The "Perfect" Apple Pie

I don't remember what link sent me this on Facebook - I get so many of these everyday.  Most of them I ignore but this one caught my attention.  It was titled "How to make THE PERFECT APPLE PIE."  Sounded like a challenge to me!!  OK, let's see if this is actually the "PERFECT" apple pie.

Quickly scanning the ingredients - WHEW!  I have all of them - no mad dash to the grocery store.  And since Saturday is Valentine's Day, I can use my heart shaped pie pan!!  AND my husband loves apple pie - sounds like a win-win situation, doesn't it!!

On to the recipe . . .

The Perfect Apple Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup ice water (you won't need all of it)
3 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Filling:

8 cups cored, peeled and sliced apples (around 8 medium sized - I used Granny Smith)
2 T lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 T for top of the crust
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg yolk
2 T butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt.

Add in the cold, cubed butter and pulse to combine.

Slowly dizzle in ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time (I only need about 2 tablespoons).
(if you don't have a food processor, either use a pastry blender or a fork to combine all the ingredients.)

Before the dough forms a ball, remove from the food processor.  Using your hands, form the dough into a flat disc and wrap in saran wrap.  Refrigerate for about 1 or 2 hours.  It is very important to work with the dough being cold.

In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon, flour, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Once the dough has properly chilled, divide the dough in half.  Return one half to the refrigerator. 

Roll out the first dough and place in pie pan.  Trim any overhanging dough and fold under edges.

Pour apple mixture into pie pan and top with pats of butter.

Roll out the second piece of dough.  You can cover the entire pie with the second piece of dough or make a lattice (as I did).

In a smaller bowl, beat the egg with a splash of water.  Brush the edges of the dough with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Your kitchen will smell heavenly!!!!

The Entire Recipe:

The Perfect Apple Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup ice water (you won't need all of it)
3 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Filling:

8 cups cored, peeled and sliced apples (around 8 medium sized - I used Granny Smith)
2 T lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 T for top of the crust
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg yolk
2 T butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt.

Add in the cold, cubed butter and pulse to combine.

Slowly dizzle in ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time (I only need about 2 tablespoons).
(if you don't have a food processor, either use a pastry blender or a fork to combine all the ingredients.)

Before the dough forms a ball, remove from the food processor.  Using your hands, form the dough into a flat disc and wrap in saran wrap.  Refrigerate for about 1 or 2 hours.  It is very important to work with the dough being cold.

In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon, flour, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Once the dough has properly chilled, divide the dough in half.  Return one half to the refrigerator. 

Roll out the first dough and place in pie pan.  Trim any overhanging dough and fold under edges.

Pour apple mixture into pie pan and top with pats of butter.

Roll out the second piece of dough.  You can cover the entire pie with the second piece of dough or make a lattice (as I did).

In a smaller bowl, beat the egg with a splash of water.  Brush the edges of the dough with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake for 50 minutes.

VERDICT:

OK - this is pretty darn close to being the PERFECT apple pie!!  It was good!!  And the crust . . . well, this will be my go-to crust from now on - it was flaky and flavorful!!  This pie is so easy to make and it is GOOD!!!  I caught my husband last night eating out of the pie plate!!  Yep, we definitely have a winner with this one!!!

Crockpot Bean Soup

The one thing I love about the cold weather is all the wonderful and delicious soups!  Homemade soups are a whole meal in a bowl!!  And they are usually so easy to make!!  PLUS they make your house smell WONDERFUL!!

I found this recipe on the "Just A Pinch" website and made a few changes - don't I always!!  I will note the changes with (**).

Crockpot Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 pkg diced ham (**the recipe calls for sliced polish kielbasa - we didn't like the soup with the sausage - the ham tastes better - your choice)
1 medium sliced and chopped onion
3 cans beans - I used 2 cans Great Northern Beans and 1 can Red Kidney beans - this worked out really well in the soup - you can use any 3 type of beans that you like
1 T brown or spicy mustard
1 T apple cider vinegar
salt, pepper and a dash of garlic powder

Directions:

Add the 3 cans of beans with their liquids to the crockpot.
Mix in the chopped onion and stir to combine.
Add the tablespoon of mustard, apple cider vinegar and spices - stir to combine.
Add enough water to make a "stew" but not enough to cover all the ingredients.
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.

This is great with homemade biscuits or a grilled cheese sandwich.  Perfect for those cold, wintry nights!!

Verdict:

This is a winner in our household.  I have made this several times and my husband keeps eating it (and doesn't complain when I mention that I am making it for dinner) - so I know he likes it.  And it is super easy to make!!

Enjoy!!

Fannie Farmer's Rich Winter Squash Pie

I should never go to the grocery store when I have a lot of time on my hands as I always come out with more in my shopping cart than what was on my grocery list!! 

I was in the Produce Section and there was the nicest looking butternut squash.  How could I resist!!  I saw either a pie or soup in my future!  Searching through my library of cookbooks, I found what I was looking for - thanks to Fannie Farmer!! - a Rich Winter Squash Pie.  Now doesn't that sound yummy!  Of course, that involved running up to get some brandy (I don't drink and my husband is 100% beer man!).  Fortunately, our local 'liquor' store sells really small bottles of liquor and I found a $4.00 bottle of brandy - so a new adventure was born!!  Please note, you do not need a large squash for this recipe.

First step was to bake the squash - very easy!!  Simply cut the squash in half, scope out the seeds and place in a baking dish skin side up (the hard outer shell of the squash) with about 1/2 inch of water.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool until the squash is easy to handle.

Scoop out the pulp and puree in a blender or a food processor.

 

Doesn't that look pretty!!

 

Using your favorite pie crust recipe or a store bought pie crust - your choice.  Line a 9 inch pie plate.

 

This is such an easy recipe - once you have the squash baked and pureed, you can whip this up in a matter of minutes.

 

Rich Winter Squash Pie

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup pureed cooked winter squash (see above)

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup white granulated sugar

3 eggs, slightly beaten

3 T Brandy

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp mace

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

 

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until smooth and well blended.

 

 

 

Pour into pie pan.

 

 

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 300 and bake for an additional 45 to 60 minutes or until the filling is firm.

 

 

(the whole in the middle is where I inserted a toothpick to check for doneness)

Entire Recipe:

 

Rich Winter Squash Pie

 

Ingredients

 

1 cup pureed cooked winter squash (see above)

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup white granulated sugar

3 eggs, slightly beaten

3 T Brandy

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp mace

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 425.

 

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until smooth and well blended.

 

Pour into pie pan.

 

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 300 and bake for an additional 45 to 60 minutes or until the filling is firm.

 

Let cool on a rack (if you can!!)

 

Enjoy!!

 

Verdict:

 

I thought this would taste like a pumpkin pie.  I was pleasantly surprised - it doesn't.  This is very good.  You get a slight hint of the brandy - it is not overpowering.  This is such an easy pie to make!!  What did my resident pie expert think??  He loved it!!  I definitely will be making this one again.

My Mom's Hamburger Pie or Shepherd's Pie Recipe

I don't know what made me remember this recipe of my Mom's, but something jogged my memory.  I haven't had this in years.  So I got out her cookbook and found her recipe.  She called the recipe Hamburger pie, but I think this is really a variation of Shepherd's Pie. 

I believe true Shepherd's Pie uses lamb.  And, if you do a search on Shepherd's Pie, you will see a wide variety of variations of the recipe.

This is the recipe I grew up on and it brings back a lot of good memories.  It is pretty easy to make and you probably have most of the ingredients, so no wild dash to the store!

My Mom's Hamburger Pie (aka Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper
1 can green beans (drained)
1 can tomato soup
5 medium size potatoes cooked
1/2 cup milk
1 beated egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.
Brown meat and onions - drain off fat.  Add seasonings to taste.

Add the beans and soup.  Stir to combine.
Spoon into a casserole dish.

Mash the potatoes.  Add the milk and beaten egg.

Spoon the potatoes over the meat mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Entire Recipe:

Mom's Hamburger Pie (aka Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper
1 can green beans drained
1 can tomato soup
5 medium size potatoes cooked
1/2 cup milk
1 beated egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.
Brown meat and onions - drain off fat.  Add seasonings to taste.
Add the beans and soup.  Stir to combine.
Spoon into a casserole dish.
Mash the potatoes.  Add the milk and beaten egg.
Spoon the potatoes over the meat mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Verdict:

It was as good as I remembered my Mom making it.  My husband loved it, too.  Don't know why I haven't made this sooner, but it will be on our menu again!!  Brought back a lot of good memories!

Happy National Pie Day - Lattice Apple Pie

Bet you didn't know this . . . January 23 is National Pie Day!!  Legend has it a school teacher used to celebrate his birthday (surprisingly on January 23) with pie instead of cake.  Supposedly, he registered the date with Chase's Calender of Events and it. somehow, became a national event!

To honor this special day, I baked my husband an apple pie.  Not the usual apple pie that I normally make . . . but I got out the cookbook I bought many years ago and never opened (silly me!!) - a whole cookbook devoted to apple pies!! (can you imagine!!)  Apple Pie Perfect by Ken Haedrich.  It has 100 recipes of every type of apple pie known to mankind!  Maybe someday I should start at page 1 and bake my way through the book - what fun would that be!!

The recipe I chose for National Pie Day was Traditional Lattice-Top Apple Pie.  This is so easy to make!!  You can whip this up in a matter of minutes.  And the miracles never cease!!  I made my own pie dough!!  No store bought dough here!!

All American Double Pie Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
3/4 t salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup cold shortening (like Crisco).
1/2 cup cold water

Directions:

This works up beautifully in your food processor!!

Put the flour, sugar and salt in your food processor and pulse for a few seconds - just enough to mix.

Fluff up the flour mixture with a fork.  Add the butter pieces and pulse again for a few seconds.

Fluff up the mixture again with a fork.  Add the shortening pieces and pulse again for a few seconds, just enough to get it all mixed it.

Drizzle half of the cold water over the flour mixture and pulse the machine for a few seconds.  Fluff the pastry with a fork.  Add the rest of the water and pulse the machine until the pastry starts to form clumps.  It should look like coarse crumbs.

Test the pastry by squeezing a small handful - if it sticks together, GREAT!!  If not, add a little bit more water.

Using your hands, pack the pastry into 2 balls - one larger than the other.  Knead each one briefly and flatten into a disk shape.  Wrap in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for one hour.

Traditional Lattice Top Apple Pie

Ingredients:

8 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (I used golden delicious)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 T all purpose flour
1/2 t ground cinnamon
3 T lemon juice
2 T cold, unsalted butter

Glaze:

Milk
White sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F
Combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.  Toss to mix.

(it's OK to sneak one or two pieces to taste - it's GOOD!!)Remove pie crusts and roll out one disk for a 9" pie pan.  Lay in pie plate and crimp edges.
Roll out the second disk and cut 8 1" strips using a pizza cutter or knife (set aside).
Spoon the pie filling into the crust and smooth out.  Dot with the 2 T of butter.

Lay 5 for the strips horizonally on the pie.
Weave the remaining strips with the horizonal strips.

Brush with strips with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Place the pie on large baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400F.
Reduce the temperature to 375F and bake another 45 to 50 minutes.
Let cool on a rack (if you can!!)

Entire Recipe:

Traditional Lattice-Top Apple Pie

All American Double Pie Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
3/4 t salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup cold shortening (like Crisco).
1/2 cup cold water

Directions:

This works up beautifully in your food processor!!

Put the flour, sugar and salt in your food processor and pulse for a few seconds - just enough to mix.

Fluff up the flour mixture with a fork.  Add the butter pieces and pulse again for a few seconds.

Fluff up the mixture again with a fork.  Add the shortening pieces and pulse again for a few seconds, just enough to get it all mixed it.

Drizzle half of the cold water over the flour mixture and pulse the machine for a few seconds.  Fluff the pastry with a fork.  Add the rest of the water and pulse the machine until the pastry starts to form clumps.  It should look like coarse crumbs.

Test the pastry by squeezing a small handful - if it sticks together, GREAT!!  If not, add a little bit more water.

Using your hands, pack the pastry into 2 balls - one larger than the other.  Knead each one briefly and flatten into a disk shape.  Wrap in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for one hour.

Pie Filling:

Ingredients:

8 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (I used golden delicious)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 T all purpose flour
1/2 t ground cinnamon
3 T lemon juice
2 T cold, unsaledt butter

Glaze:

Milk
White sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F
Combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.  Toss to mix.
Remove pie crusts and roll out one disk for a 9" pie pan.  Lay in pie plate and crimp edges.
Roll out the second disk and cut 8 1" strips using a pizza cutter or knife (set aside).
Spoon the pie filling into the crust and smooth out.  Dot with the 2 T of butter.
Lay 5 for the strips horizonally on the pie.
Weave the remaining strips with the horizonal strips.
Brush with strips with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Place the pie on large baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400F.
Reduce the temperature to 375F and bake another 45 to 50 minutes.
Let cool on a rack (if you can!!)

Verdict:

My husband loved it (especially with the homemade ice cream I made for him earlier in the day!).  It was really good!!  And it made my house smell OH SO WONDERFUL!!!  Yep, we have another winner!!

Enjoy!!

Amish White Bread

OH MY is this the best bread EVER!!  I found this recipe on the Facebook group, Cast Iron Cooking and my life has never been the same since!  This bread is do die for - it is that good!!  AND it is so easy to make!   You don't need a bread machine - it does help, though, to have a stand mixer just to get the bread started.

According to the recipe, the author is a Clara S. Yoder (sounds Amish to me!).    The recipe makes two loaves or you can do as I did, make one loaf and a pan of rolls.  Someone on the group also make hamburger buns using the recipe!!  I will have to try that next.  I bet the buns are wonderful!!

Sigh . . . I digress . . . onto the recipe.  The only ingredient that you might need is bread flour which you can get at any grocery store or Walmart.

Amish White Bread

Ingredients:

2 c warm water
1 1/2 T yeast (or 2 packets of yeast)
2/3 c sugar
4 T oil (I used olive oil but any vegetable oil will do)
1 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted this - I don't do salt)
5 to 6 cup bread flour (if using Gold Medal Bread flour, only use 5 1/2 cups)

Directions:

Mix the water, yeast and sugar together until the yeast is dissolved.  Let sit for about 5 minutes - the yeast should start foaming or fermenting.
Add the salt (if using) and the oil.
Work in the flour 2 cups at a time.
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl after using all the flour.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Grease a bowl and add the dough.  Cover with saran wrap and a dish towel.
Let rise in a warm spot for an hour (I always use my oven with the oven light on) - until the dough doubles in size.
Knead the dough again and form into loaves or rolls.  Let rise again for 1/2 hour.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Baste with butter.
Enjoy!!

Crab Meat Quiche

Do you ever once in a while want to try something so completely different?  Well, last night was one of those nights.  I had been looking through my Mom's old tattered cookbook and a brochure fell out.  Obviously the Cooking Gods were trying to get my attention!  It was an old brochure from "Virginia Seafood" and the title said "Elegant Crab Recipes for the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab."  I had to go to the store anyway so I thought I would see if they had crab meat.  Well, fresh crab was definitely NOT in the budget at $21 a pound!!  But in the tuna section was canned crab at $3.19 for 6 oz. a can - thus a new adventure was born.

Granted, 4 cans of canned crab was not in the budget either but you ever once in a while it is doesn't hurt to splurge!!  The one recipe in the brochure that didn't require a whole shopping expense was the crab quiche and I knew my husband would eat that.

The recipe is quite simple and you can whip this up in matter of minutes!

Crab Quiche

Ingredients

1//2 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip)
2 beaten eggs
1 2/3 cup crab meat (I used 4 cans of drained crab meat)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 T flour
8 oz. grated Swiss Cheese
1/2 c milk
9 inch pie crust (I cheated and used a Pillsbury pie crust)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a 9 inch pie pan with the crust

Mix the mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip), four beaten eggs and milk until blended together.

In a separate bowl, stir the crab meat, swiss cheese and onions.

Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crab meat mixture and stir to completely mix.

Pour into the pie pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes ** (it took about an hour for my quiche to set - your oven might be different).
 

I didn't get a picture of the quiche after it came out of the oven - my husband took a piece too quickly!!


Entire Recipe

Crab Quiche
 
Ingredients
 
1//2 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip)
2 beaten eggs
1 2/3 cup crab meat (I used 4 cans of drained crab meat)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 T flour
8 oz. grated Swiss Cheese
1/2 c milk
9 inch pie crust (I cheated and used a Pillsbury pie crust)
 
Directions
 
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a 9 inch pie pan with the crust

Mix the mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip), four beaten eggs and milk until blended together.

In a separate bowl, stir the crab meat, swiss cheese and onions.

Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crab meat mixture and stir to completely mix.

Pour into the pie pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes ** (it took about an hour for my quiche to set - your oven might be different).

Verdict:

My husband loved it!!  I would probably make this again when we have a little extra in our budget - LOL!!  It is really good!!