Walnut Fudge Pie a' la Mode with Hot Fudge Sauce

 

Walnut Fudge Pie a' la Mode with Hot Fudge Sauce
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 48.

Not really a pie but more like a brownie made in a pie plate, this is a thin and dense dessert enhanced by adding ice cream and hot fudge sauce. It baked beautifully.

I was not a fan of the Hot Fudge Sauce but I'm sure there are better ones our there (in fact, she herself has many recipes of chocolate sauces). This one tasted fine but, like she says, it hardens very quickly, almost instantaneously. You can refrigerate it but you must reheat it over hot water. I thought I had ruined my sauce pan after making it but I finally cleaned it by boiling vinegar and water in it for a few minutes.

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar (divide into 3/4 and 1/4 portions)
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons hot water
1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup walnuts, broken into medium-sized pieces
Pinch of salt

Use the center rack and preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9-inch oven-proof glass pan with foil. Brush the foil with melted or soft butter.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Set aside.

Beat the butter in mixer bowl until soft. Add the vanilla and 3/4 cup sugar (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup sugar). Beat for one minute.

Add the egg yolks and then the chocolate. Beat until smooth.

Add the hot water and then the flour, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Remove from the mixer and stir in the nuts.

Beat the egg whites until they hold a soft shape. Add the reserved 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is stiff (but not dry). Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spread into the pie plate.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. The cake will rise and then sink, causing a crust to form but the inside will be soft. Cool in the pan on a rack. After it has cooled, allow it to stand an additonal 1/2 to 1 hour. Invert and remove the foil and then replace the pie back into the glass pan.

Serve with ice cream and hot fudge sauce.

The recipe for the Hot Fudge Sauce follows. However, like I mentioned earlier, I would try another one.

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon butter
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Over low heat, combine the chocolate, butter and water until smooth. Mix in the corn syrup and sugar.

Increase the heat to moderate and stir occasionally until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring and let it boil for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the pan in water to stop the boiling. Stir in the vanilla.

Use it immediately while still warm or let it cool and reheat it over hot water.

Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pie

Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pie
Source: Maida Heatter's Pies & Tarts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 55.

A reader had requested this recipe some time ago so here it is (finally!). I think this is the first time I've made a butterscotch pie. 

I used a frozen pie shell instead of making my own but you have that option. The nuts added to the crust are also optional but is a step that I would recommend. 

One goof on my part - I forgot to separate the eggs (the whites are not used, just the egg yolks). I'm not sure what effect this had on the pie as it is very tasty. 

I'm afraid this will not win any awards for presentation and it was messy and did not slice well (could the egg whites have changed the consistency?) It took me several slices to get a decent photo.

1 9-inch baked pie shell
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
3 egg yolks
3 oz. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarchgfd
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cup milk
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust, you can make your own with Maida's pie crust recipe or you can use a frozen crust from the grocery store. Whichever you use, after the crust is ready, sprinkle the pecans over the bottom (the nuts are an optional step).

Place the yolks in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter in a 10-12 inch frying pan over medium heat. Melt the butter until it has browned slightly.

Add the brown sugar to the butter, stirring occasionally. When bubbles appear on the surface, continue to boil for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Add the boiling water all at once to the mixture (be careful as it will bubble and steam). Stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a 3-quart saucepan.

Gradually stir in the milk. Stir to remove all lumps.

Stir in the brown sugar mixture.

Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping the pan, until the mixture comes to a boil. Let it boil for one minute as you continue to stir.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture to the egg yolks and whisk. Add a few more spoonfuls and continue to whisk it briskly.

Now pour the egg mixture into the brown sugar mixture, stirring well.

Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Let it simmer for one minute.

Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla. Pour into a large mixing bowl and gently stir and fold the mixture to allow the steam to escape. 

When the mixture has cooled, pour it into the pie shell and refrigerate for a few hours.

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated or confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chill a mixing bowl and the whisk beater. Add all the ingredients to the bowl and begin to beat on slow, increasing to full speed until it forms a soft shape.

Cover the top of the pie after the pie has chilled.

Apple Tart

Apple Tart
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 155.

This turned out to be a delicious dessert although I made blunders so the above photo of the final product is not that accurate. In other words, this is a very forgiving recipe!!!

The tart was already in the oven and had been baking a while when I noticed 1/2 cup of sugar still sitting on the counter. I realized that I had forgotten to mix the sugar with the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. So I had just sprinkled the spices over the apples without the sugar. That explained why the apples looked more like croutons and the tart looked rather dry in the oven. What to do?

I was in the process of making the apricot glaze so, at the last minute, decided to add the sugar into the glaze and brandy mixture. 

Another aspect of this recipe that I found confusing were the instructions on cutting the apple slices. On reading them now, they sound clear but I just cut the apple into small pieces. So the overlapping apple slices that you normally see on a flat tart are absent in my final result. (On the instructions below, I've quoted her instructions).

Despite these errors, it turned out fantastic and it is wonderful with vanilla ice cream.

The tart is made in a large 15.5" x 10.5" jelly-roll pan and it is easy to remove from the pan (Slice with a sharp knife and use a spatula).

Pastry

(Do not refrigerate before rolling out.)

2 1/2 cups unsifted unbleached flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Zest of 2 large lemons
1 1/4 sticks (5 oz.) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Mix the egg and yolks and lemon juice in a small bowl or cup. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest and pulse a few times.

Add the butter and pulse 6-8 times.

With the processor running, pour the egg mixture into the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds until the mixture begins to come together but has not formed into a ball).

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and form it into a mound. Press the dough out with the heel of your hand until expanded. Form the dough into an 18' x 13" square. Trim off the sides to make it as square as possible.  

Transfer the dough to the jelly-roll pan with your rolling pin. Press the dough around and up the sides of the pan with your fingers. Trim off edges with a sharp knife. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Filling

3/4 cup (2.5 oz.) walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3 lbs. (about 6 large) tart apples (such as Granny Smith)
2 1/2 oz. raisins
2 oz. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 450.

Mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and set aside.

Peel the apples, core them and cut into 1/8 inch slices by placing the halved apples flat side down and cutting them crosswise and into wedges. (Not the way I sliced them!)

Sprinkle the raisins and the nuts over the pastry.

Place the apple slices lengthwise over the raisins and nuts (or you can do like I did and place them haphazardly).

Drizzle the melted butter over the apples.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and bake for 40 additional minutes. Reverse the pans halfway to ensure even baking.

Apricot Glaze

(Prepare the glaze when the tart is about 15 minutes from finishing)

1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tbsp. Calvados or applejack (or any type of brandy)

In a small pan, melt the preserves and brandy over low heat. Strain if needed. Return to the saucepan and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

After removing the pan from the oven, drizzle the glaze over the apples.

Serve hot or at room temperature. 

Note: If you had dough remaining, it can be used to make cookies. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown. (I did not try this).

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie
Source: Maida Heatter's Pies & Tarts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 43.

This pie reminded me of the one my mother used to make. The filling is tart and although to me is has a somewhat chemical taste, I'm thinking this is quite normal as they all have that flavor. The jury is still out on that...

The trickiest aspect of lemon meringue pie is the meringue. It often separates from the side of the crust. Parts of mine did as well. Maida instructs that you be sure that the meringue touches all sides but even that doesn't assure it won't happen. The dreaded part for me is always the beaded moisture that often appears on top of the meringue. I remember my mother's pies did this sometimes. Maida mentions this and says that it is caused from cooling the pie in drafty areas. She suggests putting it in the dish cabinet. So, I did -

I think it worked because I didn't notice any moisture droplets. Hooray for that!

This pie is fairly easy to make and it doesn't take that long if you have all of your ingredients lined up. There is minimal stirring but you do have to be fast once you start the filling.

For the crust, I used my go-to recipe. You can, of course, use Maida's pie crust recipe or purchase a ready-baked one. Many recipes call for a cookie crumb type crust and I think that would be a nice option.

This recipe makes 1 9" pie. 

1 9-inch baked pie crust (she recommends her pie crust recipe here but you can use any crust you prefer, even a purchased one)

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

Meringue

4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 400.

Combine the lemon zest and juice. Set aside. 
Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and also set aside.

In a heavy saucepan (at least 2-quart size), combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Gradually add the water and stir with a rubber spatula. Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil. Continue to stir for 1 1/2 minutes. The filling will become very thick and develops an opaque appearance.

Add the butter.

 Stir until melted. Remove the pan from the heat.

Add a little of the hot mixture to the bowl of eggs and mix well. Add more until the egg mixture is hot.

Now add the egg mixture into the cornstarch mixture. Stir well.

Mix in the lemon juice.

Bring the pot to a boil again and boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Pour the filling into the pie shell and proceed to the meringue.

To make the meringue, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce the mixer speed and add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, beating 20 seconds between additions. Increase the speed to high and mix until stiff peaks form.

Apply the meringue while the filling is still warm. Use a spoon and make sure the meringue touches all sides of the crust. Do an upward sweep with the spoon to form peaks.

Bake for 7-9 minutes until the meringue is slightly browned. Let the pie cool in a draft-free area (she recommends the dish cabinet). Refrigerate after cooling.