Happiness is π (Chicken pot & Chocolate-Bottom Pumpkin to be specific)

First and foremost, I recently recognized that I’ve been the worst English Major ever on this blog because not once have a cited a single source. So, starting here and now, I’m citing all my sources (pinky-swear!).

Chicken Pot Pie
from Let’s Bake: The Robin Hood ‘No Sift’ Way

Ingredients:
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
3 cups cooked chicken
1 1/2 cup diced cooked potatoes
1 cup sliced cooked carrots
1/2 cup cooked peas
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
5 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Crust (Single Crust Plain Pastry)
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp shortening
2-3 tbsp cold water

 

Directions:

1. Combine chicken and vegetables in well-greased 1 1/2-quart casserole (I just used a pie pan; I usually make a double batch since we LOVE our pie!)
2. Melt butter in saucepan.
3. Add flour (not sifted), salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Add chicken stock gradually. Stir constantly.
5. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Stir constantly.
6. Pour over chicken and vegetables.

CRUST

1. Spoon flour (not sifted) into dry measuring cup. Level off and pour measured flour into bowl.
2. Add salt to flour (not sifted). stir to blend.
3. Cut in half or shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal, then remaining shortening until particles are the size of small peas.
4. Add water a little at a time, mixing lightly with a fork.
5. Shape dough into firm ball with hands.
6. Roll out to 12-inch circle on lightly floured cloth-covered board.
7. Trim edge with decorative cutter and float pastry on chicken mixture or place pastry over chicken mixture and trim 1 inch wider than casserole (or pie pan).
8. Cut slits in top for steam to escape.
9. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes.

No-Bake Chocolate-Bottom Pumpkin Tart (Not technically a pie, but still baked in a pie pan)
from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz

Ingredients:
Tart Dough
1 cup call-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 stick (6 tbsp) cold butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Bottom
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz bittersweet chocolate (8 tbsp chocolate chips)

Pumpkin Filling
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted, for drizzling, optional (We skipped the chocolate—crazy, I know—and made whipped cream out of the left over heavy cream, i just added powered sugar and vanilla to taste, then whip, whip, whipped!)

Directions:

TART

1. Place flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor (or kitchenaid, or just beat it!) and pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour and pulse about 15 times until the mixture resembles coarse yellow meal. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla and pour over the flour mixture. Toss with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to stick together. Knead very briefly to form a cohesive mass and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 3 days.
3. Preheat oven to 425. On a generously floured surface (and with a generously floured roller), roll out disk—top the disk with flour—to an 11-inch circle. Tart dough is hard to roll out, but this is a very forgiving dough, especially if your use margarine instead of butter. Simply gather up the torn dough, re-flour the work surface, briefly kneed the dough into a ball, and roll it out again. Fit the dough into a 9-inch tart (or pie) pan. If the dough breaks, you can patch it by gluing extra scraps with a bit of water. Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork, line with aluminum foil, and fill with beans or pie weights (if you don’t have either, stick another pan in; just be SUPER careful when taking it out. I broke mine a little bit.). Bake for 20 minutes or until the dough is dry and set. Remove the foil (CAREFULLY!!) and weights, reduce heat to 350, and bake another 7 to 10 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool.

CHOCOLATE BOTTOM

1. Place chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds. Stir until smooth and pour into the bottom of the tart shell. Cool until set (Stick it in the fridge).

PUMPKIN FILLING

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, spices, and heavy cream (no we’re not making little girls) in a medium saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until hot but not bubbly (I had to keep testing it with my finger to see when it was hot). Whisk the eggs with the cornstarch and add to the pan. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.
2. Pour the cooled filling into the tart shell and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. if desired, drizzle melted chocolate on top. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with whipped cream!

Notes: We love any excuse to eat pie; like π day (3.14)!