Cornmeal Crust Dough

A regrettably long time ago, I was having lunch with a dear friend and having a conversation about cooking. She mentioned she had this great idea for a pie (which I cannot remember at the moment) but was having trouble because traditional pie crust just tasted off when paired with her magnificent filling. I suggested she try a cornmeal crust dough. WHAT? Cornmeal crust pie dough?

Anyways, I told her I had seen it in Southern Living, had made it once and loved it and promised to get her the recipe. Oops. That was like 2 (?) months ago. Sorry Elizabeth!

Now, for your enjoyment:

Cornmeal Crust Dough, from Southern Living and you can make the Homemade Apple Pie to go with it (YUM!)

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plain yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup cold shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 to 10 Tbsp. chilled apple cider

Preparation

• 1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas.
• 2. Mound flour mixture on 1 side of bowl. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. apple cider along edge of mixture in bowl. Using a fork, gently toss a small amount of flour mixture into cider just until dry ingredients are moistened. Move mixture to other side of bowl, and repeat procedure with remaining cider, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until a dough forms.
• 3. Gently gather dough into 2 flat disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 to 24 hours.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Eric and I just woke up from our post Thanksgiving feast nap. I bet you are doing the same thing right about now.Since this Thanksgiving it's just Eric and I, we planned on just making a special pot roast and maybe some mashed potatoes but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to really COOK. So I ended up making a pot roast with carrots and onions, sweet potato fries, baked mac & cheese, deviled eggs, and to top it all off, a walnut pumpkin pie. Let's just say we have some leftovers.

Today I am thankful for so much but I think the quote of the day goes to Eric, "I am thankful for things we have but also for all the things we don't." AMEN.

excuse me, I'm off for round 1 of the leftover party that is in my fridge.

A Baking roundup

I promised my lil sis, the fledgling baker, (aka MC Hammerpants) that I would share some of my favorite baking websites/blogs and while I am at it, I might as well share them with you. Now, some of these you are probably already familiar with but, just in case you live under a rock, here's the baking roundup!

WARNING: Baking porn ahead. Avert your eyes.

Chocolate Pudding Pie from Smitten Kitchen.

Whole Wheat Sunflower Seed Bread from Joy the Baker.

Vote Cakepops from Bakerella.

Carrot Cake from Joe Pastry.

Fusion Cupcakes from Mad Baker.

Bourbon Orange Pecan Pie from Cakespy.

Pumpkin Cupcake from Bake it in a Cake.

Hummingbird Cakes from Bake or Break.

All photos from their respective sites. Drooling now. Must get napkin.

Recipe Swap: Chocolate Chippers

In the search for the BEST chocolate chip cookies I've tried a lot of recipes. I subjected Eric, my faithful taste tester to Tollhouse, Neiman Marcus, Martha Stewart's, the ones on the Crisco box label, everything from recipes.com and beyond...

All that to say, I think I have successfully found my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. In no way are they healthy or a cure all for cancer but I've made 2 batches now and they are great. I know everyone has their own opinion of the perfect cookie. For me, they must be a little bit cakey, a touch gooey, not puffy and have a little bit of "chew" to them. Is that scientific enough for you?

This recipe is from Midwest Living, April 2010 (i know, don't judge). It is a prize winning - county fair approved recipe from the heartland - can it get any better? Without further ado, I give you...
Marjorie's Chocolate Chippers
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
.5 cup backed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
12-ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

In bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. In another large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer for 30 sec. Add sugars. Beat on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can then mix in the rest with a spoon manually until fully combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop dough by rounded tsp. on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet or transfer to wire racks. Makes 60 cookies
Nutrition facts (straight from the magazine) per cookie: 109 cal, 6g fat, 15mg chol, 85mg sodium, 13g carb, 1g protein, 1g fiber. Ouch - forget that you just read that.

Cook's notes: I really like this recipe for the flavor, texture and ease of recipe but I really like this recipe cause they are really pretty cookies. I think its really nice when the presentation is just as good as the present.

PS - this is from a great article that features another 5 cookie recipes that I have yet to try - if they are anywhere close to as good as this one is then it is work checking this feature out.