Candy Apple Pie #40

 I was getting a toothache while I was making this pie. Every step felt like another cup of brown sugar and I was worried that it was going to taste like a spoonful of sugar.

However, after tasting it I started wondering why I was so worried about that. It definitely was one of the most sugary pies that I've made, but the apples, graham-cracker crust, and whipped cream were enhanced by the added caramel. I'm not sure it could have taken any more sugar, but I while eating it, I definitely didn't want any less sugar. This is definitely one of those pies that you can count on being a crowd pleaser no matter the crowd.

I don't know how I came across this pie exactly. There are several people who have posted about this recipe but ultimately it was because of what was written on the Doughmesstic's blog that made me want to make it. She told about last year's rigged Martha Stewart pie contest--one that I also attended. It's maybe only funny to read if you were there or if you're interested in reading about what it's like to go to the Martha Stewart show.

In any case, whether it was rigged or not, there was no competition between the pies that I took and this pie (though this wasn't even a finalist). So, I'm over being upset about the contest being rigged--mine were not this tasty, that's for sure.

Also, I must say that this is a pie that Ryan hasn't actually tasted (yet). My boss gave me a bunch of apples so I brought this pie in and shared it with my boss and the rest of the office. I set it out on the break room table and it within 1/2 hour the pie pan had been licked clean and there were people monitoring others slices so they could hopefully get a bigger pie of the pie. So, needless to say, I'll have to make a special one just for him.

One other note, I made the graham crackers and the caramel sauce  from scratch rather than buying them at the store. Several people have commented over the past year about how that seems crazy of me to make these cheap, store-bought ingredients, however, I would like to once again bear my testimony about how much better the finished product tastes with just a little bit more preparedness and a lot less HFCS. I mention it here because I think that is especially true for this pie since it is so simple.

The caramel recipe is below (by the way there is a lot of extra but it is super easy and perfect for other things like ice cream or dipping apples--so don't let it go to waste) and, I will link you back to my blog post that has a graham cracker recipe (the same one I used here).

So...I really don't think that there's more to say on this one. It's delicious and even if it was a big spoonful of sugar, it seemed to make the medicine of work go down a lot smoother.

Candy Apple Pie

(Adapted from MiMi Hodge, winner of Good Morning America’s “Pie of Emeril’s Eye” Contest, 2000)

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs*

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping**

1 cup chopped pecans

Apple Filling:

5 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, sliced very thin)

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Topping:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

Topping:

3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/4 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Crust: In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix well and press into a 10-inch pie plate and up the sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden in color. Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely. Pour caramel into pie shell and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.

For the Apple Filling: In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add apples and stir. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until apples are softened and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes and pour into pie shell. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Cream Cheese Topping: In a medium bowl, using a hand-held mixer on low speed, combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for 1 minute or until fully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Top with whipped cream, caramel and pecans, and swirl with a knife. Slice and serve.

*Follow this link for a graham cracker recipe

**Caramel Ice Cream Topping:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat melt butter. 

Add brown sugar and whisk until combined and thickened (about 2 minutes)

Whisk in whipped cream and continue to whisk until it is fully combined and thickened (about 2 more minutes). Add salt and vanilla and whisk for 1 more minute.

The sauce is now ready to be used in the pie but you may want to allow it to cool for handling purposes. Note: the sauce will thicken in the fridge.

Cranberry-Apple Crumble Pie #39

I don't want to be hasty and say that this is the end-all for apple pies (especially since it's only the second one in this little series of apple pie recipes), but it's definitely the best one on this blog to date. 

How good is it? Well, let me say this, the crust is spectacular. The apple variety was perfect (and so much better than the last one). And despite my skepticism, the crumble was an excellent topping (especially since apples tend to cook WAY down during the baking process, so it was nice to have the crumbles right on top of the apples and not some domed crust hovering above). Also I feel like the crumbles may have soaked up a bit of the extra juices too, which was an added bonus.

So the texture, taste, and equal-top-crust-to-apple-ratio all scored big with me and with those who ate it. Our friends, who have probably tasted more of my pies than anyone else, said that it might be their favorite pie this year.

And with that type of recommendation, what else needs to be said?

Here, look again:

Those of you who are already thinking about Thanksgiving, take note about this pie: the cranberry, apple, pecan combination would make a great dessert. 

And for those of you who are just thinking about pie, make a note that you should put this one in your pie queue for any fall occasion--even if that occasion is as unglamorous as having a slice of pie for breakfast (which, by the way, I'm not against).

One other note I have about this pie is that I didn't think it aged well. I thought it was best on the day it was made it (we ate ours about 12 hours after it was made), but on day number two the crumbles were a little soggy and I didn't enjoy it AS much--though I still licked my plate. But since I always lick my plate, that might not be as solid of a recommendation as the one before. 

Even still, it was a great pie and I hope you get to find that out for yourself.

Cranberry-Apple Crumble Pie

(Adapted from epicurious.com)

For pastry dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (trans-fat-free)

Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For crumble topping:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

For fruit filling:

2 pounds Gala apples (about 5), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

8 ounces fresh or frozen (not thawed) cranberries

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Equipment: a 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate (6-cup capacity)

DIRECTIONS:

Make pastry: Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together (using a pastry scraper if you have one) and form into a 5-inch disk. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with additional flour. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make crumble topping: Stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until large clumps form, then stir in pecans. Chill until ready to use.

Make fruit filling: Stir together apples, cranberries, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl.

Assemble pie: Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Transfer fruit filling to pie shell and dot with butter. Loosely cover with foil and bake until apples droop slightly, about 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Sprinkle crumble topping over filling and bake, uncovered, until crumble is browned, filling is bubbling, and apples are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

Deep Dish Apple Pie (The Barefoot Contessa) #38

I'm going to do a string of apple pie posts because: 1-it's fall, 2-there are so many thousands of apple pie recipes to choose from, 3-I live in the big apple--so...there's that, 4-apple pies are delicious, 5-and mostly because the only thing I remember from fifth grade history was the question, "What's more American than apple pie?" and even 20 years later I don't have an answer.

Although, with even the most ubiquitous fast food restaurant selling some version of an apple pie, the question really should have been, "What American hasn't tasted apple pie?"

I'll be sure to bring that up with my fifth grade teacher next time I see her.

Until then, that's kind of the problem with apple pies. It's not likely that you're going to mess any apple pie up, but since it's so common, it's difficult to make one that knocks everyone's socks off. And, I don't know about you, but the reason I bake pies is one part catharsis, one part hunger, and one part that's just hoping to blow someone away in a slice.

So? How did this one hold up?

Well, since I've been wanting to make for awhile--not really because of the recipe, but because I've been a Barefoot fan for a few years and I hadn't ever tried it--I hate to report that it was disappointing. But really, that's all I have to say, disappointing. My socks were not knocked. Probably not even rolled down. I would have expected more from someone named, the Barefoot Contessa, but maybe I shouldn't have such expectations.

The first problem, I believe, were the apples. I don't typically like using Granny Smith apples, but since the recipe called for it, I followed. They turned out mushy and did not rehabilitate my feelings about Granny Smith's in pies.

Even so, with the right apples, I wouldn't say that this was a winning combination for me. I don't like wassail and the combination of spices really made it taste like wassail. I found that distracting rather than enhancing. However, if you love wassail, I would recommend you try this recipe, but definitely with a different variety.

Luckily, there are almost as many apple pie recipes as there are apples.

Note: that fact may or may not be true. Maybe I'll bring that question up with my fifth grade teacher too.

What is true is that my refrigerator is FULL of apples! And there are a lot more apple pies to come and hopefully we can find just the right one to blow those socks right off.

Deep Dish Apple Pie
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Filling:
4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored

1 lemon, zested

1 orange, zested

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Perfect Pie Crust:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Topping:
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

 DIRECTIONS:

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it.

Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits.

Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.

Concord Grape Pie (and Peanut Butter Ice Cream) #37

This is a love pie.

And by that, I mean that you have have some love while you make it because of all work that goes into it.

Besides the actual grains of sugar, salt, and flour, it seems as though you handle absolutely every thing that goes into it; each whole grape, the skins, the flesh, the seeds. And then there is the squeezing, cutting, seeding, cooking, straining, and repeating.

So really what I'm saying is that one can't do this without a little love. You just wouldn't make it through the process.

But even if that work becomes tedious, the result is not something that you'll hate--unless, of course, you hated your childhood and everything delightful about having a peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in your lunchbox. But please oh please, I hope no one hated that!

While this pie filling is reminiscent of a big spoonful of Welch's grape jelly, it isn't half as gelatinous or sickly sweet and it packs a whole lot more sophistication sandwiched between layers of delicate crust. Also, I made peanut butter ice cream (see recipe below) to accompany this pie and I think it made the perfect treat.

But (and excuse the tangent starting right now), I would think it was perfect. I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 2008-2009 marks a 15-month period where I had one nearly every day sometimes twice each day. I seriously considered serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at our wedding because I love them so much (thanks to Ryan for finding a better solution to that plan).

Any way, I've slowed down on my pb+j consumption, but since I've been consistently eating pie this year I think this winning combination just brought everything together for me: lunches my mom used to make me, peanut butter, the autumn harvest, jelly, the sometimes tedious but always enjoyable work that goes into making pies, and how much I love all of those things.

So my friends, the love pie. Please, enjoy a slice!

Concord Grape Pie
(Adapted from The Art of Baking)

Filling:

3 pounds concord grapes stemmed and washed

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Pie Crust:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed

DIRECTIONS:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some larger pieces remaining.

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed in a slow, steady stream, processing just until the dough begins to bind and holds together when squeezed in the palm of your hand, 5 to 10 seconds. If the dough is too dry, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface and shape it into a flattened disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least and hour, or overnight. (The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month, but thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using.)

On a lightly flour surface, roll out 1 disk of the dough to an 11-inch round. Roll the dough onto a rolling pin, center it over a 9-inch pie plate, and fit the dough into the plate, pressing the dough into the edges. Trim the dough right to the top edge, with no overhang. Combine the scraps with the second disk of dough which will be the top crust, and return it to the refrigerator. Freeze the pie shell until firm, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F

Line the chilled pie well with a round of parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges of the crust are just beginning to turn golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and the pie weights. Return the crust to the oven and continue baking until it is dark golden all over, 10 minutes more. Transfer the pie shell to a wire rack and let it cool completely. Keep the oven on.

Roll the second disk of dough between two pieces of waxed paper to a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough, still between the waxed paper, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate it.

Take about two thirds of the grapes and pop them out of their skins by pressing them between your thumb and index finger.

Save half of the skins, discard the other half. In a medium saucepan, combine the flesh of the grapes with the sugar and cook over medium heat until the grapes break down enough for the pulp to separate from the seeds, about 5 minutes. Put this grape mixture through a food mill or push it through a large-holed strainer [I used a fine mesh sieve and it worked fine] into a bowl to separate the pulp from the seeds. Discard the seeds.  Return the strained pulp to the saucepan, and stir in the cornstarch and the reserved skins. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Halve the remaining grapes with a paring knife. Using the tip of the knife, remove the seeds and discard them. Fold the de-seeded grape halves into the cooked pulp.

Pour the grape mixture into the cooled pie shell. Cover the filling with the top crust, and trim it so that there is a 1-inch overhang the entire way around. Fold the dough under itself and seal the top crust to the bottom by crimping the edge around the entire pie. With a paring knife, cut four horizontal slits, each about 6 inches long, across the top of the pie.

Place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly and thick. 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

The pie is best eaten the day it is baked but can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator, loosely covered in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

(adapted from David Lebovitz)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Cover mixture with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. When ready, process ice cream base in your ice cream maker until thickened, about 15-20 minutes or according to manufacturer's directions. (If you choose to add candies, chocolate, or peanuts, add them in the last 5 minutes of mixing.) Pour into a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

Peach Pie #36

Throughout this whole experiment, people have been asking me, "What's you're favorite pie?" Usually I say, "Oh, I really liked [insert best pie of the past two or three weeks]."
However, all along, I've been waiting for the opportunity to say, "Peach pie is my favorite."

The first pie I ever made was a peach pie and I've been hooked ever since. I even reached back into the catacombs of my photo collection to find this picture of it:

(Awww...isn't that cute? I made it for Ryan's birthday a several years ago. Also, allow me to say that while it's not a gorgeous lattice crust, it's not awful for my first try, right?)

Any ways, I love peaches and I still love peach pie.

However if you've been following this blog at all, you know well that the worst pies I've made all year are my peach pies.

I've spent a lot of nights wondering, why would the universe do that to me? Well, it's called humility, people. And clearly I needed a big dose of it because my last peach pies were really embarrassing (almost as embarrassing as the pink sweats I'm wearing in that old picture).

However, I'm happy to report that I did it. I made a peach pie that was delicious. And while it didn't blow up my pride to unmeasurable proportions, it did make me feel a little better. While I don't think that these are the end-all tips for making a peach pie, here are a few that I used that I believe helped this pie to succeed:

I used barely ripened peaches (so they wouldn't over cook in the oven).
I used one of the simplest recipes I could find (so you could really taste the peaches)
I didn't second guess the recipe at all (which is hard for me)
And you know what? It worked.

So, just talking about this recipe as it is, it was really good. It let the peaches speak for themselves. There isn't anything else to spice them up, accompany them, or change their flavor, which, in my book, made them just peachy.

Also, I loved the crust. It should be made again and again.

And as for peach pies? They still hold a place high on the pedestal of pleasant pies.

(How many more months until peach season comes again?)

Peach Pie
(from joyofbaking.com)

Pate Brisee (Short Crust Pastry):

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon granulated white sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Peach Filling:

6 cups (2 1/2 pounds) fresh peaches

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

3 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Garnish:

1 tablespoon cream or milk

Granulated white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Pate Brisee:  In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined.  Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process for more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour. 

Peach Filling:  Meanwhile, dip the peaches into a large pot of boiling water for about 30 - 60 seconds, depending on the ripeness of each peach. Transfer the fruit to a large bowl of ice water (this stops the cooking process). The skins should now slip easily off the peaches. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones, and cut the fruit into slices. Place the peach slices in a large bowl and toss with the sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, salt, and butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes so the peaches have time to release their juices, the sugar can dissolve, and the tapioca becomes nice and plump.

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and tuck the overhanging pastry under itself, crimping as desired. Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, while you roll out the second round of pastry.

Remove the second round of pastry from the refrigerator and roll it into a 12 inch circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and gently pour the peach filling into the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the peaches. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make 3 - 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Lightly brush the top crust with cream and sprinkle with a little granulated white sugar.

Bake the pie for about 45 - 60 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown color and the juices are bubbling and thick. If the edges of the pie are browning too much during baking, cover with a foil ring. 

Place the baked pie on a wire rack to cool for an hour. Serve at room temperature with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Leftovers can be stored for a couple of days at room temperature or in the refrigerator.