PASTEL DE POLLO (CHICKEN POT PIE)

Pie is such a beauty to behold. It tempts you to break the crust and eat it yet restrains at the same time to look at it some more. Pie is not a Filipino thing and pastel is the only savoury pie that I know, not counting hand pies (empanada) and sweet pies.

EGG PIE

A pie cooling on the window sill is such a pretty sight. The aroma is a scent sent from heaven. The prospect of the first bite just thrills the imagination. Baking a pie might seem a task if you think about it but it actually is an enjoyable activity once you start the process. I am not an avid pie maker but have always wanted to know how to make the perfect pie. The perfect pie has to have a great tasting filling and a crisp, flaky and buttery crust.

FRENCH APPLE PIE

Baking apple pie has a lot of rewards. I like baking one on a grey, gloomy day. 

An apple pie is like free aromatherapy. I can't help but feel brighter once I start peeling the apples. The freshness of its scent just bring on the smiley face. The scent of lemons always bring visions of sunshine. Once I add the spices, I imagine a crackling fire. The heady scent of spices makes me feel warm inside.

OPEN BEEF AND MUSHROOM PIES

As the seasons change, we also change the way we eat. We need warming food to bolster our bodies against the cold weather. We eat rich and hearthy meals rather than fresh light ones.

PORK AND CHORIZO EMPANADA

I am so sorry for not having posted in a while. I have been in the Philippines for the past month to visit my ailing father who passed away peacefully on May 12. Despite my love and loyalty to my blog, I had to deal with this event without any distraction from anything else. I thank the Lord for giving me, my siblings ( three of us had to fly from different parts of the globe), my daughter and my niece a few but immensely happy days bonding for the last time with Tatay (father). A lot of friends and family members were with us throughout it all, and we are all extremely thankful. 

CHAR SIU PORK COOKIES

I love sweet and savoury twists on recipes, even on meat. This cookie like concoction is actually sweet pastries filled with char siu pork. They are just exceedingly delicious. The pastry is a crumbly and crisp sweet shortcrust and that goes so well with the pork filling. 

SPECIAL ENSAIMADA

As a food enthusiast, I love films where there are copious scenes of frenetic kitchen activity. I thoroughly connect to that. When I saw Julie and Julia, I connected even more, not realizing that that was even possible. My children were amused by the mere fact that Julie was a food blogger. My daughter liked the film so much that she came up with an idea that I follow Julie's track by cooking the recipes of the doyen of Filipino cuisine, Nora Daza. Nora and Adora, that was the plan. Though the plan was so fantastic, I sheepishly declined. No way could I give justice to Ms. Daza's cooking style. Although her cook book is one of my most used cooking bibles, we differ drastically in cooking style. Ms Daza is a glamorous lady who cooks classic French, Filipino and other international dishes in the style when fine dining is de rigueur. On the other hand, everyone who knows me knows that I am more into relaxed, casual dining.  

MINI CARAMEL APPLE PECAN PIES

Come Christmas, an assortment of desserts at the end of the meal provide a fitting finale to the celebratory meal. Although we are spoilt for choice with the assortment of desserts at the supermarkets, nothing is nicer than a homemade one. I always prepare a few contrasting desserts to suit everyone's taste. This one would be a great alternative to mince pies. It is easy, can be done the previous day and the kids can help make it.

We all love crispy crust on pies but sometimes that doesn't happen when there is a juicy fruit in the filling. Baking blind helps to give the crust a crispy start but I did not want to bake 12 little pastry cases blind so I pre-cooked the filling instead. I thought that filling the pastry with a thick filling rather than a wet mixture would prevent that soggy pie bottom. That did work out quite well. The pastry came out perfectly crisp and flaky.


They were delicious, too, by the way. How can you go wrong with apples, caramel and pecan. The pastry tasted good too as it had cream cheese in it.

Ingredients for the crust:

1 cup flour
1/2 c. butter, cut into cubes
1/2 c. cream cheese (4 oz.)
1 egg yolk plus 1 tbsps. milk for glazing

Pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until the butter pieces are pea sized. Add the cream cheese and pulse again until the dough clumps together into a ball. Wrap the pastry dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, roll out the dough on a floured surface to a 1/4 cm. thickness. Cut into 12 rounds and line  a 12-hole muffin tin. Crease the pastry to fit the muffin holes. This will make a nice rustic look to the pies. Cut out decorative shapes with the rest of the pastry. You can also make a lattice top crust. 

Fill the pastry cases 2/3 full with the cooled filling. Top with the cut-out pastry shapes but leave gaps for the steam to escape. Brush pastry tops with the egg yolk glaze. 

Bake at 350° F/ 180° C for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 300° F/ 150° C and cook for a further 20 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes before taking out of the molds.

Ingredients for the filling:

1/2 c. condensed milk
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. corn flour
3 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced thinly
1 egg
6 tbsps. butter
1/2 c. roughly chopped pecans

In a pan, mix the corn flour and brown sugar together until well combined. Whisk in the condensed milk and egg. Put the pan on low heat and add the apples and butter. Stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add the pecans. Take off the heat and leave to cool before filling the pastry cases.

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CRAB RANGOON ON PASTRY SPOONS

Eating your food by the spoonful takes on a new meaning when it means eating the spoon, too.

They sell nifty pastry spoons for appetizers at the supermarkets. Just for fun (or self torture, more like), I tried to make some just to see if they were do-able at home. They definitely were. Although a bit rustic looking, they looked decent when filled. I'm sure daintier hands can make neater ones. 

SWEET POTATO DUMPLINGS

Yum yam! Yams, the delicious orange coloured tuber that takes the spotlight on Thanksgiving are actually sweet potatoes. These vitamin packed sweet spuds are very abundant and well loved in Southeast Asia. The more common ones are starchy unlike the more common moist fleshed, orange coloured variety. They are eaten all year round simply steamed as a snack or used as an ingredient in recipes. 

UBE MACAPUNO INIPIT

The Kulinarya Cooking Club's theme for the month is red, white, blue and yellow. These are the colours of the Philippine flag. We are paying homage not only to our flag and country but also to our national heroes. This month's great hosts are Ray of Wok with Ray, Oggi of I Can Do That, Chef Theodore Salonga of Chef by Day and Boyet of Reel and Grill.

BUCO (YOUNG COCONUT) MERINGUE PIE

The summer season in the Philippines culminates in the month of May. A lot of towns celebrate their town fiestas, most of which feature a religious pageant called the Flores de Mayo, which literally translates to flowers of May. The prettiest young ladies dressed up in formal evening finery join a procession around the town.

ALMOND CREAM PUFFS

It is Easter time and this is my 100th post. Time flies. I always wonder what people would like to see in my blog. To tell you the truth, after 100 posts, I still don't know. The recipes that I hesitate to post prove to be the popular ones. Still, in all, I am really grateful to all the readers, followers and supporters of this blog. May you never tire of reading my posts.

BUÑUELOS

Puffs of air rained with sweet sugar, a delight to make and a joy to eat_ this is what buñuelos is to me. We buy them in bakeshops and tea shops in Chinatown here in London where they make it extra large for maximum satisfaction. 

PACIENCIA COOKIES

The word "paciencia" means patience in Spanish and Filipino (but spelled differently). It is also the name of this very old fashioned cookie drop that is a cross between a meringue and a cookie. It is light as air, crisp and delicate in flavour. I don't know the origins of this recipe but I guess in those days when everything is done by hand and from scratch it would really take a lot of patience to beat egg whites until stiff and to pipe coin sized rounds onto hand oiled baking paper. We are luckier these days as it doesn't take much effort to make these cookies.


These are perfect for edible gifts or standby snacks for unexpected guests. These cookies are very moreish, and is best kept in very tight lidded jars to keep yourself from finishing them all in one go.

Ingredients:

4 eggwhites
1 cup sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Method:

Preheat  the oven to 275° F/140° C. 


Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the sugar gradually while still beating. Add the vanilla or almond extract. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add to the egg whites and fold in. Attach the coupling into a piping bag but don't put any icing nozzle. Spoon the mixture into the bag. Pipe flat coin sized rounds (about 1 1/2" in diameter) onto lined baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes or until light brown and crisp. 


Leave to cool in the pans before transferring into jars.

 

This post is  for the KULINARYA COOKING CLUB theme for December 2010:  Filipino Food Gifts. 

See the posts of the other members by visiting their blogs.




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CHURROS Y CHOCOLATE

Fried pastry dipped in hot chocolate will be a very sinful indulgence, no matter which way you put it, no matter what the excuse. Indeed, it is something to be partaken with caution and in very miniscule amounts if it can be helped. 

CINNAMON PASTRY TWISTS

Cooking at home usually means cooking from scratch. There are exceptions, of course, which even chefs would recommend. The long, laborious and tricky steps to making puff pastry can be skipped by buying a pack of good quality store bought puff pastry.