ERIN MCDOWELL RECIPES

Steps:

• To prepare pie dough: In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Add butter, tossing to coat with flour mixture. Cut butter into flour using your hands or a pastry cutter, until butter pieces are about the size of peas. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add ice water. Use your hands to combine, kneading lightly and adding more water if needed. Dough should be uniformly combined and hold together easily but not totally smooth or sticky. Form dough into a disk; wrap tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third. Roll out dough. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate, crimping edges as desired. Top with a square of parchment paper slightly than pie plate; fill with pie weights. Bake 15–17 minutes or until edges appear set and are just starting to lightly brown. Remove from oven; remove parchment and pie weights. Return to oven; bake 2–3 minutes or until bottom appears set. Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush over bottom of crust. Cool completely. To make the cranberry filling: In a medium pot, mix the cranberries (and any juices from thawing), orange juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt to combine. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries begin to soften or break down, 12 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, 6 to 8 minutes; some of the berries will break down and become jammy, some will be whole or in chunky pieces. Stir in the vanilla. Cool completely. To prepare the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, using a silicone spatula, stir the cream cheese until smooth. Add the orange zest and mix well, then add the powdered sugar and mix until fully incorporated. Add the egg, extract, and salt and mix to combine. Place the cooled pie crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour in the cream cheese filling and spread into an even layer. Freeze the pie for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower third (preferably with a Baking Steel or stone on it). Spoon the cooled cranberry filling on top of the chilled cream cheese filling and spread into an even layer. Transfer the pie to the oven and bake until the crust is deeply golden brown (the filling will have sort of a matte appearance), 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
  

Steps:

• 1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water is at a rolling boil, drop in the lobster tails. Boil until the shells are bright red and the lobster meat is cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes (add 3 to 4 more minutes for large tails). Drain the tails, and then remove and discard the shells, reserving the meat. (Here's a video tutorial on how to crack that shell.) 2. Rinse the pot and return it to the stove. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and saut� until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saut� until fragrant, 1 minute more. 3. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and bring to a simmer. 4. Add the broth � cup at a time, bringing the mixture to a simmer and stirring constantly as the broth is absorbed. When the broth is nearly absorbed, add another � cup of broth and repeat. Continue until all the broth has been added and absorbed. 5. In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook until the butter is very fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lobster tails and cook, tossing occasionally, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes more. 6. Remove the risotto pot from the heat. Stir in the final 1 tablespoon butter and the Parmesan, and then season with salt and pepper. 7. Divide the risotto between two plates and then top each portion with two small (or one large) lobster tail and 1 to 2 teaspoons of the thyme butter. Serve immediately.