Old Glory Pie Filling 
(makes one 9" pie - approx 1 quart) 

Ingredients: 
3 Cups Cherries
1 Cup Blueberries 
​1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) 
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup tapioca flour (use cook type *clear jel if canning 1/4 cup +1 Tbs & 1  1/3 cold water) 
1 Tbs + 1 tsp Bottled lemon juice 
​
Directions: 
Place cleaned berries in pot (cherries should be pitted and stemmed) and let cook 10-15 mins until juices are released. 
Stir together 1/4 *tapioca flour and 1 cup sugar and add to hot berries.
Lower heat and stir in 1/4 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract. Cook & stir for approx.
2-3 minutes, until thickened.  Remove from heat and let cool, use as pie filling. 

Bakes One 9-inch pie.  Bake at fruit pie at 375 for 50 mins. or until top is golden brown. 

Want to Waterbath "Can" your Pie Filling?   follow the attached link provided by 
NCHFP: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/can_pie/cherry_filling.html


Recipe and Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home 

One of my favorite fruits, sweet cherries!  I've canned them, baked with them and even turned them into BBQ Sauces...one of the more traditional uses is good ole' cherry pie.  Here is a cherry pie with a twist - adding in a custard/cream layer.  The walnut streusel topping also puts this pie over the top!  When eaten warm, its very cobbler-like but, brings out all the flavors. When set in fridge to chill/store - the cold cream cream layer takes away from the full flavors this pie has to offer.  I say - serve this slightly warmed for the best taste!   ~Enjoy! Diane 

Cherry Vanilla Cream Pie 

Crust
Use any single-crust pie crust recipe sized for a 9-inch pan.
I prefer to make my homemade crust (listed below) 

Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Unbleached All-purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 3/4 cups pitted, halved sweet cherries (about 3/4 pound to start)
*I use one pint of my home canned/preserved sweet cherries in syrup 

Walnut Streusel Topping
1/4 cup cold butter
1/2 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts 
a pinch of salt

Prepare Pie Crust: see below;  make and bake unfilled pie crust/shell. Prick crust all over with fork before baking. Bake at 475°F, 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and lower oven to 400. 

Filling: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour and salt. Add the remaining ingredients, except the cherries, and whisk well. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, or for the time it takes to pit and slice the cherries. Whisk the filling together once again; this helps the sugar to dissolve.
Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle the cherries over the top. Some will sink -- don't worry, they're supposed to. Use a pie crust shield or aluminum foil to shield the top edge of the crust. Bake the pie in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes. While the pie is baking, make the streusel topping.

Streusel Topping: If you have a food processor, just place all of the topping ingredients into the work bowl and process (pulse) until crumbs form. To prepare the topping by hand, finely chop the almonds (or use almond flour -- the texture will be a bit less "chunky"), then whisk in the sugar, flour and salt. Rub or cut in the butter to form crumbs.

By the time the pie has baked for 20 minutes, it will have just begun to set up around the edges. Carefully sprinkle the streusel over the top, leaving the crust shield in place. Bake the pie for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until it's puffed, the crumbs are very lightly browned at the edges, and/or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads above 160°F.

Remove the pie from the oven, cool for about 2 hours, and sprinkle with confectioners' before serving. Refrigerate any uneaten pie.
 Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

Pie Recipe Adapted from:  The Baking Sheet Newsletter for King Arthur Flour

Homemade Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter
1 egg yolk
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour and salt in bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg yolk and enough water with fork just until flour is moistened. 

Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into ball. Flatten slightly and wrap one half of dough in plastic food wrap, you will only need one half to make this pie, save other half for a future use in refrigerator.

For this one crust pie, roll out one half of dough on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough into 9-inch pie pan sprayed with non-stick spray; unfold dough, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Trim crust to 1/2 inch from edge of pan. Crimp or flute edge. Bake according to pie recipe directions. For the Cherry Vanilla Cream Pie - you will pre-bake the crust; 
Pre-Bake -  Prick crust all over with fork before baking. Bake at 475°F, 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Pie Crust Recipe & Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home 

(Home Baked) English Muffins

Ingredients: 
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
pinch of sugar *optional
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup warmed milk, just to take the chill off and keep yeast active
scant amount of cornmeal, for baking pan

Directions: 
Combine the yeast with the warm water. you can add a *pinch of sugar to the water before pouring in the yeast, yeast eat sugar to grow, and make sure your water is the proper temp for your active dry yeast to work (mine likes 90-110 F). 

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the butter and mix for a few seconds.  Pour in the yeast water and warned milk. Stir until a dough ball forms. If you are using a stand mixer and dough hook, this will take about 6 minutes.  If you knead by hand it will about take 8-10 minutes. Place dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size (about 60-90 minutes). Place parchment paper onto a baking sheet, and dust with a bit of cornmeal. Using your hands, divide the dough into six (or up to eight equal parts.)  The original recipes calls for making six but, they can be BIG - I opted to make eight smaller muffins. Roll each muffin into a ball using the palms of your hands.  Place on a baking sheet, dust tops with a bit more cornmeal, cover, and allow to rise for an additional hour. Heat a skillet (I use my nonstick skillet) over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil. You don't want too much oil as the goal is to toast each side of the muffin, without it sticking to the pan and without burning.  Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. You can use a spatula to check the underside so that you don't burn the muffins. 
Once you've cooked each side, lay all the muffins back on the baking sheet (I scatter a bit more cornmeal if needed)  place pan in oven at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the English muffins are cooked through. Cool on baking rack and store at room temp in an airtight container or bag, or refrigerate. 

Recipe Adapted from: The Bread Baker's Apprentice 
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home 

Most of you all know, we love to use our grill.  My husband finds it a personal quest to make the best out of grilling and salmon is no exception.  We've tried salmon so many different ways: cooking methods and marinades, this one has been moved to #1 in the ranks!  I made a fresh lemon, dill white sauce while he marinated the salmon in a similar lemon, dill mixture.  If you don't prefer the sauce, the salmon eaten just with the marinade grilled into it is just as excellent as there is a slight hint of honey coating as well... Enjoy! Diane 

Lemon Dill White Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced shallots or onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice of one lemon (approx 3 Tbs) 
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons butter**, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

**you can use unsalted butter and adjust for salt once sauce is completed. 

In a saucepan, combine the shallots or onions, garlic, wine, and lemon. Bring the liquid up to a boil. Stir in the dill and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and cream, continue to cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter a cube at a time, until all the butter is incorporated. Season with salt** and pepper. 
Yield: about 2/3 cup
Recipe adapted from: "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, 1993.


Lemon Dill Marinade

Ingredients: 
1 Tbs  olive oil
1 Tbs  chopped fresh dill weed
1  tsp  grated lemon peel **
3 Tbs lemon juice **
2 Tbs honey
1/2 tsp garlic powder 
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb salmon fillets, cut into 2 pieces (8 oz each)

In 8-inch square, glass baking dish, arrange salmon pieces skin side up in single layer. Pour marinade over salmon; turn to coat. 
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes before cooking. 


To grill salmon, place skin side down on lightly oiled tin foil: place on grill and let cook until fish is flaky - our grill runs approx 350 and we cook our salmon for about 20 minutes as we like it thoroughly cooked. SO MANY recipes say it takes 10 minutes on a grill and we have yet to have ours fully cooked, and flake easily with a fork at that timing.  We do 20 minutes - it's your preference. 
To broil salmon, place skin side down on sprayed rack in broiler pan; broil with top 4 to 6 inches from heat using times above as a guide, brushing with marinade during last 8 minutes of cooking time.

**You can substitute lime peel and juice for the lemon in the sauce and marinade for a refreshing lime flavor.

Recipe Adapted from: Betty Crocker Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dill. 

Searching for a 'lite' dessert this Summer that will still provide a sense decadence but, not leave you wobbling away from the table?  This is IT!  This entire dessert can be fashioned to your liking! Tone it down using sugar-free, fat-free pudding, you can omit the whip cream or not (I prefer to add it in because I love the mousse texture/taste) you can use carob chips to melt and drizzle over top instead of melted chocolate or leave off entirely and sprinkle heart-healthy nuts over top...fresh berries are best in this but, I also like using up my homemade preserves... and you can mix the berries up too!  my favorite combination is raspberry, blueberry, blackberry!  Today I assembled some strawberry minis using fresh berries. This dessert is easy to make and a showstopper every time! I've been making these for some time now and each and every flavor combination has been a hit with my guests - the most unusual being lime pudding with pineapple and kiwi fruit dusted with coconut. Oh man! that one I need to make again!  ~Enjoy! Diane 

{Mini} Strawberry Napoleons 

Napoleon Filling/Assembly: 
1 Puff Pastry Sheet 
3 oz  Vanilla Pudding, instant 
1 Cup Milk
2 Cups fresh fruit, cut up  
1 Cup Chocolate Chips, melted

Whipped Cream:  
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream *cold
2 Tbs Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or extract) 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 400
Chill Mixing Bowl and Beater/Whisk in fridge for at least 15 mins. 

   First, you are going to take one sheet of puff pastry and lay out on a parchment lined baking sheet, cut the pastry into 3 equal strips, then cut each strip into 4 smaller pieces.  Bake according to directions until golden brown (usually 400 degrees for 15 minutes) Let the pastry squares cool about 10 minutes and then carefully slice each into two (separating the tops and bottoms from each other)  You will have 24 squares now to work with, each layer takes 3 pieces: making 8 napoleons total.  I do make sure to set aside 8 "tops" to top as the final top layers. 
 
   Next, you want to make your pudding and store in refrigerator.  I use vanilla instant pudding (3oz) and mix with only 1 cup of milk.  Vanilla works best with all berries that you would want to use but, even here you can use a pudding that you might like that may be different (think of lime pudding with kiwi fruit napoleons! or even chocolate pudding with bananas!)  

   Since you are making more of a mousse then a pudding, you need to make some fresh whipped cream to fold into pudding - don't worry, it's super easy to do (and you can always skip this step and use store bought as well.)  Take chilled mixing bowl/whisk from fridge and pour in heavy whipping cream and start mixer, let whisk/beat for 2-3 minutes before adding in powdered sugar and vanilla, continue to mix on med-high speed (not too high - you don't want splattering) Most whipped cream takes time to turn from a liquid state into a semi-solid of soft peaks, usually 6-10 minutes. Keep a watchful eye as over-whipping can turn your whipped cream into a grainy looking mixture (if that happens add a bit more whipping cream to bowl and lightly whip in until graininess is gone (1-2 Tbs should do it.) 

  Fold your whipped cream into your pudding very gently and keep refrigerated until ready to assemble final dessert. 

  Lay 8 "bottom" pieces of puff pastry on a plate, dollop with approx 2 Tbs pudding mousse, and 1-2 tbs of fresh fruit, followed by another layer of pastry. repeat filling again with mousse and fruit, and finish by topping with a "top" of pastry.  sprinkle all with a light dusting of powdered sugar and drizzle of hot, melted chocolate (I microwave my chocolate chips until melted and use a fork to drizzle over each finished napoleon.)  and remember - you can use homemade preserves in place of fresh berries or even in addition to fresh berries in each layer. It's another great way to use your Canning into Cooking at Home 

Enjoy! Diane 
Recipe Adapted from: Phyllis 
Photos by:  Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home