Raspberry Custard Pie

Raspberries are ready for picking. Our favorite Raspberry Pie has a combination of silky custard that the raspberries lay on with a tender flaky crust.

Dorothy's Pastry 

• 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 pound of lard
• In a one cup measuring cup  beat one small farm fresh egg
• add 2 teaspoons of vinegar or 1 tablespoon to double the recipe
• and fill to the 1/2 cup line with ice cold water.

1. In the food processor, put all the dry ingredients.
2. Add the cut up lard, pulse this until the big pieces are all gone.
3. Add the liquid quickly while the machine is going.
4. Stop it as soon as it starts to come together.
5. Turn it out onto a counter and knead it a few times until it comes together.

If you don't have a food processor, put the dry ingredients into a large bowl. 

1. Cut the lard into tablespoon pieces and then cut into the flour mixture until it looks like oatmeal. Add all the wet ingredients and stir with a fork until it just comes together.
2. Divide the pastry into 3 equal pieces, flatten into round discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

1. Roll one disc of pastry onto a floured counter. Roll pastry out about 1/8 inch thick and line your pie plate. This recipe will do two 9 inch crusts. 
2. Roll the pastry onto the rolling pin and unroll it onto the pie plate. Trim the edges and prick the bottom and sides of the pastry. 
3. Put a piece of foil over the crust, pressing it slightly onto the crust. Put it into the oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake a few more minutes until lightly browned. Let cool.
4. Refrigerate the remainder pastry discs a few days or freeze.

Custard (enough for one 9 inch pie)

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Blend the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in the medium saucepan.
2. In a measuring cup, measure the milk and then add the egg yolks and stir.
3. Add to sugar and cornstarch mixture.
4. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until bubbling and thickened.
5. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
6. Cool for 5 minutes.
7. Pour into cooled pastry crust.

Add one layer of berries on top of the cooled custard.

Glaze

• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. In a small saucepan, stir together the jam, water, and cornstarch. Heat until just bubbly and clear. Drizzle over the berries. You don't need much .. just a bit to add a bit of sweetness.

Whip 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form. Slice the pie and top with whipped cream.

Bumbleberry Jam

We quite enjoy throwing several kinds of berries together to make a pie or a crisp.  Why not combine a few varieties of berries to make bumbleberry jam?  I used blackberries, blueberries and raspberries...equal amounts of each...and we quite enjoyed the combo.

• 6 cups berries, crushed with a potato masher or pulsed in the food processor or blender
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 box Certo Light pectin crystals  (If you prefer a runnier jam, use only half the package of pectin.)
• 1 teaspoon butter, optional  (prevents jam from foaming)

1. Place crushed berries and water in a large pot.  (Add water to berries when processing in blender.)
2. Combine pectin crystals with 1/4 cup of the measured sugar.  Add to prepared fruit.
3. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring with a long wooden spoon.
4. Add remaining sugar and 1 teaspoon butter.
5. Return to a hard boil; boil while stirring for one minute.
6. Remove from  heat.  Stir for several minutes to prevent fruit from floating.
7. Pour into warm sterilized jars* to 1/4" from top.
8. Cover with lids and screw rings on tightly.

*Wash jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse well. Sterilize jars, lids and rings by placing in a large baking pan and placing in oven at 225ºF for 10 minutes. Keep warm until filling time.  By using warm jars and hot lids, the jam jars will seal without processing in a hot water bath. (According to the Kraft Certo guidelines.)  Cooked jams and jellies can be stored on the shelf unopened for 6 to 8 months.

Triple berry preserves on a thick slice of fresh bread is a delightful combo!

No-Can Bread and Butter Pickles

Bread and butter pickles are so simple to make...and a perfect accompaniment for sandwiches. The fresher the cuke...the better the pickle!

• Cucumbers, unpeeled and cut into thin slices ( a mandolin slicer works great)
• 1 or 2 small onions, sliced and separated into rings
• 3 cups white sugar
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1/4 cup pickling salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed

1. Fill an empty 1 gallon bucket with cucumber and onion slices.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for several minutes.
3. Pour over cucumbers and onions.
4. Stir and let cool.
5. Cover and store in refrigerator. (Will keep for months, if they last that long!)
6. They are ready to eat when they change colour.

They are the best addition to sandwiches! Cuke season is upon us...a good time to try these simple bread and butter pickles. And even when the fresh garden cukes are no longer available...these pickles can be made year-round using long English cucumbers.

 Anneliese and Lovella will be at the Berean Christian Bookstore in Lancaster, PA tonight at 7 pm ... and would love to meet you if you live in that vicinity. 

Coffee Cake

This is my favorite coffee cake recipe which I asked for politely and received from my daughter Alison. Then I went and tweaked it a bit.  I made it often for our staff and found it disappearing real quick when coffee break rolled along. I miss those days, maybe I should find another coffee room to supply with baked treats.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and mix well.
2. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and stir into the creamed mixture until blended.
4. Pour half the batter in a greased bundt or angel food pan. Sprinkle with half the topping.
5. Spoon the rest of the batter over the topping and sprinkle with the rest of the topping.
6. Bake in a 350º oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick poked into cake comes out clean.

Quick Blueberry Streusel (Platz)

It's blueberry season, or soon will be, for those of us living in this part of the country. As a child I reluctantly used to go picking in the summer to make some spending money, but now I find it very relaxing to get out there among the rows and rows of berries. Especially with some good company, to eat, enjoy the sun and anticipate the desserts that will come.
This delicious crumb cake is the easiest and quickest you will ever make, with the base and crumb topping made of the same mix.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg beaten with fork in meas. cup, then filled to 1 cup with buttermilk
• 2 cups blueberries

Method:

1. Mix butter into flour and sugar with pastry blender until well blended and crumbly. 
2. Set 1 1/4 cups aside for topping. 
3. To the first, bigger part of the mix, add baking powder and soda, then stir in combined egg and buttermilk 
4. Spread into greased or parchment paper lined 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with 2 cups blueberries and reserved crumb mixture. Squeeze to make crumb clusters as you drop them by handfuls.
5. Bake in upper part of oven (important)  at 375F for 35 - 45 min. Cool or serve warm with ice cream.

Strudel

Have you ever made your own Strudel Pastry? It was fun sharing recipes at a recent reunion.  Today I'm sharing with you a new favorite. And the beauty of this is that it's simple and quick to make and the results are delicious. Use any kind of fruits and you have fresh strudel.

Strudel Dough

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sour cream

1.  Grate butter into flour and use a pastry blender to mix ingredients together.
2. Then add your sour cream and form a ball.
3. Divide the ball into two halves and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out one ball into a rectangular shape 12x9 (thinking in thirds)
5. The dough should be thin enough and yet pliable enough to fold over.
6. Fill with fruit mixture.
7. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
8. Leave it cool on the parchment paper prior to transferring to a serving plate.
9. This dough is enough for 2 strudels. You can store the other ball in the fridge until needed.

Fruit Options

• sliced apricots, peaches, apples or any fruit in season
• blackberries are my favorite...you can mix and add and adjust your sugar mixture.

Sugar Mixture/Thickening

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Only use about 3/4 cup of this mixture for one strudel.

TIP use a 1/4 cup more flour or cornstarch when using berries.

1. Prepare the fruit first and you can leave the peel on when using transparent apples.
2. Prepare Sugar mixture in a bowl.
3. Sprinkle  1/4 cup sugar mixture over the center of dough.
4. Top with fruit and add 1/2 cup sugar mixture along the strip/top of fruit.
5. Fold dough over half of the fruit mixture and then fold the other half.
6. Seal pastry edges by simply dabbing your fingers with water.
7. Store extra sugar mixture in container.

I have used Anneliese's sugar mixture  which is also featured in our first book Mennonite Girls Can Cook, page 174.   Sometimes I double this mixture and keep it on hand so that whenever I want to make a quick strudel or perishky it's always ready to go.

 Icing (optional)

• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 1/4 teaspoon almond flavor.

1. Mix ingredients together to make a smooth consistency.
2. Drizzle over strudel when cool and add a few toasted slivered almonds. 

You can garnish it with some icing and almonds or you can leave it as is.
Once again, the beauty of this dough is that you can use any fresh fruit that you have at your local market. I made one strudel with apples and one with apricots. Mix the flavors with fresh blackberries.

You always know that when the last piece is taken, it must have been really good.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

More than 80% of Canada's raspberries are grown right here in the Fraser Valley. And since it is the season, there are a lot of raspberry recipes happening around here these days.   Here is a moist raspberry coffee cake that we enjoyed yesterday.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 oz./250 ml cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

 
Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter a 10" spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. With a pastry blender or electric mixer, combine flour, sugar and cool butter until well blended and mixture resembles a fine streusel.  Measure out 1 cup of crumbs and set aside.
3. To remaining streusel mix, add baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix.
4. Add sour cream, egg and vanilla and beat only until the batter is smooth. 
5. Spread the batter onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan.
6. Using a clean mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar.  Add egg and orange zest and beat until light  and fluffy.
7. Next, spread the cream cheese filling over the cake batter.
8. Scatter the fresh raspberries over the filling.
9. Top with reserved cup of streusel.
10. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the streusel is golden and toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.
11. Place on a rack to cool.  Remove ring and slide cake onto a dessert plate.
12. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. 

Peach Upside Down Cake

I used individual ramekins to bake these upside down cakes in.

Every one gets a perfect amount of peaches and the crust on the bottom remains a bit crispy. It is the perfect warm summer night dessert.

When they came out of the oven. . I flipped them over a dessert dishes and the serving was done.

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups peeled, and chopped peaches
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Spray 6 - 8 ounce ramekins with cooking spray and set on a cookie sheet
2. In a small saucepan, combine the 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup butter and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer several minutes until the sugar dissolves.
3. Using a gravy ladle, divide the sugar butter mixture between the ramekins, divide the chopped peaches between them and set aside.
4. Heat the oven to 350 F.
5. In a medium sized bowl, beat the 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar until creamed and then add the eggs and the vanilla, and beat until combined.
6. Add all the dry ingredients at one time and pour the buttermilk over all and beat until combined.
7. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly over the peaches.
8. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean ..about 35 minutes.
9. Use two thinner potholders, turn serving dishes over the hot ramekins and flip them over together to release the upside down cakes.
10. Serve warm with ice cream.

Potato Salad

This past weekend we, like many others, headed down to the lake for a celebration and I was asked to bring the potato salad. This recipe is a "wanna-be" Oma Janzen's potato salad that she has never written down the exact measurements for. What makes this one different from other good potato salads is that it has no mustard, no sweet taste, but rather a little "sour-ish" flavor. If you like pickles, you'll probably like this salad. Now, to decide how many potatoes to cook, I usually count 1 small -medium potato per person. But if it's a potluck with many salads, then half a potato per person should be enough.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium sized red potatoes
• 3 - 4 hard boiled eggs
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion, green onion or chives
• 3 pickles
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pickle juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (according to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:

1. Cook potatoes with a little salt until just done (approx 25 min). Easy to peel while still warm. (I like to keep some with the peel on for color) Boil eggs about 8 - 10 minutes. Allow potatoes and eggs to cool completely. Cube potatoes and eggs (use egg slicer for eggs), and slice pickles.
2. Mix dressing ingredients and pour on potatoes mix, stirring gently to mix.

Mix the dressing according to taste. Add less or more vinegar and pickle juice, depending on how sour you like it. You can also make the salad more dry with less dressing or juicy with more dressing. Refrigerate before serving. Decorate with sprinkled paprika and parsley.

Lazy Napolean Torte

I had this dessert at my aunt's house many years ago, and was thrilled to know that it was made with unsalted soda crackers, I have also tasted this with social tea biscuits. I couldn't say if I prefer the tea biscuits over the soda crackers, they are both good. It is a very quick and super easy dessert to make and the bonus is it taste like Napoleon Torte with out the effort of making all the thin wafers by hand if you don't have time. When you are making dessert for a crowd it can easily be doubled and tripled. A single recipe makes a 9x9 pan. If you do not have any Dr. Oetker's custard where you live, I suppose any custard could work. I should of paid careful attention to how many soda crackers were used, but if you have a box, just layer til your done.
I think about 1 1/2 to 2 packages should do.

• unsalted soda crackers
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 package of Dr. Oetker's Vanilla Pudding

1. Beat eggs with a wooden spoon, add the sugar mixed with the pudding mix and beat again.
2. Stir in the milk and cook over medium heat til the pudding thickens. It can also be done in the microwave.
3. Take off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
4. Put a bit of pudding on the bottom of a 9x9 pan.
5. Now begin layering the crackers with the pudding using enough pudding to cover the crackers. It should give you about 6 or 7 layers.
6. Top the last layer off with some whipped cream or whipped topping.
7. Let sit in the refrigerator over night or several hours so the pudding soaks through the crackers and softens them.