change and a fried apple pie

"No regrets." This is a phrase that goes through my head every time I have a big decision to make.  Weighing the options of the path ahead with the inevitable choices of things left behind.  This is especially difficult with regards to relationships.  Because so much of our lives revolve around those we interact with day after day.  There are those who inspire new ideas and stir passion within us.  Some people “sharpen” us through their personalities, sometimes revealing positive or negative things about us. 

Recently, with the acceptance of a new position in another company, I will no longer have the privilege of working with my fellow comrades whom I have grown to enjoy so much.  In the nature of this workplace, where you hit the ground running, there is seldom time for leisure “talk”.  Conversations are intermittent, like bullets shot out in passing, and since my workplace revolves around cooking, it is usually food related. There is never a day that goes by where ideas of new food combinations or recent culinary attempts good or bad are shared.  Jules, a fellow blogger (and amazing photographer) is always trying something new and to my great enjoyment usually brings in a sample or two to try.

With the onset of fall the fragrance of mulled cider wafts throughout the workplace, and has sparked many a conversation about other possible uses for the mulling spices.  Just the other day, our culinary director Rochelle came up with a spoon in her hand and told me to “open up”.  It was an ice cream base that she had infused with the mulling spices, creating a delicious crème anglaise that perfumed my head with cinnamon, allspice and star anise.  Lovely. 

There are many more folks I will also miss and all have a special place in my heart.  But the one whom I will look back on most and smile is my boss.  Probably the best descriptor of him is from a line in the movie Forrest Gump.  Forrest shares his moms’ idea of what life is likened: a “box of chocolates”.   In that, from day to day “you never know what you’re going to get”.  This has been my boss.  At one moment he’s a hurricane, ranting about and the next breaking out into show tunes (he has a very good singing voice by the way).  Working with him has caused my purchasing of antacid to go up dramatically.  But truth be told, I will miss him terribly.

So as a new chapter is beginning and I have the day off.  I think I will make some fried apple pies and a batch of Rochelle’s Spiced Vanilla Ice Cream to serve on the side.  Reflecting on the experiences and joys I’m leaving, but also looking forward to the adventure ahead. 

“Life is a journey along a bitter-sweet trail.  Sorry you faced the delivery of a difficult message today; we are so excited you are joining our team! Together through hard work, sense of true purpose and fun, we will assure this decision is the best one.”  

(A text I received from my new boss when I told her I officially gave my notice)

No regrets.

Shannon

Bourbon Fried Apple Pies 

inspired by Sam Beall

Fried pies, also called half-moon pies or mule’s ears are a well loved southern favorite.  Traditionally dried fruit, especially dried apples are used for the filling,  but since it is the height of apple season using some unique heirloom varieties found at the farmers' market or even the reliable Granny Smith are a fine option in breaking tradition.

For best results, make the pies ahead of time and freeze them on a tray.  They fry best when frozen.

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

½ cup (packed) light brown sugar

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. vanilla

¼ cup Bourbon (optional)

4 tart apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large egg

1 recipe sweet pastry dough (recipe below)

3 cups vegetable oil

Ice cream, for serving (optional)

In a medium skillet over medium heat combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon.  Boil for about 5 minutes, until very thick and caramelized.  Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the Bourbon; the mixture may sputter.  Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes.

Add the apples and swirl the pan or stir gently to coat the apples with the liquid.  Cook for 5 minutes more, or until the apples start to soften.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature; refrigerate if not using within an hour or two.

When you’re ready to assemble the pies, beat the egg and add a couple of tablespoons cold water together until smooth.  Set aside.  Strain the apple mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the solids from the liquid.  Set both aside in separate bowls.

On a floured surface, roll out a quarter of the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch.  With a 4-inch round cutter, cut out circles and transfer them to a parchment lined surface.  Brush the circles all over with the egg wash.  Spoon a tablespoon of the apple mixture and a little sauce onto the bottom half of each circle.  Fold the top of each down to cover the filling, making half moon shapes.  Using the tines of a fork or your fingers, press down on the edges to seal the pies.  If the dough begins to get to soft, stick it in the refrigerator for a few minutes or so to firm up a bit.

Transfer them to a rimmed baking, still on the parchment, being careful that they don’t touch each other.  Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 4 to 5 hours, until the pies are solidly frozen.  Once frozen, the pies can either be cooked immediately or transferred to resealable plastic bags and kept frozen for a month.

When ready to serve the pies, place the oil in a large skillet and heat of high heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the oil immediately bubbles (but doesn’t spit) and begins to brown, or a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F.  Take the pies out of the freezer and fry a few at a time in the oil, turning them once, for about 5 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and the filling is heat through.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Repeat until all the pies are cooked.  Serve them warm with scoops of ice cream on the side.

makes 16 to 18 pies, enough for 8 to 10 servings 

Sweet Pastry

makes pastry for one 9-inch pie or one 10-inch tart

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake or pastry flour

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ tsp. salt

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

Place the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until the pieces of butter are the size of small peas.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk together; pour them over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture forms large clumps.

Scoop the dough out of the processor onto a floured surface (I am really enjoying using a floured pastry cloth for rolling out dough); knead a few times, just until the dough is smooth.  Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate for a least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days; the dough can also be frozen for up to 6 months and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to using.

Rochelle's Spiced Vanilla Ice Cream

makes 1 quart

3 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

3 Tbsp. mulling spice mix put into a cheesecloth "purse"

Heat the cream, sugar, vanilla seeds and the mulling spice “purse” in a small saucepan only until the sugar is dissolved.  Be sure not to let the mixture come to a boil.  Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let set for about 20 minutes to allow the mulling spices to infuse the cream mixture.  Stain into a bowl, cover, and chill very well.  Freeze the mixture in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s direction.  Spoon into a freezer container and allow to chill in the freezer for a few hours.  Allow to soften before serving.

    

and the winner is...

“It’s a pie!”  “No, it’s a cake!”  This was the argument I somehow got in the middle of when I asked the culinary director and her assistant at my workplace for the pumpkin cheesecake recipe that has been such a hit lately.  They were getting into the process, what is in it that makes it a pie or for that matter a cake.  I really don’t know what the final decision was, and honestly, I didn’t really care.  Thankfully though, I did get the recipe and a disgustingly huge slice to take home for snacking on that night after work.  

This pumpkin cheesecake has a gingersnap cookie crust that is so buttery, it just melts in your mouth.  The filling has of course cream cheese (a boat load), pumpkin, some spices and a splash of bourbon, just because it sounds good.  It is so creamy and delicious, and the pumpkin adds a beautiful color as well. The topping, which I think just makes this “pie” is the praline top.  A pecan, brown sugar, butter mixture that is baked until bubbly, hardens as it cools and then is crumbled on top to give an extra texture and flavor bump. It is so good.

This recipe serves twelve, so invite the gang over, and call it whatever you want, they won’t care.  They’ll just think you’re a rock star!

Enjoy!

Shannon

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

from Bon Appetit

For praline
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

For crust
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 large eggs
1 15-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 tablespoons bourbon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Make praline:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts and mixture comes to boil; boil 1 minute without stirring. Mix in pecans. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet. Bake until sugar syrup bubbles vigorously, about 8 minutes. Cool praline completely. Break into pieces. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight.)

Make crust:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir cookie crumbs and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Add butter; stir until crumbs are moistened. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust until set, about 8 minutes. Cool. Double-wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty foil. Place in large roasting pan.

Make filling:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in flour and spices. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin, bourbon and vanilla. Transfer to crust.

Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to reach 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake cake in water bath until center is just set, adding more water to roasting pan as needed, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from water. Cool in pan on rack. Remove foil. Run small sharp knife between cake and pan sides. Chill until cold; then cover and chill overnight.

Release pan sides. Place cake on platter. Sprinkle praline over, leaving 1-inch plain border at edge. Cut cake into wedges.


Serves 12

as easy as pie

What could be better than a picture perfect double-crusted pie, its rim crimped and decorated with the back of a fork, its top baked to a beautiful golden brown and a starburst-pattern in the center that has been stained from the luscious bubbling filling? The aroma of warm fruits that have been encased in a tender flaky dough baked to perfection is probably the dessert that is tops on my list. Although truth be told, I’ve been known to have pie for breakfast as well.

The secret to baking fruit pies in my opinion is the cooking of the filling on top of the range. This gives the opportunity to adjust the flavors before the pie goes into the oven-a good idea and a guarantee of success from pie to pie, no matter the sweetness, or lack thereof, of a particular batch of fruit. Right now at the farmers’ market plums are in season and are over flowing on the market tables. One of my favorites is the small sugar plum or the French Prune plum. It is a small variety that tastes best when it’s wrinkled, and has an aroma that makes you want to eat it. Paring these sweet, red fleshed stone fruits with a pint or two of blueberries is a match made in heaven.  As with all pies and tarts you can play around with the filling. And, when you’re feeling ambitious, double or triple the recipe and bake or store in the freezer for a quick dessert that will make you look like a rock star!

Enjoy!
Shannon

Blueberry and Sugar Plum Pie
Makes 6 to 8 servings

The Filling:
3 cups fresh blueberries (about 1 ½ pints)
10 sugar plums, sliced
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Large pinch of grated lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Put half of the fruit in a medium saucepan, keeping the remaining fruit close at hand. Add the sugar, flour, and lemon zest and stir to mix. Bring the mixture to a soft boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. The fruits will release their juices and the liquid with thicken. Turn the mixture into a bowl and stir in the uncooked fruit. Taste spoonful, paying attention to the saucy liquid, and add lemon juice as needed. Cool the filling to room temperature.

The Crust:
½ recipe pastry dough from the toolbox
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. cold water, for egg wash
Crystal or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Lining the pie pan: Cut the dough in half and roll one half out on a lightly floured work surface into a circle about 11 inches across. Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie pan with 1-inch high sides. (Or you can use an 8-inch pie pan with 1 ½-inch high sides.) Allow excess dough to hang over the sides for the moment.

Roll the remaining piece of dough into a circle about 10 inches across. Place the pie pan in the center of the dough and, using the pan as a template, cut the bottom round of dough so that it is about ½ inch larger all around than the pan.

Filling the pie pan: Spoon the cooled filling into the pie shell and dot the top with the butter.

Top crust: Trim the overhanging dough to about ½ inch. Lift the rolled-out circle of dough onto the pie (I use my rolling pin to roll the dough onto it and then unroll on top of the pie) Align the edges of the top crust with the bottom crust. If necessary use a kitchen knife or scissor to trim any ragged edges.

Fold both layers of overhanging dough under to create a thick edge around the rim of the pan. Crimp the edges gently with a fork. Paint the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little crystal or turbinado sugar.

Chilling the pie: Using the point of a thin knife, cut 4 to 6 slits in the crust and chill for about 20 minutes. At this point the pie can be frozen. Place it on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then wrap airtight and freeze for up to a month. There’s no need to thaw the pie before baking, but you should apply another coat of egg wash and will have to bake the pie about 10 minutes longer.

Baking the pie: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the pie on a parchment or silpat lined jelly-roll pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before you cut it so that the crusts top and bottom have a chance to set.

Storing: Pies are at their peak the day they’re made, but you can cover and chill leftovers for a day (if it lasts that long!)

toolbox: pastry

For years I’ve heard the phrase “it’s as easy as pie” and thought “okay, clearly you have never made one”.

Why is the idea of making basic pastry dough daunt even the most cool, calm and collected types? Making them so nervous at even the thought of tackling a pie crust?

Well, if this is you then you never need fear pastry again. I have found a wonderful recipe for pastry dough, which is flaky, flavorful, and tender. It is also strong enough to be rolled out and molded into a free-form shape or a galette. You can use this dough to make any kind of pie or tart, sweet or savory, plain or fancy. By adding a little sugar and vanilla you have a beautiful pâte sucrée or sweet pastry. Throw in some thyme, lemon zest and grated parmesan and you have the base for a savory tart. Once you have mastered this recipe you can let your creative juice flow and create wonderful crusts for so many recipes.

I have made this recipe by hand with a pastry cutter, but have also found the food processor works great as well. This recipe is large and can be cut in half or even quartered, but since the dough can be frozen for up to a month, it’s practical to make the full batch. You can freeze the dough disks, rolled out in circles, or already fitted into pie pans or tart molds, ready to go into the oven-without thawing-when you’re in a crunch for a crust.

Enjoy!
Shannon


Pastry
recipe adapted from Leslie Mackie

5 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 ½ sticks (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 ¾ cups (11 ounces) solid vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup ice water

To make the dough by hand, mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and using a pastry blender (or your fingers); cut it into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Be patient-this take a while. Break up the shortening and add it in bits to the bowl. Still working with the pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture has small clumps and curds. Switch to a wooden spoon and add the ice water, stirring to incorporate it. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and fold it over on itself a few times-don’t get carried away. The dough will be soft, but it will firm up in the refrigerator.

To make the dough in a food processor, start with very cold ingredients and take care not to overwork them. Place dry ingredients in the food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse just to mix. Take the top off, scatter the chilled cubed butter and shortening over the flour, cover, and pulse again, working only until the fats are cut in and the mixture resembles slightly moist cornmeal. Add a little of the liquid and pulse a few times, then add more liquid and pulse again. Continue until the mixture has curds and clumps and sticks together when pressed between your fingers. Don’t process until the dough forms a ball that rides the blade-that’s overdoing it.

Chilling the dough; divided dough into quarters, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, any longer and it’s too difficult to roll out.

Storing; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for 1 month. Defrost, still wrapped in the refrigerator.

Makes enough dough for four 9- to 10-inch tarts or open-faced pies or 2 double-crusted pies.

field trip

Living in Southern California I have to admit we are spoiled.  The mild climate, the almost constant blue skies, fabulous beaches and mountains in the far off distance, it's no wonder there are so many tourists every year.  We enjoy the privilege of eating outdoors most of the time, except for the few weeks in early spring when we may get a drizzle here or there.  The produce is so plentiful; it can be taken for granted.

The slight changes in temperature make it a lovely place to live, but the downside of that is the seasons are a little tough to differentiate.  Yes, there are those few trees that turn those beautiful golden hues that eventually end in a burnt orange, until they give up and let the wind take the leaves to their winter hold.  Which in my area is the gardeners' work truck.  But it's the palm trees that sway their green fronds, and the crazy bright bougainvillea that explodes in fuchsia, pink and orange throughout the winter months that is our typical.

So to get into the fall spirit I took a little field trip with my better half a few days ago.  We traveled about two hours southeast from my San Juan home to a small town called Julian, which is known for apple orchards and of course pie (always a bonus).  It is a quaint town with one main road about half a mile long, if that. 

It is dotted with antique stores, some with very odd names like: Pistols and Petticoats, Hog Heaven and of course Mustang Sally's Quality Re-Sale.  So yes, we didn't do much shopping, but were amused by some of the unusal items in these establishments.

After completing our tour of the town, I couldn't leave empty-handed, so we bought an apple pie at the famous Julian Pie Company.  It is a locally owned family business specializing in apple pies and cider donuts.  Some 17,000 trees provide apples for pies at their Julian location.

So after our purchase we headed toward the apple orchards, because I couldn't come all that way without buying some apples.  It was a beautiful day and an even more beautiful drive on quiet roads that lead past sprawling ranch estates, small vineyards and just the open expanse which isn't the norm back home.

We finally found the U-pick orchard that was recommended, and the only one that was open that day for picking.  Unfortunately, as it turned out the only thing left to pick was what was left on the ground, and I wasn't that desperate for apples.  So we ended up taking some nice photos instead of another orchard nearby, which as we found out was going to be open for picking the next day.  Go figure.

Thankfully, we have a pie.  Or had a pie.  It was delicious.

Cheers,

Shannon