sour cherry slab pie. {from the archives.}

everyone is doing it.
so since i HAVE done it i thought i would offer my two cents.
i'm talking about slab pies. the most genius thing ever invented.
i love them and this is why:
they feed a crowd.
they are forgivable.
they are drizzled in glaze.

sold yet?
i have seen many a variety made & showcased but have yet to see one offering sour cherries so i thought i would wriggle my big toe in here and reserve the spot.
can you guess how in love with this pie i am?
i disappeared as soon as it arrived as did the cherry season {for this variety} so we got what we got.
what we got was good.
flaky. syrupy. sweet. and just the right bite of tart.
perfect.

i think i may have to hunt some down now......

sour cherry slab pie

from the angus family cookbook submitted by me.
Yield: Varies, but I cut mine into 20 2 1/2-inch by 3-inch pieces

1 1/2  All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough (recipe down below), divided, patted into thick rectangles, wrapped in plastic and chilled for at least an hour in the fridge
6 cups sour cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen will work; if frozen, defrost and drain first)
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups of sugar*
1/4 cup cornstarch
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch or two of salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream or one egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water or 1 tablespoon water plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice (I did this to make the glaze more interesting)

Preheat oven to 375°. have your half sheet pan ready.


In a large bowl, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt. Stir to combine; set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle. I won’t lie: this can be kind of a pain because it is so large. Do your best to work quickly, keeping the dough as cold as possible (and tossing it in the freezer for a couple minutes if it softens too quickly; it is summer after all) and using enough flour that it doesn’t stick to the counter.

Transfer to a 15-by-10-by-1-inch rimmed baking sheet, (pastry will hang over sides of pan). I went ahead and lined mine with parchment, just to ensure I’d be able to easily lift it out. Pour cherry mixture into lined baking sheet; set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining piece of dough into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Drape over filling. Bring bottom pastry up and over top pastry. Pinch edges to seal. Using a fork, prick top crust all over. Brush with heavy cream or egg wash.

Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 40 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until just warm to the touch, about 45 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and milk, water or lemon juice (or combination thereof) until desired glaze consistency is achieved. Use a spoon to drizzle over top. Serve warm or room temperature.

* Martha had suggested 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar for 6 cups of sour cherries. I balked, imagining my beautiful okanagan cherries drowning a syrupy death, and used 3/4 cup, which yielded a lightly-sweetened pie with the tartness of the cherries still coming through, just as we like. Please adjust this to your tastes, and according to the tartness of the cherries you brought home.

Some tips for replacing the sour cherries with other fruit: This pie is roughly 100% of a regular pie filling with 150% percent of the crust. Thus, if you’re looking to use something besides sour cherries, you can swap in 6 cups of any other fruit. Adjust the sugar accordingly — you’ll probably want less sugar with peaches or berries than you would with very sour cherries, or the same amount, if you like your pies on the sweeter side. (Remember, I kept this one very lightly sweetened.) Adjust the cornstarch accordingly too — peaches and berries usually let off more liquid than apples, but only slightly more than cherries.

One other route you can take is to use the filling part of your favorite pie recipe, as most standard fruit pies contain 6 cups of berries or chopped fruit. This way you’ll already know what spices, if any, you want to add and that the amount of sweetener and/or cornstarch/thickener is already spot-on.

All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough

Makes enough dough for one double-, or two single-crust pies.
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces, 16 tablespoons or 1 cup) unsalted butter, very cold
Gather your ingredients: Fill a one cup liquid measuring cup with water, and drop in a few ice cubes; set it aside. In a large bowl — I like to use a very wide one, so I can get my hands in — whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Dice two sticks (8 ounces or 1 cup) of very cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch pieces. Get out your pastry blender.

Make your mix: Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour and begin working them in with the pastry blender, using it to scoop and redistribute the mixture as needed so all parts are worked evenly. When all of the butter pieces are the size of tiny peas — this won’t take long — stop. Yes, even if it looks uneven; you’ll thank me later.

Glue it together: Start by drizzling 1/2 cup of the ice-cold water (but not the cubes, if there are any left!) over the butter and flour mixture. Using a rubber or silicon spatula, gather the dough together. You’ll probably need an additional 1/4 cup of cold water to bring it together, but add it a tablespoon as a time. Once you’re pulling large clumps with the spatula, take it out and get your hands in there (see how that big bowl comes in handy?). Gather the disparate damp clumps together into one mound, kneading them gently together.

Pack it up: Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. I like to use the sides to pull in the dough and shape it into a disk. Let the dough chill in the fridge for one hour, but preferably at least two, before rolling it out.

Do ahead: Dough will keep in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer longer. If not using it that day, wrap it in additional layers of plastic wrap to protect it from fridge/freezer smells. To defrost your dough, move it to the fridge for one day before using it.

friday night pizza party!

i don't know how it happened.
i guess in the grand scheme of things it seemed like the perfect night for it.
a sort of end of the week beginning of the weekend hooray.
friday night is pizza night.

yes, i have been known on occasion to break down and order delivery.
yes, sometimes you might find costco take & bake pizza in my freezer which i jazz up to serve.
but more likely than not i make big sheet pizza's with sections mapped out for everyone's "special" taste buds.

aydan get's just cheese. this is a victory of it's own.
coop likes cheese with a meat {always bacon if he had his way}.
for the husband and me it's some meat, loads of veggies and a little cheese.

but the thing that makes it, that really makes it for us, is the whole wheat crust.
love it.

one of the challenges i have found out here in the east - compared to whole grain vancouver - is the lack of whole grains in foods. it's getting there but it's not there.
not enough for me.
so i improvise and this is one of those.

and of course we celebrated with chocolate cake. yeah for fridays!!

and as coop always quotes from the immortal words of yo gabba gabba "try it - you'll like it."

whole wheat pizza dough.

3/4 cups warm water.
2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast {or two packets}
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for bowl
1 teaspoon honey {or sugar}
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour - lightened {or spooned and leveled} plus extra & more for kneading
1 cup whole wheat flour - lightened {or spooned and leveled}

place the water in a large mixing bowl. sprinkle the yeast over top and let sit for 5 minutes so it can get all foamy. once that is ready whisk in the olive oil, sugar and salt. then add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook until incorporated - you will have a sticky dough. add a bit more flour...a little at a time...so your dough is not too sticky.

brush another large bowl with oil {psst...i use the same bowl!} then place your dough in and turn a time or two to coat in oil. cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to allow the dough to rise - double in size - for about 45 minutes to an hour. go do your toe nails or finish that book you have been wanting to. or do the laundry - your choice.

once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. knead for about 15 to 30 seconds till smooth......and there you have it!

makes enough for one pizza.

to assemble the pizza: brush your pan with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. now start stretching your dough. this will take a little bit. just keep working it out slowly and you will be amazed that it will fill the pan. place your topping on top. place in a 400 degree pre-heated oven and {depending on your topping and the amount of them} cook for about 30 minutes but do keep an eye on it after 15 minutes. things can go south real quick!

for my pan above- which is a half sheet pan - i use a ball.

a taste of lemon: curd + tarts.

 lemon. such an obvious choice for flavour, taste and scent. to add brightness, texture and complete yumminess. and one ingredient around here that was reserved for fish and water only. until now.

years ago when our old faithful, martha stewart, landed her pretty little self in prison she cut herself off. no visitors except her lawyers and daughter i believe. but somehow that sneaky little rosie o'donnell got herself in there to visit her dear friend. they chatted about the experience not getting into it to much but just being there to enjoy each others company. during the conversation rosie asked martha what she is missing the most from her regular life as opposed to her prison life. and you know what martha said? she said she missed the taste of lemon. that's it. i remember watching this (i think on the view) and scrunching up my face and going what? how bizarre. that was before i succumbed to my legacy in this life and let food lead my path. now i get it. fully.

what power it has!! and how completely wonderful and enjoyable! i always seem to reach for the chocolate, the butter, the vanilla and the more rich fruits for baking and the peppers, onions, tomatoes and root vegetables for cooking but now i find myself reaching more and more for the lemon for both equally. and that has prompted this series of recipes that i want to share centering on lemons.

today let's talk curd. personally i think it is an awful name for something so delicious, so decadent. something that transforms before your eyes as you can't take your eyes off it for a minute. to watch it take form from a pile of ingredients - all stars in heir own right - and become something so brilliant, so yellow, so silky.

i had forgotten this taste as when i opened my specialty food shop and this recipe was a clear hit i was not the one producing it anymore - i had moved on to the deli/cafe food and had left someone else prepare the baked goods. and since then the baking bug had left me for awhile since selling and moving out east i took a little break from all things desserty but unfortunately for my hips and bum it has hit me harder than before

this other thing i love about this is the versatility of it. you can put it on anything to make it stand out from the crowd. fill a layer cake with it. top some shortbread cookies. bake off a sheet of puff pastry and smear it on top (technical term here!). stuff cupcakes. spread it on grilled pound cake - yes i said grilled pound cake!! (more on that later). add it to semifreddo. the list is endless and the taste will shock and amaze you everytime - every bite will feel like the first.

sweet life bakery lemon curd.
i only have one reservation about this - the butter. as i was making it i was tasting along the way so i could feel the impact from start to finish. on the last stage - where the curd comes together and before you add the butter - the impact of the lemon was outrageous! it knocked me over, fireworks on my tongue and i was begging for more. then i added the butter and the curd went down a note. little more subdued but still amazingly flavourful in every way. this is where i am torn as i believe a whole tart of the impact creating curd would be too much and the butter infused one was just right but i was left wanting more. but my hips thanked me for stopping. 

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice - about 6 lemons
grated zest of 2 lemons
2 large eggs
7 egg yolks
3/4 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons butter - softened

in a glass measuring cup measure out your lemon juice then add the zest as well to allow the zest to softened up and let stand for about 10 minutes.

in a medium glass bowl (suitable for double-boiling) whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until combined. add the lemon juice mixture and whisk once more.

set the bowl over a pot of simmering water but do not let the water touch the bowl! cook, stirring constantly with heatproof spatula, until the mixture has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, 6 to 8 minutes.

remove from heat and whisk in butter till emulsified. strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. allow to cool, then use immediately or place in a sealed container and pop it into the fridge for up to one week!

to make the tarts:
prepare one batch of my sweet pie dough (recipe below) and, using a 3-inch in diameter round cookie cutter, cut out rings from the rolled out dough. place each ring into a cup on a mini cupcake pan and press into the mold and pierce all over with a fork - place prepared sheets into the freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour/preferably though overnight. remove from freezer, place a square of parchment in each shell and fill with baking beans (you can buy special baking beans but i just use raw beans that are designated only for this purposed, live in a jar marked baking beans and are used over and over . pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake off your shells for approx. 18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and when checked the bottoms look cooked. pull out and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove beans, remove from pan and let cool completely. one recipe makes approximately 30 to 36 tart shells.

raw tart shells filled with baking beans prior to baking.

my sweet pie dough. 

after tinkering with other recipes and my tastes this is what i have come up with. enjoy.
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
3/4 cups ice cold water

place in food processor the flour, sugar and salt - pulse a few times to mix up. place butter in flour mix and pulse a few times till butter roughly the size of peas/hazelnuts. while pulsing in quick short bursts add the water slowly (a drizzle) through top tube. as soon as dough comes together into a ball remove from processor and divide into two equal balls. flatten to a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour minimum. dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to three months. thaw in fridge before rolling out if using frozen.

makes 2 balls of dough. enough for two 9-inch single crust pies or one double crust.

shortcut to shortcakes.

there are some posts that come easy and some that don't. this one did not.

i have been racking my brain trying to come up with a clever story to tell you about how growing up this was THE mother's day dessert with our clan. how that if we were at our house or at my grandparents that sweet sweet store bought angel food cake was present on the counter along side a carton of juicy sweet strawberries and a container of cream begging to be whipped. about how the cooks of the family wanted to get something foolproof for a 6 & 8 year old to assemble (as the husbands were utterly hopeless, outside having a cold beer and discussing business) so they would not have to bake and it be delicious. about how now as a grown-up when i see these cakes make their appearance around mother's day i remember my grandma, miss my mom terribly and get all teary eyed (as i am right now). about how this symbolizes spring for me and the bounty of fresh produce soon to come. about how three simple ingredients can make something so spectacular you wounder what you are doing with those yard long recipes with ridiculous instructions.

i have been trying to figure out a clever way to convey my thoughts and have been coming up blank.

hang on a minute....i think i just told you. xoxo


simple as one. two. three.

buy one pre-made angel food cake - the one in the black container with the clear top (my son calls these marshmallow cakes) typically found close to the fruit this time of year. buy a container of strawberries that are so sweet and juicy you smelt them from across the store and were hypnotized by them. head over to the dairy department and snag a container of whipping cream. then head home. have your celebratory meal. pour yourself a glass of chilled white wine & tell the others present how to assemble this dessert for you; hull and slice the strawberries - good sized chunks. whip your cream: place 1 cup of cold cold cream into a bowl (chilled bowl if possible) and begin to whip. once you start to see soft peaks add about 2 tablespoons of sugar and one tsp of vanilla. if you are a fancy gourmet and have a vanilla bean on hand, slice and scrape that baby up and add it in. adjust the sweetness to your liking (meaning add more sugar if you want). whip until firm peaks are achieved - don't go to far or you get butter, or do if that's your thing. slice the cake in half inch slices after removing from the container (did i have to tell you that?).  place a slice on the plate top with a dollop of whip cream, add some strawberries and repeat. then go ot to the patio, sip your wine and wait for your dessert. happy mother's day.


now if you have a willing husband or capable children here is an amazing recipe for actual shortcakes. i sold these at the abbotford strawberry festival years ago and they were a hit - sold like hotcakes, well i guess like shortcakes!

preheat your oven to 425f. in a food processor combine 2 1/2 cups, spooned and leveled, ap flour; 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 1/3 cup of sugar; 2 and a half teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. pulse until it becomes a coarse meal. add the milk; pulse 4 to 5 times to moisten. do not over-pulse. turn out dough on to a well floured worktop. with floured hands gently pat the into a 4 by 8 inch rectangle. dust a large knife with flour and cut 8 squares. transfer to a baking sheet and press the squares down slightly.  sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar. bake until golden about 20 minutes - my first time i did 25 and found that too long for my oven but yours might vary. cool on sheet.
to serve split biscuits in half with a serrated knife and layer with berries and cream.

lovingly borrowed from martha stewart.

april 23rd - a celebration of sorts.

one year...one year. 365 days. in this house.

i still cannot believe that it has been one year. it has gone by so fast. a blink of an eye.

it seems like only yesterday that i walked into the house for the first time just steps ahead of the movers, only to find food and junk still in the kitchen cabinets and the garage full to the brim of leftover stuff. yes i am telling the truth. quele nightmare. and the backyard - i am getting heart palpitations remembering the state of the backyard. the horror. this house was in a sorry state of affairs when we moved in and we have definitely brought it up a few notches. is it done? no. is it better? yes. are we happy with it? absolutely.

there's more to read here >>