Single Crust Spicy Apple Pie

Hi all,

I'm still working through all the apples that I got from the CSA. I've made apple sauce, which AI, so graciously helped eat. I've made three apple pies and put apples in all sorts of recipes. I think I have only about a dozen left. Maybe I'll make one more apple pie?

I like this recipe because you only need a bottom crust. I've been using the frozen pie crust from Trader Joe's which I like a lot. It's made with butter and the results are almost identical to homemade and of course using a prepared crust is much easier.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1 prepared pie crust (If frozen, thaw on counter for 1.5 hours or thaw overnight in fridge.)

Line a 9 inch deep pie plate with pie crust. Make a decorative edge, by pinching it between your fingers or using the tines of a fork. Place in freezer for at least 10 minutes, while you prepare the fruit.

7 large or 9 medium cooking apples, about 3 pounds total (I think I got mostly eating apples from the CSA, so I used those. Granny Smiths are nice because of their firm flesh and tart taste.)

Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples and place them in a large bowl.

1 lemon, squeezed and peel grated

Add the lemon juice and grated peel to the apples. Mix.

1/3 cup light brown sugar (since the apples were sweet I only used 1/3 cup, for tarter apples you could increase the sugar to 2/3 cup.)
2 tablespoons AP flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix the sugar, flour and spices together and mix into the apples. Pour into the chilled pie crust. Then prepare the topping.

1/3 cup AP flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter

With a pastry blender, two knives, or your finger mix the crumb topping together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples, pressing down slightly. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven down to 350, bake about 20 minutes longer or until the filling is bubbling around the edges.

There it is, apple pie! We had a Canadian friend who loved eating apple pie with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese on top. The pie is also good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum. Well I hope there's an apple pie in the near future for you. Happy pie making.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Baklava - Amaze and Impress Your Friends!

Hi,

It has been a cold and snowy winter and with R traveling so much I haven't been trying too many new recipes. In fact, I have resorted to fruit and toast with cheese on more occasions than I would like to admit. Here's a recipe I have made a bunch of times. It's easy and except for a bit of assembly and cutting, it will impress and amaze your friends. You'll get comments like, "Wow, you made this?!?! I always thought that Baklava was really difficult to make." You can decide for yourself how you want to comment. Just be sure to thaw the phyllo ahead at room temperature at least a couple of hours before you would like to assemble.

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough - Thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

1 pound chopped nuts (I like to use a combination of walnuts and almonds)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

If you have a food processor available, use it to chop the nuts with the cinnamon. Just be careful and don't chop the nuts too finely. Set aside

1 cup butter, melted

It's helpful if you have a pastry brush available to brush on the butter. I like a more liberal application of butter, if you don't, you may have some butter left after assembly. Unroll the phyllo, depending on the size of the sheets, you may need to cut the sheets in half to fit into the pan.

You will need to make layers of the phyllo, butter and nuts, use the directions that follow.

1) phyllo
2) butter


Repeat 1 and 2 until you have used 8 sheets of phyllo buttered in the bottom of the pan.

3) Sprinkle a little less than 1/4 cup of chopped nuts evenly over the surface.
4) phyllo
5) butter
6) phyllo
7) butter

Repeat 3 through 7 until you have used all but 6 - 8 sheets which remain for the top layer.

8) phyllo
9) butter

Continue repeating 8 and 9 until all the phyllo sheets are used. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes, be sure you cut all the way through all the layers. I find the square shapes easier to deal with but not as festive and fancy as the diamond shapes. Bake for about 50 minutes until the baklava is golden and crisp. While the baklava bakes, prepare the sauce.

1 cup water
1 cup white sugar

Boil the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Mix together the vanilla, honey and zest. Simmer for about 20 minutes. When the baklava is crisp and golden, remove from oven and carefully pour the sauce over the baklava. Let cool. I think it's nice to serve the baklava into individual cupcake papers. I have also halfed this recipe when the full recipe was too much.

I hope you will amaze and astonish your friends with your culinary creation.

Hugs,
Mameekosan 

Chocolate Tart with Nut Crust

Hi,

This recipe has been a favorite for many years. Whenever I make it someone always asks me for the recipe. Although the recipe calls for a food processor, I think you can make it without, if you're patient and finely chop the nuts in the first steps. Of course, if you have a food processor, it goes much faster. The recipe is very rich and is almost like candy.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2 cups walnuts chopped (I have also made this with a mixture of nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds.)
1/2 cup sugar

Whirl the walnuts and sugar in a food processor until nuts are coarsely ground. Pour nuts into an 11 inch tart pant with removable sides.

4 tablespoons melted butter

Add butter to the nut mixture and mix thoroughly. Press mixture evenly over bottom and sides of pan. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set the pan on the sheet. Sometime the tart with leak and the aluminum foil will prevent the butter from leaking and burning in your oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the crust begins to brown around the edges.

4.5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4.5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter

While the crust bakes chop the chocolate. Place in separate bowls. In microwaveable bowl place the finely chopped chocolate and the butter and microwave at half power 30 to 45 seconds until the chocolate melts. (Microwave at half power for an additional 15-20 seconds if the chocolate is not melted.) Stir the mixture until it is smooth.

6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon cognac or brandy (optional)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

With a mixer beat the eggs yolks and the three other ingredients until the mixture turns pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Add the chocolate-butter mixture and beat to blend. Stir in the coarsely chopped chocolate. Pour mixture into the warm nut crust. Bake in the 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the center just begins to firm up. Set on rack to cool. Remove rim.

If you want to really go over the top, you can serve this with whipped cream, although I feel like it doesn't really need it.

Hope this shocks and awes your friends like its done for me.

Hugs,
Mameekosan