#Welcome2012

Homemade Eggnog & Peppermint Bark

Thanks to the hard work by Sanjeeta kk at Lite Bite we have another blog hop! This virtual party is all about celebrating the New Year & reminiscing about 2011.

2011 was a big year for BigFatBaker.

Looking back, I accomplished a lot more than I ever anticipated. I was able to reach a few personal goals, and I am ready for what 2012 has to offer.

Some of my biggest recipes of the year were things I wouldn’t have ever thought I would make. (for example…pink cheesecake)

But I’m glad I did. And I’m glad I was able to share them with you.

So looking at the year, these pages turned out to be my top 9 recipes.

top10 fondant 1  #Welcome2012 top10 rasp curd 2 #Welcome2012 top10 twix 3 #Welcome2012
top10 rvwhoopie pies 4 #Welcome2012 top10 vanilla 5 #Welcome2012 top10 poptart 6 #Welcome2012
top10 pvcheesecake 7 #Welcome2012 top10 3 berry pie 8 #Welcome2012 top 10 eggnogbark 9 #Welcome2012

 What was your favorite recipe of the year?

This year I also had the chance to meet and start connecting with people through Twitter.

There are so many people I would like to list.. I can think of 20 people off the top of my head that I would love to meet and have coffee with on any day.

But these are some of the most influential & impressive people that I met through Twitter that I feel deserve special attention (in no particular order):

@NutmegNanny@Gingerbreadbagels

@Chowandchatter@Nella22

@Thatskinnychick@Rvank

@Jaxies@Bakerstreet29

@CreateCooking@Thebravetart

Blueberry Pie

slice from top

Blueberries are amazing.

Besides tasting so delicious, blueberries have many nutritional benefits.

  1. One serving = 14 mg Vitamin C (nearly 20% Daily Recommended Value)
  2. They are high in dietary fiber! Try to eat a handful a day to keep your heart healthy and cholesterol under control.
  3. Blueberries are full of antioxidants. You can fight free radicals all day long with a serving of blueberries.
And when it comes to baking, cooking, and eating blueberries the possibilities are only as endless as your imagination.
blueberries 1024x682 Blueberry Pie
Blueberry pie, to me, is unique to summer. You can’t find a good blueberry pie in November. So when I saw blueberries on sale I bought twice the amount I had planned on. I knew right away I needed to make a blueberry pie.

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Triple Berry Pie

whole pie

The best thing about pies is that they are forgiving and flexible.

Pies can be better then your friends when it comes to flexibility. Just throw in a little of this and that, top it with a crust or crumble, and you are good to go.

My boyfriend expressed to me during an episode of Pushing Daises that his favorite pie is triple berry pie. I am no fool, and picked up on that not so subtle tip to make one asap. I asked him what three berries he preffered in his pie and he said anything, just as long as there would be pie.

strawberries 199x300 Triple Berry Pie strips of dough 199x300 Triple Berry Pie whole pie 199x300 Triple Berry Pie

The next day at the store I was looking through the produce trying to decide what he thought might make a good triple berry pie. Strawberries were a given, and as soon as I saw blackberries I knew I had to get those as well.

The third berry was a little bit more tricky… Nothing was on sale, and they were all looking a little iffy. I really wanted to use raspberries, but they were just not up to my standards that day so I settled on blueberries. And lets face it, you can’t go wrong with blueberries. They are delicious, and healthy!

While it is obvious all these berries are delicious on their own, as well as together, I decided to add a little lemon zest and juice to berry mixture to brighten it up and give it a little bit of tartness.

lemon and strawberries Triple Berry Pie

Needless to say, this pie was a total hit with the bf. It was tangy, fruity, bright, and slightly sweet with a bit of buttery-salty goodness from the crust. The bf said he liked the pie better at room temperature, while I liked it slightly warmed up. Either way, it was delicious.

Triple Berry Pie

For the crust I used this recipe, and double it. 1 for the top, and 1 for the bottom.

Ingredients

  • 1 carton of strawberries, quartered
  • 1 pint of blueberries
  • 1 pint of blackberries
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar + 2 tbsp for sprinkling
  • 1 egg

**Frozen berries would work just as well in place of the fresh berries. Just thaw, and use in place of the fresh berries. Over all you want 3-4 cups of fruit, so measure accordingly.

To Make the Pie

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF
  2. Wash and dry all the berries. Then quarter the strawberries. Combine all the berries in 1 large bowl.
  3. Zest and juice the lemon into the berry combination.
  4. Sprinkle in the 1/3 cup sugar and flour, mix, and allow the berries to sit at room temperature while you make the crust.
  5. Carefully lay your bottom crust in your pie plate, pour in the fruit, and top with a lattice crust (or crumble…which ever you prefer). Then using your egg make an egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tbsp sugar.
  6. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Allow to completely cool before serving.

 

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