Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies

  I don't know about you but in the Fall people offer me bags of apples for baking. Generally, these people are friends that have happened upon too many apples. Usually these friends are overwhelmed by the sheer abundance of apples that appear in their CSA box. And, more often than not,  these friends want me to bake something for them. I usually oblige. Mostly because I find baking to be a very therapeutic pursuit. But also because I find great joy in giving friends baked goods.
  On this particular occasion, I decides to make Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies. Just because. Well, just because I love caramel, and salted caramel is even better. And a hand pie is handy.

For these hand pies, peel core and cut 10 medium apples in cubes. Place apples in a large pan on the stove top . Add lemon juice, brown sugar , cinnamon,  nutmeg and vanilla. Cook apple mixture over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Find some caramel. I used Dulce de Leche because that 's what I had. And it's super yummy.  Add 1/2 tsp  sea salt to 1/2 cup  caramel.

Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch to apple mixture and let is cool. Mix in salted caramel. Mix together.

Roll out you chilled pie dough. I use a mini pie cutter to cut out my circles but any will do. You want something that is about 5 or 6 inches. Cut your circles out and place a pretty big spoonful of filling on one side.

Use a mixture of egg and cream to brush around the edge of the circle. This will help glue both sides together.

Fold over the crust making a moon shaped pocket. Press the edges together.

I use a fork to finish the edges. Cut two vent holes in the top of the pies. Brush the top of the pies with more  of the egg/cream mixture. Sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.

For the Circles:

(should make about 12  circles)

2 and 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/4-1/2 cup ice water

 By hand: In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the COLD cubed butter and combine using a pastry blender or two knifes. You want to do this quickly so the butter stays cold. Your goal here is to create something that looks like large cornmeal, with the bits of butter still visible.
 Next drizzle in about half of the ICE water. Give it a light and quick mix with a fork. The dough should start looking like a shaggy mess of a ball. Add more water by tbsp until the mass has just started to make a ball that sticks together.
  At this point, pour the ball onto a floured surface. With your hands, quickly form it into a disk. Cut the disk in half. Wrap each half in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.  These disks can be made ahead. They will stay fresh for about a week.

For the Filling:

10 medium apples, peeled cored and cut into cubes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup caramel
1 tsp ground sea salt
1 egg plus a bit of heavy cream for egg wash
demerara sugar for dusting.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place cubed apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the apple mixture until soft. About 20 minutes. Take the apples off of heat. Add the cornstarch and stir well. Let this mixture cool to room temperature. At this point, roll out the pie dough and cut out the circles.  In a small bowl, mix together caramel and sea salt. Stir the caramel into the apple filling. In a small bowl beat together one egg and 3 tbsp of heavy cream. Using a large spoon add the filling to one side of the circle of pie dough making sure to leave room at the edge. Brush a line of the egg/cream mixture on the outside edge on the crust circle. Fold over the circle, pressing the edges together. Use the tines of fork to press the edges together even further. Cut two small slits in each pie. Brush the top of each pie with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Pie Bars

  As you know, I have a great love for pie. There is something very soothing about pie. And I have found over the years that you can turn anything into a pie or pie like treat. One of the most delicious little bites is the pie bar. This yummy creation is a cross between an actual pie and a bar cookie. There is a bottom layer which resembles pie dough without the liquid added. It really is quite a bit like shortbread. Then you mix a whole lot of deliciousness together to make the filling layer. Finally make sure to top the whole deal with some more of the crust crumble. And there you have it.....pie bar gloriousness!
  As it happens, I was pondering what sweet treat to bake on my day off. I knew there were ten containers of red raspberries in my refrigerator. This is what happens when Kroger's has raspberries  at a buck a pop. I do not believe that a person (i.e. me) can have too many raspberries in their possession. I plan to make more raspberry-chipotle jam. Plus I can always squeeze some more space in the freezer. Don't you worry your pretty little heads. I will find a use for those berries!

For the Crust - In the bowl of a food processor add 1 and 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, a couple pinches of salt and 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter cubed. 

Run the processor for no longer than a minute. You want something that looks like  little bits of corn meal.

Reserve 1 cup of the crumble for the top. Press the rest into the bottom of a square baking dish. Bake in a 350 F oven for 10 minutes or so. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

With the crust cools whisk 2 eggs in a large bowl.

To the eggs add 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2/3 cup flour, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until  the ingredients are well combined.

Add 12 oz of raspberries (or two small containers) and a generous 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Gently fold these into batter.

Spoon the mixture onto the cooled crust. It looks kinda scary here but believe me it will be tasty! 

Sprinkle the batter with the remaining crumble. Bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes.

Let cool for at least an hour. Then cut into small squares. These are pretty powerful. You do not need big pieces.

For the Crust:

1 and 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 pinches of salt
1 and 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter

For the Filling:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup AP flour
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz red raspberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips


To make your crust and crumble - Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a square baking dish. Combine flour, sugar, salt and cubed butter in a food processor bowl. Run the processor for no longer than 1 minute. The goal is  to evenly distribute the butter while keeping a crumbly texture. Set aside 1 cup of the crumble. Press the remaining mixture into the baking dish. Bake at 350 for about ten minutes. Let crust cool for at least 10 minutes.

To make the filling - Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar, flour, salt, sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the berries and chocolate chips. Spoon mixture onto cooled crust and top with remaining crumble. Bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes.

Let the pie bars cool for at least an hour. Cut into small squares. You can get about 24 little bars.

Rosemary-Lemon Blueberry Peach Pie

  On Saturday, I hosted a game night for several ladies. As you know when you are hosting a game night you must provide delicious nibbles, cocktails and, in my case, pie. I had purchased a ginormous container of blueberries earlier in the week. I also had several peaches on hand. So the decision was made for me. Now, I love fruit pies a lot. And I especially like them when there is more than one fruit involved. As it happens, blueberry-peach is maybe my favorite.
  There are a few quirky aspects to this pie. For one, I choose to flavor the filling with one sprig of fresh rosemary, freshly ground nutmeg, lemon zest and lemon juice. Don't be afraid of the rosemary. It adds a nice depth of flavor but is not overbearing. I also used only brown sugar for sweetener. As you can see in the photo above, I also sprinkled brown sugar on the lattice top.
  I was very pleased with how this pie turned out. The gaming ladies seemed to really enjoy it as well. And there are a few pieces left over...for breakfast. Nothing is better than fruit pie for breakfast!

For the Crust:

(This is my go-to double pie crust.)

2 and1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks of COLD unsalted butter, cubed
1/4-1/2 cup ICE water (If you are feeling adventurous you can use vodka.)

 By hand: In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the COLD cubed butter and combine using a pastry blender or two knifes. You want to do this quickly so the butter stays cold. Your goal here is to create something that looks like large cornmeal, with the bits of butter still visible.
 Next drizzle in about half of the ICE water. Give it a light and quick mix with a fork. The dough should start looking like a shaggy mess of a ball. Add more water by tbsp until the mass has just started to make a ball that sticks together.
  At this point, pour the ball onto a floured surface. With your hands, quickly form it into a disk. Cut the disk in half. Wrap each half in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.  These disks can be made ahead. They will stay fresh for about a week.

  When you are ready to use, roll out a bottom crust from one of the disks. Line your pie plate and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. This is a good time to make your filling. Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Make a small x in the bottom of six peaches. Blanch the peaches in boiling water for one minute.

After you have blanched the peaches put them in a ice water bath. This makes peeling them a snap!

Peel your peaches.

Slice them and put them in a large bowl.

Add two cups of blueberries.

Add 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3 and1/2 tbsp of cornstarch, juice of 1/2 lemon, zest of 1/2 lemon,  1 sprig of rosemary finely chopped, and 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg. Mix well.

Pour the fruit and the fruit juices into the chilled pie crust.

Quickly roll out the second disk of dough. Cut into lattice strips using a sharp knife or pastry roller.  Arrange your lattice strips on top of the fruit. Fold under the pieces and pinch them together with the bottom crust. 

Bake for twenty minutes at 400 F. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for about 1 hour.  Or until juices start to ooze everywhere. Oh that reminds me, you may want to line your oven with tin foil.

For the Filling:

6 peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
juice from 1/2 lemon
zest from 1/2 lemon
1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
heavy cream for brushing on lattice
brown sugar for dusting lattice

  Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Pour the contents of the bowl into a prepared bottom pie crust. Add the lattice top. Roll under the lattice pieces and pinch them together with the bottom crust. Brush the lattice top with heavy cream. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake in a preheated 400 F over for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F. Bake for an hour. Or until filling is oozing and crust is golden brown.

Let the pie cool a bit. Then eat and enjoy!!

Black-Bottomed Dulce de Leche Pie...oh my!!

  Every year several of my closest friends make a pilgrimage to Sylvania Ohio.  We descend on a rather large home complete with the perfect patio and pond view. The house is the home of one of my   longtime friend's little sister (also my friend). We all lovingly call this house Paula's B and B because she is the best hostess ever. This stay is always full of great food, awesome beverages, wonderful friends, tons of relaxation and laughter. And generally, she supplies all of the above in abundance! But I always enjoy making something to take with me on this grand trip.

  And this my friends is where the Black Bottom Dulce de Leche Pie comes into play. As some of you may remember, I have a part time job at Williams Sonoma. Now, this is a fun place to work full of awesome products and yummy food. Sometimes this is a problem.... like when the superb  Argentinian dulce de leche is on sale and you feel compelled to buy two jars. Then you find yourself eating almost a whole jar in less than a week. It is a problem. A big problem. The only solution is to make something out of the remaining yumminess before you explode in a cloud of milk caramel. Enter our star...the Black Bottom Dulce de Leche Pie!

Let me tell you... This is a deliciously easy pie to make. And it requires no baking. Give it a whirl. You will enjoy it - both the making and the eating!!

First make the Oreo crust. It only requires two ingredients. And just needs to spend a bit of time in the fridge before the filling is added.

Here's a simple way to shape the crust. Use the back side of a measuring cup to help press the crumble into the pie plate. It makes it super easy!

Make the ganache. I use a microwave but you need to be careful not to melt the chocolate to quickly.  In my tiny low powered microwave, I did about 45 seconds with a pause in between for whisking.

Add the ganache to the chilled pie crust. Chill. Try not to eat it all before it gets in there.

Whip the heavy cream and set it aside. This is when a second mixer bowl would come in handy!

In another bowl mix together the dulce de leche, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar. Blend until creamy. And again, try not to eat it all. You will make yourself sick!!

Fold the whip cream into the dulche de leche mixture. 

Carefully spoon the caramel cream on top on the ganache. 

Doesn't that look divine? 

Make some more ganache to top the pie. I like to spoon this mixture into a small ziploc bag.  Then I snip off the very end and use it to make designs on the top. 

For the crust:

24 whole oreos

1/4 cup unsalted butter

In a medium bowl or food processor,  add the Oreos and blend until the texture of coarse meal. Add the butter and blend until well combined. Place the mixture into your pie plate and press on the bottom and sides evenly. It helps to use the back side of a measuring cup. Refrigerate the crust for at least an hour before use. 

For the Pie:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup dulce de leche, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup heavy whipped heavy whipping cream with 1 tbsp sugar added

For the Topping:

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions:

Put 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/3 cup heavy cream in a microwave safe container. Heat for 45  seconds or so until smooth after whisking. Pour this mixture into your prepare pie crust and chill until you are ready to add the other layer.

Whip 3/4 cup heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer until the cream has fairly stiff peaks.  Adding  1 tbsp sugar just after the cream starts to form peaks. Set aside.

Beat the dulce de leche, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a mixture until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread this mixture on top of the ganache in the bottom of the crust.

Melt the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips and 1 tbsp heavy cream for about 20 seconds (Time will vary depending on microwave) being careful not to heat too quickly. Stir until smooth. Use this to make beautiful designs on the top of the dulce de leche layer.

Now eat and enjoy!!

"You've got red on you" - Zombies and Other Scary Stuff

   I want to talk a little bit about zombies.  During the last month, I have been involved in several discussions about zombies.  This makes some sense considering Halloween has just passed, "Shaun of the Dead" has had several household views, and I watched the first episode of " The Walking Dead".
   I am not sure how I feel about zombies.  Are they scary? - Sure.  Come on, the idea that a person could be bitten by a zombie, become infected, die and then reanimate as a slow moving, glassy eyed people eating monster is really really scary.
   At this point, I must share a little secret with all of you.  I do not do well with horror movies, books and stories.  As we all know, most of our neurotic behavior is rooted in some childhood trauma.  So here goes...When I was seven or eight,  my babysitter Karen (pretty sure that was her name) thought it was a good idea to read "Amityville Horror" to me.  I can emphatically say - it was not.  As time passed during the readings, I got more and more freaked out.  Eventually, we would read the book sitting on the floor with our backs against the door between the house and the garage.  Of course, she never stopped reading it to me.  But that's another story for another time.  A few years later, I attempted to watch, "The Changeling" ( I think that was the name.) with friends.  Oh my goodness, I don't think I have ever been so scared since.  And, that horrible clown doll in "Poltergeist" sends me over the edge every time.
   So, zombies.... I can deal with "Shaun on the Dead" because it is so incredibly hilarious.  Somehow reanimated corpses don't seem so bad when accompanied by witty repartee. And, let's be honest here, I have a little crush on Simon Pegg - that also seems to help.  But, I am not so sure how I am going to handle "The Walking Dead".  My friend Chuck mentioned it a few times in passing.  Then I heard about it several other times, as well.  Although the show was not even on my radar until my friend Michelle announced that Andrew Lincoln was in it (always with the boys).  So, I watched the first episode online.  Man, it was scary.  It was great but it may just be too much for me.  At one point, you saw a half-bodied zombie woman dragging herself along the ground.  I found myself saying out loud, "That is not okay."  I may not make it through.  Or at the very least, I am gonna need to watch it with a buddy.
   It may be in my best interest to push the idea of  creepy zombies into the furthest recesses of my mind.  What I need to think about is pie.  I need to think about the sixty plus pielets that I must make for the pie tasting.  I need to think about eight different varieties of filling I have planned.  I need to think about the cocktails I am making, the cleaning I need to do, and the grocery shopping I must do.  I need to decide if I am making these adorable pie lollipops that my friend Rebecca told me about.  So for now, I am just going to say no to zombies and yes to the comfort of pie and cocktails.    

A little zombie music for ya -- Dawn of the Dead