By now you’ve likely purchased most of your gifts and are preparing for the special time of the year when life seems to slow down a bit and “out of office” messages appear. This is when it makes perfect sense to spend a few extra hours in the kitchen making dishes that will cement memories for years to come.
In my mind, baking naturally requires you to slow down and be in the moment. These four recipes are the perfect excuse to do just that. A quick heads up, the pie crust recipe works perfectly for both the Quiche Lurleen and the Upside Down Apple Pecan Pie. You can find those tasty recipes below.
However you choose to spend your holidays, we are hoping this season is merry and bright for you and yours.
Cream Cheese Pie Crust
This pie crust recipe is incredibly user-friendly. The absence of liquid allows you to mix or knead the dough without fear of over-developing its gluten structure. The cream cheese adds a tangy richness that comes through in the baked pie crust. This crust is more on the tender side than it is flaky.
Once the pie dough is pliable, you’ll only need a tiny sprinkling of flour (mainly on the rolling pin), so you won’t run the risk of having the dough toughen up after absorbing too much excess flour.
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cups pecan halves plus 1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Cream Cheese Pie Dough, or other pie dough for a double-crust pie, both halves rolled into 10-inch rounds
6 Rome apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Sift in the baking powder to ensure there are no lumps.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Add the flour mixture and mix just until the dough comes together.
Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured counter and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until slightly firm, but not hard, 15 to 20 minutes.
To use for two pies, lightly coat two 9-inch tart or pie pans with nonstick cooking spray.
Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Roll each ball of dough into a disc just larger than the circumference of the pans. Line each pan with dough, taking care to trim off the excess. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To use for a double-crust pie, spray only one 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Roll one ball of dough into a disk just larger than the circumference of the pan. Line the pan with dough and fill as directed in the recipe. Roll out the second ball of dough into a 10-inch round and place it on top of the pie. Crimp and cut the dough as directed in the recipe.
Quiche Lurleen
Picture this: It’s Christmas morning and you’re in charge of making breakfast. Don’t you want a recipe that requires little to no effort but delivers? One that’s still a crowd-pleaser? Enter this quiche Lurleen recipe. “Lurleen” is a tongue-in-cheek Southern riff on the classic French quiche Lorraine. While Lorraine is made using Gruyere and bacon, we’ve added cooked collards for Lurleen’s version, as well as swapped in a more neutral blend of Jack cheese and Parmesan. Of course, we had to keep the bacon, and, in fact, we added a bit more than is found in the average Lorraine recipe (It’s the Southern way!)
Ingredients
Crust
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Filling
1 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs, plus two large egg yolks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked collard greens, drained and chopped
8 strips applewood-smoked bacon, cooked and chopped
Instructions
To make the crust: Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with nonstick oil spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Sift in the baking powder and whisk well to ensure there are no lumps.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Add the flour mixture and knead until the dough just comes together.
Remove dough from the bowl and knead on a very lightly floured work surface until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until slightly firm, but not hard, 15 to 20 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a disc just larger than the circumference of the prepared pie plate. Line the pan with dough and crimp or trim the edges as desired. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the dough.
Cover the dough with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is lightly golden and no longer raw, 30 to 40 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights, and place the pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
To make the filling: In a second large bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, yolks, salt and pepper. Add the cheeses, collards and bacon, and stir to combine. Pour into the par-baked crust.
Spray a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick oil spray and lightly cover the quiche. Bake until the filling is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Upside-Down Apple Pecan Pie
This cozy dessert has it all, a rich molasses flavor, copious amounts of brown sugar and mouth-watering sauce made with the help of extra butter. Home-mixed apple pie spice also helps to build flavor and a lighter touch with the pecans makes for a more elegant presentation. We also chose to bake the pie for over an hour to ensure a crisp crust and ultra-tender apples.
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cups pecan halves plus 1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Cream Cheese Pie Dough, or other pie dough for a double-crust pie, both halves rolled into 10-inch rounds
6 Rome apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Use your hands or a rubber spatula to spread the butter across the bottom of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Arrange the pecan halves in the pie plate and gently press into the butter. Sprinkle 2/3 cup of the brown sugar over the pecans and press firmly to adhere to the butter and pecans.
Place one one the rounds of pie dough over the brown sugar and press into the sides of the pie plate. Leave additional overhanging crust in place for now.
Combine the remaining brown sugar with the apples, chopped pecans, lemon juice, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Toss gently to combine. Spoon the apple filling on top of the first layer of pie dough and spread to an even layer. Place the top crust over the apples.
Trim the edges of both layers of pie dough so that there is about 1 inch of crust overhanging. Fold the top layer of crust over the bottom to seal. Crimp the edges, if desired. Cut a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until the apples are tender and the crust is crisp and browned, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Place a large platter over the top of the pie and very carefully flip the pie out onto the platter so that the pecans and sugar syrup are on top. Serve.
Diner-Style Hash Browns
If you’re a fan of Waffle House, you’re sure to love these hash browns topped with American cheese. Feel free to add as many additional toppings as you’d like, but we recommend cooking all of them separately to ensure ultra-crisp potatoes.
Pro Tip: Since you’ll be working with raw potatoes, you’ll want to move pretty quickly in order to make sure your potato ribbons don’t begin to oxidize. No one wants to eat grey-ish-colored hash browns.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 slices American cheese (optional, but recommended)
Sautéed onions (optional; see note)
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Fill a large bowl with cold water. Use the largest holes of a box grater to grate the potatoes directly into the water. Agitate the potatoes to help them release some of their starch. Drain and the refill the bowl with fresh cold water. Repeat the agitating and draining process until the water remains clear. Drain the potatoes and dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel, wringing out as much excess water as possible. Transfer to a large bowl.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the potatoes generously with salt and pepper, then press into the skillet. Let cook without disturbing the skillet until the bottom of the potatoes is golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.
Flip the potatoes out onto an inverted plate, then slide the potatoes, browned side-up, back into the skillet. Place small pieces of the remaining butter around the perimeter of the pan, transfer to the oven, and bake until the bottom is once again browned and crisp, and the center of the potatoes are cooked through. Add the cheese and onions, if desired, and bake until melted and warmed through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Thanks for stepping into the kitchen with me! Have thoughts, questions? I would love to hear from you at [email protected]. Also, you can sign-up for a Southern Kitchen recipe newsletter here and stay in touch with The American South for food content and so much more, here.
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