Monday, October 18, 2010

Butter Pecan Tarts, Apple and Pumpkin Pies.

A little pre-Christmas baking going on.
Butter Pecan Tart recipe:
Pastry:
6 cups of white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp brown sugar  

Mix the dry ingredients together
1 pound lard or vegetable shortening

In a measuring cup beat 1 egg
add 1 tablespoon white vinegar and
enough cold water to make 1 cup of liquid set aside
add one pound of all vegetable shortening or lard to the dry ingredients
cut in with pastry cutter until dry mixture resembles the texture of dry oatmeal
Add the wet ingredients to make dough, work the dough until it is smooth
divide dough into three balls, wrap each separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate

While the pastry is chilling make the tart filling:
2 cups white sugar
2 cups raisins
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter
8 tablespoons heavy cream (whipping cream)
2 cups pecans or walnuts

Beat eggs then combine with remaining ingredients except the pecans.  Boil at medium heat for 3 minutes or microwave 1 minute at a time on high stirring between each minute until mixture has boiled. Add pecans.

Fill unbaked tarts shells and bake at 375 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes. Tiny tarts, bake at 400˚ for 15 minutes.  Tiny tarts are filled using little coffee or baby spoons.  These tarts are easy to remove from tins if left to cool in pans for 15 minutes, then insert sharp knife tip between tart and tin to lift up. Yield: 7 dozen little tarts from this double batch. Note: for butter tarts omit nuts.

Apple Pie
Pastry is identical to tart recipe. 

Filling:
7 large peeled and sliced Macintosh apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup white flour
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

Combine flour, sugar and spices together, add lemon juice to apples and mix together.  Add dry mixture to apples and mix together.
Fill unbaked pie shell with apple mixture.  brush water on rim of bottom pie shell.  put top shell on and seal together.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake 20 minutes until pie is nicely browned and apples are cooked.
Pastry is identical to tart pastry. 

Pumpkin pie filling:
6 eggs
6 - 7 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin (or canned pumpkin)
2&1/4 cups of sugar
1&1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1&1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cloves
5 cups of evaporated milk

Beat eggs then combine the remaining ingredients. pour into unbaked pie shell bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F then reduce heat to 350 bake until knife inserted in centre comes out clean.  Serve with sweetened whipped cream if desired. Yield: 5 pumpkin pies.

Enjoy!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Identifying a Necchi Model Number

I received this email:
"hi  tammy
my name is fabian and i got a problem defining the type of my necchi i bought recently on ebay. it was sold as a necchi lelia 513, but the sign is missing. and all the pictures i can find on the internet showing this type look a bit different, also the machine in your manual does ( thanks a lot for scanning and putting it online :) ). but i found one picture on google showing a machine, looking the same as mine does, except for the color and the desk ( mine is in a box).  could you maybe tell me wether its a type 513 or not? would be a great favour.
i already say thanks a lot and nice greets from germany"

From looking at the photo Fabian included in the email and comparing it to my machine it is a Necchi Lelia 513.  Below are new photos I took today.
 
 
 
 When lifting the front the serial number is revealed.
 
 
 
Hope this helps!  Happy Sewing.