Joy Wilson's Blog, page 88

Deb’s Chocolate Pecan Slab Pie

It’s not that I don’t like a traditional Southern Pecan Pie.  I’m pretty sure the distinction is that I’ve just never had the right Southern Pecan Pie.  

It’s always a problem of proportions.  It’s a problem of what I can only describe as ‘goop’ to crust + nut proportions.  I try to keep my ‘goop’ ratios low in the foods that I eat, unless you’re talking about rice pudding, in which case… I’ll race you to the bottom of the pot.  

The problem… and there actually is no problem at all with Pecan Pie… is the amount of wiggly corn syrup mixture in a standard pie dish.  With just a few cups of pecans, we’re left with an inch and filling wiggle that is just more than I can handle.  

When I crossed paths with Deb’s slab-rendition of a traditional Pecan Pie I knew we’d essentially be creating a candy bar inside of a pie crust and SIGN ME UP, thank you.  Her recipe also calls for a chocolate ganache (twist my arm), and uses maple syrup or golden syrup instead of the popular corn syrup in a lot of today’s pies. 

Added bonus, this pie makes PLENTY so, here we are- suddenly holiday-party-popular! 

This recipe is from Deb’s latest book Smitten Kitchen Every Day which, as I’m sure you know, is fantastic!  

First things first, do you have butter?  Do you have a lot of butter?  Great.  We’re going to need it.  

This recipe comes in three parts.  Yes.  We’re workin’ for this pie.  

Pie Curst will be a familiar combination of flour, sugar, salt, butter, and vvv cold water.

Continue reading Deb’s Chocolate Pecan Slab Pie at Joy the Baker.

Let It Be Sunday, 150!

Hello friends! 

I swear I’ve worn tracks in the space between my kitchen counter, the oven, and the kitchen sink this week.  There’s been a lot of baking- afridge full of pies, racks full of these gingerbread marshmallows, and a lot of flour I need to sweep from the kitchen floor.  I’ve also managed to watch just about every episode of Next Food Network Star which turn out to be excellent motivation during all day + all night baking sessions.

Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 150! at Joy the Baker.

Sparkling Spiced Orange and Lemon Winter Tonics

Hello friends!

Let’s take good care this time of year.  Let’s fill our bodies with goodness in the midst of our holiday run-around.  This is my favorite time of year… mostly because of all the parties that include bourbon and pie – but there must be balance because balance keeps us happy, chill, and from losing our minds at the company holiday party.  (I did that one year and… well, I’m still here to tell the tale but it’s mostly a cautionary tale, ya feel me?) 

There are a few things I do to keep my cool and balance this time of year.  I keep my fridge stocked with vegetables that I’ll snack on (aggressively) before a holiday party.  (I’m notorious for not eating enough at a party.  You too?) I also make it a point (a strong, very important point) to stay hydrated this time of year.  And!  To keep a bright and spicy Winter beverage in the refrigerator for myself and guests.  

We’re making two warming tonics:  Blood Orange and Clove with DASANI Sparkling Blood Orange AND a Spiced Winter Lemonade with DASANI Sparkling Meyer Lemon.  Keeping things bright and juicy.  Getting our vitamins and staying strong and balanced through the end of the year.  Here we go!  

This post is in partnership with DASANI Sparkling Water! 

We’re making two sparkling Winter tonics.  Bring in some vitamin C and spice.  Bring in a hint of sweet and a whole lotta sparkle.  

Here’s what we’ll use: 

•  blood oranges

•  lemons

•  honey and simple syrup

•  Winter spices:  ground and whole cloves, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and fresh ginger.  These spices will warm our insides (hearts and all) this time of year.

Continue reading Sparkling Spiced Orange and Lemon Winter Tonics at Joy the Baker.

Baking 101: How To Make Pie Crust By Hand

Let’s talk about pie crust!  It’s important because hopefully you have a homemade Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie making it’s way to your holiday table this year.  Pies come in a few parts, homemade pie crust, loads of filling, and some sort of topping (crumble of crust) –  but every solid pie starts with a flaky crust.  

Making a pie from scratch can be intimidating.  I know it.  I really do.  I teach people how to make pie crust a lot and I know it’s scary.  I have a tremendous track record.  We’ve got this.  

There are a few tricks to making a flaky pie crust from scratch – believe in yourself (this goes a long way, I swear), keep your fat and your water cold, work fairly quickly, add more water if necessary, and knead gently but confidently.  

Here are some step-by-step photos to walk us through but leave a comment below if you have any burning pie crust questions!  

Others in the BAKING 101 SERIES:  

 Which Oven Rack Should I Use?

Continue reading Baking 101: How To Make Pie Crust By Hand at Joy the Baker.

Let It Be Sunday, 149!

Hello dear friends! A year ago this week I was in the kitchen at the White House, making holiday cookies with Ashley and Molly and oooohhh just the White House Pastry Chef.  Exactly 1 trillion things have happened since that time.  Just all the stuff that makes us cheer and cry, scream and wonder, and hopefully act more generously with our empathy and genuine curiosity for one another. Hopefully.  

I’ve been in San Francisco visiting my maj (a maj is a best friend, a major) this past week.  The skies are bright blue, the air feels easy, we’ve gotten to spend some really sweet and important time together, and as a bonus,  I’ve made a post 10pm webmd self diagnosis that I really think I’m right about. 

Everyday is a winding road.  Sheryl Crow had it right all along.   

Here’s some words from this week:  

•  Medium has a series of essays gathered together as Words That Matter.  There are all sorts of important writers and thinkers who have offered essays to the group including Margaret Atwood, Roxane Gay, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 149! at Joy the Baker.

Gingerbread Dutch Baby

I feel like we’re far enough past pumpkin spice season to really cozy into gingerbread time.   Beyond cookies and breads, we can get gingerbread flavors with a thin battered, fluffy and puffy Dutch Baby pancake.  It’s simple and thank goodness for that. 

A Dutch Baby is a perfect weekend activity because with minimal kitchen efforts, you can have a warm, doughnut-like pancake to hustle over to the couch to enjoy like the world is your own.  

Here’s how we do:  

A Dutch baby, this giant, fluffy, oven pancake is really pretty simple to make.  We’ll start by making a very thin pancake batter, pour it into a very hot cast iron skillet, and finish my slicing very large pieces onto our plates and into our hearts.

Continue reading Gingerbread Dutch Baby at Joy the Baker.

Cincinnati Chili Dinner

Earlier this year I discovered the wonders of a warmly spiced savory meat dish.  It was too long a time coming, but moussaka is in my heart to stay.  

This chili, some of you from Cincinnati are no doubt nodding your head with knowing, is a cinnamon + chili + cumin and clove spiced meat dish served two ways, three ways, or FIVE WAYS: over spaghetti pasta topped with diced white onions, grated cheddar cheese, and kidney beans.  

I’ve seen some of traditional, Mediterranean spiced Cincinnati Chili recipes that also include dark chocolate but this recipe opts out.  I can only go so far where spaghetti and cheddar are involved.  

This recipe bring on opinions.  It’s not often you combine ground cinnamon and ground beef without ruffling a feather or two.  The combination warm and comforting and the spice bring such an unexpected roundness to this hearty chili situation.  

This recipe is from our girl Ree’s latest cookbook Come and Get It!  It’s full of dang comforting home cooking so… so do as the title suggests, ya know? 

Ready for this? 

Here’s the grocery list, laid right out there. 

We’re making a simple chili that’s essentially a spiced meat sauce.  

We’ll need:  

•  ground beef and broth

•  onions and garlic

•  tomato sauce and paste

•  the spices that make this Cincinnati Chili exactly what it is:  chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice

•  vinegar and worcestershire sauce for depth and brightness

•  a big ol bundle of spaghetti pasta, grated cheddar cheese, chopped onions, and kidney beans

In a large Dutch oven we’ll cook down the onions and garlic.  It’s all about layering ingredients and flavor and everything savory and simmered starts with onions and garlic.  Once softened it’s time for ground beef.  

The fat is drained from the cooked beef and hello, hello it’s time for spice!

Continue reading Cincinnati Chili Dinner at Joy the Baker.

Let It Be Sunday, 148!

Hello friends!  It’s December 3rd and we’re off to the races! Or we’re in the races.  That’s more like it… It’s December 3rd and here we are barreling towards the end of the year.  

This time of year invariably has me taking stock of the things I’ve done in the last 11 months, in the last few weeks, in the last five minutes.  The highlights include: publishing my third cookbook this past spring, launching workshops at my space in New Orleans, and eating cold rice with my fingers out of the pot on the stove.  It’s a full life, ya know? 

I’m pushing my dreams out and up this coming year, but before all that… let’s get to Christmas.  

There is all sorts of news that I simply don’t have the bandwidth for as I write this on Saturday night, but here’s what I do have to offer you.  It’s pretty good.  I’m ok.  You’re ok.    

•  If you are a person who has big scary dreams for the upcoming year, I want you to read this.  Big dreams don’t come true because of Instagram followings and unicorn magic, they come true because we dare, we persevere, and we do a million tiny things towards our goal.  A Story of a Big Dream and a Single, Small Step.  Repeat. 

•  Ooohhh this perspective is very thoughtful:  The Friend Who Diagnoses Too Much.

Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 148! at Joy the Baker.

Sweet Potato and Lardon Tacos

There’s not much I won’t put in a tortilla. 

This comes with plenty of early training.  I think I came home from fourth grade and everyday made a peanut butter and jelly ‘sandwich’ in a cold flour tortilla.  It took me a few months to navigate how to keep the precious filling from slipping out the end after biting through the tightly rolled peanut butter burrito.  It took me another few weeks to figure out that tortillas don’t work well in a toaster, but do fair well over the flame of the stove burner.  

But, we’re here to talk about other tortilla things now that I’ve mastered what to put in a tortilla and how to get it in my face. 

Sweet potato and bacon tacos.  They could be dinner, they could be lunch, maybe add some scrambled eggs and call them breakfast.

Continue reading Sweet Potato and Lardon Tacos at Joy the Baker.

Baked Lemon Spinach Risotto

There are some things I do with great ceremony in the kitchen.  Work butter into a pie crust, chop carrots for a soup, butter up a whole chicken for roasting.  It can all be pretty precious. A luxury, really.

Truthfully, I do these same things in a total slap-dash if I’m in a hurry and need the comfort of pie, soup, or crisp chicken skin in a dang hurry.  

Let’s talk about making risotto.  It’s all ceremony.  The simmering broth, the toasting of the rice, the spooning and stirring, spooning and stirring.  I do it well here:  Mushroom and Sausage Risotto.  It’s a dream.

Continue reading Baked Lemon Spinach Risotto at Joy the Baker.