"Raisin" Sour Cream Pie

So I was really really wanting a Banana Cream Pie the other night. There was just one problem. I'm allergic to bananas. So, I started considering what other type of cream pie I could make. I wasn't in the mood for Chocolate Cream Pie, but in more of a vanilla mood. Coconut was an option, but not exactly what I wanted. Of course, Banana was exactly what I wanted. Finally, I stumbled across a Raisin Sour Cream Pie recipe. I've always really wanted to like Raisin Sour Cream Pie, but those pesky raisins just got in my way. I really don't like raisins. Suddenly, I had an epiphany. Just leave the raisins out. Duh. I couldn't believe I've never thought of this before. So, I gave it a shot. The result? Pure, vanilla cream bliss.


With just a touch of sour cream tang. Yum yum yum. I will be turning to this pie for all future cream pie cravings. I love how the filling set up just enough to still be smooth and creamy, but not so much that it was a solid custard. The mild homemade whipped cream on top really accented the sour cream flavor as well.


Simply Sour Cream Pie (adapted from this recipe)

• ⅔ cups Sugar
• ½ cups Flour
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2-½ cups Whole Milk, Divided
• 3 whole Egg Yolks
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• ¾ cups Mini Marshmallows
• ¾ cups Sour Cream
• 1 whole Pre-baked Pie Crust, 9 Inch
• 1-½ cup Sweetened Whipped Cream For Garnish

Mix the sugar, flour, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in approximately 1/3 – 1/2 cup of the cold milk to make a roux. Set aside.

Bring the rest of the milk to a boil in a 1 quart saucepan on medium-high heat stirring frequently. Stir in the roux with a wire whip. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly with a wooden paddle or spoon. Remove from heat.

Temper the egg yolks by stirring a small amount of the hot mixture into the yolks. Then, stir the yolk mixture quickly into the custard with a wire whip and mix thoroughly. Put back on the heat and bring just to a bubble. Remove from heat and add the butter, and vanilla.

Stir the marshmallows into the custard. When the marshmallows have melted, add the sour cream to the custard.

Pour the custard mixture into the pre-baked pie crust and refrigerate until cool (at least 3-4 hours). Top with sweetened whip cream when ready to serve.

Ribbon Cake

So, I saw this cake on the i am baker blog and just fell in looove with it. It's so elegant and simple and classy and beautiful! Anyway, I decided I was going to make one. I bought a decorating tip, and decided to make it for the church potluck tomorrow. A bit fancy, I know, but hey, everybody can use a little extra fancy in their lives, right? : )

I used i am baker's buttercream and chocolate cake recipes. I haven't actually tasted the cake yet, so I don't know how it turned out, but the buttercream was nice. Very easy to work with and good for decorating. She also suggests pouring some simple syrup over the tops of the cakes to help them stay moist and freezing the layers for an hour as soon as they come out of the oven.Anyway, I made the cakes (which fell, of course...I still haven't figured out how to make cakes in this darn altitude...) and frosting and put on the crumb coat.


It was looking quite promising, and I was rather excited that things were working out. There was still the lovely dip right in the middle, but I figured the roses would cover that up.


So, I was really excited to get started on the pretty roses, and I got my frosting bag all set and got ready to pipe...and I totally had the wrong tip. I'm not sure what was wrong, but it came out...very, very wrong. I couldn't find a "1M" tip at the store, so I just bought something that I thought looked right...which was apparently not. Sigh. How disappointing. Anyway, I just decided to try something else. But one of these days I'll make my rose cake!!


I decided to do the ruffle cake on her site (the pink, Martha Stewart one.) It didn't come out nearly as pretty as hers, but it was really fun, and I loved the process. :)


I think I could really get into cake decorating! It's just a blast! If only I can figure out the whole altitude problem...

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl Scones

I've been on a bit of a cinnamon sugar kick lately. I tried to make cinnamon sugar bread, but that failed (I blame you, altitude...)
So, instead, I made Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl Scones. Good decision. Very good decision. They were absolutely delightful. And so very, very easy to make. The cinnamon balances very nicely with the sweetness of the scones, and the brown sugar adds just a bit of depth to the flavor profile. They work wonderfully with coffee for breakfast, after dinner as a light dessert, or with some milk for a late night snack.



Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl Scones

• 1 whole Large Eggs
  
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
  
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 cups Flour
• ½ cups Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 6 Tablespoons Cold Salted Butter, Diced
• 1/4-1/2 stick of melted butter
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• cinnamon for sprinkling
  

Preheat the oven to 375° F. In a medium bowl, combine 1 egg, cream, and vanilla; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and mix on medium speed until well blended. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Dust the counter with a bit of flour. Dump the batter on the floured counter. Knead about 7 or 8 times into a ball. Add a bit of flour if it’s too sticky. Flatten into a rectangle, about an inch thick. Brush with melted butter, until the rectangle is covered evenly (you may not need an entire 1/2 stick of butter.) Sprinkle generously with cinnamon, then with brown sugar. Roll rectangle into a log, tucking in ends to keep in the filling. Slice into about one inch slices. Place the slices on the baking sheet 2-inches apart. Brush tops with cream. Bake about 15 minutes or until an inserted tooth pick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.