Appetizer #1 - Potpourri Cheese

 The Year of Appetizers

Number One: Potpourri Cheese

    This recipe is in my second printing copy of The Good Housekeeping Cookbook, published in 1963. All I can say is this definitely is a 1960's era dip.  The consistency I ended up with was like a Pimento Cheese. I didn't know what to expect over all, but I think it tasted fine and I was good with the consistency (I just kept mixing until I liked it).  I am hoping that it tastes good after sitting covered in the refrigerator. You know that some things just taste better after the flavors have had a chance to "settle"? I am curious to see how it tastes on Tuesday.  I made this for my church ladies group potluck on Tuesday, so I will report back on how they like it (or not) and if I like it better after the flavors have "settled".  The original recipe says you can keep this in covered jars and that it keeps for weeks.  I tried it out on some crackers. I'm not sure that I would make this again, but I am glad I tried it (that is the goal of this blog; to try out recipes from my collection of cookbooks). You may like it a bit more than I did.  My notes in italics. 

Ingredients:

12 oz beer

1 1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 lb crumbled blue cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

2 tbsp butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp Tabasco (I didn't have Tabasco, so I used the hot sauce I had on hand)

crackers for serving

Directions:

Open beer and let stand. Mix cheeses, salt and mustard. Blend in butter, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Add beer slowly, with an electric hand mixer, until creamy. Store in a covered jar or dish. Makes about 5 cups. Serve as a dip with crackers or you could possibly use this as a sandwich spread. I am intrigued by the thought of making a grilled cheese sandwich using this in the middle.

The mixing did not go easily. After mixing the butter, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, cheeses, salt and mustard, I used my mixer, but I was making a mess, so I ended up using my potato masher to blend the ingredients a little better and then I used my hand mixer on medium to high until I was "happy" with the consistency. It is creamy, but with little chunky bits.  I think the consistency is a lot like that of Pimento Cheese. I tested this with butter crackers and it was fine. Even though this has not been my favorite recipe, you might like it! So, if you try it, let me know what you think.  

Potpourri Cheese 

Potpourri Cheese 

The Year of Pie

 The Year of Pie

    Well, this was a fun year. I discovered that I have problems with cream pies. Most of my cream pies didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped; it was the too soft consistency of the filling. I learned that I am still no better at pie crusts than I was at the beginning of the year, but I had fun trying. I made one pie (Peanut Pie) twice; once for the blog and once for my church ladies' group and found several that I really liked. I made both savory dinner pies and sweet dessert pies. I wanted a mix of flavors/fillings and crusts. I feel I succeeded with that goal. Most were pastry crusts, but there are a few graham cracker/cookie crusts. On tap for next year's blog theme is "Appetizers".  Follow along as I make at least two appetizers a month next year. It's going to be interesting!

My top five favorite pies in order are:

#1 - Chocolate Brownie Pie (Pie #24)

#2 - Bacon Cheese Pie (Pie #10)

#3 - Peanut Pie (Pie #1) 

#4 - Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie (Pie #14)

#5 - Pork and Tater Pie (Pie #3)

Honorable Mentions: Sweet Potato Praline Pie (Pie #20), Buttermilk Pie (Pie #2), To Die For Chocolate Chip Pie (Pie #7), Lemon Icebox Pie (Pie #19)

 

Pie Number 24 - Chocolate Brownie Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 24 - Chocolate Brownie Pie    

    This final pie in the Year of Pie is in the 1967 Betty Crocker's Pie Parade. The recipe says that it is a "rich, chocolatey version of pecan pie", but it didn't occur to me that it was actually going to turn out like it did with two separate layers; a pecan pie type layer on the bottom and brownie layer on top. This pie was easy. I recommend melting the butter and chocolate first, so it can cool a bit before mixing it with the other ingredients. The original recipe says to melt the chocolate and butter together over hot water; you can do this with either a double boiler or by adding the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl, fitted snugly onto a pan with hot water in it. I don't think it's really necessary, because as long as you heat on low, your butter and chocolate won't burn. Remove from heat and cool while you make the crust. 

I made this in a 9-inch pie pan. The pie "puffs" up while baking and you don't want the liquid filling to spill out when transferring to the oven. I thought the 9-inch pie pan was perfect. Finally, the recipe calls for pecan halves. I used chopped pecans, If you have chopped walnuts, that would work well also. 

    I made this pie for my New Year's Eve dessert. I served it with a nice dollop of whipped cream and a shaving of dark chocolate for decoration. This pie was really good. If you like brownies and if you like pecan pie, you really need to try this pie, because it was a delicious combination of the two. 

Ingredients:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons butter (I used unsalted)

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

3/4 cup chopped pecans (a good substitute would be walnuts)

9-inch pie shell (make your own or use store bought pastry)

dark chocolate bar (optional for decoration)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a pan on low, melt butter and chocolate. Prepare pie crust and line pie pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and corn syrup, until just mixed (I used a hand mixer). Add the cooled chocolate mixture (If your chocolate mixture is too warm, it could cook the egg and you don't want that) and blend on low until well incorporated. Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts. Pour filling into prepared pie pan. Bake until set. Remove from oven and cool. Serve while still slightly warm or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream. Shave chocolate over top for decoration.

Chocolate Brownie Pie