Flaky Pie Crust

 

flaky Pie Crust
flaky Pie Crust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flaky Pie Crust

 This recipe comes from Julia Child’s “Baking with Julia”.  It makes a great flaky delicious pie crust.  The only  difference from the original recipe is that I ” layer” the ingredients, which I have found works better for me.  Although I did list this recipe earlier in the Key Lime Pie recipe, I think it is so good and so useful for so many other recipes it should have a page of it’s own.  

 

Flaky Pie Crust

This recipe makes enough dough for 4 9-10 inch pie crusts.  This recipe is designed for the food processor.  You can do it by hand or in a mixer with a paddle (see  the “Baking with Julia” cook book for directions}.

  1. 5 1/4 cups of flour (all-purpose or pastry)
  2. 1 Tbs Kosher Salt
  3. 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  4. 1 3/4 cups ( 11 ounces) solid vegetable shortening chilled
  5. 1 cup ice water

Directions for making dough

Use very cold ingredients and do not overwork them.  Use the metal blade in the food processor.  I put flour and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine.  I then put about a cup of flour into the processor and then layer some of the butter and shortening on top, then cover with flour and layer in more butter and shortening and continue this process until all ingredients are in the processor.  Pulse a few times until the fats are cut in and the mixture resembles moist cornmeal.  Add a little bit of the liquid and pulse a few times more. Then add a little more liquid and pulse a few more times , continue this process until the mixture has curds and lumps and sticks together when pressed between your fingers.  Do not process until a ball forms.

Turn the dough out and form into a ball and divide into 4 equal parts.  Take any quarters not being used right away and wrap and bag tightly and freeze.  Any pieces to be used right away wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours or up to 5 days.

 

Here are a few items to help make this recipe:
Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB Prep 9 9-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless
Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat, 11 5/8 x 16 1/2-inches, Half Sheet Size

 

 

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Flaky Pie Crust
The best pie crust
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Ingredients
  1. 5 1/4 cups of flour (all-purpose or pastry)
  2. 1 Tbs Kosher Salt
  3. 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  4. 1 3/4 cups ( 11 ounces) solid vegetable shortening chilled
  5. 1 cup ice water
Instructions
  1. Use very cold ingredients and do not overwork them. Use the metal blade in the food processor. I put flour and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. I then put about a cup of flour into the processor and then layer some of the butter and shortening on top, then cover with flour and layer in more butter and shortening and continue this process until all ingredients are in the processor. Pulse a few times until the fats are cut in and the mixture resembles moist cornmeal. Add a little bit of the liquid and pulse a few times more. Than add a little more liquid and pulse a few more times , continue this process until the mixture has curds and lumps and sticks together when pressed between your fingers. Do not process until a ball forms.
  2. Turn the dough out and form into a ball and divide into 4 equal parts. Take any quarters not being used right away and wrap and bag tightly and freeze. Any pieces to be used right away wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours or up to 5 days.
Adapted from Baking with Julia
Adapted from Baking with Julia
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ice Box Cake

Ice Box Cake
Ice Box Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ice Box Cake

Ice Box cakes have been around since, well since there have been ice boxes.  A few of my very old  cook books have recipes for them.   The Nabisco “Famous” chocolate wafers have been around since the 1920’s and I’m not sure when this recipe was first invented but it has certainly been my favorite for years.  There are certain must’s for this recipe, you need to use NABISCO “Famous” chocolate wafers and “real” homemade whipped cream, and it needs to be made well in advance.

The first time my wife tried to make it for my “birthday” cake she tried to make it with the whipped cream in a can, thinking it would be OK and save time.  It wasn’t and it didn’t.

 

NABISCO Famous Chocolate Wafers
NABISCO Famous Chocolate Wafers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The recipe on the box says you can make it 4 hours before serving, but it is really best if left to sit in the refrigerator overnight so that the cream can be absorbed by the wafers and they swell and soften. 

Ingredients for Ice Box Cake

  1. 1 box NABISCO Famous chocolate wafers
  2. 2 cups heavy cream whipped stiff
  3. ¼ cup sugar
  4. 1 tsp vanilla

Directions for Ice Box Cake

Whip the cream stiff with the sugar and vanilla.  Spread the cream on one side of a wafer and lay on a plate and continue building a small tower of wafers.

 

tower of wafers
tower of wafers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you have a small tower place them on their side on a serving plate and then continue to build the log add one wafer at a time to the end of the log. 

 

place wafers on side to form a log
place wafers on side to form a log

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once all the wafers are added take the remaining whipped cream and frost the entire log.  Place into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, best left overnight.  Can be frozen .

 

use rest of the whipped cream to totally cover the log
use rest of the whipped cream to totally cover the log

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When serving cut on a 45º angle so that a number of wafers appear in each serving.

 

cut on 45 degree angle
cut on 45 degree angle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrate Bastille Day by taking 1/3 of the whipped cream and put in blue food coloring and another 1/3 with red and make the log blue, white and red -Vive La France.

 

 

 

Here are a few items to help make this recipe:
Cuisinart HM-70 Power Advantage 7-Speed Hand Mixer, Stainless and White
OXO Good Grips Bent Icing Knife

 

If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .

 

 Please help us keep our blog going by letting your friends know we’re here and by checking out the links on our front page.

 

copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

Ice Box Cake
A delicious elegant dessert
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Ingredients
  1. 1 box NABISCO Famous chocolate wafers
  2. 2 cups heavy cream whipped stiff
  3. ¼ cup sugar
  4. 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. Whip the cream stiff with the sugar and vanilla. Spread the cream on one side of a wafer and lay on a plate and continue building a small tower of wafers.Once you have a small tower place them on their side on a serving plate and then continue to build the log add one wafer at a time to the end of the log. Once all the wafers are added take the remaining whipped cream and frost the entire log. Place into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, best left overnight. Can be frozen .When serving cut on a 45º angle so that a number of wafers appear in each serving.
Notes
  1. For 4th of July or Bastille Day use blue and red food coloring on 1/3 each of the whipped cream and decorate the log red white and blue.
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rice Balls with Clams

clam rice ball with tomato sauce
clam rice ball with tomato sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rice Ball with Clams

We had a bunch of left over rice from a couple of dinners and I needed to come up with some idea to use it up.  A little experimenting and I came up with this recipe and it came out quite nice.

Ingredients for rice Balls with Clams

  1. Approximately 3 cups cooked rice, cooled
  2. 4 small cans chopped clams with juice
  3. 3 eggs
  4. ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  5. 1 shallot finely chopped
  6. salt & pepper to taste
  7. ¼ – ½ cup flavored bread crumbs
  8. 1 cup additional bread crumbs to bread balls
  9. oil for frying

Directions for Rice Balls with Clams

Place the first 7 ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly.  If too wet add more bread crumbs, if too dry add a little water or milk.  Mixture needs to be moist enough to hold when formed into a ball.

Wet your hands and roll mixture into small balls the size of golf balls or smaller.  After forming a ball roll the ball into the additional bread crumbs to cover completely.  Once all the balls are breaded place into hot oil and fry until hot and golden brown.  Can be served with a variety of sauces; tomato, cocktail, or tartar.  Serve with lemon wedges or extra Parmesan.

 

Fry rice balls until golden brown
Fry rice balls until golden brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few items to help with this recipe:
Farberware Classic Nonstick Polished Aluminum Deep Skillet, 12-Inch
WMF Profi Plus Fine Mesh Strainer

 

 

If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .

 

copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

 

Rice Ball with Clams
a interesting appetizer
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. Approximately 3 cups cooked rice, cooled
  2. 4 small cans chopped clams with juice
  3. 3 eggs
  4. ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  5. 1 shallot finely chopped
  6. salt & pepper to taste
  7. ¼ - ½ cup flavored bread crumbs
  8. 1 cup additional bread crumbs to bread balls
  9. oil for frying
Instructions
  1. Place the first 7 ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly. If too wet add more bread crumbs, if too dry add a little water or milk. Mixture needs to be moist enough to hold when formed into a ball.
  2. Wet your hands and roll mixture into small balls the size of golf balls or smaller. After forming a ball roll the ball into the additional bread crumbs to cover completely. Once all the balls are breaded place into hot oil and fry until hot and golden brown. Can be served with a variety of sauces; tomato, cocktail, or tartar. Serve with lemon wedges or extra Parmesan.
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/