Butter Vodka Pie Crust

Flakiest pie crust ever!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour ((325 grams))

1 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices ((2 sticks, 16 tablespoons))

1/4 cup ice water

1/4 cup cold vodka

Directions:

1. Place half of the flour (1 1/4 cups) in a food processor, along with the salt and granulated sugar. Pulse a couple of times to mix.

2. Add the cold butter slices and pulse about 15 times, using one-second pulses, until small chunks form. Scrape down the sides, then add the remaining flour. Pulse 5-6 times.

3. Transfer the dough to a medium bowl. Drizzle the water and the vodka across the surface of the dough, then use a rubber spatula to fold and press the liquids into butter and flour. The dough will be shaggy. Press the crumbs into the dough. If they stick together then you do not need additional liquid.

4. Split the dough into two balls and flatten each into a round disk. Wrap each disk individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

5. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator set the disk on a well-floured surface. Use a rolling pin to create a circle of dough that is 1/8-inch thick. Use additional flour, if needed, to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin.

6. Transfer the dough to your pie plate and fold the excess dough under to create a rim around the edge of the pie plate. Crimp using your preferred style. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.

7. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes with pie weights, then reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and remove the pie weight. To blind-bake (par-bake) the crust, continue to bake it for an additional 5 minutes. For a fully baked crust, bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.

Note: This is not my original recipe, but it is the best I have ever made. Credit https://stateofdinner.com/vodka-pie-crust/

Old Fashioned Sugarcane Pecan Pie

For years I avoided pecan pie because I always found them to be way too sweet for my taste. Then, a company where I worked started catering lunches for clients participating in our week-long computer training classes. Our favorite day of the week was the day they brought lunch in from the Goode Company Barbeque located in Houston, Texas. Our clients raved about the Pecan Pie every single time. So, I decided it was time for me to give it another try. Wow, what a delight. In fact, Goode Company Restaurants ship their Pecan Pies all over the States in their famous wooden box. They have been voted the best mail-order pie in America by Bloomberg.

I stumbled upon a copycat recipe for this pie on the internet but it called for white Karo syrup. This is an imported product in Costa Rica, and consequently, it’s not what one would call economical. So I started researching the history of Pecan Pies. Legend has it the French invented this pie when the native American tribes first introduced them to the sweet pecan nut in Louisiana, long before corn syrup was even invented. Back when the pie was first invented the original recipes called for sugarcane syrup or molasses.  

Talk about serendipity, I live in a sugarcane country and we have sugarcane syrup and molasses in abundance. In Costa Rica, I make my own sugarcane syrup from a raw sugar cake called a "tapa de dulce". In other Latin American countries, a raw sugar cake is called a "panela". I boil down the "tapa de dulce" with water until it turns into a thick syrup, similar to corn or maple syrups.

I modified the original recipe for the Goode Company's Pecan Pie to step back in time and return to its roots, using the original sweetener. This was a huge success for our Thanksgiving dessert.  

Sugarcane Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked pie shell
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar cane syrup
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup whole pecans halves for the topping (optional)

Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• Mix all ingredients, except the pecans, until the mixture is thoroughly blended. 
• Fold in the chopped pecans and pour the mixture into an unbaked pie shell. 
• Top the pie with the whole pecan halves if desired.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes. Testing for doneness with a knife inserted in the center. The pie is done when the knife comes out clean.

Banana Mango Coconut Bread

Living in the tropics, we enjoy diverse tropical fruits all year long. This is the time of year when ripe fruit is falling off our two Mango trees. Every day we get to enjoy fresh mango in spicy salsas, smoothies, in bread, as dessert toppings, cobblers, or just plain. Yesterday friends gave us some of the delicious "Platano Manzano", "Banana Manzano", or Apple Bananas in English. These bananas have a distinct apple flavor that pushes the banana-eating experience over the top. When these bananas are overly ripe, they are the perfect key ingredient for banana bread. Today was the day to combine these bananas with our own mango harvest to create this deliciously moist Banana Mango Coconut Bread!

This is an easy recipe you can pull together with, or without, an electric mixer. Instead of butter, margarine, or vegetable oil, the recipe calls for coconut oil and sour cream. Sugar has also been reduced to offset the sweetness of the fruit.

Ingredients: 

• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup of coconut oil
• 1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (approximately 4 medium/large bananas)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups of mango (not overly ripe and mushy) diced into 1/4" cubes 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for tossing the diced mango
• ½ cup diced walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. 
• Measure and prep the mashed bananas and diced mango into two small bowls, and set aside.
• Grease or spray two small 8½"x4½" loaf pans with oil or butter, dust the pans with flour, and set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the eggs, coconut oil, sour cream, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine. You can mix by hand or use an electric mixer.
• Add the bananas and stir to incorporate.
• Add 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined. If you overmix, the bread will be tough.
• Dust the small bowl of diced mango with the 2 tablespoons of flour and gently toss. This helps keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the bread.
  
• Gently fold the diced mango and optional nuts into the batter; don’t overmix.
• Divide the batter between the two bread pans and spread the batter evenly across the top with a spatula.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes until done (Internal temperature between 195°F-205°F/91°C-96°C). Test for doneness with an inserted toothpick. If it comes out clean, with no batter, it's done. Check at about 40 minutes into the bake to make sure the top is not browning too fast. If it is, tent some foil over the bread pans. 
• Note: Baking times will vary based on the moisture content of the fruit, the accuracy of your oven, and the size of your bread pans. The recommended times are what works for me and my oven. So, don't watch the clock; watch the bread. I'd start checking for doneness at 45 minutes and in 5-minute intervals until done.
• Allow the bread to cool in the bread pans for about 15 minutes, then remove the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
• Store the cooled bread in plastic wrap for up to a week, but if you live in the tropics, store the bread in the refrigerator. This can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

Homemade Mango Dump Cake

It's official, it's May, and the Green Season is finally here. Just like most folks that live in Costa Rica full time, the green season is our favorite time of the year. The dry heat and winds are finally gone. The snow birds that come to escape the cold have left our little town to return to their northern climes. The sporadic rain showers recently have already worked their magic, turning the landscape lush and green again. The birds are singing with excitement as their favorite bathing pools fill with rain water, an the mango trees in our garden are loaded with fresh fruit.

This is a simple recipe guaranteed to please a crowd. There is nothing "good" or "healthy" about this dessert. It is loaded with fat and sugar, but it is so yummy!

Ingredients:
Cake:
1½ cups sugar
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2½ cups of mashed mango pulp
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped

Icing:
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, flour, baking soda and salt, then mix in eggs, mango and pecans

Pour batter into your pan.

Place baking dish in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While cake cooks, combine evaporated milk, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, then poke holes in the cake with a fork and gradually pour the icing over hot cake.

Let cake cool so it absorbs icing, then slice, serve and enjoy.

Note: You can change up the fruit with anything you like; canned crushed pineapple, cherry pie filling, etc.

Empanadas - Hand Pies

The Empanada, or hand pie, has been a staple in Latin cuisine forever. They are very simple to make and the dough can be made with either corn masa or flour. This recipe is for a simple dough using all purpose flour. Sorry I don't have any pictures to share of the process or finished product. We ate them all. I'll remember to take pictures next time I make more empanadas.

Ingredients:
3 cups of all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ sticks of very cold butter
1 large egg
¼ to ½ cup of cold water

Directions:
Mix the flour and salt in a food processor. Cube up the butter and add them to the flour. Pulse until the dough looks like well mixed sand. Add the egg and pulse until well mixed. Start adding a little water and pulse. Keep adding water until the dough form into a manageable ball.

Divide the dough into half, wrap one in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until needed (can be store up to 3 days.) There are a couple of ways to form the empanada disks. The easiest is to pinch off 1-1½ inch diameter balls and use a tortilla press to make 4 to 6 inch disks. The second way to form the disks requires you to roll out the dough and cut it with a round pastry cutter, glass, or small bowl. The disks should not be too thick, or you'll wind up with a doughy empanada. Place a layer of waxed paper between each disk.

Preheat oven to 375° to 400° F.

Empanada Filling:
This can be anything you like, from savory to sweet. Diced leftovers make wonderful empanadas. Apple or berry pie filling is delicious. Just use your imagination. The filling can't be too wet, or it will run out the edges of the empanada during baking. Place a small amount of filling on one half of the empanada disk, leaving at least ¼ inch of clean margin for crimping. Fold the empanada in half and press the edges together. If you have a crimping too, great. If not, fingers and a fork work just fine.

Make an egg wash with one egg yolk and a tablespoon of water. Brush the tops of the empanadas just before baking. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top.

Tips: The empanada disks may be frozen and thawed when needed. Herbs and spices can be added to the empanada dough. The empanadas can be frozen after filling to be bake at another time. Adjust your baking time accordingly. These make great appetizers, or snacks, and several will make a great meal. Serve with a dipping sauce like salsa for the savory empanada, or whipped cream for a sweet empanada.

Mock Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Graham crackers are not found in Costa Rica, let alone a Graham cracker pie shell. The pie shell can probably be found in one of the high-end super market that caters to expats with expensive imported foodstuffs. The lack of Graham crackers should not deter you from making a pie.

I remember years ago, my sons' Tica grandmother used to make a pie crust with Galletas Maria. The Galleta Maria is a very popular sweet vanilla cookie with the crispness of a cracker. You can find it everywhere in Costa Rica, and this is my substitute for the original Rev. Sylvester Graham's cracker.

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Crush about 25-30 Galletas Maria until you have about 1½ cups of fine crumbs.

Mix this with ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¾ of a stick of butter, melted.

Firmly press the crumb mixture into a pie pan making sure to evenly cover the bottom and side.

Bake for 15 minutes and allow it to cool to room temperature before you add your pie filling.

Carrot Cake

Today, we were invited for coffee at the home one of my dearest friends in Costa Rica.  I decided to make this Carrot Cake for her as a surprise.  It was an over-the-top hit with everyone going back for seconds.

Update - 14-Aug-2012:  We've been invited to spend Costa Rica's Mother's Day tomorrow with friends and I volunteered to bring dessert.  

This recipe calls for an apple, but since they are so expensive in Costa Rica, we don't buy them very often.  Mango, on the other hand is always available in abundance.  I substituted one cup of puréed mango for the apple.  This is so good, I may never use apple again.

Ingredients:

CAKE:

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 4 whole Eggs (or 2 large eggs and 3 egg whites)
• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 2 cups Grated Carrots
• 1 medium Apple, peeled and grated (or 1 cup of puréed mango)

ICING:

• ½ cup (1 stick) Butter, Softened
• 1 cup (1- 8 oz package) Cream Cheese
• 1 pound Powdered/Confectioner’s Sugar
• 2½ teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 cup of Pecans, or Walnuts, Finely Chopped

Directions:
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F.

Blend the sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl. In another bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add it to the first mixture and combine. Then, add carrots and apple, and mix well.  Pour batter into a greased and floured pan (bundt, sheet cake, 9 x 13 pyrex) and bake at 350° F until done, 25 (sheet cake) to 50 (Bundt pan) minutes, depending on the pan you use.

Cool completely.

Icing:
In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla and blend. Fold in the nuts.

Spread on cooled carrot cake.

Serve, enjoy the over-the-top oral sensation and repeat as needed.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

After 2 days of aging

A couple of years ago, our daughter, Mary, gave us some wonderful homemade vanilla extract. As luck would have it, I dropped the bottle and broke the cap. I never did find a replacement cap, or bottle, so all of the contents evaporated while sitting in a kitchen cabinet.

Needing to replace it, I went to our favorite local grocery store Coopeatenas and found they only carry artificial vanilla flavoring. Not one to settle for less than the best, I started searching the internet for different recipes and finally cobbled this one together.

I just happened to have plenty of vanilla beans stored in a vacuum sealed bag that I had shipped in our sea container when we moved to Costa Rica last year.

Ingredients:
8 whole vanilla beans
1¾ cups of cheap vodka
¾ cup of cheap dark rum

Directions:
Slice vanilla beans in half and then lengthwise. Using a funnel, or a very steady hand, pour the alcohol into a clean, empty bottle. Add the vanilla beans to the bottle and store it in a dark place for a couple of weeks. Once a day, shake the bottle to help speed up the extraction process.

As you use the vanilla in your favorite recipes, you can top off the bottle now and then with some additional vodka and dark rum in a 2:1 ratio. The beans will eventually break down and dissolve, so add more vanilla beans when necessary.

Note to self:  Buy small bottles and more vanilla beans.  May need to make lots more of this for future gift-giving.

Bekah's Zucchini Bread

Our granddaughter Rebekah, raised her own money to go to summer camp this year by selling baked goods. Here is her delicious recipe for Zucchini bread

Ingredients:
2 cups Zucchini, peeled and grated
3 eggs beaten until foamy
2 cups sugar (or 1 cup Splenda & 1 cup sugar)
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
-----
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Direction:
Mix the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Pour into 2 greased and floured bread pans. Bake for 1 hour at 325°.

Lemon Curd Tart

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Splenda
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup cold water
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon margarine, imitation
1 - 9 inch graham cracker pie crust

Directions:
In medium saucepan combine Splenda, cornstarch and salt. Add lemon juice, cold water and egg yolks; stir in boiling water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in butter until melted. Remove from heat. Heat oven to 350ºF. Pour filling into pie shell. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Chill in the refrigerator a minimum of 1 hour before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Originally posted 7/12/09

Tres Leches #2

There are many variations of this favorite cake recipe!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
9 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
9 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well after each addition. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter using a rubber spatula. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl, stir together the 2 cups heavy cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Pour the mixture over the cake until it wont absorb any more. You may have 1/3 to 1/4 left over. That's okay.

Combine the whipped cream and sugar, spread over soaked cake. Refrigerate cake until serving, Pour leftover milk mixture onto plates and swirl in jam if desired, before setting cake on the plates.

Originally posted 3/09/08

Key Lime Pie

Servings: 8

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:3 large egg yolks
14 oz can condensed milk, sweetened
1/2 cup Key lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon lime zest, grated
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Graham Cracker Crust

Directions:

Filling: Beat the egg yolks with electric beaters until thick, about 4 minutes. Beat in the condensed milk, lime juice, and grated lime zest. In a separate bowl, beat one egg white until stiff. Fold the egg white into the mixture of egg yolks, juice, and milk until thoroughly mixed and pour into a cooled pie shell. Bake for 8 minutes and let it cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours so the lemon juice "cooks" the egg yolk. (Alternately, bake for 8 minutes at 350°F, bring to room temperature, and chill for 2 hours.) When ready to serve, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff (do not sweeten it) and spoon it over the pie. You can substitute with a ready-made pie crust and Cool Whip if desired.

Originally posted 2/02/07

Tres Leches

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 1 hours
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour, sifted
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups milk, 2% lowfat
11 ozs condensed milk, sweetened, canned
11 ozs evaporated milk, canned

Directions:
Preheat oven 350. Prepare & bake cake: Sift flour, baking powder, salt & set aside. Mix sugar & butter until fluffy, blend in eggs, 1 cup of milk & vanilla, then add flour mixture. Pour into 9" square pan & bake 40-45 min. When cake is cook, mix remaining 3 milks & pour over cake. Refrigerate 1 hour. Serve with fresh fruit & Cool Whip.

Originally posted 2/02/08

Perfect Apple Pie

This is Mary's personal "perfected" recipe. The bakery where Mary worked actually uses her recipe (or did).

Ingredients:
1 pie shell
5 medium apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (secret ingredient that's not so secret now)
2 tbsp butter
..............
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

To make Apple filling: Place apples in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons flour, white sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and pumpkin pie spices. Mix well, then add to apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Place apple mixture in pie shell and dot with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of filling, but to not seal. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

While filling is baking, make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and pecans. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Remove pie from oven and sprinkle streusel on top. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Bank and additional 30 to 35 minutes, until streusel is browned and apples are tender.

Originally posted 1/11/08

Brida Johnson's White Cake

"My neighbors, Madge & Bob, gave me this recipe. His mother used to make it every year for his birthday. The original recipe was probably written sometime in the 1930's. It originally called for a 1/2 shell of cold water to add to the egg whites. I had to follow up on this and it turned out to mean a 1/2 an egg shell filled with water! So I cracked and egg and came up with 2 tablespoons!"

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter (part shortening)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups cold water
1/2 cup coconut, shredded
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons cold water
4 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:
Preheat over to 350. Cream butter and sugar, add salt, vanilla and almond extract, then alternately add 3 cups of flour and the 1-1/4 cups of water, then the coconut. Beat egg whites and the tablespoon of water until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the batter and add the baking powder last. Yes, that's right, the baking powder is added last. That's the secret!

Bake at 350 for 35 or 40 minutes.


Originally posted 1/08/08