this post really ought be about hubris. I mean, really, really ought be about hubris. See, I've this nasty, egotistical habit of mentally planning a new recipe, writing the post {including the recipe & directions}, then making the recipe, taking pictures, and posting. Today was much the same as usual, except hubris got me in the end.
I was happily mixing and rolling and dolloping pie dough and filling earlier, except the edges weren't sealing. Nothing was working right: too much filling, too wet dough, everything that could go wrong was. You'll see in a minute, these were special tiny pies and have to be as perfect as possible. I felt like a lot was riding on these pies. They just weren't living up to expectations. I got mad, threw a couple away, cursed, swore, and vowed to just do simple things in the future. So, I threw what I had done in the oven and went about simplifying everything into tiny, normal, tarts. Then I discovered that what I thought had turned out terribly and were going to have to go to the family instead of an event turned out pretty darn well.
Hubris. I was too cocky to begin with, too easily frustrated, then everything turned out just fine...and now my sister has two versions of the same baby tart for her bridal shower this weekend. De-stressing with some sangria now as I edit the pictures and remember life goes on, no matter what. Let the previously written blog post stand!
love, honor, excitement, desperation, ooh, what do I wear?! all of these things slid through my mind in the moments after my best friend/sister asked me to be the maid of honor for her upcoming nuptials. What I forgot to think about was the necessary planning of a bridal shower. My only girl first cousin is seven years younger than I, I have no siblings, and, for my entire life, the busiest months of the year for my and my family's work are key wedding months. I spent little time in my super girly, super tomboy {tree climbing & wire walking, backyard camping & gardening, all while wearing flowered dresses and ribbons in my hair} imagining the perfect wedding.
Maybe I thought about dresses, but once I got the age where most girls start thinking about the planning, I wasn't really attending weddings. Still, I'm so happy to share Sari & Brett's big day with them. It's just the bridal shower that freaks me out...did I mention that there are two? Locations require a Midwest shower and an East coast shower. Thankfully, there are two Maids of Honor and my co-chair is a planner of spectacular cuteness. I plan on stealing her ideas, as the first is this weekend and mine doesn't occur until September.
Alas, that aforementioned work schedule hasn't changed. I cannot make the Midwest shower, much as it kills me. But, I can help. My Matron of Honor originally asked that I make those PB&J pies on a stick that are all over Pinterest. Except, I can't find popsicle sticks. Anywhere. and, the girls are traveling through Thursday. Hand pies it is. I may possibly have played around with the recipe, or entirely disregarded everything that has to do with Pies on a Stick except the pie part and the jam part. Instead, we have strawberry jam and almonds and dried dates. I would have used any of a long list of artisinal jams we sell in the store, but the bride wanted strawberry, so strawberry it is.
Strawberry Hand Pies
Filling:
1 jar (about 16-20 ounces) strawberry jam
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1 package (8 ounces) whole dried pitted dates, roughly chopped
Dough:
1 batch Basic Pie Crust, only instead of plain water, add
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
to the water used to mix the dough
Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
beat together
mix filling in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix the dough as directed, then roll out thinly. Cut into two or three inch circles, placing about 3/4 teaspoon filling in the center of each. Brush a bit of egg wash around the entire edge of the circles.
Gently pick it up, folding the circle in half as you do so, then pinch together the edges from one corner across to the other. Take the two pointy ends and tuck together, turning the entire hand pie into a circle again. {this is the same method used to make the Khinkali meat dumplings, though the dough and filling are, obviously, different. As a recap: Fold it over, pinching the dough around the edge into a half moon shape. Be certain to seal the edges well. You will likely find that you have put too much filling on the first few, I always do. Once you have sealed the edges, flip the dumpling so the the straight edge is on top. Pull the two points together, pinching and sealing the entire way around. It will look like an overlarge tortellini. I think the finished product looks like a bellybutton.}
Place on a sprayed cookie sheet as competed, then brush the top of each with more egg wash and sprinkle sugar over top. Poke two or three small vents in a pattern on the top of each pie. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheets with a spatula to a cooling rack before eating, as the molten jam in the center will be extraordinarily hot.
For the easier version, cut the dough out as directed, then stretch gently and press into the previously greased cups of a muffin tin. Fill with a tablespoon or less of the filling and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
PS after a lot of hits from a simple little "red wine sangria" pin on Pinterest, I figure I'd better update with how I made mine.
1 glass Spanish red wine
small handful of frozen blueberries
small handful of frozen raspberries
5 Bing cherries, cut in half & pitted
splash of Chambord
splash of lime syrup
allow to stand in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then add:
ice
enough seltzer or club soda to fill the glass to the brim
I was happily mixing and rolling and dolloping pie dough and filling earlier, except the edges weren't sealing. Nothing was working right: too much filling, too wet dough, everything that could go wrong was. You'll see in a minute, these were special tiny pies and have to be as perfect as possible. I felt like a lot was riding on these pies. They just weren't living up to expectations. I got mad, threw a couple away, cursed, swore, and vowed to just do simple things in the future. So, I threw what I had done in the oven and went about simplifying everything into tiny, normal, tarts. Then I discovered that what I thought had turned out terribly and were going to have to go to the family instead of an event turned out pretty darn well.
Hubris. I was too cocky to begin with, too easily frustrated, then everything turned out just fine...and now my sister has two versions of the same baby tart for her bridal shower this weekend. De-stressing with some sangria now as I edit the pictures and remember life goes on, no matter what. Let the previously written blog post stand!
love, honor, excitement, desperation, ooh, what do I wear?! all of these things slid through my mind in the moments after my best friend/sister asked me to be the maid of honor for her upcoming nuptials. What I forgot to think about was the necessary planning of a bridal shower. My only girl first cousin is seven years younger than I, I have no siblings, and, for my entire life, the busiest months of the year for my and my family's work are key wedding months. I spent little time in my super girly, super tomboy {tree climbing & wire walking, backyard camping & gardening, all while wearing flowered dresses and ribbons in my hair} imagining the perfect wedding.
Maybe I thought about dresses, but once I got the age where most girls start thinking about the planning, I wasn't really attending weddings. Still, I'm so happy to share Sari & Brett's big day with them. It's just the bridal shower that freaks me out...did I mention that there are two? Locations require a Midwest shower and an East coast shower. Thankfully, there are two Maids of Honor and my co-chair is a planner of spectacular cuteness. I plan on stealing her ideas, as the first is this weekend and mine doesn't occur until September.
Alas, that aforementioned work schedule hasn't changed. I cannot make the Midwest shower, much as it kills me. But, I can help. My Matron of Honor originally asked that I make those PB&J pies on a stick that are all over Pinterest. Except, I can't find popsicle sticks. Anywhere. and, the girls are traveling through Thursday. Hand pies it is. I may possibly have played around with the recipe, or entirely disregarded everything that has to do with Pies on a Stick except the pie part and the jam part. Instead, we have strawberry jam and almonds and dried dates. I would have used any of a long list of artisinal jams we sell in the store, but the bride wanted strawberry, so strawberry it is.
Filling:
1 jar (about 16-20 ounces) strawberry jam
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1 package (8 ounces) whole dried pitted dates, roughly chopped
Dough:
1 batch Basic Pie Crust, only instead of plain water, add
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
to the water used to mix the dough
Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
beat together
mix filling in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix the dough as directed, then roll out thinly. Cut into two or three inch circles, placing about 3/4 teaspoon filling in the center of each. Brush a bit of egg wash around the entire edge of the circles.
Gently pick it up, folding the circle in half as you do so, then pinch together the edges from one corner across to the other. Take the two pointy ends and tuck together, turning the entire hand pie into a circle again. {this is the same method used to make the Khinkali meat dumplings, though the dough and filling are, obviously, different. As a recap: Fold it over, pinching the dough around the edge into a half moon shape. Be certain to seal the edges well. You will likely find that you have put too much filling on the first few, I always do. Once you have sealed the edges, flip the dumpling so the the straight edge is on top. Pull the two points together, pinching and sealing the entire way around. It will look like an overlarge tortellini. I think the finished product looks like a bellybutton.}
Place on a sprayed cookie sheet as competed, then brush the top of each with more egg wash and sprinkle sugar over top. Poke two or three small vents in a pattern on the top of each pie. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheets with a spatula to a cooling rack before eating, as the molten jam in the center will be extraordinarily hot.
For the easier version, cut the dough out as directed, then stretch gently and press into the previously greased cups of a muffin tin. Fill with a tablespoon or less of the filling and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
PS after a lot of hits from a simple little "red wine sangria" pin on Pinterest, I figure I'd better update with how I made mine.
1 glass Spanish red wine
small handful of frozen blueberries
small handful of frozen raspberries
5 Bing cherries, cut in half & pitted
splash of Chambord
splash of lime syrup
allow to stand in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then add:
ice
enough seltzer or club soda to fill the glass to the brim
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