Ingredients

• 2 sleeves Ritz crackers (about 7.5 ounces or 1 3/4 cup crushed crackers)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg white
• 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained and diced
• 3 or 4 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh basil leaves and minced chives, to taste
• Kosher salt
• Flaky sea salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Add crackers to bowl of food processor. Process until crackers are a fine crumb. Add Parmesan cheese, melted butter, egg white and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Process until evenly combined and mixture holds together when pressed between fingers. If it doesn’t hold together, add an additional tablespoon of melted butter.

3. Tightly press mixture into bottom and sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Tip: If the crust is not packed tightly, it will crumble when sliced. Use the back of a measuring cup to help really pack it down, as seen here.

4. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside and cool completely. Then place in fridge for one hour to help crust set.

5. Meanwhile, add tomato slices to paper towel-lined plate. Season with kosher salt and let sit for a few minutes to remove excess moisture.

6. Mix together softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk until evenly combined.

7. Stir in cheddar cheese and pimentos. Check for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

8. Spread pimento cheese mixture evenly on bottom of chilled tart crust.

9. Top with sliced tomatoes. Garnish with chives, basil leaves and flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.

HuffPo

Ingredients

• 1 rouleau de pâte brisée
• 500 g de framboises
• le jus de 2 citrons
• 1 blanc d’œuf
• 1 càs de semoule de maïs
• 1 jaune d’œuf
• 50 g de sucre
• 150 ml d’eau

Preparation

Déroulez la pâte et déposez-la avec le papier de cuisson dans un moule à tarte. Découpez le papier de cuisson superflu.

Piquez le fond, recouvrez de papier de cuisson et parsemez de haricots secs. Faites cuire pendant 15 min au four préchauffé à 200 C. Enlevez les haricots et laissez le moule à tarte refroidir.

Entre-temps, portez l’eau, le jus de citron et le sucre à ébullition. Battez le jaune d’œuf avec 2 càs d’eau et la semoule de maïs. Sans cesser de mélanger, ajoutez ce mélange à l’eau citronnée bouillante. Faites bouillir le tout. Retirez du feu.

Battez le blanc d’œuf en neige et incorporez-le délicatement à la crème de citron encore chaude. Laissez refroidir, versez la crème dans le moule à tarte et recouvrez de framboises. Saupoudrez de sucre glace.

Pâte brisée Delhaize

Ingredients

• 1 rouleau de pâte brisée
• 3 blancs de poireau
• 3 càs d’huile d’olive
• 200g saumon fumé
• une poignée de ciboulette fraîche
• 3 œufs
• 2 dl crème
• poivre
• sel

Preparation

Déroulez la pâte et déposez-la avec le papier de cuisson dans un moule à tarte. Découpez le papier de cuisson superflue. Piquez le fond.

Coupez les poireaux en fines rondelles et faites-les cuire pendant 2 min dans l’huile d’olive. Laissez refroidir.

Répartissez les poireaux dans le moule avec les lamelles de saumon fumé et la ciboulette fraîche hachée. Battez les œufs avec la crème, poivrez, salez, et versez le tout sur les poireaux et le saumon. Faites cuire la tourte pendant 30 min à 200 C. Garnissez de ciboulette fraîche.

Pâte brisée Delhaize

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust
• 3 granny smith apples, peeled and grated
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preparation

Grate apples into deep-dish pie crust. Drizzle with butter. Mix dry ingredients, add milk, then eggs. Pour cream mixture over apples. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes, then 350 for 30–40 minutes.

PostSecret

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, crushed
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup warmed apricot preserves

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, almonds, oats and salt. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the granola mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 5 minutes; transfer to a 9-inch glass pie plate and let cool slightly.

Using a flat-bottomed glass, gently press the granola evenly over the bottom and side of the pie plate to form a 1/2-inch-thick crust. Freeze the crust for about 10 minutes, until completely cooled.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 25 minutes, until the filling is set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Pour the warm apricot preserves on top of the yogurt and gently spread in an even layer. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Using a warm knife, cut the pie into wedges and serve.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 200g cookies (for crust)
• 100g unsalted butter, melted
• 3 sheets leaf gelatin
• 142ml single cream
• 300g full-fat cream cheese
• 100g + 2 tbsp. sugar
• zest of a lemon (divided)
• 6 tbsp. lemon juice (divided)
• 750g strawberries (divided)
• 142ml double cream
• 1 medium egg white

Preparation

Seal the cookies in a plastic bag and crush tem to fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Tip into a bowl and stir in the butter, mixing thoroughly. Put the mix into a loose-bottomed 24cm (9–10") cake pan at least 5cm deep, and press down with a spoon to make an even crust. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

Soften the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes. Pour the single cream in a pan and bring it just to a boil, then take off the heat; wring out the gelatin sheets and add them to the cream. Leave to cool for a few minutes

Beat the cheese, 100g sugar, half of the lemon zest, and half of the lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Mix in the cream and gelatine mixture and 300g of the strawberries, chopped.

Whip the double cream to soft peaks, then fold into the strawberry mix. Whisk the egg white in a clean bowl to stiff peaks, then fold it in as well. Pour into the cake tin and smooth. Chill for at least 2 1/2 hours, or until set.

To make the sauce, blend 250g strawberries and the other half of the zest and juice, plus 2 tbsp. sugar in a food processor or blender. Add more sugar if needed, then keep cool until ready to serve.

Serve with the last 200g strawberries halved and piled up in the center, along with the sauce.

BBC Good Food

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 or 5 small yellow onions, cut in half through ends
• 8 ounces frozen/defrosted puff pastry dough
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces mushrooms, preferably a mix, such as chanterelles, king trumpet and oyster, stemmed, rinsed well and chopped if large
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 6 ounces blue cheese, preferably Cabrales

Preparation

Heat the oil in a 9-inch, heavy, ovenproof skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, arrange the onion halves around the pan, cut sides down, with their stem ends pointing toward the center. Place one at the center of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for about 20 minutes, until softened and colored slightly on the bottom.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unfold the puff pastry dough and roll out between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper to a thin, 10-inch round; it’s okay if a foldover seam is showing or if the dough is not completely smooth.

Sprinkle the brown sugar around the pan with the onions, then season lightly with salt. Once the brown sugar looks like it is melting into the oil, distribute the mushroom pieces and walnuts around, using them to fill in nooks and crannies. Remove from the heat.

Follow suit with the pinches of the blue cheese, dotting the pan with them.

Discard the top parchment from the puff pastry dough. Invert the dough over the contents of the pan, pressing and tucking the dough around the edges in the pan. Transfer to the oven; roast (middle rack) for 25 to 35 minutes, turning the pan from front to back halfway through to promote even pastry browning.

The pastry should look flaky and nicely browned, with a mixure underneath that you can hear sizzling. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then invert a serving plate over the pastry.

Carefully invert the pan to reveal the tarte tatin; if some pieces do not quite make the transfer, just pop them back into place, straightening up the onions etc, as needed. The mixture should be nicely caramelized; if not, slide the tarte tatin onto a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for another 5 minutes or so.

Cut into wedges; serve warm.

WaPo/BBC

Ingredients

All-Butter Crust

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup ice
• egg white glaze (1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water)

Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie Filling

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (we use 70%), chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 4 large eggs

Preparation

For the crust:

Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay; be careful not to overblend).

Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice in a large measuring cup or small bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour mixture, and mix and cut it in with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated. Add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, using the bench scraper or your hands (or both) to mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining. Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all of the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of the ice water mixture, if necessary, to combine. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to form a round that is 2 to 3 inches larger than your pan, and about 1/8 inch in thickness. Transfer dough to pie pan and trim overhang to 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Transfer to freezer for 20 minutes. Position racks in bottom and middle racks and preheat over to 425°F. When crust has been in freezer for 10 minutes, remove and line it tightly with aluminum foil.

Pour the pie weights or beans into the pan and spread them so they are concentrated more around the edge of the shell than in the center. Place the pan on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the crimped edges are set but not browned. Remove the pan and the baking sheet from the oven, lift out the foil and pie weights, and let the crust cool for a minute. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides with a thin layer of egg white glaze to moistureproof the crust. Return the pan, on the baking sheet, to the oven’s middle rack and continue baking for 3 more minutes. Remove and cool completely before filling.

For the filling:

Reduce the oven to 350°F. Spread the oats on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

To make the ganache layer, bring the heavy cream just to a boil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour in the chocolate pieces. Swirl the cream around to distribute and cover the chocolate; let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth. Scrape the ganache into the cooled pie shell and spread evenly over the bottom. Place the shell in the freezer to set the ganache while making the filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, ginger, salt, and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and cider vinegar and whisk to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Stir in the cooled oats.

Place the ganache-coated pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 55 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, 30 to 35 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm to the touch but still has some give (like gelatin). Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Epicurious

Ingredients

• 1 lb. crawfish tails
• 1 lb. cream cheese, softened
• 4 scallions
• 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp. chopped tarragon
• 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• salt
• lime juice
• 1/2 lb. phyllo sheets
• 1/2 c. butter, melted
• 1/2 c. breadcrumbs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roughly chop crawfish meat and combine with cream cheese. Chop green and white of scallions and add to cream cheese along with cilantro, tarragon, garlic, and curry powder. Add pepper flakes, salt, and lime juice to taste.

Lay out one sheet of dough. Brush lightly with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Repeat with two more sheets, stacking one on top of the other. Cut widthwise into three pieces. Place a large spoonful of filling in the corner of each piece and fold flag-style into triangle. Brush with butter and place on a tray sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets. Bake until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Serves 10-12.

The hallway by the bathroom, Bayona

Ingredients

• 1 quart whole cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest or 1 tablespoon orange liqueur
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 knob butter the size of a small walnut, cut into small pieces for dotting the top of the filling
• 1 - 2 teaspoons sugar for sprinkling on top of the pie
• two pie crusts

Preparation

Place 3 cups of the cranberries in a food processor and pulse until they are slightly chopped. In a medium bowl, place the chopped and remaining whole cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, salt, zest or liqueur, and optional walnuts, and mix well. In a pie plate lined with an unbaked pie crust, pour in the cranberry filling and dot with butter. Roll out the remaining crust, lay it over the fruit, and cut 5 to 6 vents on top, or cut strips and make a lattice top. Trim excess dough from the edges and crimp. Chill the pie for a minimum of 1 hour before baking.

Lightly brush an egg wash over the entire pie, including the edges. In an oven preheated to 375°F (190°C), bake on the middle rack for about 40 minutes. When there are about 10 minutes of bake time left, open the oven, pull the pie out, and quickly and evenly sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar. Close the oven and bake until the crust is just golden, or until you see steady bubbling coming out between the vents. Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely before serving.

Food Schmooze