No Fail Pie Crust by Anet Carlin

No Fail Pie Crust by Anet Carlin

No Fail Pie Crust with Cherry Filling – Yum!

Editor’s note – Anet has made this no fail pie crust for many years. She teaches people to make the crust and then the next day they beat her in a pie contest (this has happened twice). She continues to occassionally show peole how to make the crust who then become pie princesses! (somtimes complete with tierra!) So click read more to see the recipe for the ultimate in pie crust – The No Fail Pie Crust.

No Fail Pie Crust

(Small children and large dogs can make this successfully on their first try)

  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • ¾ cup corn oil or vegetable oil (no others please)
  • ¼ cup cold milk

Mix in a bowl until the consistency of play dough.  If it is too dry sprinkle a few drops of oil on it.  If it is too wet, a Tbs flour until just right.  Sticky…too wet….crumbly or cracky…too dry.

Single Crust Pies
I don’t even roll it out for a single crust.  Just take a ball of it and mash onto the pie plate and flute the edges until you get it done.  This recipe will make a 10” deep dish pie crust.  For a one crust crème pie, cook at 350 for 20 minutes and check it for done.  (Light brown).  For pumpkin and pecan pies, put the filling in the raw dough crust.

To make a double crust pie…….
Make the bottom crust as described above. To make the top full crust roll out the dough.  To roll out this sort of oil dough, you will need waxed paper.  LIGHTLY oil the paper on both the surfaces that touch the dough.  Roll with rolling pin the thickness you like.  CAREFULLY peel the waxed paper away.  While the dough is still attached to the bottom piece of waxed paper, flip over the fruit filling on your pie.  Peel off the waxed paper and seal the two crusts together.

Rather than make full cover top crusts, I slice the rolled out crust into a lattice about 1” wide and weave the top.  I also draw diamonds and cut them out and layer a totally covered top.

To make it golden and gorgeous, take the pie out 15 minutes before done and paint on egg yolk cut with a little water.  It will make the top brilliant.

I suggest you collar the pie to keep the edges from getting too brown.  Pie collars are a GREAT INVESTMENT.  Beats folding and crimping the aluminum foil.

Enjoy – Anet

Apricot Pie by Anet CarlinAnet Carlin – The extraordinary baker, whose pies are definitely renowned and always remembered.

Anet Carlin shares her crust recipes, cookie recipes and bread recipes Anet always loves to teach others how to do it! No secrets, only good baking. Just ask.

Irish Soda Bread – So Tasty!

[print_link] This recipe was given to us by the master baker of Irish Soda Bread, Diedra Wynn, We are grateful for her help and training. She has surely perfected the art of this recipe. This recipe has been approved by Irishmen, who have claimed that they have not had such good Irish Soda Bread since they were in Ireland. So Lets get to it!
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two 8” pie or cake pans

Ingredients:

4 – 4 ¼  Cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Soda
3 tsp baking powder
¼ Cup sugar
¼ Cup butter
1 egg
1 ¾ Buttermilk
2 Cups raisins or currants

In a large bowl mix together flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and sugar until thoroughly blended.
Cut in cold butter.  I literally take my hands and just break it into the dry ingredients by crumbling it through my fingers until fully into the flour mix. (do not melt the butter!)
Add Raisins if you like! I do!

Beat the egg slightly and add to buttermilk
Stir the buttermilk/egg into the dry mixture until blended.

Turn out the soft dough onto a floured board
Knead until smooth (2 -3 minutes)

Divide dough in two.  Shape each half into a smooth round loaf.
Place in 2 greased 8” pie or cake pans.  Press down until dough fills the pan.

Cut a cross in the top of the loaves.  Sprinkle with some sugar (or not)
Bake 375 degrees for 35-40 min for some of the finest Irish Soda Bread you have ever tasted..

A cube of room temperature butter is recommended as you will want to eat this as soon as possible, maybe even before it is possible. We have seen the loaves be totally consumed before they cool.

Enough and no waste is as good as a feast – Irish Saying –

There will be no waste on these loaves. guaranteed!
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Charley’s Kitchen – Six Bean Salad

6 Bean Salad by Charley Carlin

The has been a real hit at our table.

Here in Charley’s Kitchen I took my Summer Bean Recipe and modified it for a larger batch and added a few twists. This recipe can be modified at will. For instance Anet does not care for the butter beans, so I simply do not put them in that batch. Each batch is a bit different abd they all are simple, easy, and taste so nice.

A real raving favorite for some of our guests! Just Chop, mix and chill! It really is that easy.

Charley’s Kitchen – Ingredients

Charley's Kitchen - Creating is easy - By Charley Carlin

Simple and Straightforward

Charley's Kitchen - Good Food Starts Here!- By Charley Carlin

Fresh Red Bell Peppers are so sweet!

Charley's Kitchen - Good food and Great Fun By Charley Carlin

Seeded and Minced the jalapeno is a mild addition to the salad (optional)

1 can – 15 oz black beans (rinsed thoroughly and drained)
1 can – 15 oz butter beans beans (thoroughly rinsed and drained)
1 can – 15 oz pinto beans (thoroughly rinsed and drained)
1 can – 15 oz red kidney beans (thoroughly rinsed and drained)
1 can – 15 oz pinquito beans (thoroughly rinsed and drained)
1 can – 15 oz white kidney beans (cannellini beans) (thoroughly rinsed and drained)
1 can – 15 oz diced tomatoes (juice and all) Continue reading

Moroccan Crockpot Stew

Charley’s Kitchen Version of Moroccan Stew

While at one of our favorite local restaurants, Fig Good Food, I tried a dish of Moroccan Stew. I liked it a lot and found myself ordering it again and again. Well, I went to the internet and looked up at least a half dozen versions of Moroccan Chick Pea Stew. With that input and my alterations for local conditions and local availability, I created Charley’s Kitchen version of Moroccan Stew which has been quite popular! Now you can create that same dish at your place. Enjoy!

Get that Crockpot out and put it on Low.  I like the slow cooking method myself. This filles the house with wonderful smells.

Add these to the Mix:

  • 2 Cans Garbanzo Beans (rinsed well)
  • 2 Cans Red Kidney Beans (rinsed well)
  • 2 Cans Pinto Beans (rinsed well)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more or less – some like it hot, some do not)
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 big cans (28-ounce) diced tomatoes, juice and all!
  • 6 carrots diced small pieces
  • an equal sized pile of yam or sweet potato (Some prefer Potatoes – Your Choice)

Use olive oil to Saute the following:

  • One medium yellow or brown onion – Sauteed
  • One medium purple onion – Sauteed
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced and  Sauteed
  • 2 jalapenos seeded and minced and Sauteed

Saute till tender and add to the Crockpot. Make sure everything is covered in sauce – This usually means adding a few cups of water.

Eat in about 3 hours – when the carrots and Yams are tender.
Add a bunch of chopped cilantro and Lets Eat!
As Always
Charley Carlin


Recipes and more by Charley CarlinAbout The Chef – Charley loves to cook for a group, whether the group is six or twenty. Creating new concoctions from others recipes by altering quantities, leaving out some parts and adding other parts creates his personal style.  All of his recipes are available for everyone to use.

Cherry Rice

Charley Carlin Cooks - Cherry Rice

Cherry Rice Ingredients

Charley’s Cherry Rice
Well as luck would have it, I wandered into a Mediterranean restaurant in Lake Elsinore, CA, King Kabob. So I tried the saffron rice and lamb and loved it! Came back and tried the Chicken Kabob and Saffron rice and loved it even more. Came back again and tried the Cherry Rice and Loved it even more! They use a family recipe so I had to research and make up my own, so here it is! I include the link to restaurant for those who may be near or driving by from or to San Diego. (Railroad Canyon Ramp from Highway 15) Click to read Anet or my review on Yelp.
Half cube butter and one chopped onion saute then add half teaspoon for allspice, half teaspoon of cinnamon quarter teaspoon of ground cloves saute more add half teaspoon kosher salt some ground pepper saute and set aside next – Half cube butter and minced onions saute (one brown and one purple) add a teaspoon of salt add two cups Long Grain Basmati Rice – saute more and stir stir stir next – add three and a half cups of water – bring to boil then low heat for 20 minutes (till rice is done) next – a jar of Trader Joe’s Cherries (include about half the juice) add the sauteed spiced onions from step one mix in gently and put lid on rice and let is rest for 10 minutes next – get our clay pot with lid and fill with hot water wait 10 minutes to warm the container so it does not cool the rice! dump water – dry container and fill with rice and serve! Note the salt really wakes up the flavors – salt to taste Yippee – A double big Hit – First served on 4/18/2012.


Recipes and more by Charley CarlinAbout The Chef – Charley loves to cook for a group, whether the group is six or twenty. Creating new concoctions from others recipes by altering quantities, leaving out some parts and adding other parts creates his personal style.  All of his recipes are available for everyone to use.

Texas Pecan Pie

This is it the Texas Pecan Pie by Anet Carlin that will knock your socks off. Enjoy!
Make a crust of the following:
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 tsp of salt
3/4 C of vegetable oil or corn oil….no canola or olive
1/4 C milk

Simply mix the ingredients until the consistency of Play dough.  If it is too wet, sprinkle flour make it right.  If it is too dry it will not be like clay.
It is not necessary to roll this crust.  Simply take balls of it and form a fluted crust.  You do not have to use all of it.  Don’t make the crust too thick.  This is a delicious crust.  I promise.

Filling
3 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 Cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
1 Cup DARK Karo Syrup
1 1/2 Cups of Pecans broken (ours come from Texas)
1 Tsp of Vanilla

Mix the ingredients and pour into pie.  I use a pie collar to make sure the edges don’t get too brown while the pie is cooking.  However, you can make a little wreath with foil around the pie to keep the fluted crust from cooking too quickly. Texas Pecan Pie at its best!   Bake at 350 for about 50-60 minutes.

Apricot Pie by Anet CarlinAnet Carlin – The extraordinary baker, whose pies are definitely renowned and always remembered. Anet Carlin shares her crust recipes, cookie recipes and bread recipes Anet always loves to teach others how to do it! No secrets, only good baking. Just ask.

Green Bean Blanch

[print_link] The Green Bean Blanch is another modification of a recipe that I got from Ken Hom (search You Tube for more of his recipes).
Anet Raves about this one, as it is now done with blanched beans instead of deep fried beans.
So get a couple pounds of fresh blue lake green beans. trim the ends and leave them long. Blanch them in boiling water for 4 and a half minutes.
use cold water to stop the cooking process. Now the sauce – 3 cloves garlic minced – equal size pile of ginger minced 4 minced scallions, 2 Tablespoons of sherry, 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of sugar.
mis it up and roll the beans in it. then I like to dress in up with black sesame seeds sprinkled all over the disk. regular sesame seeds will do fine as well.
Serve and Enjoy!

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Bobbi’s Award Winning Carrot Cake

Bobbi’s Award Winning Carrot cake has been victorious at our carrot cake competition now for years running. We even retired her from competition declaring her the emeritus world champion. When another up and coming baker said ‘Bring her on,’ We did and she won again! Bobbi is quite the baker and has also been the winner of our pie competitions many times as well. Here is what she sent me for her Carrot Cake Recipe, I am sure you will need to have some baking experience to make this one work. I sure would.

Bobbi’s Ingredient List:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 can drained, crushed pineapple
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts

Combine dry ingredients and then fold in wet ingredients. Mix together well and then pour into a large casserole dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until firm.
Frost when cool with butter cream frosting.

Butter cream frosting:
1 stick softened butter, 1 box powdered sugar 1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese, 2 tsp vanilla. Blend until creamy. Install thickly!

Enjoy, Anet & Charley Carlin

Charley’s Beans

The most called for recipe at our house is Charley’s Beans, the sweet and hot beans. These beans seem to always get stories about ‘the best beans I ever had’ from our dinner guests and I always get an empty crock pot (or people requesting to take the leftovers home!)

Keep it simple – watch your ratios – a little more or less of any of the beans is OK. – I use a 6 quart crock pot. Watch you crock pot, some are hotter and some are cooler. Some do a vigorous boil on low (beware), and some are real slow cookers, this will take you learning your tool!
If you are adverse to hot, start with one tablespoon of the Sriacha HOT chili Paste
Although I list Green Tabasco sauce, sometimes I use Cholula hot sauce.  Start with your crock pot on low and lets add a few things!

1 30 oz can diced tomatoes (juice and all for this item)
2 15 oz cans black beans drained and rinsed (Important Rinsed CLEAN – or you will have a crock pot of grey muck)
2 30 oz cans Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans – Just drain the sauce from the top (too much juice makes the beans runny)
1 30 oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed (Clean – See above)
Siracha HOT Thai Chili Paste (rooster sauce) 2 Heaping Tablespoons)
3/4 lb brown sugar (more or less I just guess)
20 – 30 shakes green Tabasco sauce
half a jar of salsa or so (about 12 oz) (green or red, hot or mild – You choose – a mild red on your first outing)
1 brown onion chopped (If you mince it it will disappear in the the beans, so half inch square chunks)
1 purple onion chopped (Same on this onion – or use two of these – or use two of those or …)
leave on low for 4 to 6 hours (Stir and taste every hour or two – and add more beans if you eat too much and the crock pot is going down –
Add Any bean to the mix – just follow rinsing and draining directions! – remember its all about ratios)
during the last two hours add 2 – 15 oz cans kidney beans drained and rinsed clean (some kidneys can get tough – others don’t – I like the red for color) Best served with the Smoked Chicken!

Charley’s Beans – Come and Get It!


Recipes and more by Charley CarlinAbout The Chef – Charley loves to cook for a group, whether the group is six or twenty. Creating new concoctions from others recipes by altering quantities, leaving out some parts and adding other parts creates his personal style.  All of his recipes are available for everyone to use.

Smoked Birds

[print_link] There are a couple of dishes that our guests continue to request and never seem to tire of. Smoked birds is the BIG ONE. Whether it is a smoked chicken or smoked turkey the result is always the same. smiling faces and a pile of bones on the table. We all have favourites, I say, if you know a better recipe for smoked chickens or turkeys, please let me know!
Ok, I have given this recipe out about a thousand times and inquiring minds want to complicate the process. The key to this is to do it and get experience with your weber, your charcoal, and your weather.
The version from WEBER  was called Classic Turkey Recipe – I think I may have started with their recipe – and now I have my version. – They no longer have recipes on the weber website.
Charley’s Recipe for Smoked Birds
Use a regular WEBER Kettle BBQ – Indirect fire (that means coals on the sides) – Dry Oak Bark on top of the coals
Rinse Birds, Rub with peanut oil, then salt and pepper (cayenne if you want spicier skin)
Put the chicken on the grill breast up (you can fit 3 to 4 depending on the chicken – set so the chickens do not touch each other and are over the center of the grill (not the coals) or Put the Turkey on the grill breast down (the dark meat above makes it self basting – or use a roast rack – Still Breast Down)
All the chicken needs is about 1 hour 10 minutes to 30 minutes – depending on the hot factor of your coalsThe turkey is 11 – 12 minutes per pound – maximum size for the turkey is about 16 pounds or the lid won’t fitRun the WEBER WIDE OPEN – top and bottom
Take the birds off on time – Let them cool for 5 – 10 minutes (if you can – I can’t) and start slicing
Most importantly – Stop asking questions and start cooking! Seems to me that the simpler the recipe the more questions I seem to get. The only real way to do this is to cook! So.. Bring over a bird and lets cook! I have been using this basic recipe for 15 + years. Add to the table a good merlot, a nice salad, some Garlic Cheddar Mashed Potatoes and finally some good milk chocolate  to go with the second bottle of merlot and you too will be called a wizard! Charley Carlin – 2005-2010
PS – Weber used to have nice recipes on their website – Now they want to sell cook books. – So the Weber site is no longer useful – It is an online brochure. Tis a pity.

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