Homemade Holidays Begin in the Kitchen
Give the Gift of Taste to Family and Friends this Holiday Season
11/01/2007
Coming up with smaller gifts for neighbors and friends can be fun when you consider creating a gift from your own kitchen. It can be easy and is sure to stand out. This season, go beyond the expected holiday cookies and bake up sweet pies and tarts for great gifts that show your appreciation. To make it easy, Pillsbury has created five new holiday recipes using Pillsbury® Just Unroll! Refrigerated Pie Crusts.
“The holidays are a time when many people want to do something special to thank those around them, whether it’s their helpful neighbors and friends, or the service people in their lives, such as the mail carrier or hairdresser,” says author, family lifestyle expert and host of PBS’ Donna’s Day, Donna Erickson. “Spending time in the kitchen is a great place to get inspiration for gift ideas. Making a gift can be inexpensive, too, and a lot of fun for you and your family to do together.”
Finding good ideas for those smaller gifts you want to give can be challenging. Erickson encourages people to consider giving homemade treats. Then purchase gift tins, pie plates, cards and wrapping materials at a hobby and kitchen store to complete your own homemade gift packages.
Pies and bite-sized treats are ideal to wrap up as homemade gifts, and also work well to serve at the end of a traditional holiday meal or feature on a dessert table at a holiday party. And using Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts give you nice flaky crusts without the work of baking from scratch.
Sour Cream-Apple Pie is a twist on traditional apple pie and a delicious way to use tart apples available during the fall and winter. First, make homemade custard from sour cream, sugar, flour and eggs, and add crisp apples. Simply unroll a refrigerated pie crust into a glass pie plate, fill with the apple custard filling, and add the topping. This pie features a walnut streusel that brings sweetness and crunch to complement the tart apples.
Pumpkin-Ginger Pie with Golden Marshmallow Topping is a step up from traditional pumpkin pie. The twist to this recipe is the ginger flavor. Crushed ginger snaps are the bottom layer. Then, fresh grated gingerroot is added to the pumpkin, along with evaporated milk, eggs and other spices to give the filling a rich, custard-like texture. For the topping, layer mini marshmallows over the filling and broil right before serving. To prevent excessive browning on the pie crust while broiling the marshmallows, simply cover the crust edges with strips of foil. This recipe is delicious for Thanksgiving or can be served for any holiday meal.
For a dessert with a more gourmet taste, try the Fruits of Winter Crostata. It features flavorful dried pears, apricots, plums and golden raisins rehydrated with apple juice. After adding other filling ingredients, simply pour the fruit mixture onto the refrigerated pie crust that has been unrolled into a 15x10-inch pan. There’s no pie pan needed. Carefully fold the edges of the pie crust over the fruit mixture, forming pleats as necessary. Then sprinkle the crust with sugar and cinnamon and bake. Serve the crostata on a festive holiday plate for an attractive presentation at the end of your holiday meal.
Oats ‘n Honey Tarts are cute, sweet treats. From the refrigerated pie crusts, cut 3-inch rounds with a cookie cutter to form 24 small circles, then place in a mini-muffin tin and bake for a few minutes until lightly golden brown. The surprise ingredient in the filling is crushed granola bars. After baking, garnish the tarts with chocolate chips. These bite-sized treats are a perfect gift.
Candy Bar Tarts offer the rich flavor of cheesecake in smaller bites. For this recipe, use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to form the small tart crusts. Place them in a mini-muffin tin and bake a few minutes until they are light golden brown. For the filling, place pieces of candy bar in the bottom of the tart crust, add the creamy filling and bake. When done and cooled, make the topping to spread over each tart, and then use additional candy bar pieces to garnish. These treats, with the surprise candy piece on the bottom, will appeal to the kid in everyone.
“Whether it’s a pie or a sampling of tarts, these recipes offer many ideas for gift giving,” Erickson says. “Consider making the apple or pumpkin pie in a festive glass pie pan that becomes part of the gift. Then, wrap the pie in colored, food-safe cellophane or a cellophane bag, and tie the package with holiday ribbon. For the gift tag, put the recipe on a handmade recipe card.”
The tarts also make pretty — and tasty — small gifts. Erickson recommends baking up a few batches and mixing the tarts in various holiday tins. “Simply layer each tin with cellophane or parchment paper and place the tarts inside. For the recipe gift tag, either create a handmade card or write it on a store-bought recipe card,” says Erickson. “Your family and friends will appreciate the thought of a homemade gift, and it’s a fun way to share your favorite recipes and holiday baking memories.”
The Pillsbury® Just Unroll! Refrigerated Pie Crusts are available in the refrigerated dough section of your grocery store. Each 15-oz. package contains two pie crusts, and its suggested retail price is $2.92. For more delicious pie recipes and tips for pie baking any time of year, visit www.pillsbury.com.
For More Information, Contact:
Peg Ilkka
Pillsbury
763-764-7993
peg.ilkka@genmills.com
