vegetarian recipes

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BUTTERSCOTCH-GANACHE PIE: A Special Occasion MUST!

My Butterscotch-Ganache Pie has become the most requested item when friends and family come to our house for dinner. It took a few years to finally perfect it (in my opinion) so the layers were the right height, the ganache was the right consistency, the butterscotch pudding was the right texture, and the crust was not too crumbly nor too hard. The decorative top is optional.

NOTE: This pie should be made the day before it’s first served, so you need to plan ahead!

There are 4 parts to this pie: the crust, chocolate ganache, the butterscotch pudding, and the whipped cream. All of these should be made the day before serving so the pie has settled and is cold. This is a good thing – one less thing to do on company coming day!

BUTTERSCOTCH-GANACHE PIE

Butterscotch Pudding

  • 169g (12 T) butter
  • 90g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 87g (1/2 cup) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 56g (4 T) water
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 30g (2 T) Lyle’s Golden Syrup or corn syrup
  • 118g (1/2 cup) heavy cream, DIVIDED
  • 500g (2 cups) milk – any fat level will do
  • 4 yolks
  • 36g (1/4 cup) (1.25 oz) cornstarch
  • 1 T vanilla extract

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 163g (1.5 cups) graham crackers (I use Honey Maid
  • 30g (3 T) granulated sugar
  • 77g (5.5 T) butter, melted

Ganache

  • 58g (2 oz) 60% cacao chocolate bar
  • 58g (2 oz) 72% cacao chocolate bar
  • 114g (4 oz) heavy cream

Whipped Cream

  • 205g (3/4 cup) heavy cream, cold
  • 14g (3/8 oz) confectioners (icing) sugar

It’s best to begin preparing this pie by making the butterscotch pudding since it needs to cool several hours before pouring it into the crust.

First, measure out the ingredients so everything is ready to go. Yes, I know this is a lot of bowls to wash, but having everything ready makes life easier in this recipe.

1 – Into a large saucepan (at least 3 quarts), place the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, water, salt, lemon juice, and Lyle’s Golden syrup (or corn syrup).

2 – Into a small saucepan, pour 59g (1/4 cup) heavy cream. (This will be simmered later.)

3 – Into a small bowl, pour 59g (1/4 cup) heavy cream.

4 – Into a small bowl, place the 4 yolks.

5 – Into a small bowl, place the 36g (1/4 cup) (1.25 oz) cornstarch.

6 – Either have ready the vanilla bottle with a tablespoon or measure out the 1 T into a tiny bowl.

NOTE: I find using a flat whisk (see photo below) helpful for stirring mixtures in saucepans since they can get into the edges of the pan. This is NOT mandatory.

Over medium-high heat, bring the butter/sugar mixture in the saucepan to 240°F (116°C), stirring often (preferably constantly). USE A THERMOMETER! You’ll need a metal or glass thermometer that can attach to the side of the pan – plastic will soften due to the hot steam.

Decrease the heat to medium and stir until the liquid reaches 300°F (150°C), stirring often (preferably constantly). Much of the liquid will have evaporated and the mixture will have become a bit thicker. Turn off the flame and stir in 59g (3 T) cream for 30 seconds.

Turn on burner to medium-high again and stir in 500g (1.5 cups) milk. When milk has been incorporated, turn off burner again.

Stir the cornstarch into the egg yolks.

Bring the other 59g (3 T) cream to a simmer.

Slowly drizzle the hot cream into the yolk/cornstarch, stirring continuously (this will temper the egg yolks so they don’t scramble).

Bring the sugar mixture in the saucepan to a boil over medium-high and pour in the yolk/cornstarch/cream all at once. Whisk until thickened – about a minute. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.

Into a bowl, strain mixture (to remove the eggy bits and any tiny lumps) through a sieve or colander that is NOT fine mesh. Stir pudding with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to get the mixture to go through. I’ve tried using my fine mesh strainer and the butterscotch pudding is really too thick to go through. I have an Ekco strainer from days of yore that has 2mm (1/16″) holes, which works perfectly, but these strainers are hard to find. I tried my colander, and it worked fine.

You don’t have to strain the pudding, but it really does make a difference. The photo below shows the remains from straining. YUK!

Cover butterscotch pudding and chill in fridge for, at least, 3 hours.

Chill a bowl and beaters in preparation for whipping the cream later on.

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 163g (1.5 cups) graham crackers (I use Honey Maid
  • 30g (3 T) granulated sugar
  • 77g (5.5 T) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°).

Crush graham crackers with a rolling pin until fine crumbs. Don’t use a food processor – the crumbs don’t get fine enough which leads to a not nicely textured crust. It’s easiest to break up the graham crackers and place them in a large plastic bag to contain them as you roll them. Pour crushed crackers into a bowl and stir in the melted butter and sugar.

Empty crumbs into a 9″ (25 cm) pie plate. Press mixture to evenly cover bottom and sides firmly. If find it best to use a 1/3 cup measuring cup, but you can use a fork or your fingers, etc.

Bake in preheated 325°F (163°C) until lightly browned – about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Ganache

  • 58g (2 oz) 60% cacao chocolate bar, broken into small pieces
  • 58g (2 oz) 72% cacao chocolate bar, broken into small pieces
  • 114g (4 oz) heavy cream

Into a small saucepan, over LOW heat, stir the cream and chocolates together until all chocolate is melted.

Pour melted chocolate onto graham cracker crust and spread evenly across bottom. Let ganache cool in the fridge at least 20 minutes.

While the ganache is cooling in the fridge, remove the butterscotch pudding from the fridge and stir. It will probably be very thick. (Sometimes there are a few thin shards of hardened butter around the edge. I toss them out – they’re not very nice to eat.)

Once the ganache has cooled and the butterscotch pudding has softened a bit (about 20-30 minutes), pour the pudding on top of the ganache and spread to an even thickness – just do your best. Don’t worry about making it pretty, the whipped cream will cover it. Set pie in the fridge while you whip the cream.

Whipped Cream

  • 205g (3/4 cup) heavy cream, cold
  • 14g (3/8 oz) confectioners (icing) sugar

Remove the bowl and beaters from the fridge and set up mixer. Then pour the cold cream into the bowl and sift in the sugar to remove any lumps. Turn mixer on high and beat until stiff peaks form. Pour whipped cream onto the pie, spreading to cover the butterscotch pudding.

Decorate pie as you wish.

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PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA BUNS: Snack Or Lunch!

Every now and then I challenge myself to improve on a just-okay recipe. In this case, it was my grandmother’s peanut butter buns (she called them ‘josh’, which means ‘snack’ in Armenian). While they were a big hit with her five children and my husband, I felt they were a little dry.

I decided the problem was two-fold: the dry dough and the dry peanut butter filling. Creating an enriched dough seemed the obvious answer to the dough. As for the filling, I considered using a jelly. Then I spied some ripe bananas in the fruit bowl. Hmmm! (Elvis came to mind.) Recalling a contestant on the British Bake Off cooking down bananas to evaporate excess moisture, this seemed like a good idea to prevent a mushy filling while, simultaneously, adding flavor. To give a nod to the classic jelly idea, I tried crushing freeze dried strawberries. The problem was I needed to use a lot to really taste them. As they’re very expensive, I chose to go with the peanut butter and banana on its own. You can add them, if you like.

NOTE: You can substitute a different nut butter, if you prefer.

PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA BUNS – makes 6

Dough

  • 121g (1/2 cup) milk, warmed to about 40°C (104°F)
  • 1 tsp yeast
  • 229g (1.75 cups) bread flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 28g (2 T) butter, room temperature
  • 40g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 egg white

Filling

  • 3 large ripe bananas
  • 118 (1/2 cup) peanut butter (or other nut butter)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Optional: 31g (1 oz) freeze dried fruit, crushed

Prepare the dough:

Proof the yeast by stirring the warmed milk and yeast together, letting it set about 5 minutes.

Into the workbowl of your food processor, put the flour, 1 tsp salt, sugar, softened butter, egg white, and proved yeast/milk. Process about 40 seconds, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.

Empty dough onto lightly floured counter and knead about 6 times to bring dough into a ball. A bench scraper works well for this task.

Place dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, then flip the ball so both sides are coated with oil. Cover and let rise 1.5 hours on counter.

While dough is rising, prepare the filling:

Into a saucepan, place the peeled bananas. Mash with a potato masher or fork.

Over medium/high heat, cook the bananas, stirring often, until most of the water has been cooked out – about 11 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in the peanut butter and 1/4 tsp salt. (If you’re using freeze dried fruit, stir it into the mixture) Chill until dough has finished rising.

Once the dough has risen, assemble the buns:

Empty the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a 9″x 4″ (23cm x 10cm) strip.

Divide the peanut butter-banana filling evenly between the strips. Spread the filling over the dough strip, leaving a 1/2″ (1cm) border along all 4 sides. The filling will be spread very thinly – this is good – it’s how you’ll get that lovely swirl.

Roll each strip from the short side up along the long side. Pinch the dough to seal the seam.

Roll the log towards you 90°, so the seam is facing you. (This is so the seam will be protected from bursting open during baking.)

Pinch both ends to seal them. Then, snail the log by rolling it sideways. (The seam formed along the length of the log will now be encased in the snail.) Pinch closed the end of the log to the body of the roll.

Place the rolled buns on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly press down each bun so they’re about 1″ (2.5cm). Cover and let rise 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) during the rise.

Once the buns have risen, place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Decrease the temperature to 177°C (350°F) and bake about 20 minutes – until browned on top. (There is NO wash for these buns – I’ve tried egg, milk, and cornstarch/water – they cause the top to flake. They come out much better with a dry top.) Remove baked buns to a wire rack to cool.

NOTE: If you forgot to decrease the oven temperature, it’s not a problem. Just keep an eye on the brownness – you may have to decrease the bake time.

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GRANDMA PESTO PIZZA: Tweaking Tradition!

Grandma Pizza is a thin, crispy, rectangular pizza that, traditionally, is topped with Mozzarella, followed by marinara and basil.

But, just to shake things up (because that’s how I roll!), I decided to change the toppings to pesto, Feta, and Kalamata olives. This has become our family’s current pizza of choice. The garlicky pesto topped with salty, creamy Feta and olives is addictive, which is why I now make 2 pizzas at a time.

NOTE 1: I highly recommend using a food processor to make the dough. Grandma Pizza is a very wet dough and clings to your palms and fingers if you knead by hand.

NOTE 2: A rimmed baking sheet is preferred to define the rectangular shape but, if you don’t have one, just use a large baking sheet and shape the dough as best you can. As you can see from the photo above, dough seems to have a mind of its own, and occasionally refuses to fill in the corners anyway.

GRANDMA PESTO PIZZA – makes 2 pizzas

Dough:

  • 332g (1.5 cups) water, about 104°F (40°C)
  • 4 tsp (12g) yeast
  • 20g (2 T) olive oil
  • 385g (3 cups) strong (bread) flour
  • 8g (2 tsp) sugar
  • 1.5 tsp salt

Topping:

  • 130g (4 cups) (9 oz) fresh basil leaves
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 22g (1 T) lemon juice
  • 88g (1 cup) Pecorino/Romano or Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 44g (1/2 cup) pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 114g (2/3 cup) olive oil
  • Feta cheese
  • Kalamata olives

About 3 hours before serving time, make the dough:

Combine the warm water and yeast in a cup. Let prove for 5 minutes.

Into the work bowl of the food processor, add olive oil, flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a couple of times to blend. When yeast has proved for 5 minutes, run the processor and slowly pour in the yeast water. Run the machine about 40 seconds total, stopping to scrape down the sides once.

Now comes the icky part. Remove the blade and scrape off the dough. You’ll notice how stretchy and sticky the dough is.

Empty the dough onto a well floured surface. Using a bench scraper underneath the dough, begin kneading 6 or 7 times to bring the dough together, sprinkling with flour as needed. Cut the dough in half.

Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in each of the two pans. (Don’t be tempted to use more olive oil – it will be difficult to stretch the dough on a slippery surface.) With your fingertips, spread the oil around the pan. Plop one dough half in each pan, flipping them over to cover both sides with a bit of oil. With your slightly oiled fingertips, work the dough to stretch it out to about 20cm x 13cm (8″ x 5″). Don’t worry about it being exact. Cover pans and let rise about 1.5 hours.

While dough is rising (or, ahead of time), prepare the pesto:

Into a blender put all the ingredients (basil, garlic, lemon juice, Pecorino/Romano, pine nuts, salt, and olive oil).

Due to the basil leaves, you’re going to have to blend in spurts, scraping down sides in between. DO NOT PRESS DOWN INGREDIENTS WHILE BLENDER IS RUNNING UNLESS YOU HAVE A BLENDER (SUCH AS A VITAMIX) THAT HAS A TAMPER SPECIFIC FOR YOUR BLENDER! I speak from experience – more than once I’ve thought I could control a wooden spoon to press the basil down without hitting the blades. I was wrong and had to thrown the whole batch out.

After dough has risen, use your fingertips to stretch the dough to cover the pan. You can pull gently on the corners to help it along. Cover and let rise 45 minutes. PREHEAT OVEN TO 260°C (500°F).

Top risen pizzas with your preferred amount of pesto, crumbled Feta, and Kalamata olives.

Bake in bottom third of preheated 260°C (500°F) oven until crust is browned – about 13-15 minutes.

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Lemon Quick Bread

While looking through my manilla file folder of recipes (yes, I still have one from days of yore), I came across a magazine clipping for lemon quick bread. Through the years I’d been tempted to try it but, as a fierce chocoholic, I’d always set it aside in favor of….well, chocolate.

Now that we live in a house with a lemon tree, I decided the time had come and made the Lemon Quick Bread. Like most quick breads, it’s fast and easy to prepare. But, more than that, it was absolutely delicious. So tender, yet firm!

NOTE: The recipe called for brushing a syrup made with a lemon juice and sugar onto the baked bread. But, for those who prefer a more powerful lemony punch, I’m adding an alternate choice of a pucker-inducing lemon icing that can be either piped or smoothed on top of the syrup.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: You can use either a glass or metal loaf pan. I’ve found the metal pan cooks the loaf faster and produces less of a crack on top.

LEMON QUICK BREAD – makes 1 standard loaf

  • 195g (1.5 cups) plain or all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 99g (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
  • 212g (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3g (1 tbsp, packed) lemon zest
  • 125g (1/2 cup) milk (any kind – I use 2%)
  • 45g (1/2 cup) walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
  • 36g (3 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 25g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar

Optional lemon icing:

  • 125g (1 cup) icing or powdered super – no need to sift
  • 22g (1.5 tbsp) lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F

Grease sides and bottom of a standard loaf pan. Line the bottom with baking paper – this will make removal of the loaf easier. If you don’t have baking paper, make sure to grease the bottom well.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the vegetable oil and 212g (1 cup) sugar on high for 2 minutes.

Add in the eggs and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed to blend well – about a minutes or so.

Add in the flour mix and beat on low until flour is almost all incorporated. Then add in milk on low speed until milk is just incorporated – you don’t want to overmix, Finally, stir in nuts.

Pour into prepared loaf pan.

Bake at 180°C / 350°F for about 50-60 minutes. The crack along the top, which always forms on my loaves, should NOT be liquidy – bake until it firms up (54 minutes in my oven).

Prepare the syrup while loaf is baking: in a small pot, add the 36g (3 tbsp) lemon juice and 25g (2 tbsp) sugar. Over medium heat, bring to boil to melt the sugar. Remove from heat and set aside.

When loaf is done, remove from oven. Remember to touch the crack – if it’s still wet, cook a bit longer.

While still in the tin, poke the top all over with a skewer, going down about halfway. Brush on (or drizzle) the lemon syrup – use it all. Let set 10 minutes.

Run a rounded tipped (so as not to scratch your tin) knife around the edges, then flip to remove from tin. Remove the baking paper.

Set right-side up on a wire rack to cool completely.

OPTIONAL LEMON ICING

When ready to ice loaf, prepare the icing.

Into a small bowl combine the 125g (1 cup) icing (powdered) sugar and 22g (1.5 tbsp) lemon juice. Smash all the lumps from the sugar.

You can either ice the top entirely or pipe. If too thick to pipe easily, add a tiny more lemon juice, if too thin, add more sugar.

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ZUCCHINI SOUP: Why, Yes! I’d Love Some Zucchini!

They’re coming – home gardeners who planted more zucchini than they need, arms laden with these beauties who just yesterday were 7″, today the size of props in a sci-fi film. Never one to turn down free food, I thank them and start planning. Of course, there’s zucchini bread, zucchini stir-fry, and spiralizing zucchini.

Then it hit me:

ZUCCHINI SOUP!

It can be a meal in itself or as a starter. Bonus: it freezes well!!!

ZUCCHINI SOUP

Note: Don’t worry about the chopped veggie sizes – everything will be blended

  • 28g / 2 T butter
  • 115g / 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp celery salt
  • 1.75 tsp kosher salt (or 3/4 tsp table salt)
  • 1/4 tsp black ground pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 683g / 1.5 lbs / 5 cups zucchini, unpeeled and chopped
  • 445g / 1 lb russet potatoes, unpeeled and diced
  • 690g / 3 cups vegetarian stock – homemade (click link) or purchased
  • 17g / 1T soy sauce
  • 60g / 2 oz / 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 82g / 1/2 cup uncooked couscous (not the Israeli pearl couscous)
  • OPTIONAL: greens, such as Swiss chard or spinach pieces
  • OPTIONAL: small pieces of bread, such as pita

In a large saucepan (2 litres / 8 cups), melt the butter. Add onions and, over medium-high heat, saute for 5 minutes. Stir often.

Add in garlic, rosemary, thyme, celery salt, Kosher salt, and black pepper. Over medium heat, saute about 1 minute to bloom the herbs, stirring constantly.

Add in zucchini and, over medium-high heat, saute 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and couscous to the pot. Bring to a boil, then decrease flame to maintain a simmer.

Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly askew to prevent the liquid boiling over. Simmer for about 20 minutes, testing the potatoes are easily pierceable with a knife.

Remove lid and let soup cool about 20 minutes before blending. Then, pour cooled liquid into a blender (you may need to do this in batches) and blend until smooth.

Return soup to saucepot and stir in cheese, optional greens, and optional bread pieces. Heat to melt cheese. Taste for seasoning, correcting if needed.

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BARBECUE SAUCE: Fast, Easy, & Delicious!!!

This recipe is not only delicious, but cooks in 5 minutes! You just toss all ingredients in a pot and boil for 5 minutes. Done! (Don’t be daunted by the number of ingredients – half of them are spices.)

Before making a larger batch of this barbecue sauce, I recommend trying it first to be sure you like it. Then, if it pleases you, you can increase the amount. Since I don’t use barbecue sauce all that often, I quadruple the recipe and freeze it in portions.

BARBECUE SAUCE – makes about 250mls / 1 cup

  • 188g (1/2 cup + 2T) ketchup
  • 89g (1/2 cup, packed) dark brown sugar
  • 30g (2T) molasses – I use Grandma’s, unsulphured
  • 25g (2T) pineapple juice
  • 25g (2T) water
  • 8g (1/2T) vegetarian Worchestershire sauce
  • 1.25 tsp ground mustard
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
  • 3/4 tsp Kosher salt (or, 1/4 tsp table salt)
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

Into a saucepan, put all the above ingredients.

Bring to a boil. Maintain a low boil, stirring often, for 5 minutes. That’s it!

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ORZO WATERMELON SALAD: Refreshing, fast, and easy!

I’d never heard of Orzo Watermelon Salad until it was mentioned often in a novel I was reading recently. It sounded interesting, so I Googled it. Lo and behold, it was a real thing! I got the gist of what goes in it, then honed the recipe to my liking – the tangy dressing with a slight kick of red pepper flakes was the key.

This salad is very fast and easy to make but, as with most salads, they’re best mixed close to serving time. That being said, it’s still tasty the next day.

ORZO WATERMELON SALAD – makes about 5-6 cups

  • 18g / 2 T Balsamic vinegar
  • 10g / 1 T granulated sugar
  • 68g / about 2 shallots, sliced thinly
  • 18g / 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 27g / 3 T lime juice
  • 4g / 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 120g / 3/4 cup / 4 oz uncooked orzo
  • about 250g / 8 oz seedless watermelon, cubed bite-sized
  • 114g / 4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled into bite-sized pieces
  • 50g / 1/2 cup cooked green peas (I use frozen)
  • about 65g / 1/2 cup Pistachio nuts

Slice the shallots thinly.

Into a small saucepan combine the Balsamic vinegar, sugar, and shallots. Bring to a boil, turn off burner, then cover pan. Let set, at least, 30 minutes. This can be done ahead of time.

Into a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, Dijon, red pepper flakes, and salt. Set aside until serving time. This can be done ahead of time.

In a saucepan, bring about 3 cups of water to a full boil. Add in the orzo and a tsp of salt. Stir often and cook for 8 minutes. SET THE TIMER! Drain using a sieve, then pour into a mixing bowl to cool.

As orzo is cooling, chop watermelon into bite-sized cubes. Make sure to remove any seeds – they’re not very tasty.

Into the bowl with the cooked orzo, put the cubed watermelon, Feta, and peas. Gently mix and set aside until serving time.

At serving time, stir the dressing well and pour that into the orzo. Add the shallots WITH the liquid into the bowl along with the pistachios. Mix gently. Serve.

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BUTTERNUT-SPINACH PIE: A Melt-In-Your-Mouth Delight!

I’m a big fan of the savory pie. While I do love a good hand pie (such as the pasty), the single pie is not only faster to prepare, but offers more filling to crust ratio.

Butternut-Spinach Pie is a lovely blend of honey roasted butternut squash, a kicky bleu cheese (such as Gorgonzola), a bit of crunch from the pecans, and sweetness plus color from the dried cranberries. The spinach, of course, adds a vegetable to the mix, which is great for veggie-phobic kids.

TIP: As self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t suggest (nag) you to freeze the leftover egg wash for future use. One egg wash can be used several times, thus sparing the cost of an egg each time. Just remember to thaw it out before prep-time.

NOTE: My pie crust recipe is delicious, but if you have a preferred double-crust pie dough recipe, you can use that. OR, you can purchase pre-made, if you’d rather.

NOTE: This is certainly not mandatory, but there’s a device called a ‘first-slice wedge’ that can be placed under the bottom crust to aid in lifting out that notoriously difficult first pie piece. At my family’s constant nagging, I now keep mine IN the pie plate at all times so I don’t forget to use it. I guess they got tired of hearing, “Oh, no! I forgot to use the pie wedge…again!!!”

BUTTERNUT-SPINACH PIE

Crust:

  • 323g (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour, DIVIDED
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 144g (10 T) butter, cold
  • 95g (1/2 cup) shortening (I use Crisco), chilled
  • 34g (4 T) vodka, cold
  • 34g (4 T) water, cold
  • eggwash: 1 egg plus 1 T water, beaten together

Filling:

  • 1 butternut squash (about 900g / 2 lbs)
  • 36g (4 T) olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp dried cumin
  • 3/4 tsp dried crushed rosemary
  • 30g (2 T) honey
  • 341g (12 oz) raw spinach, leaves only, cleaned thoroughly!
  • 218g (8 oz) Gorgonzola (or any bleu cheese you prefer)
  • 3 T sour cream (or plain yogurt or creme fraiche)
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 60g (2/3 cup) pecans, coarsely chopped and lightly toasted
  • 50g (1/2 cup) raisins

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Make the crust first since the dough should be chilled before rolling it out. You can make it well ahead of time, if you like.

Preheat oven to 218°C (425°F).

Measure out the shortening onto a plate small bowl or bowl, and place it in the freezer to chill. Combine the vodka and 34g (4 T) water in a small bowl and place in the fridge. Let these ingredients chill for about 20 minutes.

Into the workbowl of your food processor, place 202g (1.5 cups) of the flour and the salt. Pulse a couple of times to mix.

Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the processor along with the cold shortening. Process (NOT pulse) for 15 seconds – at about 15 seconds, the dough comes together.

Add the remaining 130g (1 cup) flour to the processor and pulse (NOT process) 6 times.

Pour the vodka/water mix into the processor and pulse 3 or 4 times, just to mix. The dough will be tacky.

Empty dough onto a well floured surface and knead dough 5 or 6 times using a bench scraper to bring dough together. With floured hands pat the dough together. Cut off 1/3 of dough and form a disc. With the remaining dough, form another disc. Cover so the dough doesn’t dry out, then place in fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.

Preheat oven to 218°C (425°F).

Wash the butternut squash before slicing so you don’t drag dirt and germs onto the flesh. In order to make the squash soft enough to cut, put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. (Don’t worry, it won’t explode for this short period of time!) Flip it, then zap it again for 30 more seconds. It’s now soft enough to cut. Slice off both ends and discard. Cut off the head (yikes!) and stand both halves on end. Using a sharp knife, slice off and discard the outer layer. Slice into 3cm (1/2″) circles. Cut these circles into 2cm (3/4″) pieces, discarding the strings and seeds.

Place cubed squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the olive oil, cumin, crushed rosemary, and honey. Gently mix together using a spatula. Place in preheated 218°C (425°F) oven.

Stir with spatula every 10-ish minutes, and bake until squash is golden-browned – 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Leave the oven on at 218°C (425°F) – you’ll be par-baking the crust soon.

While squash is baking, steam the spinach to wilt – it only takes about 5 minutes.

Place wilted spinach in a tea towel to sop up excess water.

Chop into approximate 3cm (1″) segments.

While spinach is steaming, lightly toast the pecans. I prefer to do this in a toaster oven – SET A TIMER!. You can also use a dry skillet. (Just make sure you keep stirring the nuts so they don’t burn.) 

Into a large bowl, very gently combine the cooled squash with all the juices, the cooled spinach, Gorgonzola, sour cream, black pepper, pecans, and dried cranberries.

Preheat the oven to 218°C (425°F), in case you turned off the oven earlier from baking the butternut squash.

Time to roll out the crusts. A bench scraper is extremely helpful with this dough since it’s kind of tacky.

Remove the larger dough disc from fridge and place on a well floured surface. Pat a little flour on top so the rolling pin doesn’t stick. Starting at the mid-point, roll the disc away from you two times, then from the mid-point towards you two times. (If the dough is too hard from chilling to roll, pound it a few times with you rolling pin.)

Using the bench scraper, loosen and turn the dough 90° (a quarter turn) and repeat the rolling process. It’s important to keep turning the dough after each upwards/downwards pair so the dough doesn’t stick. When the edges become raggedy, push them in to smooth them a bit. Keep going until the circle is large enough to cover the bottom and sides with about 2cm (1/2″) of overhang.

Using bench scraper to help loosen the dough from the surface, fold dough towards you in half.

Carefully place a hand under each side of the dough and place in the pie dish, folded side along the pie plates middle. Unfold, adjusting so dough is fitted into corners.

Trim dough so there’s no over-hang. With fingers, work edges so they stand upright rather than crimping them. (The edges will be covered by the top crust later.) Freeze crust about15-20 minutes so it doesn’t shrink while baking.

Line chilled pie crust with waxed paper or baking paper, then fill with pie weights (I use beans). Bake in preheated 218°C (425°F) oven for 10 minutes. (SET TIMER!)

Gather up the 4 corners of the baking paper and very gently rock and lift out the pie weights.

Remove the crust from the oven (so you don’t lose heat) and lightly baste the crust bottom with egg wash. (This prevents that dreaded soggy bottom!).

Put the crust back in the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. (SET TIMER!!!). Remove and cool.

Decrease oven temperature to 190°C (375°F).

Into the cooled pie crust, pour the filling. Mound it high in the middle, sloping down towards the crust. Keep the filling away from the top of the bottom crust since you’ll be wrapping the top crust around it.

Remove the top crust disc from fridge and place on well floured surface. Roll out dough as before to the diameter from the edge to edge of the pie dish. Crimp the top crust around the bottom crust. Paint on egg wash and make 4 slashes through top.

Bake in preheated 190°C (375°F) oven for about 30 minutes, until top is golden browned.

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack about 20 minutes to set.

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MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD: Worth The Effort!!!

My first face-to-face encounter with Millionaire Shortbread was a big disappointment. I’d heard about it on America’s Test Kitchen and thought it sounded amazing. Shortbread, caramel, and chocolate: what’s not to love? So, as a committed food blogger (what I won’t do for my readers!), I used ATK’s recipe and made a batch. With great anticipation, I took my first bite. The chocolate topping was too hard, causing the too soft caramel to ooze out. The cookie ended up kind of falling apart, although it tasted okay. I couldn’t figure out the big fuss over Millionaire Shortbread. UNTIL…..

The Great British Bake-Off had a Millionaire Shortbread challenge. Some of the bakes looked amazing and without the problems I encountered with the chocolate topping and the caramel. So, I went on another food quest to perfect the recipe. (For some reason, my quests are nearly always desserts.)

My goals for the perfect (in my opinion) Millionaire Shortbread:

  • Shortbread: I wanted the shortbread base to be the thickest layer and sturdy enough to hold together while eating the cookie.
  • Caramel: It should be a little over half the thickness of the shortbread so you can really taste it. It should be soft enough that you can easily bite through it, but not so soft it oozes.
  • Chocolate topping: The chocolate should be bittersweet to offset the sweetness of the caramel. But the higher the cacao percentage, the harder the chocolate, making the layer crack as you bite through it. So I ended up blending the chocolate bars. This layer should be about 1/3 of the caramel layer.

NOTE #1: I prefer to use a 19cm x 19cm (7.5″ x 7.5″) pan, measured at the inside base, NOT the top. This gives the Millionaire Shortbread the proper (IMO) overall height of the cookie as a whole. You can, also, use a rectangular pan which has close to the same total area: 361cm (56.25″). If you’ve forgotten your geometry, just multiply the length of one short side by the length of one long side to get the area.

NOTE #2: Millionaire Shortbread needs to be made the day before serving so it has plenty of time to set. It keeps for days on the counter and freezes well!

MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD

Shortbread

  • 294g (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 99g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla
  • 226g (1 cup) butter, melted

Caramel

  • 473g (2 cups) cream
  • 200g (7 oz) light brown sugar
  • 34g (2T) light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Topping

  • 59g (2 oz) 60% cacao chocolate bar
  • 115g (4 oz) 72% cacao chocolate bar

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F)

Line the bottom and sides of a 19cm x 19cm (7.5″ x 7.5″) pan (I use a Pyrex glass pan). Lining the pan is NOT mandatory, but it allows you to remove the entire Millionaire Shortbread block at once, thus making the slicing process easier and more attractive.

Shortbread

  • 294g (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 99g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla
  • 226g (1 cup) butter, melted

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour in the melted butter and blend with a fork, just until the flour is incorporated.

Break up the dough into pieces and scatter them evenly in the baking pan.

With your fingers, press the dough to an even depth. As an added measure, use a flat bottomed surface (such as a glass or offset spatula) to firmly press out the finger marks. Finally, go around the edges to press down the dough that may have risen up at the edge. The entire surface should be as level as possible.

Bake the shortbread in the preheated 177°C (350°F) oven until lightly browned – about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, then take an offset spatula or a fork and lightly press down the entire surface to compact the dough – you want the shortbread to be sturdy and not fall apart.

Let shortbread cool while you make the caramel.

Caramel

  • 473g (2 cups) cream
  • 200g (7 oz) light brown sugar
  • 34g (2T) light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1.25 tsp vanilla

Caramel can be daunting, but follow my instructions to the letter, and you should have no problems.

NOTE #1: Plan about 25-30 minutes to be near the stove – caramel needs to be stirred often. 

NOTE #2: You’ll need a metal or glass thermometer that can attach to the side of the pan – plastic will soften due to the hot steam.

NOTE #3: As the temperature rises, you’ll notice the number bounces around like a roller coaster. This is normal.  

Into a sturdy saucepan, put the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Attach the thermometer so the tip doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan, but is still immersed in the liquid. Turn the flame to med/high and stir. The temperature is going to rise fairly steadily, fluctuating a few degrees up and down, until it gets towards the boiling point of water (100°C / 212°F). The temperature will bounce around here for about 15 minutes. THEN, it will begin to rise to the desired 115°C (239°F).

As the caramel nears the end point, you’ll notice it looks like melted peanut butter. Keep your eye on the temperature because it will happen soon. As soon as you see 115°C (239°F) – even if it lowers again – remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour the hot caramel on the shortbread, spreading it evenly. Let cool about 20 minutes, then make the chocolate topping.

Chocolate Topping

After the caramel layer has cooled about 20 minutes, make the chocolate topping. You want the caramel to still be warm when you pour on the hot chocolate so the two layers stick together.

  • 59g (2 oz) 60% cacao chocolate bar (I use Ghiradelli)
  • 115g (4 oz) 72% cacao chocolate bar (I use Ghiradelli)

Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in small saucepan. Over medium/low heat, melt chocolate, stirring often.

Once the chocolate is completely melted (no lumps), pour over warm caramel and smooth evenly. Let set several hours on the counter. Then set in fridge for a final set. 

Fleur de Sel option

If you want to top the chocolate with fleur de sel, wait until the chocolate is no longer hot or the salt will melt. This can take a couple of hours – set it in the fridge, if you like, but don’t let it harden – the chocolate needs to be semi-soft so the salt will stick.

The next day, remove the Millionaire Shortbread from the fridge and let set on the counter for, at least, an hour. Run a rounded tipped knife between the baking paper and the pan. Then, pick up the block by the baking paper and set it on a cutting board. Carefully peel the paper from the sides and bottom. 

I like to slice off the edges so the cut bars have clean sides, but it’s not mandatory. Of course, those removed edges don’t go to waste – everyone clamors for them, just to be sure the Millionaire Shortbread is up to par.

Cut into squares or rectangles using a long NON-serrated knife, pressing straight down with a SLOW rocking motion.

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Risotto with Gorgonzola-Pears-Walnuts

When I heard about a risotto dish featuring Gorgonzola, pears, and walnuts, I was intrigued. Salty, sweet, and crunch combined in a creamy risotto? Whoa! Four worlds colliding! (Seinfeld fans will understand my reference.) I set to work to create the recipe which, surprisingly, only took 2 tries. Delizioso!!!!

NOTE: While any type of pear will do for flavor, I suggest using a deep red pear to add color to the dish.

RISOTTO WITH GORGONZOLA-PEARS-WALNUTS – makes about 3 cups

  • 1T (14g) butter
  • 31g (1/3 cup) shallots, sliced into strips
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 20g (1T) honey
  • 135g (3/4 cup) raw arborio rice
  • 57g (1/3 cup) white wine
  • 475 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
  • 1 pear – not too hard, nor mushy, preferably red for color
  • 40g (1/2 cup) walnuts, chopped & lightly toasted
  • 100g (3.5 oz) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter. Add in shallots, salt, and pepper. Over medium flame stir to soften the shallots, but not brown them – about 4 minutes.

Add rosemary, cumin, and honey to pot. Over low heat, stir together for 30 seconds – just to bloom the spices.

Stir in the arborio rice and saute over low heat for 5 minutes.

Pour in the white wine and stir over low heat until the wine has NEARLY evaporated. (This takes just a few minutes so have the vegetable stock ready to go.) Photo shows wine just being added.

Now comes the part that, while easy, takes time – please don’t rush it. Over medium flame, start adding the stock in about (you don’t have to be precise) 50 ml (1/4 cup) increments, stirring constantly. Add more when the previous amount has been absorbed. Keep going until the final addition – let it absorb somewhat, but not altogether – you want it creamy.

Remove from heat and pour into serving bowl to cool slightly.

Slice pear from top to bottom around core into four slabs. Cut into 2cm (3/4″) pieces. (I prefer to slice my pear just before adding it to the risotto so it doesn’t start to brown.)

Very gently stir in the pears, Gorgonzola, and walnuts, just to blend.

Serve warm or room temperature.