Maple Freddo. or Maple Semifreddo or Maple Mousse

Sister S. just moved back to the states after a chapter in Nova Scotia. To commemorate her birthday this year, we had a meal of recipes from The Taste of Nova Scotia Cookbook by Charles Lief and Heather MacKenzie. This included a main dish of pork with-- get this-- a savory blueberry sauce AND a topping of scallops.

For dessert, we had a blueberry grunt (must be why they have such high life expectancies in Nova Scotia-- all those antioxidants from blueberries) and a maple mousse (pg 112). I was quite taken with the maple mousse. The whole affair is frozen, which makes serving it and enjoying it quite like eating ice cream. However, it is a mousse-- a custard folded into whipped cream. Then perhaps it is a semifreddo? But it is entirely frozen, so I want to just call it freddo. So I will.

Maple "Freddo"

6 egg yolks

3/4 c (175 mL) pure maple syrup

dash of salt

2 c (500 mL) whipping cream

Combine egg yolks, maple syrup, and salt in top of a double boiler set-up. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly (approximately 10-15 minutes). When custard coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat. Pour into a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk until cooled-- custard will appear light and frothy. Set aside. Meanwhile, place the whipping cream in a large bowl, and whip until thickened, but not stiff. Fold gently into custard until blended. The recipe suggests pouring it into 8 individual serving dishes or molds; we just poured it into a couple larger containers. Freeze for at least 6 hours. The recipe also suggests serving with whipped cream and fresh mint leaf; I probably won't. It's plenty whipped cream-y enough.

It also occurs to me that it might be fun to make a "baked Nova Scotia," with the egg whites leftover from harvesting the 6 egg yolks.

Pie!

This is actually the whole reason for this blog-- how many times have I asked for the recipe for pie pastry, scrawled it on a scrap, and discarded/lost it directly? Perhaps a dozen. So here it is, set out in 2008's version of permanence. Mom claims to make it exactly as instructed by Better Homes and Gardens.

Pie Pastry

Single Crust

1 1/2 c sifted all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 c shortening
4 to 5 T cold water

Double Crust

2 c sifted all purpose flour
1 t salt
2/3 c shortening
5 to 7 T cold water

Sift flour and salt. Cut in shortening till pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle water over, 1 T at a time, tossing mixture after each addition. Form into ball. Dough should rest for a while at this point, either in the refrigerator at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap. Flatten on lightly floured surface; roll 1/8 inch thick from center to edge.

But what about using it? I thought I'd compile in the same entry Mom's methodology for actually assembling pies-- including 'recipes' for some basic fruit pies.

Assembling a single-crusted pie

Roll out the pastry, and lay it in a pie plate. Trim the edge to a Mommy's finger's side's width from the edge of the plate. Turn it up under itself and crimp it between your fingers to form a beautiful edge. A personal instructional session is recommended. To blind-bake the crust, take a piece of foil and press it in the pie plate BEFORE laying the pastry in the pie plate. Remove it. Carefully fit the shaped foil into the assembled pastry. Fill it full of dry beans or other approved weights. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Take out pie and foil, prick the crust with a fork, bake for 10 more minutes.

Assembling a double-crusted pie

Cut ball of pastry in half (see below for exceptions). Roll out half of the pastry, and lay it in a pie plate. Trim the edge to a Mommy's finger's side's width from the edge of the plate. Fill the pie. Roll out the second half of the pastry and lay it on top. It's easier to lay it on top if you fold it in quarters before putting it on the pie and then unfolding it. Cut a design on it if that suits your fancy. Trim the top crust a finger's width wider than the bottom crust. Fold the overhang of the top crust around the overhang of the bottom crust and crimp it. Again, personal tutorials are recommended. Bake such pies at 400 F for 30 minutes; turn the heat down to 350 F and bake for 35 minutes. Unless of course you have some other sort of filling that wants a different baking time.

Apple Pie

1 c sugar
4 T flour
2 t cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash salt

Stir it over your apples. If you have many many apples, Make a bigger top crust than you otherwise would. This is the exception I mentioned above.

Peach Pie

Peach pie needs 1 T more flour than apple pie; Mom uses half as much cinnamon and often adds ginger.

Blackberry Pie

Use 2 pounds of blackberries. Use half as much cinnamon than apple pie. Mom says, "the issue of how much thickener to use is largely a matter of taste. Some people like their pies juicier, and some people like their pies stodgier. Also it depends on the juiciness of the fruit. So, yeah, you'll probably want extra flour in a blackberry pie."
If you use frozen fruit, bake it longer in the second half-- an additional five minutes or so.

Rhubarb Pie

Use 2 pounds of rhubarb. Make like apple pie.