“Fall, Leaves, Fall”

Tags

beef hand pies, cranberry scones, fall, hand pies, poem, poems, poetry, savory hand pies, scones

BY EMILY BRONTE

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

***

“Fall Leaves”
BY THE NOVICE GARDENER

Oh, the beautiful leaves of Fall
Red, gold, green, and even brown
The yellow ones I like best of all
Down they all go from the tree’s crown

No, don’t blow them off yet
I want as many as my hands can get
What would you need them for, asked the husband
I want to make wreaths, and maybe a garland

Outside it’s raining and it’s windy!
Limp soggy leaves all over my car, how messy!
Blow them off, bag them, I don’t want any!
Of course I still think they’re pretty
But my Tiguan is my baby!

Oh, good grief! I’m better at making leaves in the kitchen. I’ll stick to that, instead.

***

THE RECIPES

Savory Hand Pies

The crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter (or 4 tbsp butter + 4 tbsp shortening)
5-7 tbsp ice-cold water

1. Combine flour and salt.
2. Cut in butter/shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Sprinkle water one tablespoon at a time, while tossing lightly with a fork. Add water until dough is just moist enough to form a ball when pressed together.
4. Shape dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

The filling
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb sirloin steak, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 big dollops of shallot marmalade* See Note
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
Fresh herbs (chives, parsley, thyme)

1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil, until soft and translucent.
2. Add the rest of the vegetables, and cook until vegetables are completely wilted.
3. Add beef and cook just until it’s no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
4. Add salt & pepper, shallot marmalade, and chopped fresh herbs.
5. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely prior to filling pies.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out leaf shapes, using a cookie cutter. Egg wash the edges, then add the filling on one piece, top with another piece, pinch edges together. Egg wash the pies, then use a knife or a toothpick to add decorative details. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. This recipe makes about 7-8 hand pies, with leftover filling.

Note: Substitute with caramelized onions or 1 tbsp of tomato paste, if you don’t have shallot marmalade.

***

Cranberry Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick of cold butter
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
4. Add dried cranberries, stir to distribute evenly.
5. Mix egg with buttermilk, add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.
6. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough (5-6 times), just enough until it comes together. Do not overwork the dough.
7. Roll out dough into 1/2 inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut leaves out of the dough. Re-roll scraps of dough and repeat. Brush tops with an egg wash or melted butter. Sprinkle with raw sugar, if desired.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve (immediately while still warm!) with butter.