Tiramisu Cheesecake for Kevin

Tiramisu Cheesecake for Kevin

I've never been a huge fan of Tiramisu.  Pudding-like textured desserts and the thought of soggy ladyfingers always make me pick something else.  UNTIL NOW!!  So if you typically are not a fan of Tiramisu either….KEEP READING!

If I know one thing about my friend Kevin, it is that he loves Tiramisu.  So for his birthday I set out to find a cheesecake recipe that would incorporate the flavors of a traditional Tiramisu.  From the beginning this recipe was a challenge.  I originally found it on Pinterest, but someone had “pinned” it without a valid link.  With every new social media that comes along, so do some simple, common-sense tips for using said new social media.  It is always best to pin from an original site and not repin all the time, but if you insist on re-pinning  please make sure there is a valid link to follow.  This recipe was ALL OVER Pinterest, but the majority of the pins had no valid link.  Okay, hopping off my soapbox now and getting back to the story!

After some additional web searches, I found this recipe included here. But all of my problems were not over.   First, and foremost, the very first thing you will notice is that the picture shows a beautiful piped frosting, yet no recipe was included.  Second, unless you have done extensive research about ladyfingers, the simple “1 (12 ounce) package ladyfingers” is very misleading. And last but not least, Tiramisu has coffee AND rum flavors, yet I couldn't find any rum in the recipe anywhere.

Ready for a challenge, I set out to make a Tiramisu Cheesecake that would be to die for.

Let’s talk about ladyfingers.  I couldn't wrap my head around how the soft bread-like ladyfingers would make an appropriate cheesecake crust; I knew I needed something with a graham-cracker-like texture, not bread.  But little did I know that there are two kinds of ladyfingers!! Soft bread-like ladyfingers (found in most bakery sections of finer grocery stores) and a cookie-like version found on the cookie aisle.  When I found these Balocco Savoiardi Ladyfingers, I knew I had what I needed.  They are a soft cookie that you can easily crush into fine crumbs either using your fingers or by placing them in a Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin to crush them.  The original recipe called for 1 (12 ounce) package of ladyfingers.  I bought 2  (7 ounce packages); each package has two sleeves of ladyfingers in it, so I used 1 and a half packages of ladyfingers (or 3 sleeves) to equal almost the 12 ounces.

To solve the problem about there being no rum flavor in the cheesecake, I decided I would let the cheesecake have all the coffee flavor and I would focus on making the frosting incorporate the rum flavor,  thus solving two of my three problems. Now I have the rum flavor AND a frosting to pipe around the edges!

And lastly, the original recipe does not instruct you to use a water bath while baking your cheesecake.  Bake(r)ing tip: always, always, ALWAYS use a water bath when baking cheesecake.  I have not used it before when a recipe doesn't call for it, thinking that “maybe this recipe doesn't require it” and I have been wrong! So just trust me on this one and always use a water bath.  It’s simple to do; just cover the bottom of your springform pan with foil up the sides so that no water can get in around the bottom.  Then place your springform pan in the middle of a roasting pan and add boiling water to about halfway up the side of your pan.  The steam that the boiling water creates while the cheesecake is baking will keep it moist and will keep the cheesecake from cracking on the top.

This cheesecake is an incredibly rich mix of coffee and rum flavors that will satisfy all Tiramisu Lovers’ taste buds and have them wanting more.

~Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

12 ounces ladyfingers – I used 3 sleeves of Balocco Savoiardi brand

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur- I used Kahlua

For the Cheesecake:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur- again, Kahlua

1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

For the frosting:

½ cup butter, softened

About 3 cups powdered sugar

3-4 TBLS rum- I used Appleton Estate brand

1 tsp. vanilla powder

Cheesecake Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Crush the ladyfingers to fine crumbs. Mix the melted butter into the crumbs. Moisten with 2 tablespoons of the coffee liqueur. Press into a 9 inch springform pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar until very smooth. Add 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, and mix. Add the eggs and the flour; mix SLOWLY until just smooth. The consistency of the mascarpone can vary. If the cheesecake batter is too thick, add a little cream. Do not over mix at this point. Pour batter onto crust.

Place the springform pan in a broiling pan and add boiling water about up to the middle of the springform pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set. Open oven door, and turn off the heat. Leave cake to cool in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely. Cover with a clean dish towel and refrigerate overnight. Prior to serving, grate the semi-sweet chocolate (I used my lemon zester to make very fine chocolate shavings) over top and pipe with frosting.  I used chocolate-covered coffee beans in the middle of each “frosting mound”

Frosting Directions:

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.  Add rum and vanilla, beating until blended.  Gradually add remaining powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.  You want a light smooth frosting, but it needs to be thick enough to hold its shape.  Place frosting in a piping bag and pipe around the edges of the cheesecake. I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe the frosting.   Return to the refrigerator until time to serve.

For next time:

The only thing I am going to do differently next time; I am going to frost a very thin layer of frosting over the entire cheesecake before adding the chocolate shavings and piped icing. That way, every bite will have a hint of the rum frosting in it! 

Happy Bake(r)ing!! 

Happy Kevin

Andrew's Red Velvet Layered Cheesecake

Andrew’s Red Velvet Layered Cheesecake

About six years ago an acquaintance asked me if I had a Red Velvet Cake recipe.   Until then I had never heard of a Red Velvet Cake, and since then they are everywhere!  You can’t turn around without seeing or reading something about Red Velvet!  This is also how my Bake(r)ing  got its name. 

My friend Andrew posted a link on Facebook one day to the most beautiful cake I had ever seen.  He didn't elaborate; he just simply posted the link with a very simple “yumm” in the comments.  Of course I followed the link to see what all the fuss was about, and found this cake recipe.    I give all the credit to Erin at erinsFOODfiles for this recipe as I haven’t changed a single thing (except I use vanilla powder), and thank her for her step-by-step detailed instructions and giving me the courage to try it. 

I immediately knew that I had to make this for Andrew for his birthday, and I filed it away in the back of my mind until his birthday got a bit closer.   As August of that year (2010) approached, I started obsessing over the recipe.  I read it and re-read it until I about had it memorized.  I was scared to death to try it.  I had made a cheesecake before with good results, but I had never made a layered cake, and honestly, all the talk about Bake Even strips and using a cake leveler had me a bit worried.   Little did I know I had nothing to fear.   I used professional baker’s grade Winco 10x3 cake pans that I purchased at Costco and a 10-inch springform pan, and the cakes baked perfectly flat with no leveling required, and the cheesecake was the exact right size and did not need trimmed. 

I always make this cake over the course of two days.  The first day I make the cheesecake so it can freeze and the next day I make and assemble the cake.  On the day that Andrew and his wife Lorraine were coming for dinner, I posted on Facebook that I was Bake(r)ing a cake for a friend (with a link to the cake, so he would know).  I was just being clever with my last name at the time, but the name stuck and I have since been doing a lot of Bake(r)ing.

I have now made this cake countless times.  I have never changed anything except the color of the frosting as you will see in one of the pictures, and once I tried making it purple and gold for my Son’s birthday;  I've included a picture of that as well, but I won’t be doing that again.  Chocolate can turn red with no fuss, but does not turn purple as easily, as you can see by the picture. 

As far as taste… where do I start?  Erin says it best and it is true: this cake gets RAVE reviews every time it is made!!  I have sold it for $100+ (more than once) at school auctions!  The red velvet is a perfect combination of sweet, tangy, light and fluffy, while the cheesecake is oh so rich and moist.  And who can resist a cream cheese frosting?  I think my favorite part of this cake is that every single component of it could stand alone in taste, yet when you add them all together they become….well, heaven on a plate!!

Do yourself and your special valentine a favor and don’t be afraid to make this cake right away.

~Enjoy

Ingredients:

For the cheesecake:

1 1/4 pounds bar cream cheese (20 oz), room temperature (2 ½ blocks of cream cheese)

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

For the cake:

2 1/2 c. cake flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 TBSP cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 c. buttermilk

2 TBSP (1 oz.) red food coloring

1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use vanilla powder from here)

1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:

12 oz. cream cheese, softened (1 ½ blocks of cream cheese)

12 oz. butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (again, I always use vanilla powder)

3 c. confectioners' sugar

1 bar white or dark chocolate (Optional for decoration), I use Seattle Chocolates

Directions:

For cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.

Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour the filling in a 10”springform pan; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely.  At this point, I cover the cheesecake lightly with a clean dish towel and place in the refrigerator for a few hours.  Then I remove the sides of the springform pan and wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured (I use Pam Baking spray)  10" round cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, and then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.

Frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

Assembly:

Place bottom layer on cake stand. Remove cheesecake from freezer, unwrap, and remove from metal bottom, then peel off parchment paper. Place cheesecake layer on top of the bottom layer of the red velvet cake. If the cheesecake is wider than the cake, and it is necessary to trim it, wait approximately 10 minutes for the cheesecake to soften, and then trim it with a knife. Place top layer of cake on top of the cheesecake, and coat with a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to act as the crumb coat. Be careful not to get any red velvet crumbs in the bowl of frosting! Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes, and then frost with as much of the remaining frosting as necessary. Top with shaved white chocolate and/or shaved dark chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This cake doesn't have to stay in the fridge until IMMEDIATELY before serving, so don't worry if you have a 30 minute lapse between the refrigerator and serving.)

Happy Andrew

The one that I tried to make purple and gold for my Son

My Daughter's bridal shower cake

Cranberry Orange Cheesecake

While standing in line at the supermarket a couple years ago, I noticed a beautiful picture of a cheesecake on the cover of Cooking Light.  Picking up the magazine to find the recipe inside, one glance and I knew that it would never work.  Who wants a “Light” Cheesecake?  Not I!  J   I bought the magazine anyway, because the recipe did have one component that I wanted to use.  Taking the idea, I knew I already had the perfect cheesecake recipe (Martha Stewart’s Classic Cheesecake Recipe) that I could use and incorporate the cranberry swirl.   Doing so, I made up my very first cheesecake recipe.

“Cheesecake Night” – a night I schedule in advance, for which I make an abundance of cheesecakes and hopefully invite enough friends over to try them all, without leaving any leftovers-- was last Friday night, and out of the four cheesecakes there that night, this one was voted everyone’s favorite.  I think because it does indeed have a true slightly sweet flavor of an original cheesecake, yet is a bit tangy because of the cranberries.

Just in time for Christmas, literally.    ~Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!

Crust:

1 ½ cups Oreo crumbs

¼ cup butter, melted

Cheesecake:    

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe above; omitting the crust and halving the recipe

1 ¼ pounds cream cheese (20 oz.) room temperature

¾ cup sugar

½ tsp. finely-grated lemon zest, plus ½ TBS fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp. coarse salt

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

Optional: 1 tsp. powdered vanilla (my secret ingredient)

Cranberry Swirl

1 ½ cups fresh cranberries

½ cup sugar

¼ cup Orange Liqueur (Patron Citronge)

3 TBS water

Preheat oven to 325. Set a kettle of water to boil.  Place a 9-inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.  Securely wrap foil around pan.  Grease pan and set aside.

In a food processor, pulse Oreos (about 20) until you have the needed 1 ½ cups fine cookie crumbs.  Combine cookie crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of the springform pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl.  Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy.  Beat in lemon zest, juice, salt, and vanilla (if using).  Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition.  Beat in sour cream.  Pour over prepared crust.

Place cranberries, sugar, liqueur, and water in a saucepan; boil.  Cook 8 minutes or until cranberries pop and mixtures is syrupy.  Cool 20 minutes.  Place mixture in a food processor; process 1 minute or until smooth.   Spoon about 6 dollops of cranberry sauce on top of cheesecake.  You can use as much or as little of the sauce as you wish.  I typically use about ¾ of the amount.  Swirl together using the tip of a knife.  Again, you can swirl as much or as little as you wish to get the look you desire.

Place springform pan in a roasting pan and add about an inch of the boiling water.  Bake until center is just set, about 45-50 minutes.  Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes.  Run a knife around edge; let cool completely.  Chill overnight.

~Enjoy

War Cake

My friend Margaret has been on the search for THE perfect chocolate cake.  It got me thinking about cakes I have made in the past and I think I quite possibly have the best chocolate cake recipe already.

Again, this recipe comes from the five years we lived in Alturas, California.  It was given to me by my friend Lori.  I had never heard of a War Cake before, although I had never really had a reason to think about it.  The cake recipe itself uses no eggs, butter, or milk and originates from the WWII era when those items were rationed, hence the name: War Cake

This cake is so quick and easy and only uses one bowl.  I don’t even use a mixer.   You will want to just stir it gently by hand until all ingredients are well blended, as over-beating can make it a bit “tough”.

Incredibly rich and moist and sure to satisfy even the most intense chocolate craving. Make sure you have a big glass of milk standing by!

And this close to Thanksgiving, I am ever thankful that today we don’t have to worry about food rations.

 ~Enjoy!

War Cake

1 ½ C. flour

1 C. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

3 Tbs. cocoa

Stir dry ingredients together.

Add:  6 Tbs. oil

         1 tsp. vanilla

         1 Tbs. vinegar

1 C. water

Add liquid ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients all at once and mix by hand just until blended.

Bake in a greased 8x8” pan at 350 for 35 minutes. 

This recipe easily doubles; bake in a 9x11” pan if doubling.

Frosting:  (if you wish)

½ C. butter- soft

2 C. powdered sugar          

2 Tbs. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

4 Tbs. ½ & ½ 

A Recipe Can Take Me Back

They say a song can take you back. For me, so can a recipe.  I can still remember (and yes, this was about 35 years ago) many of the sights, smells and sounds of a Vacation Bible School I attended as a child at my favorite church ever, the church I attended with my Grandpa and Grandma.  I would sit on my Grandma’s lap looking at all the stones in her mother’s ring, but that is a story for another time.  At Vacation Bible School that year we made one of those nifty recipe holders that you make by putting plaster in a hairspray can lid and sticking a fork in the middle of the plaster to hold your recipe. 

The memory of this recipe also takes me back to my mother’s kitchen when I was a young teenager, tearing her recipe box, books, and the cupboard she kept them in apart, looking for the recipe from Vacation Bible School that we seemed to have lost along the years.  Mind you, this was before we all had computers and Google.  Back then you didn't just hop on over to the internet and search for the recipe; you had to accept the fact that you had lost it. 

Now jump to Alturas California.  We lived there for five years and had the most amazing friends and church family.  We had a tradition in our church when families moved away to make them a scrapbook.  We would each take one page of the scrapbook and include a photo of our family; memories of times spent with them, and of course, a recipe or two.   On one of the occasions when a family was moving away, and we were all working on our scrapbook pages for them, I received a phone call from a friend asking if I would be able to help her make her page.  Of course I said yes, and soon we were sitting at my kitchen counter with all my scrapbook papers, stickers, and rubber stamps scattered around us working on her page.  When she showed me her recipe that she brought to include on her page, I just started to cry and jump up and down shrieking with excitement.  There in my hands was the recipe from Vacation Bible School that I had lost so, so many years before.  Thank you, Kelly Larsen, for reuniting me with my long-lost recipe!

Now you may laugh when you see this recipe.  The easiest, simplest, no-bake recipe you have ever seen!  So maybe this recipe is more about the story and the memories than the recipe itself.  And I am quite sure the story behind it is why I got a bit miffed when an acquaintance once asked me for the recipe and then days later posted it on Facebook as her own!  So I give this to all of you today….just remember where it came from!   Please!

~Enjoy

Peanut Butter Balls

1 c. peanut butter

¼ c. honey

½ c. powdered milk

1 c. instant oatmeal

½ c. tiny chocolate chips

        sesame seeds

Mix all ingredients except sesame seeds.  Form into small balls & roll in sesame seeds. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours)  I always double the recipe.  We are a divided family, my son doesn't like sesame seeds, so I always make 1/2 with and 1/2 without. 

Currently, this is the only picture I have. Every year  my dear friend Margaret helps me make 12, yes I said 12 batches of these for the 30 Robotics students I need to keep fed during a three day Robotics event.  

Sharon Bennett's Pumpkin Bars

Do you ever call a recipe by the name of the person that you received it from?  I do.  Betty Brewer's Cream Cheese Foldovers, Margaret Smith's Biscotti, Shawn Miklautsch’s  Raspberry Shortbread Cookies, Ellen Jones's Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mom’s Marriage Meatballs and today's recipe, Sharon Bennett's Pumpkin Bars.  So many recipes are special to me because of the people I got them from.  Calling the recipe by their name is just my little way of remembering them and their friendship as I bake.  I also don't actually consider the recipe "mine", while I may have acquired it years ago; I still consider it theirs and like to give them the credit for it.

Sharon was a woman whose home I cleaned for about four years.  I love the people I clean for, I couldn't do it otherwise.  I end up knowing about their children, their grandchildren, likes, dislikes and about their lives.  Sharon passed away last year and I miss my visits with her but enjoyed thinking about her today as I baked these pumpkin bars.

A quick and easy recipe, and one of the few things I bake that I have a terrible time not going back for more and more and more.  They will be so good with coffee in the morning!!  So make with caution, but as always…   ~Enjoy

Sharon Bennett’s Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

¾ cup vegetable oil

1- 15 oz. can pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

¾ tsp. EACH- ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

Beat eggs; add oil, sugar and pumpkin.  Combine flour, spices, baking powder & soda.  Mix into pumpkin mixture.  Pour into a greased & floured 10” x 15” pan (I use a 9” x 13” glass Pyrex)  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.   Let cool before frosting.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1- 8 oz. pkg cream cheese

2 TBS butter

1 ½ tsp. milk (or ½ & ½)

½ tsp. vanilla (of course I double that!)

¾ tsp. orange zest

Powdered sugar (about 2 cups)

Beat all ingredients together adding powdered sugar until the frosting in the consistency that you like. 

Frost pumpkin bars and enjoy!  

The Beginning- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I decided if I was going to start a blog about baking, it had to start with where baking started for me.

I hadn't known my husband very long before I knew his favorite pie is Strawberry Rhubarb.  Well that’s great; I had never made a pie in my life.  This was not something I jumped right into. We had been married about 5 years before I ever attempted to make one for him.  We lived in Alturas, California at the time.  Have you ever lived in the middle of nowhere? It makes you feel like a brave pioneer that can do anything, so I set my mind to learning how to make a pie.  My friend Ellen was very “domestic” so I asked her for some tips.  Turns out her mother used to make pies and sell them, so I figured this was going to be some good advice!! Her main tips were: use the coldest and least amount of water possible while making your pie crust. Don’t over handle the crust. Use a fork to make A LOT of holes in the crust. Use more flour than the recipe calls for so the flour/sugar mixture is thicker. Put a layer of your flour/sugar mixture on the bottom to keep your crust from getting soggy.   So with that amount of information alone, I grabbed my Betty Crocker Cookbook that we had received as a wedding gift and got to work.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have made this pie since that first time.  But I can tell you, after all these years; I still don’t have the recipe memorized.  When we were moving in 2007 and my cookbook was lost I cried and was heartbroken for days.  Then it occurred to me….eBay! I got busy looking and soon found the EXACT edition of my lost cookbook.  So to this day, I am still using the original recipe I started with. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

FRESH STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB PIE

Pastry for 9-inch Two-Crust Pie (recipe below)

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cups flour (I use about 2/3 cup)

½ teaspoon grated orange peel (optional)

2 cups cut-up fresh rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (I quarter mine)

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

STANDARD PASTRY  9-inch Two-Crust Pie

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

4-5 tablespoons COLD water (I typically use 3-4)

Cut shortening into flour and salt with a fork until particles are size of small peas.  Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl. 

Gather pastry into a ball (without overworking); shape one half into a flattened round on lightly floured board or pastry mat. Roll pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate.  I use my pastry mat, lifting from one side, to gently roll pastry over the top of my rolling pin and then transfer bottom crust to pie plate. Put other half of crust in refrigerator until pie is assembled.  

Trim overhanging edge of pastry ½ inch from the rim of pie plate.  Prick bottom and sides thoroughly with a fork.

Mix the flour, sugar and orange peel together in a bowl.   Mix the strawberries and rhubarb together in another bowl. 

Pour about ½ cup of the flour/sugar mixture on the bottom of pie crust.  If you are using a pie bird, now is when to place it in the center of your pie. 

Turn half of the strawberries and rhubarb into the pie crust; sprinkle with half of the flour/sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining fruit and sugar mixture; dot with butter.  Roll out the top crust.  Top pie with top crust that has slits cut in it.  Trim overhanging edge of pasty 1 inch from pie plate; seal and flute. 

Cover pie crust edge with 2-3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.  I place my pie plate on a cookie sheet for easy transferring to the oven and in case juice bubbles over.  Bake at 425 until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, about 40-50 minutes.  (I always bake mine 50 minutes)

It’s easy to give your crust a blue-ribbon look. Take your choice- shiny, sugary or glazed. For a shiny top, brush the crust lightly with milk before baking.  For a sugary crust, use your fingers or a pastry brush to moisten crust lightly with water, and then sprinkle on a little sugar.  To glaze a crust, brush lightly with beaten egg (or egg yolk mixed with a little water) before baking.  I like “Shiny-Sugary” so I use milk and sugar to top mine.

You can make a Fresh Rhubarb Pie by using 4 cups of cut-up rhubarb and increasing sugar to 1 2/3 cups.

~Enjoy