Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen

This is from Pie Academy by Ken Haedrich. It's a great book because he's got so many solid recipes and interesting flavor combinations. We bought it for ourselves after testing out a number of recipes. However, you've got to keep an eye on him. For example, his basic streusel is surprisingly tasteless. His fruit pies are made with frozen fruit (which has worked out great) but you've got to keep an eye on the cooking times. For example, we have found that we need to let the fruit fully thaw to get good results, as opposed to Haedrich's "partially thaw" instructions. So if you go in ready to be flexible and adapt occasionally, it's good.  I trust Haedrich enough that I made this pie for the first time for my book club. It has a lovely lemony flavor and several people had two pieces. Naturally they wanted the recipe. So here it is, paraphrased by me. CLASSIC CHESS PIE 8-10 servings  Pie crust dough for a single-crust pie (I used a half recipe of easy Perf

This recipe is from King Arthur's Flour and is really easy and really a treat. Everyone loves them. We use the lower amount of cayenne but they are really full flavored. CHEESE PENNIES Ingredients 2 cups (227g) grated sharp cheddar cheese 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature 1-1/2 cups (180g) flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional paprika, optional Instructions In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the paprika to make a cohesive dough, sprinkling in a tablespoon or so of water if the dough doesn't seem to want to come together. As soon as the dough starts to come together, turn off the mixer and gather it into a rough ball. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a 16" log about 1-1/2" in diameter. (We make two 8" long logs. That way one can wait in the freezer while the first