Savory Fillings

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 chicken bouillon cubes

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Sweet Pie Fillings

Caramel Pecan Tart

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2/3 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream

How to Make It

Step 1 - Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.

Step 2 -Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture evenly on bottom and up sides of a lightly greased 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

Step 3 -Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool.

Step 4 -Bring brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in toasted pecans, and spoon hot filling into prepared crust.

Step 5 -Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes or until completely cool.

Can be made into bars: Prepare recipe as directed, pressing crumb mixture evenly on bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of a lightly greased heavy-duty aluminum foil-lined 13- x 9-inch pan. When completely cool, using the aluminum foil as handles, carefully lift the tart from the pan, and transfer to a serving tray. Cut into squares.

Crust Recipes

Pie Crust - All Butter

2 1/2 Cups  flour
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup unsalted butter
1/2 Cup and 2 TBS Cold water
In a bowl mix flour, sugar and salt together.  Cut the butter into small pieces, then add to the bowl.  Use pastry cutter to cut into the flour until pea size pieces of butter.  Add the ice water and mix until the mixture is crumbly but holds together when pinched.  Dump dough onto parchment paper and pull dough together.  Refrigerate before rolling out.

Pro Pie Making Tips

1. Keep ingredients cold.

• Butter should be kept refrigerated until using; solid vegetable shortening can be stored in the freezer without freezing hard as a rock.
• Add ice cubes to a measuring cup and fill it with more water than you'll need; add ice-cold water to the pastry mixture a tablespoon at a time.
• Great pie starts with a great crust. Learn how to make pie crusts.

2. Refrigerate the dough after every step.

• Chill dough immediately after mixing so that the flour can absorb all the liquid.
• Chill it after rolling it out and lining the pie pan, to relax the dough and prevent it from shrinking in the oven.
• For double-crust pies, roll out the top crust and refrigerate it on a flat plate or parchment-lined sheet pan while you prepare the pie filling.