Caramel Apple Pie

 
Baseball season just ended, and a wintertime filled with the kitschy joys of American commercialism will soon be here!  What better way to celebrate than with some baseball and apple pie?  And let me tell you: I've been making this pie for quite awhile now, and I think it's my best one.  (And take a look at the cool vintage fabric, doubling as a tablecloth, underneath the pie.  1960s baseball heaven!)

It's so delicious served warm.  And it's delicious cold, too.  But let me give you some advice: eat it when it's still hot, just out of the oven.  And when you go in for the leftovers, I strongly recommend re-heating and adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream (almost everything, I've come to realize, is better a la mode). 

Now that the World Series has come and gone (leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates behind for another year), I can't think of a better song than Whiskeytown's "Empty Baseball Park."  Thanks, Ryan Adams.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pie Crust:
*By now, I think you know the drill.  For pies that require a crust on both the bottom and top, you've gotta double the recipe.  Here's the recipe already doubled.  Once you have the two crusts, rest one in the bottom of your pie dish and set the other aside until you've filled the pie and are ready to bake. 

Apple Filling:
--6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thinly
--1/4 c. flour
--1/4 c. dark brown sugar
--2 tsp. cinnamon
--1 tsp. vanilla
--pinch of salt
--4 tbsp. butter, chopped
--1 egg (set aside for an egg wash)
--1 tbsp. turbinado sugar (for dusting)

In a large bowl,  combine all ingredients until apples are fully coated.  Line the bottom of the pie crust with the butter pieces, spaced relatively evenly.  Pour in the apples.  Set aside until you've finished the caramel sauce (below).

Caramel Sea Salt sauce:
(*Adapted from Ina Garten's caramel recipe.  Thanks, Ina!)
--1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
--1/3 c. water
--1 1/4 c. heavy cream
--1 tsp. sea salt

Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan and heat over low until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Increase heat to medium-high and allow to boil until the mixture turns a golden brown in color (approx. 5-7 minutes).  Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, and monitor it very carefully to avoid burning.  Slowly add the cream and stand back a bit so you don't get splashed.  Simmer just until the cream has dissolved and the caramel is smooth (approx. 2-3 minutes).  While it's still warm, pour evenly over the contents of the apples.

Add the top pie crust and crimp edges (trim the edges if need be, and save the extra dough--you can always roll it out and bake it with butter, cinnamon, and sugar for an extra treat later).  Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush the egg wash over the top of the pie, avoiding the crust edge.  Sprinkle turbinado sugar and generously on top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top is crisp and golden.  Remove from oven and allow to cool just a bit before cutting into this completely delicious dessert. 

Pear & Almond Pie Pillows

I've been terribly late in my blog postings lately.  And now Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  My apologies.  Let me make it up to you with a delicious cookie recipe and a great song.

A love a good "pillow" cookie, and almost any dessert is better with almonds.  These cookies feature a pie crust exterior, an almond paste and pear filling, and a sprinkling of turbinado sugar for a sweet crunch.  I have to admit: these cookies were a bit time consuming to create, but the end result was delicious.  We even ate a few of them warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream: cookies a la mode.

Pillow cookies typically feature a sugar-cookie dough, filled with an almond or chocolate filling.  I really think the flaky, buttery pie crust makes these ones extra special.  (And, you could fill them with almost any pie filling!  Mini pies, mini cookies . . . .)  In fall, grocery markets begin stocking Bartlett pears, and they're perfect for this pastry treat. 

For a song, here's Joanna Newsom's fun and quirky "Peach Plum Pear."

And now for the dessert.  First, you've gotta make a pie crust, and here's my trusty recipe (doubled):

--2 1/2 c. flour

--1 c. butter, cold

--1/2 c. ice water

--pinch of salt

Pour flour into a large bowl.  Then, cut in the butter, either by hand or by placing ingredients in a food processor.  Next, pour in ice water and mix together.  Continue kneading until all dry flour has been absorbed.  Finally, form the dough into two balls, and rolls each into a large circle.  Using a 3" biscuit cutter, cut circles out of the pie crust (just like you would cut-out cookies).  Continue rolling dough and cutting circles until all the dough has been used.  Stack your dough circles and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

The Filling, etc:

--4 Bartlett pears, peeled, sliced, and cut into rough 1" pieces

--1 6 oz can almond paste

--1 tbsp. granulated sugar

--2 tsp. all-purpose flour

--2 tbsp. unsalted butter

--2 whole eggs, + 1 egg white

--2 tbsp. turbinado sugar (for dusting)

In a small food processor, pulse the almond paste (it may be quite hard coming out of the can--don't worry: it'll soften with the other ingredients), sugar, flour, and butter.  Once that has pulsed, add one egg and one egg white (the second egg is for an egg wash over the pie crusts).  

On a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, spread pie crust circles approximately one inch apart.  Spread a thin layer of the almond paste filling onto each, and then top with a few pieces of pear.  Place another pie crust circle on top, gently pressing the edges down to seal.  Next, taking a fork, press the tines all along the edges, fully sealing these cookies/mini pies.  

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg.  Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg wash over each "pillow."  Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top, cut a small slit in the top of each, and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden.  Repeat with remaining pie crust circles and filling ingredients.  

Serve hot out of the oven with ice cream, or after they've cooled.  They'll also store well for a few days in an airtight container. 

Bratwurst & Sweet Potato Mashers

Hello again, October!  A few weeks ago, I had a delicious dinner combination at Charlottesville's Beer Run: bratwurst, roasted apples, and mashed sweet potatoes.  I couldn't wait to try out a version of my own.  Here, I've made parsnip and sweet potato mashers (I love the sharp, earthy flavor of parsnips), sauteed apples with caramelized onions, and Guinness beer brats (yes, please!). 

I really feel October in my bones as football nostalgia sets in.  Because even with pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and a strong fall wind, what is October, really, without football, friday night lights, and an oh-so-sweet love song?  Here's John Fahey's "Beautiful Linda Getchell," from his 1965 album, The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death.

Ingredients:
--5 brats, sliced (you can use the Guinness brats that I used, or whichever suit your fancy)
--4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
--5 parsnips, peeled and chopped
--1 large yellow onion (or two small ones), peeled and sliced thinly
--3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and coarsely sliced
--1 c. half & half
--1 stick unsalted butter
--1 tsp. nutmeg
--1 tsp. cinnamon
--1 tsp. paprika
--2 tsp. salt (approx.)
--2 tsp. pepper (approx.)
--1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cover sweet potatoes in foil and poke fork holes in them to vent.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  On a separate parchment-lined baking sheet, lay parsnip pieces in a single layer and drizzle olive oil across the pieces, turning them to coat.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.  Place both the sweet potatoes and the parsnips in the oven, with the sweet potatoes on the lower rack.  Bake parsnips for approximately 35 minutes, or until they're soft and crispy (this time may vary slightly depending upon the size of your parsnip pieces).  Remove and allow to cool slightly.  Allow sweet potatoes to bake for approximately 1 hour (again, this may be longer depending on the size of your sweet potatoes), or until sweet potatoes are soft and cooked through.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and combine in a food processor with the parsnips.  Pulse a few times and then add 1/2 stick unsalted butter, sliced.  Slightly heat the half & half (in the microwave will do), and then add to food processor.  (If you add cold milk or cream, your mashers will become pasty).  Pulse for approximately 1-2 minutes, or until ingredients are combined.  (You could also do this without the food processor using a potato masher, but I find that the parsnips are a bit too chunky without the aid of the blade.)  Stir in 1 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper, and 1 tsp. paprika.  [Be careful here: only add the nutmeg, not the cinnamon! The nutmeg is for the mashers, and the cinnamon goes with the apples!]  Set aside until ready to serve. 

In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 stick butter over low heat and add yellow onion slices.  Simmer, stirring frequently, until onions are soft, golden-colored, and "caramelized."  Add the remaining 1/4 stick butter to a separate large saucepan and heat butter and apple slices over medium heat, along with 1 tsp. cinnamon and a dash of salt.  Saute for 10-12 minutes, or just until apples are soft and golden.  Remove from heat and mix in caramelized onions.  

 
Using the onions' saucepan, add the bratwurst slices and saute until crispy. 

Serve the apples, onions, and brats over the sweet potato mashers.  This dish is incredibly delicious (I can't take all the credit--thank you, Beer Run and Guinness!), and there will be leftovers!

Pumpkin Muffins

 
It's October!  I love fall foods, and at least for me, an absolute autumn staple is pumpkin.  Roasting pumpkins, canned pumpkin, pumpkin seeds (you get the idea).  And I'll confess, I've even turned into a lover of pumpkin donuts and pumpkin lattes.  I can't help myself.     

But when it's getting late in the evening and I'm craving an autumnal treat, I turn to these super easy and delicious pumpkin muffins.  I *always* keep a can or two of pumpkin puree on hand (not pumpkin pie filling!), so these muffins quickly become a late-night snack, breakfast the following morning, and a midday sweet.  And I sprinkle mine with a cinnamon-sugar mix before I put them in the oven.  Delicious.

With the chilly air and crisp cornstalks around the worn out Virginia highways, I know it's close to harvest time.  So for these first days of October, here's Nick Drake's "Harvest Breed" from his final album, Pink Moon. 

Ingredients:
*adapted from Gourmet magazine
--1 1/4 c. pumpkin puree
--1/4 c. canola oil
--3 eggs
--1 tsp. vanilla
--1 c. granulated sugar
--1/4 c. light brown sugar
--1 1/2 c. flour
--1 tsp. baking powder
--1 tsp. baking soda
--1 tsp. ground cinnamon
--1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
--1/2 tsp. ground allspice
--1/2 tsp. ground cloves
--pinch of salt
+ 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and 2 tsp. ground cinnamon for topping (mix and set aside)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugars, canola oil, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth.  In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.  Slowly add to egg mixture while beating on low speed.  Once combined, pour batter into lined muffin cups so that they're between 2/3 and 3/4 full.  **Before putting them in the oven, sprinkle the cinnamon & sugar mix on top (once they're baked, this will become a sweet and crunchy topping).  

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Enjoy (even hot out of the oven)! 

Pickled Watermelon Rind Salad

On this last day of September, I've been thinking about the waning days of summer weather and the sweet heirloom tomatoes and watermelons that are still available at the farmer's markets (not for long!) and some of the local supermarkets.  I got the idea for this salad from a similar side dish special I had at one of my favorite new restaurants in Charlottesville, The Whiskey Jar.  And the great thing about this salad?  The watermelon rind isn't a true pickle--it's a "quickle."  (I made the entire salad in under two hours.)

My version of this salad includes a variety of heirloom tomatoes (whatever you can find), and a Yellow Crimson watermelon, small and circular with a yellow-orange flesh.  It's sweet, salty, and delicious.  And the summery pickled watermelon rind would still be seasonal even after the summer weather fades . . . .  I spiced it with cinnamon, cloves, and star anise.  

To say goodbye to summer, I'm giving you Ella Fitzgerald's hauntingly beautiful "Everytime We Say Goodbye."  I don't know if it's the coming of Autumn or just a general feeling of Fall, but my music tastes lately have been drifting backward in time toward the sweet sounds of Ella's jazz and the Carter Family's Appalachian guitar.  

Ingredients:
--1/2 small watermelon (the Yellow Crimson that I used is small, so you only need half--if you have a larger watermelon, you probably only need about 1/4 of it).
--4 heirloom tomatoes (your choice!)
--4 c. apple cider vinegar
--2 c. water
--1/2 c. granulated sugar
--2 cinnamon sticks
--10 whole cloves
--2 whole star anise fruits (dried)
--1 tbsp. salt
--1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
--1 tbsp. honey
--2 tbsp. coarsley ground mustard

For the watermelon:
Remove the flesh and remove its seeds, leaving approximately 1/4" flesh on the rind.  Chop watermelon flesh into large chunks and set aside in a large bowl.  Very carefully skin the watermelon rind and chop into 1" pieces.  Place in a saucepan with apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise.  Bring to a boil and continue to simmer over medium heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until the rind is soft and the aroma of vinegar and autumnal spices have filled your home.  Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

The salad:
Wash and chop heirloom tomatoes and add to bowl with watermelon flesh.  Strain the watermelon rind in the saucepan, *making sure* to reserve about one cup of the cooking liquid.  Add the watermelon rind to your salad bowl (tomatoes, watermelon flesh).  In a separate small bowl, combine the reserved cooking liquid, salt, pepper, honey, and mustard to make a salad dressing.  Whisk thoroughly and pour over salad.  Toss to fully coat the tomatoes and watermelon pieces in the dressing.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving.  This is delicious with a crusty sourdough baguette on the side.  

Sugar Cookie Strawberry Shortcake

Growing up, one of my mom's dessert specialties was strawberry shortcake with an angel food base.  "It's such a healthy dessert," she'd tell us.  Years later, I've made this treat a little bit sweeter with a sugar cookie sheet-cake base (a tongue twister and a palate pleaser).  Lately I've heard rumors about my stepdad placing takeout orders for strawberry shortcake from a brick-oven pizza place in southwest Florida . . . .  I bet I make a better one!

Using a jelly roll pan, I took an old sugar cookie recipe, added more eggs, baked it, and glazed it with a simple syrup once it had cooled.  (On a side note: I've been really into turning cookies into sheet cakes lately.  Perhaps some autumn petit fours are in order.)

I know what you're thinking: I must be pairing this dessert with a famous Beatles track.  But I already gave you their addictive "Strawberry Fields Forever" in my Amaretti Chocolate Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream.  So what goes with a sugar cookie shortcake?  Here's X's "Sugarlight."  This song comes from the super cool American punk band's first studio album, Los Angeles. 

Sugar Cookie Cake ingredients:
--1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
--1 c. granulated sugar, plus 1/2 c. for simple syrup
--3 eggs
--1 tsp. vanilla extract
--1/2 c. whole milk
--2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
--1 tsp. baking powder
--1/2 tsp. baking soda
--1 c. water (for simple syru)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  Slowly add the flour mixture and milk, in alternating additions, to the egg and sugar mixture until combined.  

In a buttered and floured jelly roll pan, spread the batter evenly and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or just until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.  (*You don't want this to turn golden on top--if it does, it's slightly overdone).  Allow to cool.  

In a small saucepan, bring 1 c. water and 1/2 c. granulated sugar to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved.  With a pastry brush, generously glaze the sugar cookie cake (the simple syrup will seep into the cake, so give it a few layers of this sugary glaze).  Once the glaze has dried, cut into squares.

Strawberry Topping ingredients:
--2 c. fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
--1/4 c. brown sugar
--1 tsp. vanilla
--1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients until combined.  Take two squares of the sugar cookie cake and add a few heaping spoonfuls of the strawberry topping.  I topped mine with a dollop of cool whip, but you could just as easily (and deliciously) use whipped cream or crème fraîche.  Enjoy!

Cracked Pepper & Fig Bruschetta

In early autumn, figs start to fall from the trees in Virginia.  Since moving here almost four years ago now, I've begun to associate the seedy marks on the sidewalks and the sweet tastes with the coming fall weather.  And for some unrelated reason, in recent years chilly Septembers have been the first days to see inventive savory-and-sweet bruschetta dinners.  

This cracked pepper and fig bruschetta is baked over ricotta on sliced sourdough bread with an ample drizzle of honey.  It makes a light meal, a great appetizer, and a delicious leftovers snack.  And it's pretty quick and easy.   

In my ever-growing interest in beekeeping, I've been reading more about pollination, fruits, flowers, and honey.  Did you know there's a variety of wasp that pollinates the world's fig trees?  Amazing.  So here's the National's beautiful "Wasp Nest."

Ingredients:
--1/2 loaf sourdough bread, sliced thinly (you could use any bread here, and in fact, if you want smaller bruschetta pieces or bruschetta rounds, I'd use a smaller Italian loaf or a French baguette)
--16 oz. ricotta cheese
--12 large figs, washed and sliced
--3-5 tbsp. honey, depending on taste (as you might guess, I go for more)
--1 tbsp. cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, lay out sourdough slices.  Spread ricotta evenly over the slices, and line with fig slices.  Slowly drizzle honey over each slice and follow with a heavy sprinkling of cracked black pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes, allow to cool for just a few minutes, and serve warm.