Apple Pie

This has been one busy and fun-filled four day weekend.  My family came to town for the marathon and we got a lot done in the two days they were here, including plenty of eating.  It was exciting to see my dad and sister finish the marathon together in 4 hours and 47 minutes.  I spent the day tracking them with the rest of my family and were able to see them at 3 different mile markers throughout the city.  

I probably should have baked this pie before my family visited so they could eat some.  Sorry!  The smell of this pie in the oven right now makes me think I won't have a problem finding people to eat it.  As much as I love Chicago in the summer, I think it's even better in the fall.  I hope you get a chance to make this pie and eat it on a cool fall day.  The recipe for the crust and filling is from smitten kitchen but adapted from America's Test Kitchen (my favorite). 

Pie Dough
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons all-vegetable shortening, chilled
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
10 tablespoons ice water

The recipe from smitten kitchen included a dough recipe for a lattice-top pie.  I used the recipe but did not do a lattice-top pie.

1. Add flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and combine.  Add in shortening and process together.  Cut in the 10 tablespoons of butter and turn on processor until all is combined and a crumbly dough forms.  

2.  Transfer dough from the food processor into a mixing bowl.  Add 8 tablespoons of ice water and use a rubber spatula to combine.  If needed, add 2 more tablespoons of ice water to help the dough stick together.  Divide dough into two pieces in the shape of a 5 inch square, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. 

Apple Pie Filling
1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, about 3 medium
2 pounds McIntosh apples, about 4 large
1 tablespoon juice and 1 teaspoon zest from 1 lemon
3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg white, beaten lightly

1. Place the oven rack to lowest position and heat rimmed baking sheet and oven to 500 degrees.  

2. Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator.  Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface or between two large sheets of plastic wrap.  Roll the dough into a 12 inch circle.  Transfer the dough into the pie plate, lifting up the dough from the edge and pressing it into the base corners of the pie plate.  Do not cut off any dough that hangs over the edge.  Place dough and pie plate in the refrigerator.   

3. Peel, core and cut the apples into thin slices.  Toss apple slices with lemon juice and zest.  In a separate bowl combine the sugar, flour, salt and spices.  As suggested on smitten kitchen, I doubled the measurement for all of the spices.  Pour over the apple slices and combine.  Fill the pie shell with the apple pie filling. 

I had trouble with the next step because I did not roll the bottom crust out as much as I should have.  I kind of made up my own steps, but I suggest following the ones listed below from smitten kitchen's page.

4. Roll out the second piece of dough to a 12-inch circle and place over the pie filling.  Trim the top and bottom edges to 1/2 an inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that the folded edge is flush with pan lip.  Flute edging or press with fork to seal. Cut four slits on dough top. Brush egg white onto top of crust and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

5. Place pie on baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top crust is golden. Rotate the pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue baking for about 30 to 35 minutes until crust is deep golden brown.


6.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool.  The directions say to cool for 4 hours, but you're crazy if you think I'm waiting that long to try the pie.

Turtle Cookies

Don't be fooled by my lack of blogging, I still have been baking quite a bit lately.  We practically have a bakery in our kitchen with all the baking that goes on in this apartment.  I took advantage of my time off work on Friday and spent the day with Erikka catching up on life, eating tons of chocolate and baking these delicious cookies.  I stumbled across this little gem of a recipe thanks to Pinterest.  Originally from America's Test Kitchen, I adapted this recipe from The Kitchen is My Playground.

 

Cookie Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 Tbsp. butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg, separated, and 1 additional egg white

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Filling

14 caramels

3 Tbsp. heavy cream

1/4 cup chocolate chips for drizzle 

1 tsp. shortening

   

 

Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

 

Beat together butter and sugar on medium speed in an electric mixer.

Once combined, mix in the egg yolk, milk and vanilla.

With the mixer on a low speed, add in the flour mixture. 

Cover the dough and refrigerate for one hour.

 Right before the hour is up, whisk the egg whites in one bowl and place the chopped pecans in a separate bowl.

Roll dough into balls (about one inch), dip in egg whites followed by the pecans and place on greased baking pan.

Make an indent in the center of each dough ball, about 1/2 teaspoon in size.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.

 While the cookies are baking, melt the caramels and heavy cream in the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes.  

Once the cookies are done baking, remove them from the oven and fill the indentations with about 1/2 teaspoon of caramel.  You maybe need to repress the indentations on some cookies before filling them with the caramel.

Remove cookies from the pan and let them cool. 

Melt together the chocolate chips and shortening.  Pour the melted chocolate into a zip lock bag, snip the corner and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies.  Use as much or as little chocolate as you wish! 

Merry Christmas to All

Grandma's Caramel Rolls

I have a confession.  I wrote this blog about my Grandma's caramel rolls LAST Christmas and I forgot to post it!  So now, one year later here is the recipe for you.  

These caramel rolls are a tradition in my family.  Each year my dad will bake the rolls and my family enjoys them together 0n Christmas morning.  This year however, I decided it was time for me to attempt this recipe passed down from my Grandma.  As soon as you take your first bite, you will know it was worth all the time you spent in the kitchen making these oh so good caramel rolls.

Roll Ingredients 

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of butter

1 tsp of salt 

2 beaten eggs

2 pkgs of dry yeast

1/2 cup of warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1/2 tsp of sugar

6 cups of flour 

Mix the milk, sugar, butter and salt together and bring to a boil

Cool to luke warm

Add the beaten eggs

Dissolve the yeast and 1/2 tsp of sugar into 1/2 cup of warm water and add to the previous ingredients

Add flour and knead by hand or with a kitchen aid

Let the dough rise

Caramel Ingredients

1 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup of dark corn syrup

1/2 cup of butter

While the dough is rising, bring brown sugar, dark corn syrup and butter to a boil, making the caramel sauce  

Spread the caramel sauce on a 9 by 13 pan (or a 9 by 9 square pan could be used)

Once the caramel sauce is evenly spread, place 36 pecan halves evenly on top.

When the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it into a 16 by 20 rectangle

Brush enough melted butter on the dough to cover it and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

Cut the dough into 12 strips that are each about 16 inches long

Roll each strip (like a rolled bandage) and place each one in the 9 by 13 pan

Be sure that the ends of each strip is facing inward toward the center of the pan

Let the rolls rise 

Bake in the center rack of a 375 degrees oven for 25 minutes

Let the rolls cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes, then invert on a rack and the rolls will fall from the pan

If you want to make the rolls ahead of time, wrap them in aluminum foil when they have cooled and stick them in the freezer.  When you are ready to serve them, heat the oven to 300 degrees and place them in the oven for about an hour or until they are soft and hot all the way through.  Once heated through, sit down and enjoy every bite you have with your caramel rolls.  Before you know it they will be gone!