Head on over to Rose Levy Beranbaum’s blog for her wonderful citrus curd recipe, plus a source for those bitter Seville oranges with which to make marmalade (I’ve already ordered some, and plan on using Elise’s recipe to make a large batch). Rose notes that “Seville orange are also known as bitter oranges because they have an acidity level of about that of lemon. They offer the true orange flavor of a sourball candy and will give you the consistency of a perfect lemon curd, unlike that of other oranges which don’t thicken adequately.” Rose also shares this fantastic curd-making tip: “if you beat the butter into the eggs and sugar before adding the juice it protects the yolks from curdling at all so you get 0 residue!”

Well, I’m back. It has been a busy summer on so many levels, and my blogging has suffered for it. For those of you who read my humble blog, I’ve been working on so many projects (including me), that something had to give, and it turned out to be this blog, not to mention my favorite hobby – cooking.I decided that my body was starting to creak a bit too much, so I did something about it. I started exercising more vigorously, and finally had some injuries looked at; it it appears that I may need some knee and wrist surgery, not to mention physical therapy on a shoulder. On a brighter note, in the past month I adopted a low-sodium, high fruit and veggie approach to eating known as the DASH “diet.” It’s purpose? To lower blood pressure. I must say, mine has plummeted. Diet and exercise never did much for my blood pressure before, but this “diet” has – on medication, my BP was 150/100 a month ago. Now, it is 106/68. I am stunned, and so is my doctor. For an easy-to-read yet thorough explanation of this approach, check out this link (pdf file, so you’ll need Adobe).

But before my summer heated up, I managed to bake a fresh sour cherry pie. I adapted this recipe from one I found in Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Pie and Pastry Bible. I added 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the filling, because the sour cherries I had were a bit on the sweet side. And, for a change, I followed Rose’s recipe exactly when I made my favorite crust, her Perfect Flaky & Tender Cream Cheese Pie Crust. The result was the best sour cherry pie I have ever made, and one I plan to repeat this winter because I froze several pounds of berries! If you can find frozen sour cherries, or have some on hand, I encourage you to try this recipe.

***UPDATE*** – From Rose’s blog:

Keep in mind that if there are any holes in the crust the sticky filling will find its way there, leak below the crust, and stick to the pan’s bottom. To avoid holes best not to pierce the bubbles that form during blind baking, after removing the rice or beans to weight it down, but just to gently press down the crust a few times as it bubbles and finally it will set and be flat.

Should a hole develop, fill it with a little dab of egg white and return it to the oven for about 30 seconds. And if worse comes to worse and the crust sticks, just serve the pieces–no one will complain. This pie is the very definition of heavenly!

Be sure to use the Lyle’s golden refiner’s syrup which is so much more flavorful than corn syrup in a butterscotchy/tangy way, and preferably light Muscovado sugar (I love the one from India Tree). And be sure to weigh or measure the yolks. For this pie/tart that calls for 4 yolks I needed to use 6 to equal the right amount as they were so small. Without enough egg yolks the filling will not set effectively.]

One last word of caution: When heating the filling go by the thermometer rather than looking for signs of thickening. And when baking test at 15 minutes. I find it usually takes 20 but it should just shimmy slightly when moved and begin to puff.

This is the best pecan pie recipe I’ve come across, courtesy of the The Pie and Pastry Bible,by Rose Levy Beranbaum. The use of Lyles Golden Syrup makes it less cloyingly sweet. The egg yolks give the filling a thicker consistency, and the addition of bourbon makes it hard to resist.

Pecan Pie
Adapted from the “The Pie and Pastry Bible”

• Crust for a 9 1/2-inch tart, prebaked. I used Rose’s Favorite Tender and Flaky Piecrust
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves (5.25 ounces = 150 grams)
• 4 large egg yolks (2 full fluid ounces = 2.6 ounces = 74 grams)
• 1/3 liquid cup (lightly greased) Lyle’s Golden Syrup (refiner’s syrup)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (3.75 ounces = 108 grams)
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (2 ounces = 57 grams)
• 1/4 liquid cup heavy cream
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons bourbonPreheat oven to 350°F.Chop about half the pecans, and leave the rest whole. Place in the bottom of the baked crust.

  On top of a double boiler, combine egg yolks, syrup, brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula and without letting the mixture boil, until it is uniform in color and just begins to thicken slightly (160°F on candy thermometer), 7 to 10 minutes. Strain at once into small bowl and stir in vanilla and bourbon.

  Slowly pour filling over pecans, coating their upper surface.

Place a foil ring on top of crust to prevent overbrowning; bake about 20 minutes or until filling is puffed and golden and just beginning to bubble around the edges. Filling will shimmy slightly when moved. Cool completely on a rack, about 45 minutes, before unmolding.