2. Sprinkle the ⅓ cup water over the top of the mixture and either mix with a spoon (or pulse in the food processor) until the mixture just begins to hold together in clumps. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, add 1 to 3 tablespoons additional water until it does. Place a little less than half (12 ounces) of this mixture into a 2-gallon zippered plastic bag. (This will be the top crust.) Put the remaining 15 ounces (just more than half) into another 2-gallon zippered plastic bag. (This will be the bottom crust.) Pressing very lightly through the plastic, quickly gather each mixture into a rough round in the center of the bag. Refrigerate the bags of dough until they are thoroughly chilled.
3. When you are ready to make the pie, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425˚F. Have a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and a rimmed baking sheet at the ready.
4. Remove the bag with the larger amount of dough from the refrigerator. Unzip the bag to ventilate it, then quickly roll out the larger crust (still inside the bag) to a round about 10 inches in diameter. Using scissors, cut the plastic all the way around the bag and gently lift one side of the plastic. Place the bag, dough side down, in the pie plate. Gently remove the remaining piece of plastic so that the dough falls into the plate. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
For the filling:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and sugar. Place the strawberries in a large bowl and sprinkle the flour mixture over it. Mix thoroughly.
2. Take the pie shell out of the refrigerator.
3. Fill the pie with the strawberry mixture, then repeat the rolling-out process with the other crust, and place it on top of the filling. Seal the two crusts together around the edges, and flute the crust. Using a sharp knife, cut four or five 2-inch slits in the top crust, to ventilate the pie. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the pie with just enough of the beaten egg white to cover it. Sprinkle the top crust with a small amount of sugar.
4. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then quickly take the pie out of the oven and put it on the baking sheet. Put the pie and the sheet back in the oven, and reduce the heat to 350˚F. Continue to bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until thick juices bubble out of the slits.
5. Remove the baking sheet and place the pie on a rack. Allow it to cool completely. (Do not serve the pie hot or warm.)
Makes 10 to 12 servings
Double-Shot Chocolate Cake
—DOUBLE SHOT—
Once I’d gotten over the hurdle of worrying that flourless chocolate cakes wouldn’t rise, I became obsessive about experimenting with them. I’d read somewhere that you could bake one in a pan of water, as long as you used a solid (i.e., not springform) pan that is at least 2 inches in depth, and guarded the cake well from splashes by not putting more than an inch of hot water in the outer pan. After baking, the cake will come out cleanly if you have buttered both the pan and the parchment. My friend and recipe-tester Carol Alexander made a stencil for me to decorate the top of this cake (you can buy stencils at virtually any kitchen supply store). You place the stencil on top of the cooled cake, just before serving, and sift powdered sugar on top. Carefully remove the stencil and you have a dark/light design. But be sure you wait until just before serving. Otherwise, a puff of breeze will bring your efforts to naught.
2¼ sticks (9 ounces) unsalted butter
10 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-fine (“super fine”) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
8 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for decorating
Sweetened whipped cream or best-quality vanilla ice cream, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch heavy-duty round cake pan that is 2 inches in height. (Do not use a springform pan.) Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the parchment.
2. Fill a 16 x 11-inch roasting pan with 1 inch of hot water, place the roasting pan on a baking sheet, and put it into the oven.
3. In the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the butter with the chocolate. When the ingredients are melted, remove the pan from the heat and remove the double boiler top from the bottom. Allow the butter-chocolate mixture to cool slightly. Sift the sugar with the cocoa twice, then whisk it into the melted chocolate mixture.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are foamy. Add the vanilla and the chocolate mixture. Blend with a spatula until very well mixed.
5. Carefully pour the batter into the cake pan. Gently place the cake pan into the water-filled roasting pan, taking care not to splash the water onto the cake.
6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the cake begins to shrink slightly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake pan from the pan of water. (Discard the pan of water.) Place the cake on a rack to cool for 15 minutes, then gently invert onto a cake plate and peel off the paper. Allow to cool completely.
7. Just before serving time, carefully place a 9- or 10-inch cake stencil on top of the cake and sift powdered sugar over the stencil (then remove the stencil). Serve immediately with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Makes 16 servings
Deep-Dish Cherry Pie
—SWEET REVENGE—
Our family loves cherry pie, and I used to make it every summer with fresh tart cherries. A writer friend in Boulder had two massive cherry trees in her front yard and would invite me over to pick bags full every summer. But the birds discovered her trees, and pretty soon she went from having an abundant crop to no crop. Jim and I optimistically planted two Montmorency cherry trees in our own yard, and for a couple of years, he would go out once a week and pick enough cherries for a pie. Then the elk discovered our trees, and ate them down to the nub—they left no fruit, no leaves, no branches, no tree trunks. So now I use canned cherries. I also always bake the bottom crust first. This keeps it from becoming soggy. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.
Crust:
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 sticks (¾ pound) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces and chilled
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons lard or solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces and chilled
½ cup iced spring water, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more if needed
2 egg whites, from large eggs, kept in separate bowls and lightly beaten
Filling:
2 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup reserved cherry juice
Contents of two 14½-ounce cans sour pitted cherries (4 cups), drained, juice reserved
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Granulated sugar or crushed sugar cubes, for sprinkling
Best-quality vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
For the crust:
1. In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade), whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds. Drop the first 8 tablespoons of chilled butter on top of the flour mixture, and cut in with 2 sharp knives (or pulse in the food processor), just until the mixture looks like tiny crumbs. (In the food processor, this will take less than a minute.) Repeat with the rest of the butter and the lard or vegetable shortening in batches, keeping the unused portions well chilled until it is time to add it to the flour. The mixture will look like large crumbs when all the butter and lard have been incorporated.
2. Sprinkle the ½ cup water over the top of the mixture and either mix with a spoon (or pulse in the processor) until the mixture just begins to hold together in clumps. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water until it does. Divide the mixture into 2
pieces, one slightly larger than half (the bottom crust), the other slightly less than half (the top crust). Place each piece into a 2-gallon zippered plastic storage bag.
3. Pressing very lightly through the plastic, quickly gather the mixture into rough rounds in the center of each bag. Refrigerate the bags of dough until they are thoroughly chilled.
4. When you are ready to make the pie, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Have a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate ready. Have a rimmed baking sheet ready to place underneath the pie.
5. Remove the bag with the larger portion of dough from the refrigerator. Unzip the bag, then quickly roll out the dough (still in the bag) to a round about 10 inches in diameter. Using scissors, cut the plastic all the way around the bag and gently lift back one side of the plastic. Place the bag dough side down into the pie plate. Gently remove the remaining piece of plastic so that the dough falls into the plate. Trim the edge of the crust. Gently line the crust with parchment paper and weight down the crust with rice, dried beans, or pie weights.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the parchment with the weights. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with one of the beaten egg whites. Return the crust to the oven to bake for 10 minutes more. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, it can be covered with pieces of foil until the crust is baked. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool slightly while you prepare the filling and the top crust. Leave the oven on.
For the filling:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch and stir until well mixed. Stir in the reserved cherry juice. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, then cook a minute or two longer, until the mixture begins to clear. Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries, melted butter, and lemon juice.
2. Spoon the cherry mixture into the cooked crust. Remove the second chilled bag of pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough following the process used for the bottom crust. After cutting the plastic, gently lift the plastic from one side of the dough. Center the bag, dough side down, over the cherry filling and gently remove the remaining piece of plastic. Press the dough around the edge of the baked crust to seal the 2 crusts as much as possible (you will not be able to seal them completely; this is okay). Cut slits in the top crust to create vents. Brush the top crust with the second egg white. Sprinkle the granulated sugar or crushed sugar cubes lightly over the top. Place the pie onto the rimmed baking sheet before it bakes.
3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top crust is browned and thick juices are bubbling out of the pie. Cool the pie on a rack for at least 2 hours, so the pie can set up.
Makes 12 servings
Door-Prize Gingerbread
—SWEET REVENGE—
Whoever thought putting black pepper into gingerbread would add a certain je ne sais quoi to the result? When I finally hit on this combination of ingredients, Jim pronounced it his favorite gingerbread ever. I have somehow collected a number of castle cake molds, so I make three of these gingerbreads every Christmas. The grandchildren then sprinkle on powdered sugar, or place dabs of frosting here and there on top, with jimmies or colored sugar on top of that. They used to take great pride in their creations, but except for the youngest one, they’re becoming a little too cool to decorate gingerbread castles. Tempus fugit.
Baking spray (with flour)
4⅔ cups all-purpose flour (high altitude: add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound unsalted butter
2 cups molasses
2 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1½ cups boiling spring water
1⅓ cups regular or light sour cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated peeled fresh ginger, minced
3 tablespoons orange juice (high altitude: add 3 tablespoons)
Best-quality vanilla ice cream, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Take out three 8- or 9-cup tall nonstick castle cake molds and baking spray, but do not spray the pans until just before you are going to pour the batter into them.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, spices, pepper, and salt. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the molasses and set aside to cool.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs with the sugar until they are very thick and almost white. Add the butter mixture and beat on low speed, just until combined. Add the flour-spice mixture and beat on low speed, just until combined. Add the boiling water, sour cream, ginger, and orange juice and beat 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment, making sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Coat the 3 castle molds with baking spray until every surface inside the mold is completely covered. Immediately pour the batter into the molds, dividing it evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, and check with a toothpick to see if the gingerbread is done. If necessary, allow another 5 to 10 minutes for the gingerbread to bake, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each gingerbread comes out clean.
5. Grease 2 large or 3 smaller cooling racks. Cool the gingerbreads, still in their pans, on the racks for 20 minutes. Carefully invert them to unmold onto the greased racks. Cool completely, then carefully slide onto serving plates. Serve with the ice cream.
Makes 3 gingerbreads, 4 to 6 servings each
Dark Torte
—DARK TORT—
I thought it was a great idea to use the legal term tort, which at its base means a wrong, with torte, which is a dessert. I thought (mistakenly, as it turned out) that most readers would think it was a great idea, too. Yet many people who had not read the book, which involves both torts and tortes, indignantly told me at signings that a word in my title was spelled incorrectly, and that what I meant was t-o-r-t-e. My rigid-smile response became, “Please read the book.”
That aside, I did enjoy experimenting with t-o-r-t-e-s, and learning about t-o-r-t-s. This recipe uses finely ground zwieback crumbs and finely chopped pecans. The syrup moistens the layers. A trick I learned while catering is that pouring liquid gelatin into whipped cream helps hold its shape.
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1½ cups ground zwieback crumbs (one 6-ounce box)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
(High altitude: Add 1 tablespoon cake flour)
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Sherry Syrup (recipe follows)
Whipped Cream Topping (recipe follows)
1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375˚F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Butter two cooling racks.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until they are light and lemon-colored. Remove 2 tablespoons of sugar from the cup of sugar and set aside. Gradually beat the rest of the sugar (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) into the egg yolks.
3. In another large bowl, combine the crumbs, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves (and flour if cooking at high altitude), stirring to combine well. Stir this mixture into the egg-yolk mixture (the dough will be very stiff). Set aside.
4. In another large bowl, using a wire whip or whip attachment, beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in the reserved 2 tablespoons sugar.
5. Fold one-third of the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. Fold in half of the nuts. Fold in another one-third of the egg-white mixture, then fold in the last of the nuts. Fold in the remaining egg-white mixture until there are no traces of white in the batter. Spread the batter evenly
in the prepared pans.
6. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the layers have browned slightly, a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the layers have begun to shrink from the sides of the pans.
7. Cool the layers for 5 minutes in their pans. Place large pieces of foil underneath the buttered racks and fold them up all the way around so as to catch the syrup. (This makes your clean-up easier.) Turn the layers out onto the separate buttered cake racks. Allow the layers to cool while you make the sherry syrup.
8. Using a skewer or ice pick, evenly poke holes all over the tops of the layers. (Take care not to poke the holes all the way through the cake. The holes should go down about three-fourths of the way through the layers.) Carefully and slowly pour the hot sherry syrup evenly over the layers, until it is all gone.
9. When the layers are cool, make the whipped cream topping. Discard the foil and carefully turn the first layer onto a cake plate. Spread a thick layer of whipped cream topping over this layer. Then top with the second layer. Spread the rest of the topping on the top and sides of the torte.
10. The torte may be served immediately or it may be chilled. Because of the whipped cream, leftovers must be kept in the refrigerator.
Makes 12 servings
Sherry Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups spring water
½ cup dry sherry
Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook Page 23