Happy Thanksgiving!

Dorie's Amazing Apple Pie

Happy Thanksgiving! It's really snuck up on me again (I think I say that every year) but we are so excited to have time with family, enjoy the beautiful weather and some of our favorite traditions. This year I'm in charge of bringing the rolls and pie. I'm going to make our favorite easy dinner rolls and try a new-sure-to-be-favorite, Homemade Raspberry Honey Butter. Janet's blog is beyond lovely and you can see her similar roll recipe with careful and gorgeous photos to walk you through the cresent-roll making process if you are a little nervous.

A nice buttery homemade apple pie is my favorite Thanksgiving dessert and you can see my favorite (shown above) here as well as a lot of other pie recipes in my archives. As I told the women at Church at our pie class last month, when it comes to pie, all those great ingredients thrown together with ice cream on top- how bad can that be? I'm going to make our pies today and throw them in the freezer so Turkey Day is as stress free as possible.

Don't miss David Lebovitz's great stress-free baking tips here- there's something for everyone. Have a very happy Thanksgiving- I am so thankful for each of you that stops to say hi or lets me know that one of my recipes made someone feel special! Hugs!

Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
3/8 cup very cold (frozen is even better) Crisco (plain, not butter flavored), cut into 4 pieces
About 1/2 cup ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing—what you're aiming for is to have pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.

Pulsing the machine on and off, add 3 tablespoons of the water—add a little water and pulse once; add some more water and pulse again; and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. If you've got big pieces of butter, that's fine. The dough is ready and should be scraped out of the work bowl and on to a smooth work surface. (be careful not too add too much water- if the dough looks dry after adding most of the water, pinch it with your hands to check if it's coming together, and finish combining it by hand)

Shape the dough into a disk and wrap it. Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour before rolling. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

TWD- Apple Cherry Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

 

 

 

My husband always asks, "what's the Dorie treat?" and kind of tunes out, expecting chocolate. When I started with the words "brown sugar" he perked up instantly and was patient and helpful while I worked. The batter comes together quickly and is as simple as a batch of cookies. As for variations, I used half freshly ground white whole wheat flour (no one noticed) and omitted the nuts, adding apples, dried cherries, and a little cinnamon instead. The house smelled wonderful while I waited for it to bake and I had vision of beautiful bundts on lovely platters (a la Food Librarian) but when I finally unmolded it, it stuck in all the fruity places (despite all my careful Pam with Flour application!) Nonetheless, the cake lived up to the smell and was wonderful. I can't wait to make it again and will see if I can't get away with a little less butter and a little more whole wheat flour. See the recipe at Peggy's or buy the book already, it's worth every penny (and calorie!)

TWD- Apple Tart Handpies

{printable recipe here}
Yesterday I went to make the cornmeal shortbread cookies for TWD and realized I had no cornmeal! I still needed to make the tourtley apple tart so I decided that would have to do, so I set about making the pastry (nut free for Baby Strawberry). I pulled out one of my prized jars of homemade applesauce, since Dorie's description of the apple filling sounded so similar. My friend's grandma always made the best applesauce, spiced with cinnamon, mashed only a little to yield a thick, chunky, fragrant treat. I just can't eat any other kind now (though I'll admit I do buy the huge jars of Treetop at Costco for the kids!)

Last summer my thoughtful best friend Kara gave me several bushels of tart apples from her parents' tree. My mom and I made batch after batch of applesauce and apple pie filling to last all year with her steam canner. It's the only thing I've really canned before but it's not that intimidating and so rewarding. I only have a few jars left and can't wait for apple season to come again. If you haven't made applesauce before, I'd encourage you to try it soon. It's really not that time consuming with the apple peeler tool and the end product is so rewarding. Next time you have several apples languishing in the bottom of the fridge give it a try and let me know that I'm not the only person that's high maintenance about something as trivial as applesauce!

When it came time to shape the tart dough, I realized my mini tart pans were at my mom's, so I used my little dumpling press to make these hand pies. I bought a set at Ross several years ago (similar to this one) and they don't take up much room in the pantry and work really well for handpies. My husband loves the crust to filling ratio, too. While I certainly heavily deviated from the intended recipe, the flavors are the same and they are absolutely wonderful.  Even better, it all came together in just a few minutes. Thanks Dorie for the inspiration and Jeannette for the recipe choice!

 

Gram McGrath's Apple Sauce (the only kind Anne Strawberry will eat)
from Anne Strawberry
{printable recipe here}

8 Apples (I prefer the tart/firm varieties, but whatever you have on hand will work)
1 Cup Water
1/2 - 2/3 Cup Sugar, depending on the sweetness of the apples
2/3 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Peel, core, and slice the apples (I use my handy apple peeler/slicer to make quick work of this job, even my little man can do it).

In a large saucepan (or a big stockpot if you're doubling the recipe, I usually do) combine the apples, water, and sugar. Simmer until soft (about 15-20 minutes) and mash with a potato mashed- don't drain! Add cinnamon, stir, and eat warm.

TWD- Strawberry Apple Double Crisp

{printable recipe here}
My husband, Mr. Carbohydrate himself, loves fruit crisp in any variety so I knew this week's Tuesdays with Dorie treat, Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp would be a hit. Of course I've never made anything with Rhubarb (am I the only one?) and there's none at the store- so I subbed in an easy favorite- apples. They're cheap, delicious, and easy to prepare using my favorite apple slicer and peeler. Strawberries are barely in season and still way too much money so I used some that I had sliced and frozen last summer instead of fresh.

Then I catered to the needs of the group- no nuts, no ginger (fine, that was my doing), and extra cinnamon. A little less sugar in the filling, a little extra citrus, and this crisp was the real deal- even if it was nothing at all like Dorie intended.You could easily sub in different fruit (maybe cran apple next time?) and spices and the end product will be great- you know, butter, sugar, fruit, how bad can that be? Just don't forget the ice cream and come back tomorrow for the Wednesday Want! You can see my loosely based version of the recipe below or the real deal from Sarah here.

Anne Strawberry Apple Double Crisp
{printable recipe here}
adapted from Baking by Dorie Greenspan

For the Filling:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 1 pound)- frozen is fine too
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 medium apples (pink lady, granny smith, something crisp)
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
zest of half an orange (about a quarter cup)

For the Crisp:
1 cup flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup oats
pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 350. Set a baking dish (I used a medium rectangular pyrex, something around 9 x 9 or 7 x 11) on top of a baking sheet.

Stir together the water and cornstarch and set aside to dissolve. In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries and sugar. Using a fork, wooden spoon, or potato masher, cook the strawberries over medium heat, while stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and bring it back to a boil. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the filling is thick and turns clear. Stir in the vanilla and set aside while you prepare the apples.

Peel and slice the apples into halved, 1/2 inch thick wedges. Toss with orange zest and juice and set aside.

To prepare the crisp- combine the flour, sugar, oats, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl and blend with your fingers. Pour over the melted butter and gently combine ingredients with a fork.

Put half the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and pat down to make a crust. Pour in the apples and pour over the strawberry filling. Smooth the jam and evenly sprinkle over the rest of the crumb mixture. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until slightly browned, bubbly, and fragrant. Allow to cool for five or ten minutes and serve warm with ice cream.

Cranberry Lime Galette & a Giveaway

It's Tuesday and today I have a quick and delicious cran-apple galette. I don't think most people know what a galette is, but it's actually just an open-faced pie. I think it might even be easier than a pie because there's no need to put a pretty crust on top or crimp (I know that bugs some people). Just roll out the dough, put the filling in the center, and fold over the edges. Bake and enjoy. Dorie's pie crust is absolutely amazing- buttery, easy, and delicious. This lime and cranberry combo is new to me but it's really fun and tangy- just make sure you use enough sugar to compensate for the tart, fresh cranberries.

Now for the giveaway. I'm sure you've heard about CSN Stores in the blog world before- where you can buy anything from a suitcase to a rice cooker (that's what I just bought from them this weekend- I'll let you know how I like it once it's here!). This time around I have a $75 store credit to CSN Stores (for US or Canada residents only). Just leave a comment and let me know what your favorite type of pie is- I'll leave the giveaway open until Friday at midnight. I love apple pie (so I put extra in this galette of course). Whatever pie you make for thanksgiving, I would try Dorie's amazing dough and her tip to put a little bit of graham or bread crumbs on the bottom to soak up juice- it makes all the difference.

Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
3/8 cup very cold (frozen is even better) Crisco (plain, not butter flavored), cut into 4 pieces
About 1/2 cup ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing—what you're aiming for is to have pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.

Pulsing the machine on and off, add 3 tablespoons of the water—add a little water and pulse once; add some more water and pulse again; and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. If you've got big pieces of butter, that's fine. The dough is ready and should be scraped out of the work bowl and on to a smooth work surface. (be careful not too add too much water- if the dough looks dry after adding most of the water, pinch it with your hands to check if it's coming together, and finish combining it by hand)

Shape the dough into a disk and wrap it. Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour before rolling. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Marie Helene's Apple Cake

We love apples at our house and while cake is growing on me, I'm still a frosting girl at heart. So when I read that this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Marie Helene's Apple Cake, was more "apple" than "cake" I was on board. I made it for my mom's birthday dinner (that's her above with Baby Strawberry, who since her birthday has decided that people singing to her is the single best thing in the world). Since we don't have any alcohol around here, I opted for extra vanilla and a little almond extract to flavor the cake batter. It was delicious and I love how quickly it came together. I'll definetely be making this cake again when I'm looking for something simple and tasty- that's how we like it around here.

For this easy, yummy recipe you need to get a copy of Dorie's newest book, Around My French Table. It's on sale now!

PS This picture was taken by my phone when my beloved camera was in the shop! Thank goodness my pretty is back!

Dorie's Apple Pie

{printable recipe here}
I've made a lot of pies, but the first I learned to make was apple and it's still my favorite- so I was super excited to have the All American Apple Pie chosen as this week's Dorie treat. Dorie's version is exceptional (big shock, right?) and one of my favorite parts is the layer of graham cracker crumbs under the filling. It soaks up the excess juices and leaves the bottom of the pastry crisp (my tall man's favorite part- he loves the buttery, delicious dough). And even though preparing apple pie can seem a daunting task, my surprisingly practical apple peeler and corer came to the rescue once again. From my morning apple cinnamon oatmeal, to apples to snack on for my son, to apple pie- I use this thing all the time. You can even peel potatoes with it!

Grab the recipe from Emily, this week's host, or buy the book here if you haven't already. Mine is tattered and covered in butter and flour- and it's been worth every penny!

PS Guess what- my beloved camera is back! Nikon officially diagnosed the body with "sand damage" (but I think it's more likely flour/powdered sugar damage!) and they repaired it free of charge, even though I'm well out of warranty. Thank you Nikon, I'm yours for life!

{printable recipe here}

Fold Over Torte (Apple Berry and Peach Berry)

It's Tuesday again, and while I'm shocked at how fast the week has flown, I'm just grateful that I planned ahead and made this delicious Dorie treat a few weeks ago! Although this looks pretty fancy, it's nothing more than a pie crust placed in a springform pan and piled high with fruit and a quick custard. Easy, I promise. Plus, with the pastry, the fruit, the filling- all the amazing ingredients come together to make a real crowd pleaser.

Grab the recipe from Cakelaw or, better, yet, buy the book. This delicious recipe is yet another example of the merits of joining a baking group- I'd never have tried it without the push, but we all loved it!

TWD- Apple Cake

One of my best friends just moved to Minnesota. It's pretty heart breaking (especially since she went from Arizona summer to cold already!) Naomi is my go to friend for good recipes and exciting things to feed my family. She's the one I call when I see a great deal on some fancy cheese to see if she needs some just in case. When I was picking up a case of Utah peaches last week it made me think of her, so I called to say hi. She said there weren't any peaches to be found in her frigid new home (haha, comparatively at least) but there were apples coming out her ears! When I baked up this quick, easy bread/cake from this week's Tuesdays with Dorie treat, I couldn't help but think of her. I used homemade apple sauce instead of the apple butter, reduced the sugar by about 1/4 cup, and added some extra grated apple. This bread is extra appley (and I'd totally send some Naomi's way if I could!) Thank goodness apples can be found everywhere, from hot Arizona to far away Minnesota, because everyone should make this yummy cake!

Grab the real recipe from Lynne. I'll be back later with a printable version of my highly adapted recipe.

TWD- Tarte Fine (Apple Tart)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie treat couldn't be simpler. Leslie (she's wonderful, you should check out her blog) chose a simple apple tart made with puff pastry. If you use an apple peeler and corer, it should take less than ten minutes to assemble the whole thing. Then people will ooh and ahh because it's so delicious and you'll have to confess that it's simpler than any cookie recipe. I like to keep a box of puff pastry in my freezer for "emergencies". Usually I save the second sheet but this time I made ham and cheese turn overs for my brother. He was so excited that I will have to make them (and this tart of course) again soon.

Come back later to see Baby Strawberry's birthday festivities. I baked up a storm and she loved it!

Apple Oatmeal Quick Bread

It's no secret that my tall man would subsist on carbs and meat alone if he could. I knew he would love this week's Dorie treat. I enlisted my little man to help me make it and it was super easy- even when my brain feels so fried from the heat that I'm practically forgetting to cook at all! Everyone loved it (especially baby strawberry- I made her a special mini loaf sans nuts). I'm still more partial to banana bread, I'll be honest. But I'm keeping this recipe up my sleeve for the next time my husband is begging for some carbs! Grab the recipe from Natalie.

Notes: I used one apple, peeled and diced, for the fruit and baked the batter into four mini loaves. They took about forty minutes in the oven and would do great in the freezer! Next time I'll add a little whole wheat flour. No one will notice, promise.

Fruit Salsa with Triscuits and Cream Cheese

{printable recipe here}
Oh it's so hot. It's not as bad as last summer (when I was super pregnant) but it's really, really hot. To compensate, we've been spending all of our time in the pool. Baby Strawberry, Ms. Happy herself, loves it of course and my Little Man is getting used to the idea. I think three is the age of irrational fears but hey, we're all afraid of things (me? Mayonaise. SUPER creepy.) Well last weekend was no exception and we were in the water almost all day Saturday. We had a Church swim party and there was also a Salsa contest. While it seems contradictory I love super hot food in the summer and I think everyone else agreed, practically drinking up the hot salsas. I brought this fruit salsa for something different and even though it didn't win, when I took it home and tried it on top of triscuits I couldn't believe how great the combo was. Then I got thinking, "This just needs some cream cheese" (not a rare thought for me, I'll admit) and so I spread a little on and it was perfect. Creamy, crunchy, sweet, salty, everything. It even distracted me from the heat so I think this is a winner!

Have you heard about the home farming movement from Triscuit? They sent me a couple of boxes of Triscuits that include seed packets to start an herb garden. I have a pretty good little one growing on my front patio and love the smell of the fresh basil as I walk outside. They also included a giftcard to buy supplies to grow the herbs (basil and dill) and I have a new little pot sitting on my counter waiting to sprout. I've never grown anything from a seed before so we'll see. It was a really fun little project for my Little Man and I and Baby Strawberry loves Triscuits (I love that they don't make an enormous mess!) Try the reduced fat Triscuits with this salsa (and my favorite- Neufchatel reduced fat cream cheese) and let me know what you think.

Anne Strawberry's Fruit Salsa
{printable recipe here}
Note: This recipe easily accomodates whatever fruit you have on hand- try to chop everything to the same size for better presentation. A food processor makes nice work of this (particularly with the copious strawberries) but make sure to pulse, not puree, to end up with perfectly chopped fruit.

2 pounds of strawberries, chopped
2 peaches, peeled and diced
2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 pint of blueberries, roughly chopped
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons fruit jam (I used raspberry)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
zest and juice of two limes
3 ounces neufchatel cheese, softened
1 box of reduced fat triscuits

Prepare all of the fruit and stir together into a large bowl. Stir in the jam, brown sugar, zest, and lime juice until nicely combined. Refrigerate for an hour and serve with Triscuits spread with cream cheese.

TWD- Apple Blackberry Bread Pudding

{printable recipe here}
I didn't use to like bread pudding. I have no idea where I came up with that but I held to that belief until a couple of years ago. Then I woke up and thought, really, I like every single thing in this dessert, how could I not like bread pudding? So I tried it and lo and behold, I love it! I was also quite wrong about guacamole but I hold true to my aversion to edible sunblock (you probably know it as coconut). Anyways, this was yummy. I've never made bread pudding with slices of bread but it was kind of fun. By far, my favorite part of the whole thing was the apples. I doubled them but then snitched so many while cooking I think it was a wash. Either way, in my adapted version below I included double the apples. I also used all whole milk instead of any cream since that's what was in my parents fridge when I was over and taking advantage of free babysitting while trying to get my baking in. You know how it goes.

By the way, I'm not one for *too many* kitchen gadgets but if you're staring at this and thinking what a pain it would be to cut all those apples, you should get one of these awesome apple peelers already. It's quick and fun (my Little Man LOVES helping me do this) and makes apple sauce and piece a cinch. You can also find them at Marshall's or Ross for about 10 or 12 bucks. I use mine every day to cut my apple for my oatmeal (which means I use it more often than my toaster! What can I say, if you like apple anything you need this!)

Please give bread pudding a try if you haven't in a while. I was totally wrong and love it now (especially my white chocolate raspberry version). What can I say, those childhood aversions are mighty strong! I'm not the only one with irrational food beliefs, right? Right?

See more yummy bread puddings from the rest of the Tuesdays with Dorie bunch here and big thanks to Cake Or Death for a great pick.

Apple Blackberry Bread Pudding
from Anne Strawberry
{printable recipe here}
casually adapted from Baking by Dorie Greenspan

6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (as you would prepare for apple pie- I use my handy apple tool)
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons sugar

1 loaf of French bread, sliced 1/2 inch think (about 12-16 ounces)
1/2 cup blackberry jam
4 cups milk (I used whole since that's what I had on hand and I'm sure 2% would work but I wouldn't use skim for you crazies that buy it!)
6 large eggs
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint blackberries (frozen would be fine, too- just put in straight from freezer, do not thaw)

whipped cream (for serving)

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and cook for a minute or two, until it's caramelized but not burned. Toss in the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender but not too soft. Set aside.

Meanwhile, if your bread isn't stale, arrange the slices on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or so. After the have cooled a little, spread each piece with jam. Cut each piece in half or into quarters and cover the bottom of a large baking dish (I used my 9 x 13 but you can be flexible here).

Pour over the apples and spread neatly over the bread. Sprinkle with blackberries and top with the rest of the bread. Set aside.

Bring the milk to a boil. Whisk together the eggs and 3/4 cup sugar. After well combined, slowly pour in a little milk while whisking to tempter the eggs. Slowly pour the rest of the milk in and then whisk in the vanilla. Spoon off any foam from the custard then pour it all over the bread, pressing the bread gently to help it soak in all the deliciousness. Let the custard sit on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325. Bake for about 1 hour, until a knife comes out mostly clean. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with ice cream or whipped cream (add caramel sauce if you're feeling fancy!)

Tarte Tatin for TWD's 2nd Anniversay

I love France. I LOVE French food. I love apples. This special second anniversary Dorie treat was destined to be a winner (or so I thought!) I used a varieties of apples I had on hand (Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, and Yellow Delicious), quickly peeled them with favorite apple tool (which I highly recommend if you like apple pie, apple sauce, or even apples at all- grab one on Amazon or check out Ross. I got one there for next to nothing last year). I melted the butter, which is probably one of my favorite smells in the world, sprinkled on the sugar, placed the apples on top, and cooked the caramel. Everything was great and so I added the puff pastry on top and placed it in the oven.

When it came out I placed my platter on top and quickly flipped it- only to have a huge rush of caramelly apple juices leak out onto my mom's recently mopped floor (sorry!) Of course my family wasn't derailed by a little mess and we made quick work of the tarte. In retrospect I think I should have cooked the caramel longer and maybe even let the apples sit over a collander (like Alton Brown recommends sometimes) to remove some juice. I'll have to try this method again though, because as Ina would say, Apples, Pastry, Sugar, and Butter- how bad can that be? Speaking of my dearest Ina, I love her quick apple tart. It's a lot like I pictured this recipe turning out and probably one of my top 5 recipes from the last year (not to mention one of the easiest!)

Now in honor of TWD's 2nd Anniversary, I'm linking my favorite ever Dorie treats. Maybe reviewing these links and photos will hold over my sweet tooth... which has absolutely loved TWD. Not likely, though!

Blueberry Pie

White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Pudding

Split Level Pudding

Apple Pie

French Chocolate Brownies

Florida (Key Lime) Pie

Dimply Peach Cake

La Palette's Strawberry Tart

French Pear Tart

It would appear that I REALLY like pies and tarts (no shock there- I'll take pie over cake any day of the week).

And my very favorite (and first) TWD recipe- Brioche Snails (and again here)- especially the pastry cream inside. Love me some pastry cream. Now just reviewing these recipes has made me feel like I'm long overdue for a marathon or something. See you at the gym!

Last- my Tall Man's favorite ever Dorie treat (still, after a year and a half and many many baked goods later...)- Pecan Honey Sticky Buns

Now I need some advice. For the first time (ever, I think) I'm having a vegetarian over for dinner on Friday and would love some input on your favorite, company worthy meatless dishes. We have our loosely termed "vegetarian night" about once a week but it's usually not more than homemade refried beans and tortillas with fresh salsa. I'd love to hear your knock out vegetarian meals! Besides, with the New Year here, I think more meatless meals are in order! I'd also love to hear your favorite Dorie recipe so far- please let me know!

(Grab the recipe for the Tarte Tatin here! Thanks again Laurie for such a fun group and Dorie for the great recipes!)

My favorite thanksgiving pie

I keep saying it but it's shocking how fast time has flown since I had my Baby Strawberry. She's getting so big (10 weeks tomorrow and 11 pounds already) and I'm loving every minute. Thanksgiving is here already and that means some serious cooking with the holidays starting. We'll be enjoying a good ham (with some turkey on the side, I'm not the only person who much prefers ham, right?), hot homemade rolls (my assignment), and plenty of pies from the woman who taught me how to crimp a crust- my Aunt CarmaLee. It's going to be wonderful and a holiday I look forward to every year.

If you haven't planned your menu yet, I'd really recommend this beautiful and delicious Apple pie from Dorie Greenspan. I've never been a huge pumpkin fan, except for that sugar and chocolate loaded bread, and will take an apple pie over that any day. Apples are a buck a pound around here right now and you can bet this will be gracing our table. Pile in those apples, don't think about the calories, and enjoy the time of year. There's a lot to be thankful for (especially, for me, the people in my little strawberry patch!)

Don't forget to come back next week for a special giveaway...

All-American All-Delicious Apple Pie
adapted from Dorie Greenspan (and casually typed- buy the book already to enjoy her beautiful writing, photographs, and recipes of course!)

Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough for a double crust, chilled (see instructions below)
4 pounds (about 6 very large) apples - I used a mix of Pink Ladies, Fujis, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious - whatever looks good and a nice mix of textures and sweetness
3/4 cup sugar
Grated zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca or 1 tablespoon Ultra Gel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs (or dried bread crumbs, unseasoned)
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
milk and sugar for the optional glaze

Assembly Instructions:


Preheat the oven to 425. Peel, core and slice the apples. Put the apples into a large bowl and add the sugar, lemon zest, tapioca (I used Ultra gel), cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss together and let sit for five minutes.

Remove the pie crust from the fridge and sprinkle the crumbs over the bottom of the crust (to help prevent sogginess) and then turn the apples and the juices into the crust. The apples will heap over the top of the crust. Pat them into an even mound. Dot the apples with the bits of cold butter.

Lightly moisten the rim of the bottom crust with water, place the top crust over the pie, and crimp together after cutting overhang.

Use a sharp knife to cut slits into the top crust. Brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake the pie for 15 minutes (at 425). Reduce the heat to 375 and bake for another 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the juices are bubbling. Check on the pie after a half an hour or so to make sure it’s not browning too quickly (use a foil tent in that case).
Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and let it rest until just warm. Serve with ice cream.


Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
3/8 cup very cold (frozen is even better) Crisco (plain, not butter flavored), cut into 4 pieces
About 1/2 cup ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing—what you're aiming for is to have pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.

Pulsing the machine on and off, add 3 tablespoons of the water—add a little water and pulse once; add some more water and pulse again; and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. If you've got big pieces of butter, that's fine. The dough is ready and should be scraped out of the work bowl and on to a smooth work surface. (be careful not too add too much water- if the dough looks dry after adding most of the water, pinch it with your hands to check if it's coming together, and finish combining it by hand)

Shape the dough into a disk and wrap it. Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour before rolling. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

TWD- Cranberry Caramel Apple Crisp with Walnuts

Now that I have two kids I figure it's about time to be a grown up. Part of that entails nuts, since my mom always told me I would like them when I got older. You know how grown ups always opt for the nuts on their sundaes and in their banana bread (blasphemy!)? But I'll be honest... I'm not quite there yet. I love certain nuts but I'd never want nuts in my cookies and heaven forbid they get sprinkled on top of something creamy like pudding and ruin the texture. And cocoNUT? I don't want that in any form (am I the only person who thinks it tastes like sunblock?) However, one thing I've decided actually really benefits from the addition of nuts is any sort of crumb topping, so I added walnuts to topping of this delicious crisp and then threw in some chopped up caramel since I'm really still a kid at heart.

Now in all seriousness, one thing I've learned since I started baking too often is that you should follow your instincts with a recipe. Too often I've thought- I should add some whatever and decided to follow the recipe instead, only to try the final product and wish it had cinnamon or whatever I'd left out. I'm still up for trying new things and techniques but when I saw this recipe I knew it needed orange zest so I added it and it worked out great. The flavor enhanced all the others and was nice and subtle.

I'd also recommend subbing some whole wheat flour in the topping. With all the spice and flavors no one will be the wiser (how's that for grown up!) Don't forget you can easily sub in the fruits or nuts you have on hand or in the freezer- this recipe is good like that. Here's the recipe with my changes. I'm definitely going to make this again! Thanks for the fun choice, Repressed Pastry Chef! See the original there and don't miss the other versions from all the TWD peeps. This really is a delicious and quick recipe- perfect with all the holiday craziness already creeping up.

Cran-Apple Crisps
adapted from Baking by Dorie Greenspan

For the topping
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
½ cup old-fashioned oats
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces

For the filling
5 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch chunks
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, don’t thaw)
½ cup moist, plump craisins (if you are like me and bought the enormous bag at Costco and they've seen better days, plump them up in some hot water, or orange juice even, before mixing in)
1/2 cup chopped up Peter's caramel (or kraft caramels if you haven't succumbed and bought this yet, but you should!)
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter eight ovenproof cups or bowls, each with a capacity of about one cup. Put the cups on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

To make the topping:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture forms big curds, about 1 minute. (You can make the topping up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight bag.)

To make the filling:
Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Divide the fruit evenly among the cups then spoon an equal amount of topping over each portion of fruit. Bake the crisps for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling up around it. Transfer the cups to a rack and let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for the perfect fall dessert.

Caramel Apple Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Bars

I'm having a hard time coming up with a nice concise name for these treats, but you would too. Imagine-

A Golden Graham crust
Topped by a layer of Dorie's Sugar Cookie Dough
Followed by some home made apple pie filling
And they layered with a cream cheese filling
And more cookie dough
Then topped with caramel...
And some pecans for kicks. And because they are good for you, right?

Now come up with a better name for these and I'll make you a treat (if you're local!)

There are a lot of layers to these bad boys and you can make it how you like it- homemade, store bought, add nuts, whatever you'd like. I'd just encourage you to try it because the finished product is yummy and perfect for fall. I cut mine into little pieces and the portion size was just right. And with all those yummy layers, my husband didn't even miss some chocolate. That's a good dessert around here!

Have a happy Halloween and I'll be back soon with a picture of the kiddos in their costumes. Wait until you see what my mom made for my baby girl... she's going to be delicious!

Caramel Apple Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Bars
adapted from Picky Palate

3 Tablespoons melted butter
3 Cups Golden Graham Cereal, ground in food processor

1 Batch of Dorie's Sugar Cookie Dough (or store bought if you are in a hurry)

8 oz softened reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

21 oz can apple pie filling (or homemade- I made mine in the microwave and this step only took me 10 minutes start to finish with my handy apple peeler and corer, I think it's worth it!)

1/4 Cup of Peter's Caramel or Kraft Caramels
1/2 Cup half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse cereal in a food processor until smooth then pour in melted butter while pulsing to combine. Press into an 8×8 inch baking dish lined with foil. Bake for 7 minutes then remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Crumble half of the cookie dough over partially baked crust.

Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into a mixer; beat until smooth. Pour over crumbled cookie dough layer. Top with the apple pie filling.

Carefully spoon over remaining cookie dough, breaking off into little pieces evenly over top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely then cut into squares (I cut it into a 5 by 5). Melt caramels and half and half according to package directions. Drizzle over each bar. Refrigerate leftovers.

Grandma's All Occasion Sugar Cookie Dough
from Dorie Greenspan- see the full recipe on page 146 here
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Add in dry ingredients slowly mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Quick Apple Pie Filling-
Note- I reduced this and just used four or five apples that I had on hand, but any of this leftover certainly tastes good enough to out of the bowl or with some ice cream!

About 3 pounds Fuji apples
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg (optional)
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Peel, core, and slice apples into medium, microwave proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for five minutes. Let cool slightly then stir in other ingredients and mash with potato masher until desired consistency is reached.

Dorie's Amazing Apple Pie

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe didn't quite make it to the table. You see, my mom, the worlds biggest advocate of whipped cream and other delicious dairy products (i.e. the Raspberry Blanc Manger selected this week) has been a pillar of dietary discipline lately, forgoing everything delicious and remotely sinful for salads and celery, carrots and the like. I'm trying to run from the desserts myself lately, as I'm bound and determined to keep the weight off this pregnancy. I'm finding that 115 degree weather doesn't lead to many desirable outdoor/calorie burning activities besides running from the car to the grocery store and back to the house. So, I decided not to tempt my mom (or myself) too much.

However, this apple pie is more than temptation enough- and I've been saving this photos for a while, waiting for the right time to share. Apples are everywhere at my grocery store and so today is the day. With Dorie's ridiculously delicious pie crust I've loved over and over, more apples than you'd believe would fit in the pie pan, and a round scoop of ice cream on top, I think this will satisfy anyone's dessert craving and cool you down in the process. I'll say, this pie was so good it made a fruit dessert non-believer go back for seconds. So check out the other beautiful Tuesdays with Dorie concoctions and then go get some apples. I'm thinking it's high time I make this again (I'll just leave it at my place to save my dedicated mom from the temptation... and I'll count all those apples and a hearty portion of cinnamon as healthy enough!).

All-American All-Delicious Apple Pie
adapted from Dorie Greenspan (and casually typed- buy the book already to enjoy her beautiful writing, photographs, and recipes of course!)

Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough for a double crust, chilled (see instructions below)
4 pounds (about 6 very large) apples - I used a mix of Pink Ladies, Fujis, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious - whatever looks good and a nice mix of textures and sweetness
3/4 cup sugar
Grated zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca or 1 tablespoon Ultra Gel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs (or dried bread crumbs, unseasoned)
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
milk and sugar for the optional glaze

Assembly Instructions:


Preheat the oven to 425. Peel, core and slice the apples. Put the apples into a large bowl and add the sugar, lemon zest, tapioca (I used Ultra gel), cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss together and let sit for five minutes.

Remove the pie crust from the fridge and sprinkle the crumbs over the bottom of the crust (to help prevent sogginess) and then turn the apples and the juices into the crust. The apples will heap over the top of the crust. Pat them into an even mound. Dot the apples with the bits of cold butter.

Lightly moisten the rim of the bottom crust with water, place the top crust over the pie, and crimp together after cutting overhang.

Use a sharp knife to cut slits into the top crust. Brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake the pie for 15 minutes (at 425). Reduce the heat to 375 and bake for another 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the juices are bubbling. Check on the pie after a half an hour or so to make sure it’s not browning too quickly (use a foil tent in that case).
Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and let it rest until just warm. Serve with ice cream.


Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
3/8 cup very cold (frozen is even better) Crisco (plain, not butter flavored), cut into 4 pieces
About 1/2 cup ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing—what you're aiming for is to have pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.

Pulsing the machine on and off, add 3 tablespoons of the water—add a little water and pulse once; add some more water and pulse again; and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. If you've got big pieces of butter, that's fine. The dough is ready and should be scraped out of the work bowl and on to a smooth work surface. (be careful not too add too much water- if the dough looks dry after adding most of the water, pinch it with your hands to check if it's coming together, and finish combining it by hand)

Shape the dough into a disk and wrap it. Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour before rolling. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

TWD- Easy Parisian Apple Tartlets

I never ate a bad pastry in France. Even when buying from the biggest hole in the wall or (something I would never do in America) from a bakery in the metro station, they taste great. The French just know food. And with high quality butter, delicious produce, and simple flavors, you can't go wrong. So I was excited to try this Parisian tart. Unlike the apple pie I made last week that took tons of time chilling, rolling, cutting, etc (with a fabulous end result), the assembly of this dessert took about five or ten minutes (also with a fabulous end result). A brief stint in the oven and out comes a flaky, buttery, and tender dessert. With different fruit options, there's really no limit to this recipe.

Atop La Tour Eiffel

And with all the time you've saved making this wonderful French treat, why not watch a romantic movie with your honey. Or the Lakers game, in our case.

Parisian Apple Tartlets
Adapted from Baking by Dorie Greenspan

1 sheet cold puff pastry
3 apples, peeled and cored
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons cold butter, cut into bits

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Lightly flour a surface and roll the puff pastry out to about an 11 inch square. Using a fluted cookie cutter between 3 and 4 inches wide, cut pastry into about 8 pieces.

(Reserve the scraps, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake for a few minutes for a treat for your hungry husband who can’t stand to wait during the photos!)

Cut the apple half into 4 or 5 slices (depending on size) and place three slices on the pastry circle. Sprinkle the apple with 1 or 2 teaspoons brown sugar-depending on how much sweetness you want-and a couple bits of butter.

Bake the tartlet for about 20 minutes (the time will vary depending on how your apple bakes), until the pastry is deeply browned and puffed up around the apple and the apple can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife. If it looks like the tartlets need more sugar on top, sprinkle on a bit more toward the end of the baking time.

Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the tartlet cool-it's great just a little warm and equally good at room temperature. Serve with ice cream if desired.

Phyllo Apple Pies

Since my brother got back from Greece, he's been begging me to make something with Phyllo dough. Anything. Well, anything except Spanakopita. You should hear him say it- it sounds like a curse. So when I found boxes of Phyllo dough for only a buck at Safeway, I knew it was time. I thawed the beast Alton Brown style (one minute in the microwave, thank you) and went to work. I'll admit there were a few casualties, but I'm not sure that it was the thawing or my total inexperience.

I melted some butter, greased up the mini pie pans, and layered quarter sheets of phyllo (that I cut with kitchen shears for ultra precision, ahem) around the circle with a little bit of butter in between. Meanwhile, I used my sweet apple corer/peeler/slicer to make quick work of four apples. I threw them in a glass bowl, added a bit of water and cinnamon, covered with saran wrap, and nuked for five minutes. When they came out all soft and delicious, I added a bit of sugar and stirred. I dumped some apples into the little shells, pulled all the phyllo pieces to the middle for a quick topping, and drizzled a bit of extra butter on top. I figured I might as well not throw it away. After a few in the oven, these babies came out beautiful and tempting. And I was only 30 minutes in (counting the baking!)

While the final product isn't exactly Greek (sorry Bro) the taste of apples and butter is definitely one of my favorites. I know there's butter in the pastry, but there's hardly any added to the dish, and it just tasted SO good. I'm thinking of making a big version of these cute little minis. It's tender, flavorful, and doesn't even require ice cream on the side. Though I'm sure not even the Greeks would mind a little scoop of vanilla.

Phyllo Apple Pies
from Anne Strawberry
makes six mini pies

4 Medium Apples (I like something a little tart, like Fujis)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Water
1/4 Cup Sugar

6 Sheets of Phyllo dough, thawed
2 tablespoons butter, melted (plus or minus)

Preheat the oven to 375.

Peel, core, and slice the apples as you would for apple pie. Place in glass bowl with cinnamon and water, cover with saran wrap, and microwave for five minutes. Carefully remove plastic and stir in sugar. Set aside.

Cut phyllo sheets into quarters and brush pie pans with a little butter. Layer one piece of pastry at a time, then brush on a bit of butter, and put in another piece at a slight angle, repeating until you've made it around the circle (about four pieces per dish- more if you'd like the crust thicker).

Place 1/4 cup of apple mixture inside each prepared pie dish. Pull the pastry sheets together toward the center, pinching and tucking until it looks about right. Drizzle a tiny bit of butter on top. Place on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar or with ice cream.