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Cranberry Apple Crumble Pie
Winter is here in Northern Minnesota! We finally got our first measurable snow this week. It’s so beautiful. When it’s about to snow, you can smell it in the air. If you don’t know that scent, it’s sort of like the smell of ice—cold and clean. It smells just like you’d imagine diving into a cold freshwater lake feels. “Refreshing” is a good word for it, I suppose. And I love it. The arrival of snow means the holidays are about to pounce on us like a cat on a tasty, tasty mouse. So it’s time to get ready. If you haven’t decided what pies you’re making for your holiday…
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Fridge Cleanout Galette (a.k.a., Any Fruit Galette)
It’s that time of year when I buy more fruit than I can eat. There’s just so much amazing fruit in season…peaches, plums, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries…I try to eat as much as I can. But ultimately I end up with some that’s…shall we say, “overripe”? That’s where this recipe comes from. I took all of the close-to-rotting fruit from my fridge, added some sugar, wrapped it in pastry, and baked it. My friends lovingly refer to this treat as “fridge trash pie,” but I doubt anyone would search for that in Google, so I decided to call it Fridge Cleanout Galette. But you could also call it Any Fruit…
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No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
“Summertime…and the livin’ is easy…” Louis Armstrong had it right…summertime is for easy living (or easy livin’, if you’re Louis). And that extends to baking. Summer is the time for easy, simple desserts that taste great but don’t take a lot of time…and, preferably, ones that don’t require us to turn on the oven. This No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake fits that bill perfectly. A Simple but Delicious Mashup of Two Great Desserts Summer BBQs, picnics, beach days…all require tasty snacks. This no-bake cheesecake is perfect for all of our warm-weather gatherings this summer. This is a mashup of two crazy delicious desserts…key lime pie and cheesecake. It combines the brightness…
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Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie
My living room is lit with twinkling lights, there are Christmas carols playing through the speakers of my record player, and my freezer is full to the brim with Christmas cookies. All sure signs that Christmas is coming soon. Now all that’s left is to plan my holiday meal, and maybe an extra-special treat for dessert. This Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie will fit the bill nicely. Chocolate and Peppermint: A Match Made in Winter Somewhere around the beginning of November, or the first snowfall, or whichever arrives first, my tastebuds undergo a drastic change. They shift from craving pumpkin and cinnamon to a flavor combination that I’ve come to associate…
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Mini Apple Crumble Pies
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It’s my favorite holiday, because the only purpose of it is to gather with loved ones and eat. No presents, no pressure…just good food and good company. When I was growing up, my grandma made the pies (well, she made almost everything really). Every year there was her famous Pumpkin Pie, of course, and usually some kind of apple pie as well. As an adult, I now make my own pies for Thanksgiving. And while I always opt for my grandma’s pumpkin pie for the big day, sometimes I’ll make a second option — either this Maple Pecan Pie or some kind of apple…
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Holiday Gift Guide: My Favorite Pie-Baking Tools
Friends, if you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, it’s time to get on it! Last November I put together a gift guide of my top 12 cookbooks. You all seemed to enjoy it, so this year I’ve got another one for you — my favorite pie-baking tools! Pie Pans First up, pie pans. There are a lot of opinions out there about which material makes the best pie pan. And do you know what? I think they all work great. Here are the ones I use the most. Glass Pie Dishes I have this glass pie dish from Pyrex (top left) and another one from Anchor Hocking (bottom right).…
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Blueberry Hand Pies
I just got back from a few days away in Grand Marais, MN. I spent most of my time next to Lake Superior, walking, reading, writing, eating delicious food, and sipping wine, coffee, and locally-brewed beer. It was glorious. The entire small town hugs the lakeshore, making for the most incredible lake views. It is, hands down, my favorite place in the world. I mean, just look at all of this beauty! Celebrate the Little Things Whenever I’m on vacation, I think a lot about celebration — especially taking time to celebrate the little things in life, like a sunny day, a quiet morning, the sound of birds singing, or…
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Brûléed Maple Latte Cheesecake Pie
As I mentioned in my last post, I’m currently taking an online Creative Baking class through monthly.com. It’s taught by Christina Tosi of Milk Bar, and it’s been so much fun! In the class, we’re baking a few Milk Bar classics, then creating our own bakes with the skills we learn. Our first week was cookies (check out my Popcorn & Hot Chocolate Cookies here!), and the second was pie. Thus, my new favorite pie was born — Brûléed Maple Latte Cheesecake Pie! During cookie week, we had to come up with a cookie that reflected a certain time (a time in our lives, a time of year, a time…
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Caramel Apple Galette
Fall is here in full force, and it is as beautiful as ever. I played hooky from work one day last week to go up the shore with a friend in search of fall colors and beautiful views. We hiked a section of the Superior Hiking Trail near Silver Bay, MN, stopping halfway through to enjoy a picnic lunch of cheese, wine, and Oreos (don’t hate – they’re the best and you know it). The view overlooking Bean and Bear Lakes was unbelievable — 100% worth the effort to get there. Pie Season I haven’t made a single pie yet this fall. I’ve been working on a big and chocolatey…
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Mini Rhubarb Galettes
Oh rhubarb, my rhubarb. I can’t express to you how much I love rhubarb. It fills me with childhood memories of eating the tart crunchy stalks straight from the ground dipped in sugar, and of course of scores of delicious baked goods filled with it. My hands-down favorite way to enjoy rhubarb is in pie form. I love the sweet-tartness of rhubarb filling inside a flaky, buttery crust. There’s just nothing better. These Mini Rhubarb Galettes are as simple as can be – you don’t even need a pie pan. Just roll out buttery dough, pile filling in the center, fold the edges in, bake, and voila! You have personal-sized…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
