Canadian Christmas Pie (Torquierre)

3 lbs ground pork (browned)

2 large onions, finely chopped
2-4 medium potatoes, diced
2 cups water

Brown meat first, then add onion and cook until onion is transparent. Add potatoes and water, simmer for 1 hour. Pour off liquid and excess fat (reserve 1 cup of broth). Let meat mixture cool.

After mixture cools, add seasonings with the reserved broth;
2 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp sage
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground clove

If mixture seems somewhat dry, add a few Tablespoons of beef broth.

Make pie crust for two double pies. Roll bottom crust a little thicker than usual, add filling, cover with top crust. If to be frozen before baking, do not vent. If you are going to cook right away, cut some vents in top crust, Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

PS, she used 2 lb pork and 1 lb beef, and added a clove of chopped garlic this time. 2-4 potatoes is a large range, but some like it with more meat than potato.The recipe above is as she received it long ago. She thinks it might be better as it stands. :) 

Texas Sheet Cake

One of the St. Pierre family favorite desserts is Texas Sheet Cake.  This is a recipe that Gramma Vi was often asked for, and a dessert that she often made for gatherings.  It is a yummy, cakey, brownie type confection, with a great chocolate glaze.  Here is the famous (and easy) recipe.

Texas Cake

2 C flour
2 C sugar
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) margarine (or butter)
4 T cocoa
1 C water
1/2 C buttermilk (see Tips for substitute)
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t vanila
2 beaten eggs
1 t baking soda

• Sift flour and sugar together into a large bowl, set aside. 
• Combine margarine, cocoa, and water in a small pan, bring to a rapid boil and pour over flour and sugar mixture.  Mix well (by hand).
• Add buttermilk, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, and baking soda.  Mix well (by hand).
• Bake in a sheet cake pan (greased and lightly floured). 
• Cook at 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes. 

Texas Cake Frosting

4 T cocoa
1 stick magarine (or butter)
6 T black coffee
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1 c nuts (optional)

• Combine cocoa, margarine and coffee in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. 
• Add sugar and bring the mixture back to a boil.   
• Remove from heat, add vanilla and beat by hand until smooth. 
• Mix in the nuts if you want them.
• Spread on warm cake.

Family trial and error tips:

• We prefer Imperial Margarine.
• Real buttermilk is preferrable but if you don't have it, use 1/2 C milk + 1 T white vinegar.
• Mixing by hand is important, both the cake batter and the icing are rather thin.
• If you aren't going to add nuts, sift the powdered sugar as you stir it into the frosting mixture to avoid lumps...if you are adding nuts, the lumps won't be noticed.  You can also cook the frosting until the lumps melt, but that changes the texture a little.  It's OK to leave the sugar lumps.
• We leave the cake in the sheet cake pan and the sides hold in the icing when you spread it over the warm cake, it dries like a semi-hard shell. 
• If you want to leave a portion of the cake for those who don't eat nuts, put them on half the cake, or just the center, immediately after you pour the icing on the cake, before it sets.  You can also cut the amount of nuts used in half if you do this. 
• If  you want to cut it into squares and plate them for serving, do it after the cake has completely cooled and the icing has set.  We usually just serve it from the pan.