Nepenthe Pie Dough Recipes

NEPENTHE'S TRIPLE-BERRY PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough (it may need to soften for 5 or 10 minutes first) into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch pie pan, trim any ends hanging over the side, and flute the edge with your thumb. Chill until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• For the filling, wash and hull the strawberries. Cut them in half and place in a large bowl. Add the blackberries and raspberries and toss with the Grand Marnier. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Add to the berries and gently toss.
• For the topping, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, walnuts, and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles small peas. To make by hand, cut the butter into the flour and sugar, using a pastry cutter. Finely chop the walnuts and add in along with the oats.
• Fill the chilled pie shell with the filling and cover thoroughly with the topping. Bake for 1 hour, until bubbling and golden brown on top.

THREE BERRY PIE FROM NEPENTHE

Steps:

• Filling:.
• Defrost frozen berries in a colander to drain excess juice.
• To make crust:.
• With first four ingredients for crust in food processor, pulse until garbanzo bean sized chunks are formed. Bring dough together with cream.
• Chill up to ½ hour, roll out and fit into 10"pie pan, flute edges.
• To make nut topping:.
• Pulse all ingredients in food processor until garbanzo bean sized chunks are formed.
• To prepare pie:.
• Mix filling ingredients together, let sit five minutes, fill in prepared crust, top with nut crumb topping(you may have more topping than you need), covering all berries.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown and bubbling like crazy, 35-45 minutes!

SWEET DOUGH FOR PIES

Steps:

• To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium
• mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Then using your hands or a pastry blender, break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Occasionally reach down to the bottom of the bowl and mix all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse ground corn meal and no large pieces of butter remain visible.
• Beat the egg(s) in a small bowl and pour over the flour and butter mixture. Stir in with a fork until the dough begins to hold together, but still appears somewhat dry. Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
• To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all.
• Add the egg(s) to the work bowl and pulse ten times or so, until the dough forms a ball.
• Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
• Press the dough into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough). Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6 inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.
• Storage: Keep the dough in the refrigerator up to two days, or freeze it doublewrapped in plastic. Because the dough is thin, it will defrost quickly at room temperature when you intend to use it.
• Variations:
• SPICE CRUST:
• Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each freshly grated nutmeg and ground cloves to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter. Double the quantities for the 2 crust recipe.
• COCOA DOUGH:
• Add 2 tablespoons sifted non alkalized cocoa powder to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter. Double the quantities for the 2 crust recipe. If the dough seems dry after adding egg(s), add a teaspoon or two of water, no more.

PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor combine the butter, flour and salt. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture looks like finely grated cheese. Add half of the ice water and pulse again. The mixture should start to come together to form a rough ball; if it still seems dry add the remaining water and pulse until it has formed a rough ball. Remove the mixture from the food processor to a clean work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This can be done a few days in advance.
• When using the dough, remove it from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before using to allow it to soften up a bit. Dust the dough and a work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out evenly in all directions. In between rolls it is a good idea to rotate the dough a quarter of a turn and dust it lightly with flour if it feels tacky. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface and help it to roll out evenly. Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
• Lay the dough in a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. There should be about a 1/2-inch of dough hanging over the sides of the pie plate. If there is more than that, trim it with a sharp pair of kitchen shears. Fold the dough underneath itself around the rim of the pie plate and pinch or crimp into desired shape.
• Fill the dough with desired filling and bake according to the recipe you are using or dock (poke holes all over the dough with a fork) and blind bake. To blind bake: Line the dough with foil and fill with pie weights, raw rice, or dried beans. Bake in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, remove the foil and beans and bake for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the pie shell from the oven and cool. The dough should be golden and crisp. Continue with desired filling.
• Voila!!!

PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter and lard using a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue mixing. Add remaining 3 tablespoons water, one at time, mixing well after each addition, until dough just comes together.
• Turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened discs. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days before using.

NEPENTHE'S FAMOUS AMBROSIA BURGER

Steps:

• Form the meat into four six-ounce balls, and roll in your hand to form together. Lay the balls on a clean flat surface and press flat. The edges of the patties should be cracked and broken, not perfectly smooth. This really enhances flavor.
• The patties must be cooked on a hot open brazier, either over medium hot coals or open gas flame. Turn the burger only once, immediately when you see blood rise to the top. When you see clear juice rise on the cooked side, you've got a perfect medium rare.
• At the last possible minute add cheese, as this slows down cooking time.
• Mix the ingredients fresh for your Ambrosia Sauce. It is very simple, but what a great flavor it adds to your burger.
• Butter the buns before you toast them. When you turn your burgers, toast the buns over the open flame next to your burgers.
• Have fresh lettuce, sliced tomato, onion and thin slices cheddar cheese near by on a plate. Serve and enjoy!

BASIC PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl or in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and cut in or pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. (To "cut in" means to mix cold fat such as butter with dry ingredients to form small pieces.) Pour in the milk. Combine just until the dough holds together in a ball.
• Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and lift the sides toward the middle to press them together. Cut the dough in half. Form each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. If the dough has been refrigerated in advance, remove 15 minutes before using.

FOOLPROOF PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage-cheese curds, and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
• Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

NEPENTHE PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the flour, butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the butter resembles small peas. Drizzle in the cream a little at a time, pulsing until the dough just comes together. Add more cream if needed.
• (To make by hand, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles small peas, using a pastry cutter. Sprinkle with the cream and work the dough together using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.)
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and gently pat it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.