on both sides.
• Wrap the cake in airtight plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature for days, if you wish, or a week or two (or freeze).
• To cut into portions, unwrap the room-temperature cake, re-sugar if necessary and, using a long, sharp, heavy knife, cut straight down across the top, then cut each half into eight wedges.

PUMPKIN PIE WITH PEPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pastry and line a 9-inch pie pan with it, making an extra-high, fluted rim. Lightly prick the bottom, line with foil and weight with pastry weights or dry beans. Bake 13 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, remove the foil and weights, and bake 7 minutes longer. Remove from the oven. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
• Place the cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat until little bubbles form around the edges. Set aside.
• Beat the eggs lightly in a large bowl. Beat in the vanilla, sugar, salt, pepper, ginger, mace and nutmeg. Add the pumpkin and mix well. Gradually beat in the hot cream. Pour into the baked pie shell, place in the oven and bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 40 minutes longer, until the center no longer seems liquid when the pie is gently shaken.
• Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

MAIDA HEATTER'S FREE-FORM APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
• Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add water and toss with a fork until pastry holds together.
• Shape pastry into a ball and flatten into a disk.
• Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Melt butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat.
• Increase heat to high and add sugar and brandy.
• Stir in apples and cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring apples twice.
• Uncover and add raisins and cook apples, stirring until tender and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes more.
• Cool apples completely.
• Stir in nuts.
• Heat oven to 425.
• Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 14 inch circle.
• Transfer pastry to a large cookie sheet.
• Arrange apples on pastry, leaving a 2 to 2 1/2 inch border around the edge.
• Fold edge of pastry over apples.
• The pie shell should be about 9 inches in diameter.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 400 and bake 30 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
• Melt preserves through a sieve into a cup.
• Drizzle over filling.
• Cool on cookie sheet.
• Transfer to serving platter when cool.

MAIDA HEATTER'S BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Steps:

• Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°F Use a muffin pan with liners or a buttered, nonstick pan (for a better crust).
• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a very large bowl.
• Add blueberries; stir gently to mix.
• In another bowl, beat egg lightly just to mix.
• Add butter, milk and rind. DO NOT OVERMIX.
• Add liquid ingredients all at once to dry ingredients.
• Fold with rubber spatula only a few seconds until dry ingredients are barely moistened. Batter should be lumpy.
• Fill muffin forms 2/3 full.
• Bake 20-25 minutes until golden. Cool in pan 2-3 minutes.
• Then cover with a rack, turn over pan and rack, and remove pan. Turn muffins right side up.

MAIDA HEATTER'S PUMPKIN LOAF

Steps:

• Butter a 10"x5" loaf pan and spritz with baking spray. Preheat oven to 350.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
• In large bowl, beat eggs just to mix. Add sugar and oil and beat lightly just to mix.
• Mix in the pumpkin puree and dates.
• Add sifted dry ingredients, and mix only until they are smoothly incorporated.
• Stir in the walnuts.
• Turn into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 1-1/2 hours. (If you use two smaller pans, bake 65-70 minutes.).
• Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert pan and let cake stand until cool. Cake is best if prepared the day before serving.