Dinner At Sheila's

Every so often I love to look at Ruth Reichl’s Blog.  She is an acclaimed author, food writer, and past restaurant critic for The New York Times, and was both the food editor and restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times.  She was the editor of Gourmet Magazine for 10 years until its closing in 2009.

Her list of accomplishments in the food world seems endless.  She was a  part of the culinary revolution that took place in Berkeley, California in the 1970’s.

She infuses her writing with not only her culinary knowledge, but with the wisdom of her experiences and a delightful sense of humor.

This recipe for Apricot Pie was recently posted on her blog.  On my last visit to one of our local farmer’s markets I purchased these beautiful apricots with this recipe in mind.

She refers to this as the World’s Easiest Pie, and she says…This is not only the fastest pie I know how to put together( it’s even faster if you use a frozen pie shell), it is also the most satisfying.  Served with a little whipped cream, or some vanilla ice cream, it is summer on a plate.  The recipe is from Comfort Me With Apples.

Apricot Pie

1 recipe pie dough (for a single crust pie)

2 pounds apricots

1 stick butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

fresh nutmeg

Roll out the pie dough, fit it into a 9 inch pie pan, crimp the edges and put it into the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Break the apricots apart with your fingers; do not peel them, but remove the pits.

Melt the butter.  Stir in the sugar (brown sugar is fine), then the flour.  Grate in a bit of nutmeg.

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Put the apricots in the unbaked shell.  Cover them with the sugar mixture and put the pie on the bottom rack of your oven.   After 10 minutes turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake for 35 or 40 minutes more, until the top is crusty and golden.  Transfer to a cake rack and cool before serving.

Ruth was right…this is the World’s Easiest Pie!  If you love apricots, you will love this pie.

I was amazed at how good the top crust was with its buttery, sugary crunchiness, which played well against the sweet yet tartness of the  apricots. 

Serve it with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  Thanks, Ruth!

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.

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)