Dinner At Sheila's

With the 4th of July just around the corner you might want to try this cherry pie from the July, 2007 issue of Bon Appetit.  As the intro to the recipe states…

Too tart to eat raw, sour cherries were born to be baked into a pie-this all-American version gets added sophistication from a gorgeously flaky crust and a filling, enhanced with an unexpected hint of cinnamon, that is not overly sweet.

Sour cherries are available at many farmer’s markets now.  In fact, as I was making my way into a market last Sunday, a customer was leaving carrying 6 quart boxes of sour cherries.  I immediately made my way to them, and grabbed a couple of quarts for myself…and went home to make Cherry Pie.

Cherry Pie (Bon Appetit, July, 2007)

For Pastry

2 and 1/2 cups all-ourpose flour

1 and 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 to 7 tablespoons ice water

1 tablespoon sugar

For Filling

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 vanilla bean or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/4 cups sugar

6 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) pitted sour cherries (2 lb)

Whole milk for brushing

Make Dough:  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 5 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.  Do not overwork, or pastry will be tough.

Turn dough out onto a work surface and divide into 8 equal portions.  With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat.  Gather all dough together with a pastry scraper. 

Divide dough with one half slightly larger, then form each piece into a ball and flatten each into a disk.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Make Filling And Bake Pie:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F with rack in middle and put a large baking sheet on rack.

Finely grind tapioca in grinder.

Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a large bowl with a small knife.  (If using extract, add with fruit).

Whisk in ground tapioca, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and sugar, then add cherries and toss well.  Let stand 30 minutes.

Roll out larger piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round.  Fit into a 9-inch pie plate.  Trim any excess dough to leave a 1/2-inch overhang.

Chill shell while rolling out top crust.  Roll out remaining dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round.

Toss cherries well again, then add to shell and cover with top crust.  Press edges of crust together, then trim, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. 

Fold overhang underneath,then crimp decoratively and brush top crust with milk.  Cut out 5 (1-by1/2-inch) teardrop-shaped steam vents 1 inch from center and sprinkle with sugar (1 tablespoon).

Bake pie on preheated baking sheet 30 minutes, then cover edge with a pie shield or foil and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Continue to bake until crust is deep golden and filling is bubbling in center, 50 minutes to 1 hour more.  Transfer pie to rack to cool completely.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Note:  although I believe many kitchen gadgets on the market today are unnecessary I have to say I am a big fan of the cherry/olive pitter.  I purchased mine many years ago at one of the specialty shops where I worked, and am always glad to have it when I am making cherry pies…it works like a charm!

This Blackberry Cobbler which I made for dessert on Mother’s Day comes from the Food & Wine  website.  It  originates from  a housekeeper and southern cook who liked to refer to herself as a “butter cook”  to signify her fondness for classic, old-style Southern recipes.

The pastry is quickly made in a food processor, and chilled for at least a half hour before rolling.   The blackberries are the star of the show and are bursting with flavor enhanced by the sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg and melted butter.

Served warm or at room temperature a generous helping of this Blackberry Cobbler  with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream is the perfect ending to a southern dinner.

Blackberry Cobbler  (Food & Wine Website)

serves 8

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 and 1/4 cups plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold solid vegetable shortening

4 tablespoons cold unssalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup ice water

Six 1/2-pint baskets of large blackberries

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1.  In a food processor, pulse the flour with the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and the salt until combined.  Add the vegetable shortening and pulse 5 or 6 times, until the mixture resembles small peas.  Add the cold butter and pulse 5 or 6 times, until the mixture resembles peas.  Add the ice water and pulse 5 or 6 times, just until the pastry is evenly moistened.

2.  Transfer the pastry to a lightly floured surface and knead just until it comes together.  Flatten the pastry into a 6-inch disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.

3.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss the blackberries with the remaining 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar, the lemon juice, nutmeg,  and 1/3 cup of flour.  Let stand at room temperature, stirring gently once or twice, until slightly juicy, about 15 minutes.  Fold in the melted butter.  Transfer the fruit to a round 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish.  (I used an oval dish).

4.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to a 1/4-inch thickness that is slightly larger than the baking dish.  Drape the pastry over the berries.  Trim the overhang to 1/2 inch and fold it under itself, pressing the pastry onto the rim of the dish.  Crimp the edge decoratively and make 3 slashes in the center of the pastry.

5.  Bake the cobbler for 1 hour, or until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden.  Cover the edges with foil if the crust browns too quickly.  Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

The pastry can be frozen for up to 1 month.  The cobbler can be made early in the day and kept at room temperature.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

The recipe for this Glazed Fudge Cake comes from a co-worker and friend back in the day when I was working at a kitchen specialty shop in Chicago.

I have to admit it was a dream job in some ways (not monetarily, of course), but in the respect that I was working at a job completely immersed in my passion…cooking!

Not only did I get to see and touch all the latest in cookware, bakeware, small appliances, kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, cutlery, gourmet food items, and more, I was expected to spend my time talking/selling to our customers who for the most part shared a similar passion.  So I get paid to talk, and  I must talk about food…not a problem!

Our regular customers became friends, and there was a constant  sharing and exchange of recipes, and culinary tips that was ongoing between all of us.  The Glazed Fudge Cake below is one of the many benefits I received from my days at Chef’s Catalog, The Store, in Highland Grove, a northwest suburb of Chicago.  The Chef’s Catalog still is in circulation today.  The store in Highland Grove is no longer open.

I made many good friends there, honed some of my culinary skills, and worked with a small group of women who really made it a joy to go to work. 

This cake is a bit unique in that the cake batter and glaze are  prepared using a food processor rather than an electric mixer.  Provided you have all your ingredients ready it is a surprisingly quick cake to make.  It is a deliciously moist cake and the glaze is velvety smooth. 

Glazed Fudge Cake (from my friend Judy Lesser, source unknown)

(Makes one 9-inch cake)

1 and 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon cake flour (5 and 1/4 ounces, 150g)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 ounces (85g) unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces

1 and 3/4 cups sugar (12 and 1/4 ounces, 350g)

1/2 cup (120ml) boiling water

3 large eggs

1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

2 and 1/4 sitcks unsalted butter (9 ounces total, 255g), softened and cut into 8 pieces

3/4 cup (180ml) sour cream

1 and 1/2 tablespoons dark rum, or Chambord Liqueur

3 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserve

Chocolate Fudge Glaze (recipe follows)

Fifteen minute before baking, place rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan.  Fit the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and butter the paper.

Metal Blade:  Process flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 3 seconds: remove and reserve.  Process chocolate and 1/2 cup of sugar until chocolate is as fine as sugar-about 1 minute.  Turn on machine, pour boiling water through the feed tube and process until the chocolate is melted.  Add eggs, cocoa, and remaining sugar and process for 1 minute.  Add sour cream and rum (or Chambord) and process for 5 seconds.  Spoon the reserved dry ingredients onto the batter in a circle and pulse just until the flour disappears-3 or 4 times.  Do not overprocess.

Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean-about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Cake will just begin to pull away from sides of pan.  Let cool to room temperature in pan on wire rack.  When cool, remove from pan.

In small saucepan, heat preserves until melted.

Cut four 2-inch strips of waxed paper and arrange on serving plate; they keep plate clean as you work.  Place cake topside down on plate, and carefully remove the bottom of the pan, and the parchment paper.  Spread the surface with preserves. 

Spread 1/4 cup of the Chocolate Glaze on top of the preserves.  Use a long thin spatula to spread the top and sides with about 3/4 cup of the glaze.

Optional:  Spoon remaining glaze into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe small rosettes around top edge of cake.  Serve at room temperature.

Chocolate Fudge Glaze

1/4 cup (60ml) water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 ounces (170g) sweet cooking chocolate, broken into pieces

1/2 cup confectioners, sugar (2 ounces, 55g)

1 and 1/2 tablespoons dark rum (or Chambord Liqueur)

Pinch of salt

Bring water and butter to boil in a small saucepan.  Keep at simmer until needed.

Metal Blade:  Pulse the chocolate with confectioners’ sugar 5 times, then process continuously until chocolate is as fine as sugar.  With machine running, pour water and butter through the feed tube and process until chocolate is melted, stopping once to scrape the work bowl.  Add the rum or Chambord and salt and process for 5 seconds.

Before using, let set at room temperature or in refrigerator just until slightly thickened and no longer runny, but still flowing.

Passover begins tomorrow evening at sunset.  Celebrated in commemoration of the Exodus of Egypt it is one of the world’s oldest continually observed Jewish festivals  still retaining its ancient charm even in today’s world.

Today, despite the spread of Jews throughout the world, the eight-day festival maintains its family character and begins with the traditional Seder meal.

  At the Seder (which means order) the story of the Jewish people’s flight from Egypt and their deliverance from Pharaoh’s oppressive rule is retold through  a special prayer book, the Haggadah.

The central object of the table is the Seder plate which is arranged with symbolic foods.  Those sitting at the table are reminded, both by narration and by the foods to be eaten, of the rich heritage of thousands of years and the suffering that was endured. 

Matzo is called the bread of affliction.  Similar to a very large cracker in appearance, it is flat and unleavened by yeast fermentation because the Jews in their haste to flee Egypt did not have time to wait for the dough to rise. 

As a result no products made from regular flour or leavening agents are to be eaten at Passover.  This has proven to be a challenge for many home cooks, especially when it comes to preparing desserts for Passover.

In my family every Passover my mother would bake her famous sponge cake.  Throughout the year sponge cake can be made with flour, at Passover it cannot.  My mother always made hers with potato starch (instead of flour), and she used extra large or even jumbo eggs to provide the leavening.

This is not an easy task, but somehow my mother’s cakes always stood tall and neither my sister or I can remember her ever having one that deflated, a situation that has happened to most of us at one time or another.

Whereas some recipes for Passover sponge cakes call for matzo cake meal as well as potato starch, I prefer the amazingly light texture that results from a cake made with potato starch only.

The trick to making a good sponge cake is to beat as much air as possible into the separated eggs, folding them gently into the batter without overworking them and causing the whites to deflate.

Following in my mom’s footsteps I make this delicious Passover Lemon Sponge Cake every year.  Some years it is higher than others, but it is always a sweet lemony and light finish to our Seder meal.

Note:  This recipe also qualifies as a gluten free cake since there is no flour in it.

Passover Lemon Sponge Cake

(adapted from the recipe from Manischewitz Potato Starch)

8 extra large or jumbo eggs

1 and 1/2 cups extra fine sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1 and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup Manischewitz Potato Starch, sifted

dash of salt

Separate 7 of the eggs.  Beat the 7 yolks and the one whole egg until frothy with an electric mixer.

Gradually add the sifted sugar,lemon juice, and lemon rind, beating constantly and thoroughly.  then gradually add the sifted potato starch stirring constantly to ensure thorough blending.

Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry.  Fold gently but thoroughly into the egg yolk mixture.

Place in an ungreased 10 -inch tube pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven about 55 minutes or until cake springs back when touched gently with fingers.  Invert pan and cool thoroughly before removing cake carefully.

Carrot Cake?… Carrot Cupcakes?  However you slice it, what a way to get your veggies!

This recipe I’ve had for twenty plus years, and have no idea where it came from, but if I had to guess I would say the Chicago Tribune Food Guide. 

It is written for a bundt pan, but I’ve always made it as a 3 layer cake using 8-inch round pans.  Several years ago I made cupcakes from the same recipe and sold them at Dean and DeLucas bakery  in Georgetown along with my coconut cupcakes (made from my recipe for  coconut layer cake.

I’ve found the only adjustment necessary to convert this recipe from a cake to cupcakes is to lessen the baking time, and to raise the oven temperature 25 degrees.

Carrot Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe may be doubled)

1 and 1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 3 eggs

 2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups grated carrots

1 8oz. can crushed pineapple (packed in water and drained)

1 (3 and 1/2 oz.) can shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Beat eggs til light.  Slowly pour in oil while beating.  Add sugar and vanilla and beat well.

Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, and nutmeg. 

Gradually add to egg-sugar mixture til well mixed. 

If grating carrots in a food processor, shred them first with a shredding disc.

Then use the metal blade to grate them.

Stir in the carrots, pineapple, coconut, and chopped walnuts.

Pour batter into cupcake papers placed in cupcake tins, filling 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 25-32 minutes, depending on cupcake size. I baked these in the extra large cupcake tins and they took about 32 minutes.  Using baking time as a guide it is always best to test doneness by using a cake tester in the center of the cupcake.   Additionally you can press the top gently and if it springs back it is done. 

Allow cupcakes to cool slightly, 5-10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 and 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

juice of 1/4 lemon

Cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer.  Sift the powdered sugar in slowly and continue to beat until there are no lumps.  Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon juice.  Beat til smooth.

The frosting may easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled depending on the amount needed.  Leftover frosting  will freeze well for a future use.

Note:  If making the bundt cake, pour the batter into a greased bundt pan, place on a cookie sheet, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or til cake tests done.  Allow it to cool slightly, then remove from pan and cool thoroughly.

If using greased 8 inch layer pans bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40-45 minutes or til cake tests done. Allow to cool slightly, then remove from pan and cool thoroughly.

I know I mentioned in my last post that it was time to lighten up after all the rich holiday food we’ve eaten during the holidays. But, when I found myself with a few Cortland apples and one Granny Smith a bit past their prime, a small amount of salted caramel sauce (left over from the salted caramel apple pie from Thanksgiving)…yes, it really keeps that long in a covered container in the fridge, and enough heavy cream left in the quart container that was approaching its expiration date….what was I to do?  

It seemed only right that I put it all together, turning it into a Caramelized Baked Apple.  So easy and soooo gooood!

Caramelized Baked Apple

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Core the apple from the stem end, leaving the bottom intact.  If you don’t have an apple corer I’ve found a melon baller works great for this task.

Peel about an inch of skin from the stem end.

Place the apples in a baking dish and pour about an inch of apple cider or apple juice around the apples.

Bake for 20 to 40 minutes until tender.  This will vary depending on the size of the apples.

Place on serving dish, drizzle with caramel sauce, and serve with dollops of whipped cream.    Grab a spoon and dig in…

For many of us the holidays are synonymous with baking.  We not only bake our family’s traditional favorites, but many of us love to find a recipe with a new twist on an old  favorite.  While browsing through my past November issues of  cooking magazines (remember I mentioned that is a pre-Thanksgiving ritual of mine), I discovered this wonderful Bundt cake  created by Dorie Greenspan, an accomplished baker and author of several cookbooks on baking. 

  Ms. Greenspan describes this as “a Bundt cake that bundles up a bunch of holiday ingredients.  There are cranberries, both fresh and dried.  There are nuts and brown sugar.  There are spices, both traditional (cinnamon and ginger) and unexpected (Chinese five- spice powder).  And finally, there’s a drizzle of old-fashioned sugar icing.  That the cake feeds a crowd, stays fresh over a whole weekend, and makes people happy are the extras;  that it can be made by baking first-timers sends it to the top of its class.  Oh, and it’s pretty, too, but that has nothing to do with the recipe, with my skill, or with yours-buy a Bundt pan, and “pretty” gets tossed in for free; the shape of the pan makes all of us look like pros.”

What really intrigued me about this recipe was the addition of the Chinese five-spice powder.  Ms. Greenspan describes the addition of this spice to the recipe as an accidental triumph.  She had decided on cardamom, but being unable to locate it, and noticing an unopened jar of the five-spice powder she decided to use it in the recipe.  She describes it as a necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention moment.

The  Chinese five-spice powder which includes cinnamon, cloves, and star anise (perfect Thanksgiving through Christmas spices) is what I think sets this spice cake apart from all others.  From the aroma filling my house while the cake was baking I had a suspicion this was going to be  a great cake, and the first bite confirmed it. 

I think you’ll want to add this one to your holiday baking list.

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake  (Bon Appetit, November 2008)

12 to 14 servings

Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup almond flour or almond meal (about 2 and 1/2 ounces)*

2 and 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder**

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3 large eggs

1and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup plan reduced-fat (2%) Greek-style yogurt

1 cup chopped toasted almonds

1 cup halved fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

Icing

1/3 cup powdered sugar

4 teaspoons (about) orange juice

Cake/ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan.  Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.  Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth.  Add both sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition.  Beat in vanilla extract, then Greek-style yogurt.  Add dry ingredients; beat just until blended.

Fold in almonds and all cranberries.

Transfer batter to prepared Bundt pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.  Cool cake in pan 10 minutes.

Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.

Icing/ Stir powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons orange juice in small bowl until sugar dissolves.  Mix in more juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls to reach consistency of heavy cream.  Spoon icing over cake, allowing it to drip down sides.  Let stand until icing sets, at least 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD  Can be made 3 days ahead.  Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.                                                                                                                   */Sometimes labeled “ground almonds”; available at specialty food stores and natural foods stores.

**/  A spice blend that usually contains ground fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves; available in the spice section of most supermarkets.

Note:  I mixed a second batter to bake as loaf cakes.  One recipe will make 2 loaves, each 8 and 1/2 by 4and 1/2.   Bake for approximately 45 minutes, testing for doneness as above.  Drizzle glaze on top as above.

My best friend’s birthday was this week.  We’ve been friends for twenty-two years, going back to when we first moved into our new homes on the same street of a spanking new development.  Although she and her family moved from Cleveland, and we moved from Chicago, we were each experiencing the same feelings of excitement, ambiguity, and trepidation that such a move can elicit.  Our husbands were beginning new jobs, our children new schools, and all of us were leaving old friends behind.

Long after the crates are unpacked and everything in its new place seemingly settled, the unsettled feeling within us can remain.  I don’t know of a better fix for that than to find a new old friend.  And thankfully, my friend and I  found each other.  We are drawn to others initially because of similar interests, but a lasting friendship is ultimately based on much more.  It is life’s experiences, both good and bad, shared over time that create the bonds of friendship.  And of that my friend and I have many.  So naturally when one of our birthdays comes around it is a cause for celebration, and for me celebration is a cause for eating!  That, by the way, is another thing we agree on. 

So what to make for my best friend’s birthday?  Something special for someone special, and this year it was Salted Caramel Apple Pie!  This recipe I found online after having seen and read much about the two sisters from South Dakota who opened their pie shop called Four and Twenty Blackbirds recently in Brooklyn.  It’s a fabulous pie.  The apples  are flavored with fresh lemon juice and spices before layering them with the caramel sauce, balancing the sweetness with the tartness.  The  buttery caramel also adds just the right amount of richness to the pie. And the addition of sea salt and raw sugar sprinkled on the crust before baking adds a wonderful crunch to the pastry.

Although they prefer using an all butter pastry for the crust, I have used my favorite   pie crust recipe which includes vegetable shortening along with the butter for extra flakiness.  Otherwise I followed the recipe pretty closely, with a few exceptions that are noted.  And if I’m ever in Brooklyn I plan to stop by Four and Twenty Blackbirds for a piece of pie and a cup of coffee.  I hope you’ll do the same.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Recipe courtesy Melissa and Emily Elsen

Prep Time:

1 hr 30 min

Inactive Prep Time:

1 hr 30 min

Cook Time:

55 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

1 (9-inch) pie

Ingredients

• Pie Crust
• 1 recipe your favorite (2-crust) butter pie crust
• Salted Caramel
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) fresh unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup fresh heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (recommended: Maldon sea salt flakes)
• Apple Filling
• 4 to 6 lemons
• 5 to 6 medium to large apples*
• *Cook’s Note: A mixture of Crispin, Granny Smith, and Cortland is nice if you can.
• 
• Apple Filling Seasoning
• 1/3 cup raw sugar (castor, unrefined, large granule sugar)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 
• Assembly
• 1 egg beaten
• Raw sugar, for sprinkling on top
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (flake)
• Special equipment: Mandoline for slicing, and a pastry brush.

Directions

To make the pie crust:

Prepare one 2-crust batch of your favorite all butter pie crust. Roll the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pan, and cut the top crust as a lattice, approximately 1-inch in width or as desired. Chill the rolled crust while you prepare the salted caramel and apple filling.

To make the salted caramel:

Cook the sugar and water together over low heat until just dissolved. Add the butter and bring to a slow boil. Continue cooking at a low boil until the mixture turns a deep, golden brown color, almost copper.

Cook’s Note: This process can take awhile depending on the heat source. Keep an eye on it, if the caramel begins to smoke, you’ve burned it and you’ll have to start over.

Once the mixture has turned a copper color, remove it from the heat and immediately add the heavy cream - the mixture will bubble rapidly and steam - be cautious as the sugar will be very hot.

Whisk the final mixture together well over low heat and sprinkle in the sea salt. Set the caramel aside while you prepare the apple filling.

To make the apple filling:

Juice the lemons into a large mixing bowl. Core, peel, and thinly slice the whole apples. Cook’s Note: A mandolin works great for producing very thin slices.

Dredge all the apple slices in the freshly squeezed lemon juice to prevent browning and to add flavor. Set the prepared apples aside.

To make the apple filling seasoning:

In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and Angostura bitters. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples in the mixing bowl. Use your hands to gently mix and coat the apple slices.

To assemble the pie:

Preheat the oven to 375 to 400 degrees F (depending on the hotness of your oven).

Gather your rolled pie crust, salted caramel, and apple mixture. Begin by layering 1/3 of the apples in the bottom of the crust so that there are minimal gaps. Pour 1/3 of the caramel over the apples. Add 1/3 of the apples and caramel for a second layer, and then add a third layer of apples, and then the caramel again. Cook’s Note: Save a small portion of the caramel to pour on top once the lattice is assembled.

Assemble the lattice crust and flute the edges of the crust. Pour the last bit of caramel on top. Brush the crust with the beaten egg and lightly sprinkle with raw sugar and sea salt.

Bake the pie on a baking sheet larger than the pie pan for 20 minutes (otherwise the caramel will bubble over and burn on the bottom of your oven). Reduce the oven temperature to 325 to 350 and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. You can test the apples for doneness with a long toothpick or small knife. The apples should be just soft.

Let the pie cool, then slice and enjoy.

Note:  I made the following changes:  I made a 10 inch pie so I increased the number of apples to 7.

I used sugar in the raw (natural cane turbinado sugar).

I used 4 large lemons.

I used my regular sea salt that I had, but ground it .  (I’ll look for Maldon next time)

I used a combination of granny smith, stayman, and honey crisp apples.  The honey crisp may be a bit too juicy, but it worked. 

I doubled the amount of spices to accommodate the larger amount of apples.

I carefully sliced the apples with a sharp santoku knife because I don’t have a Mandoline.

I omitted the Angostura bitters. (didn’t have it in my bar)

Recently I made these Chocolate Bonbons to take to my sister’s.  She shared them with her neighbor, who recently sent me a message asking if I would share the recipe with her because her family really loved them.  So here it is…  This recipe comes from one of the first cookbooks I purchased when I began working part-time in a kitchen specialty shop in Chicago years ago.  As the book says, “If they love chocolate, they’ll swoon over these!”

Chocolate Bonbons (from Marlene Sorosky’s Cookery for Entertaining)

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds(4oz.) (optional)

Garnishes such as halved hazelnuts or almonds, halved candied cherries, crystallized violets and chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Velvet Frosting

1/2 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 1-1and1/2 inch miniature muffin cups with bonbon papers; set aside.  Melt chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over hot water.  Remove from hot water, stir in sugar.  Add eggs, mixing well.  Stir in flour, baking powder, vanilla and nuts, if using.  Spoon a small amount of chocolate mixture into each prepared muffin cup, filling cups 1/2 to3/4 full.  Bake 8 minutes.  Bonbons will be soft and look under-baked but will become firm as they cool.  Cool in muffin cups.  Prepare Velvet Frosting.  Spoon frosting over each bonbon.  Garnish tops of bonbons with nuts, candied cherries, crystallized violets or chocolate sprinkles if you like.  These may be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen.  Serve cold.  Makes 55- 60 bonbons.

Velvet Frosting

In a small heavy saucepan, mix cream and sugar.  Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Add chocolate; stir to melt.  Stir a spoonful of chocolate mixture into the egg yolk to warm it slightly.  Add egg yolk mixture to saucepan.  Add butter; stir until melted.  Stir in vanilla.