TOAST the NEW YEAR! ~ TOURTIERE / ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE / SCALLOPED SCALLOPS / PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM TORTE

"May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions."

~ Joey Adams

~ Cheers!

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TOURTIERE

~ Traditional French Canadian meat pie

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TRADITIONAL PASTRY FOR TWO LARGE PIES

3 cups unbleached flour
1 cup vegetable shortening like Crisco (lard for the purest)
1 scant tsp. salt
1 large beaten egg
1 Tbsp. vinegar
ice water

Place flour, salt, and shortening in food processor or large bowl. Process with machine or pastry blender until mixture resembles course corn meal. In large glass measuring cup, beat the egg. Add vinegar and enough ice water to equal 1/2 cup. Pour over flour mixture. Blend only until dough holds together in a ball. Shape dough into thick, flat rounds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until easy to handle (about 1 hour).

Note: Skip the ABOVE and head for the refrigerated section at the market. Purchase Pillsbury Pie Crusts ... unroll (dust with 1 Tbsp. flour), spread into pie pan, flute, fill and bake. Not as good as above but ...

FILLING
(for deep dish)

3 pounds freshly (twice ground) lean pork ~ fresh ham or loin is best
1 large chopped Spanish or sweet onion
2 plump cloves minced garlic
3 medium potatoes ~ peeled, boiled and mashed
2 heaping Tbsp. summer savory
1 heaping Tbsp. thyme
1 heaping Tbsp. poultry seasoning
1 heaping tsp. sage
1 heaping tsp. cracked pepper
1 tsp. Lawrey's seasoned pepper
1/2 tsp. coarse salt

Saute pork in large heavy skillet over medium high heat. When brown, drain fat, reserving 2 Tbsp. Add onion and garlic and continue cooking until wilted. Season with herbs, pepper and salt. Add mashed potatoes which should absorb any remaining liquid. Mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

Place filling in prepared rolled out and positioned pie crust. Top with crust, flute and cut in venting slits. (Idea: Turkey slits for Thanksgiving, Christmas Tree slits, date slits of New Year). Brush with egg wash (1 beaten egg plus 1 Tbsp. water).

Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving or freeze when cooled. (Thaw before reheating in 325 degree oven about 40 minutes. Cover gently with foil if crust becomes too brown.) Serve with Traditional Cranberry Sauce. (serves 6-8)

~ this recipe has been gently adapted from the original that dates back several generations.

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ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE

12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
grated zest from oranges

Rinse cranberries and pick off stems. Combine sugar and orange juice in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Add cranberries and zest and boil gently until cranberries begin to pop, about 7 minutes.

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SCALLOPED SCALLOPS (or oysters)

2 1/2 pounds Bay scallops
1/4 pound sweet butter
2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 cup medium cream
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cracker crumbs, bread crumbs and parsley. Toss lightly. Sprinkle layer of buttered crumbs mixture into oval quart baking dish. Top evenly with scallops.
Mix together cream and mustard. Pour evenly over scallops. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly.

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PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM TORTE

Bake your favorite brownie recipe according to directions. (Hard to beat GHIRARDELLI TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWIES PREMIUM MIX) When cool, press into PAM sprayed springform pan, reserving a few crumbles for the top. Spoon in 1 half gallon premium peppermint ice cream. Top with reserved crumbled brownies.