Watch Out! I'm Venturing Into Pastries. But First, Scallops.

I had half a container of scallops left over from the scallops I made for Youngest Hawthorne the other day.
Today's lunch ... scallops brandy flambe with orange and cream.

I dried off the scallops, peppered them, then seared them in a mixture of olive oil and butter. Maybe 2 minutes on each side.

Then I removed the pan from the flame, added in a bit of brandy, and returned it to the heat.
And WOOSH!
I believe I was a bit overzealous in my application of brandy.
Not to worry.
The flame quickly died down.

Check it out.
I had a skewer that I was lighting and left it next to the left of the pan.
Heh.
Didn't need the lit skewer at all.

I added a little cream.

Then the juice of an orange.

The smell is wonderful.

The scallops were wonderful.
The flavors of the pepper, the brandy, the orange, and the pepper were delicious.
Next time, I may have a fire extinguisher ready.
The flames were a bit much, but you just can't beat that brandy flavor.

Next up:
Cherry Strawberry Pie.

I heated up my cherries ($2.59 at Foodlion) and added some of the frozen strawberries Mr. Hawthorne and I had picked the other month.

I mixed 3/4 cup sugar, 2+ TB corn starch, 1/4 teaspoon salt,
then squeezed in the juice of 1 lemon.

Added 1/8 teaspoon almond extract.
That's a capful, right?

Then I poured the mixture into the berry mix.

Cooked over low heat for a few minutes until thickened.

Then I poured the slightly cooled berry mixture into a pie crust I had prepared back at Thanksgiving time and had frozen.

Ready to go into the 350 degree oven.

Cooked for about 30 minutes until my crust was lightly browned.

And here's my pie slice.
Immona tell you, ain't gonna be much of this left after the Hawthorne boys get in.

Next up, a Berry Galette.

Here are the ingredients for my galette dough:

1 1/2 TB sour cream
1/6 cup ice water
1/2 cup flour
1/8 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 TB cold unsalted butter, cut into little pieces

Mix the water and sour cream together.
If you look closely, you can see the whisk action going on.

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Then cut in the butter with a pastry blender. You're aiming for pieces of butter that range in size from bread crumbs to small peas. The larger pieces of butter make the dough flaky.
The smaller pieces of butter make the dough tender.

Finally add in the sour cream and water mixture.

Gather the dough into a ball.
Do not overwork.
Flatten the dough, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Fast forward 2 hours.
Roll out the dough in a circle so it's about 1/8 inch thick and has about an 11-inch diameter.
Carefully roll the dough around your pin and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

I poured 1 cup of sliced cherries and 1/2 cup of my thawed out strawberries. Be sure to drain the liquid from the strawberries.
(Mr. H. pitted the cherries for me, complaining the entire time.
"Why can't I use canned cherries?"
"Because fresh is better and by pitting them yourself you have the self satisfaction of knowing you made this the best possible way you could."
"Well, I don't see you getting any self satisfaction."
"That's because I want you to experience it all for yourself."
Grumble. Grumble.)

Now the nice thing about this is you could use any type of fruit.
I just happened to have the cherries on hand.
Peaches or apricots would work.
Tart apples or sweet pears.
Be careful with strawberries. If you use them, don't put too many in, since they're very watery.

Add a bit of sugar over top of the berries.

And drizzle a tablespoon of honey over top.

Cut up a tablespoon of butter over top of the berries, then fold the dough up over the filling.

Dip a pastry brush in water and give the crust a light coating.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
Oops. Mine leaked a bit.
Next time, I'll check my pastry for tears.
And believe me, there will be a next time.

Here it is, cleaned up.

Oh my.
Ohhh myyyyy.
I know what heaven tastes like now.

Strawberries, cherries, tartness, sweetness, crispy, golden crust.
Absolutely divine.