Slab Pie

Slab pie...the name was so intriguing, I had to read the recipe. I tried this over the weekend, to the appreciation of Tim and my coworkers. There aren't too many things better than foods you can just pick up and eat with your hands, and this fits the bill. Like a gigantic pop-tart. My mother-in-law and maternal grandmother would be totally dismayed, despite the fact that this recipe might be an old-fashioned favorite from their era. Their idea of properly eating involves using a plate to serve it on, a plate to eat from, and at least one utensil to transfer it from plate to mouth. Anyone up for a nice, cozy session of dishwashing?? Oh yeah, and definitely a napkin. And preferably sitting at the kitchen table *sigh*. Try this, and eat it any doggone way you want.

Apricot Cherry Slab Pie

From 'Better Homes & Gardens', November 2002

3 1/4 C all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 C shortening
1 egg yolk
milk
1/2 C sugar
3 T corn starch
3 15 1/4 oz cans apricot halves, drained and cut into quarters
1 16 oz can pitted tart red cherries, drained

Vanilla glaze:

1 1/4 C sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and enough milk (5-6 T) to make if drizzling consistency.

1. For pastry, in a large mixing bowl stir together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly beat egg yolk in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to egg yolk to make 3/4 C total liquid. Mix well. Stir egg yolk mixture into flour mixture. Mix well. Set aside 1/3 of the dough.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll remaining 2/3 dough into an 18X12 inch rectangle. To transfer pastry, carefully roll around rolling pin. Unroll into a 15X10X1 baking pan (pastry will hang over edges of pan). Preheat oven to 375 F.

3. In a large bowl, combine sugar and corn starch. Stir in apricots and cherries. Spoon into prepared crust.

4. Roll remaining dough into a 16X11 inch rectangle and place over fruit. Bring bottom pastry up over top pastry. Seal edges with tines of a fork. Prick top pastry all over with the tines of a fork.

5. Bake about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Serve warm or cool. Drizzle with vanilla glaze. Cut into 2X3 inch bars. Makes 25 bars.

(230 calories in each bar)

Notes: This recipe barely makes enough pastry dough…be careful and roll thin. Also I couldn't resist adding dried cherries and apricots to the fruit filling. Someone at work suggested sprinkling sliced almonds over the glaze, to which I responded with a feverish gleam in my eye, yeah, yeah, and almond extract in the glaze...!

I need to get out more.

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Persistent ear worm: Theme from 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'

This is the only reality TV show I will actually watch. Because I actually like it! It's a scream. My favorite part is when the Fab 5 first barge into the hapless victim's door and start trashing everything in sight, up to and including underwear and bed sheet stains. O*M*G!!! But it always turns out well in the end, and it's usually a 1000% improvement. Tears of grateful joy are even shed occasionally, too.

Thanks for the book ideas. Mister Orange, Toussaint-Samat's 'History of Food' already graces our living room bookshelves *G*. Thanks to my favorite German pal, Sabine. Oh yeah, love those old church/community cook-books with recipes that call for 'oleo' or make frequent use of ring molds.

Big plans for the upcoming weekend: Shopping! Sharon is coming down for the weekend, and I have no idea where we will head. Maybe Somerset Collection, or Great Lakes Crossing. We'll see what we're in the mood for. I have ideas for a gluttonous Sunday morning breakfast of caramel rolls, which I will make from scratch, and something called 'Mountain Man Breakfast'. This is normally strictly a camping dish, made outdoors in a dutch oven, but I don't see why I can't fire up some charcoal and do it on the patio. We had it during our Porcupine Mountain camping trip, and I've been craving it again lately. Guess I'll be craving an extra 5-mile walk too, because wait until you see the recipe.

Time to e-mail Rodney in Iraq and let him know a big old box of goodies is on its way to him, as of Monday.