use real butter

I finally made pumpkin pie last night after missing one ingredient after another… I think the part I enjoy the most about the pie is making the crust.

The key is to use chilled butter. I have a recipe for sinfully flaky scones that requires chilled chunks of butter in the pastry. When you bake it, all of the butter melts out into the pan in a standing pool of golden fatness. Then, when you take the pan out of the oven, the butter is gone! Well – not quite, it was re-absorbed by the scones and eventually ends up on everyone’s ass.

I prepared a going away dinner for Fiona, who came up to Ned with Jeremy on the 6:10 Ned bus. We are so very sad she’s moving. The more time we spend with her, the more we realize how we shall miss her. The appetizer was artichoke dip, the meal was grilled marinated flank steak, roasted brussels sprouts, potatoes au gratin, a nice Shiraz from SE Oz, and for dessert – carrot cake.

something to do with those damn carrots

To continue with yesterday’s theme of Birthday Boy’s Wishes, I made an Italian Cassata per Jeremy’s request this afternoon once the Subaru and I were both done being poked and prodded. This is the traditional cassata with a twist by way of Marcel Desaulnier’s Death by Chocolate. I have a version of this great recipe book that was signed by Monsieur Desaulnier himself because he is one of the chefs/owners of The Trellis restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg (my old stomping grounds). He is a terrific chef – I even emailed him about doubling recipes from his book for making large sheet spongecakes to serve 40+. His advice worked perfectly. I should note, I don’t use his pastry cream recipe though – I prefer Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Pastry Cream recipe from The Pie and Pastry Bible (or was it The Cake Bible?) – either way, her books are an endless reference for bakers…

make the pastry cream and chop the chocolate (caro dark)

**Jump for more butter**