Black bottom pie
Russian vegetable pie
Yogurt cream cheese pudding pie
Brandied gingerbread
Westhaven cake
BLACK BOTTOM PIE
serves 6-8
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| My granddaughter helps with the pie |
The crust
Ingredients
15 gingersnaps
5 tablespoons butter
Preparation
Crush the gingersnaps finely. (I like to use a rolling pin.) Preheat oven to 375º.
To make
Melt the butter and add to the gingersnaps. Blend well. Press the crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 375º for 8 minutes. Cool.
The filling
Ingredients
4 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup heavy cream
Chocolate shavings
Preparation
To make
Beat the egg yolks until creamy Combine egg yolks, flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and butter in the top of a double boiler. Pour the hot milk over this mixture. Cook, stirring, till the mixture forms a thick custard and coats the back of a spoon. Add the chocolate to one cup of the custard and stir to melt the chocolate. Pour this batter into the pie shell. Chill. Soften the gelatin in water and set aside. Beat the egg whites till frothy. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually, beating all the while, and continue beating till stiff peaks form. Add the gelatin and bourbon to the remaining custard and beat well. Fold in the egg whites. Pour this mixture over the chocolate layer in the pie crust. Whip the cream and spoon it over the pie. Sprinkle chocolate shavings over the whipped cream. Chill.
RUSSIAN VEGETABLE PIE
serves 4-6
I've had this recipe for years. It's always a potluck hit, and Ela, now grown, has commandeered it as one of his specialties and added his own touch by using red cabbage, which turns everything a palatable purple. He also uses a purchased pie crust. When people ask where I got the recipe, I like to say it came from my Russian grandmother, but I don't have a Russian grandmother, and I don't remember where I got the recipe. It's just that it's so good and so hearty it tastes like something your own grandmother would have made—or, at last, something you like to think she would have made.
The pie crust
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons butter
To make
Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips—if you want to do it as my Russian grandmother and I do it—or with whatever electrical equipment you have for making pie crusts, if you prefer. Work in the cream cheese and gather into a ball. Roll two-thirds of the dough into a 10-inch round and place in a 9-inch pie dish. Trim the edges. Roll the other third of the dough into a 9-inch round for the top crust. Chill both crusts.
The filling
Ingredients
1 small head cabbage
1/2 pound mushrooms
1 yellow onion
To taste: basil
marjoram
tarragon
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter
Preparation
Shred the cabbage. You should have about 3 cups. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Peel and chop the onion.
To make
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the cabbage and onions together for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add at least 1/8 teaspoon each of the herbs. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Stirring often, cook the mixture until the cabbage is wilted and the onions soft. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set them aside. Add another tablespoon of butter to the skillet and sauté the mushrooms lightly for about 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly. keep the cabbage mixture and mushrooms separate.
Assemblage
Ingredients
Pie crust
Filling
4 ounces softened cream cheese
4-5 eggs
Fresh dill
1 tablespoon milk
Preparation
Boil the eggs. Chop the dill. Flour a working surface and a rolling pin. Preheat the oven to 400º.
To assemble
Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of the pie crust. Slice the boiled eggs into circles with yellow centers and arrange them over the cheese. Sprinkle them with chopped dill; then cover everything with the cabbage sauté. Make a final layer of sautéed mushrooms and cover the entire dish with the remaining circle of pastry. Press the pastry edges together tightly and flute them with your thumb or the handle of a table knife. With a sharp knife, cut a few short slashes through the top crust. Brush with milk. Bake at 400º for 15 minutes; then reduce the heat to 350º and continue baking another 20-25 minutes or until the crust is light brown. Serve piping hot.
YOGURT CREAM CHEESE PUDDING PIE
serves 6
The crust and topping
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1/2 cup walnuts
Preparation
Crush graham crackers with a rolling pin to produce 2 cups of crumbs. Chop the nuts very finely.
To make
Melt the butter with the honey. Mix all ingredients together and press into bottom of an 8-inch pie pan, saving some crumbs for a topping.
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup yogurt (plain or lemon)
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 lemon (or 1 lime)
Preparation
Grate or zest the lemon or lime
To make
Beat everything together till well blended. Spread into pie shell, top with crumbs, and chill well.
BRANDIED GINGERBREAD
serves 6-8
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup warmed honey
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup warm milk
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup brandy
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or 2 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 orange (for 1 tablespoon peel and 1/3 cup juice)
1 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon warm water
1 cup raisins
Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Grate orange peel and juice the orange to yield about 1 tablespoon of grated peel and 1/3 cup juice. Warm the honey and the milk. Preheat oven to 350º.
To make
Cream the butter. Add the warmed honey (not too hot, or the butter will melt!), and beat till smooth. Add molasses and milk (warm, not hot); beat again; add spices and brandy and mix well. Beat the eggs till light and thick. Mix flour and cream of tartar and add to batter alternately with eggs. Stir in the orange juice and peel. Combine the soda with the warm water and add to batter. Add raisins and stir well. Pour into prepared pan and bake 1 hour or until done. Serve with plain yogurt or whipped cream.
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| Brandied gingerbread at Christmas |
WESTHAVEN CAKE
Ingredients
8 ounces pitted dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
6 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preparation
Butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan or a 13x9x2-inch rectangular pan. Cut up dates. Chop walnuts. Preheat oven to 350º.
To make
Sprinkle baking soda on dates in small bowl. Add hot water and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla extract. Combine flour and cocoa and add to butter and sugar. Add dates and water and beat till just mixed. Fold in half of the chocolate and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining chocolate and nuts. Bake at 350º till done: 55 minutes for the tube pan, 45 minutes for the rectangular pan. Delicious just as is; no need to ice.
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