Deep Dish Apple Pie with Sweet All-Butter Pie Crust

October 26, 2009


When we came home with 25 lbs. of Virginia grown apples, I knew apple pie was in our future. This dessert is extra special because Dustin helped out. He drove us to Charlottesville on our apple-picking adventure, braved gravity and climbed to the top branches to find the finest and ripest, and even helped make the pie! He’s usually not very involved in the cooking around here. Partly it’s my fault for being so territorial in the kitchen. That, and he lacks the desire. (Unless he’s having a sugar craving and wants cookies- NOW!)

But this dessert bears Dustin’s magic touch. He peeled and cored and sliced all the stunning Granny Smiths that filled the dish. In my time of need, he came to the rescue and he was indispensable! I was busy rolling out pastry and boiling caramel and fretting over what I wanted to be the perfect pie. And my cute husband rolled up his sleeves and chopped through those apples in no time! (Or just in time, rather, to smother them in cinnamon, butter, and sugar, pour them into a deep dish, cover them with a blanket of pastry, and send them off to bake).

It’s no wonder that I thought this pie was a sweet success. I made it with my honey. (Awww!) So my opinion might be a little jaded. Together, curled up on the couch under laptops, lecture slides, and books, we finished off half a pie. Including several scoops of vanilla ice cream. Dustin has never loved apple pie, but he agreed that this was a good one. My favorite part? The most amazing, buttery, flaky, spectacular crust I’ve ever had! I swear- I’ll never, ever buy one again. Reserve a little of the filling “juice” to brush on top and it will turn golden, sweet, and crunchy.

I was surprised that with all the butter and sugar, the filling was not super sweet. I liked that the tart-ness of the Granny Smiths snuck through. You could always mix in a few apples of a sweeter variety for a sweeter pie. I sure have a crush on that crust, though! Crust + thick caramel-apple filling + frozen vanilla ice cream = Ahhh.

Deep Dish Apple Pie with Sweet All-Butter Pie Crust

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe sweet all-butter double pie crust (below)
7-8 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 heaping tsp. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg white

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the pastry dough according to directions (below). Chill until ready to use. Roll out each pastry on a floured surface until large enough to cover pie dish. Place one sheet of rolled out pastry in the bottom of the dish. Brush with egg whites.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, sugars, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

4. Toss apples with cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour caramel mixture over apples (reserving several Tbsp. to brush the crust) and stir to coat. Pour apples into pie dish.

5. Cover with the second sheet of rolled out pastry. Trim the edges, pressing them together. Make several slits in the top. Brush the top with the reserved caramel mixture.

6. Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the apples are soft. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes before serving warm topped with vanilla ice cream. (If you serve it immediately the filling will ooze out- it needs some time to set up.)

Makes 1 9-inch deep dish apple pie.

Sweet All-Butter Double Pie Crust

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. natural cane sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) COLD unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6-7 Tbsp. ice water

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor (or by hand with a whisk). Add butter and pulse until coarse mill forms (or cut in butter by hand with a pastry blender until only pea-size crumbs remain). Gradually blend in enough ice water until dough clumps (or mix in a Tbsp. at a time by hand). Form dough into a large ball. Divide in half. Flatten each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 2 hours or overnight.

Makes a double 9-inch pie crust.

(Crust from Epicurious, Filling adapted from All Recipes)

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Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies

October 6, 2009

This is one of those recipes I grew up on. I had forgotten how much I loved these magical brownies. The combination of butterscotch, marshmallow, chocolate, and walnuts is delightful! The marshmallows really do “disappear” into thin air, leaving remnant puffy little craters. These brownies are meant to be gooey in the middle. They’ll leave you with fudgy fingers and a sweet sticky smile!

Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Melt butter and butterscotch chips in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

3.. Stir in brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir until well incorporated.

4.. Fold in the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and nuts until just combined (at this point the batter should still be warm enough to melt some of the chocolate chips but not so hot as to melt all of the marshmallows). Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. The center will still jiggle but will firm up when cool. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes a 9×13 pan of brownies.

(My mom’s recipe.)

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Maple-Ancho Grilled Salmon

October 4, 2009


I love this sweet, flaky salmon. It’s a breeze to prepare and flavors are wonderful: earthy cumin and paprika, warm chili powders, and coarse sea salt. It seems like a lot of spice for just two servings, but brushing the fillets with maple syrup calms the heat (and finishes the fish with a beautiful copper glaze.) In the dead of winter (or when you’re too lazy to fire up the grill) you can prepare this dish under the broiler with a similar result.

Maple-Ancho Grilled Salmon

INGREDIENTS

2 6-oz. salmon fillets
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/4. tsp cumin
1/4 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high.

2. Combine paprika, chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, and brown sugar. Sprinkle salmon with salt and then rub with the spice mixture.

3. Coat grill with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Grill the salmon until it flakes easily with a fork, brushing it with maple syrup about a minute before it finishes cooking.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

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Spinach, Apple, Almond, and Manchego Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

September 14, 2009

I’ll never share a recipe with you that I don’t feel is worth your time. In my opinion, they’re all outstanding. But some are even better than others. Some I get jittery and excited just thinking about (nerdy, right?) and can’t hardly wait to post. Like this one. It is extra outstanding. I’ve concluded that Manchego is going to be good any way you have it. But cut it into little squares and toss it with baby spinach, crispy apple cubes, Marcona almonds (a new treat I discovered), and a honey-lemon vinaigrette, and it’s a tantalizing experience.

About those almonds: “The Marcona variety of almond, which is shorter, rounder, sweeter, and more delicate in texture than other varieties, originated in Spain and is becoming popular in North America and other parts of the world” (Wikipedia). Until I just looked this up I didn’t realize that Marcona almonds came from Spain. It makes sense. Manchego is a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese and nestled in a bed of greens with its native brother, Marcona, it feels right at home. Perhaps I’ll call this my Spanish Spinach salad.

INGREDIENTS
baby spinach
Braeburn or Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed
Manchego, cubed
salted Marcona almonds

Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette:
1 tsp. honey
1 lemon, juiced (I used a small lemon-no more than 2 Tbsp. juice. If you use a larger lemon you will probably need to add more honey to balance the taste.)
1 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Vinaigrette serves 4.

(Adapted from Whole Foods Market)

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Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

September 9, 2009


I think I’ve finally done it. I’ve perfected the simplest honey balsamic vinaigrette. Sure, there are other ingredients you could add to make it more complex, more intricate. But this dressing hits a note of sweet beautiful balsamic that seems just right.

And then there’s this stunning spinach salad to accompany it. Pomegranate arils make the dark green spinach pop and contrast with the creamy white feta, purple-red onions, and rustic brown walnuts. I promise it’s as pleasing to eat as it is to look at.

INGREDIENTS
baby spinach
red onion, thinly sliced
pomegranate arils
walnut pieces
feta, crumbled (optional)

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Layer spinach, onion, arils, walnuts, and feta. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Toss and serve.

2. To make the vinaigrette, combine vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Whisk together while slowly adding the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

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