Category Archives: Apple Pie

Grand Canyon Pie

18 Monday Feb 2013

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IMG_6368Here’s a good way to begin the new year: drive out to Arizona in a van with some really amazing friends. Never mind that it’s incredibly cold. The snow is gorgeous in the Grand Canyon. Walk around the rim trail and work up an appetite.

IMG_6345Then go back to your friend’s parents’ vacation home. Continue to wonder if you can somehow stay there forever (cause it’s the cutest place you’ve ever seen) and while you’re at it, drink lots of wine and bake an apple pie using no recipe and only the memories of all of the pies you’ve ever made to guide you. Your friends can make a roast and gravy and Yorkshire puddings in the meantime, and then you can all have an incredible, cozy feast at 10:30 pm and go to bed feeling so warm and full.

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Pie-vember

23 Sunday Dec 2012

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November was the month for Visitors. In fact, I think there were only a couple of days in total that our guest room was free. It was fantastic.

One thing about Visitors: they often expect Pies. Even the smallest ones.
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When you see these items in your kitchen, it’s time to get excited. A Caramel Apple-Pecan Pie is likely on the way.

A total of 40 caramels are required for this pie. I love the saltiness of Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel caramels, so I used those. No regrets. When I first read the recipe, I thought I was going to have to unwrap and chop each caramel into quarters. Then I realized that I only had to cut up ten of them…the ones that go into the pie crust…and I stopped banging my head against the wall.
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This isn’t the fastest pie ever to make (1. Pastry 2. Apple Caramel Filling 3. Pecan Crumb Topping 4. Caramel and Pecans) so be forewarned. 1000% worth it, though.

Would you look at that beauty?!

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There are few things I enjoy more than a table full of good food, friends and family. And this night was especially special because it’s not often that I get a table full of New Jersey all the way in California.
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Mike works for M&M’s/Mars, so his taste in sweets is impeccable.

His face here says, “I am Mike Robinson, and I approve of this pie.”IMG_1191

Even Obi tried to get his paws on a slice. Little rapscallion.

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Like Old Times

14 Friday Dec 2012

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We really went back to the olden days on this one.

Todd, Abby, Benjamin, and Verity were coming to visit. (The last time they came was in February.) It was time to search through the pie book to see what apple ones still remained untested. Though the number of these is rapidly dwindling, I found one that suited my needs: Mile-Deep Apple Ring Pie.

photo(1)When you make a pie that’s supposed to be a mile deep of apple rings, you borrow yourself a handy apple-ringer contraption. And you make your husband do most of the physical labor. Mostly so you can check out his muscles.

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Apple peelings galore. Once when I was a young-un, I went on a field trip to an old cider mill and we all made apple pie together in a black cast iron baking dish, taking turns putting in chunks of apple and spooning flour-sugar-cinnamon all over the whole thing. This pie reminded me of that field trip. Look at how adorably rustic it looks.

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Ken Haedrich will often advise to put pats of butter all over the top of your pie before adding the top crust. Who am I to question?

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You may well wonder why anyone would serve a pie with a wooden spoon (although I hope I don’t have to explain why you would drink lots of fresh-pressed apple juice with it.) One little point of interest on this guy is that he  has no bottom crust. So, there’s no neat way to portion out slices. Just break right through that flaky top with a spoon and scoop out all of the goodness underneath. Top with vanilla ice cream, always.

Share with your favorite people.

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Onesipie

10 Friday Aug 2012

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[Oh-nes-ih-pie]

I can explain.

The summers I was 15, 16, and 17, I attended a two-week program known as “Operation Onesimus,” which arguably changed the course of my life forever. You may never have heard of Onesimus; he is a character–a slave–in the New Testament book of Philemon. The name is symbolic of service; not slavery in the way we usually think of it, but service in love. Ironically, living a life serving each other in love turns out to be the most freeing way to live. To me, this is what the Operation Onesimus program is all about.

In July, I returned to Operation Onesimus not as a participant, but as a helper, excited beyond belief to be able to spend time with such an amazing group of people. My self-appointed title was “Onesimus Experience Enhancer.” Basically, I just tried to find ways that I could make the experience of the participants a little bit better. And one way I thought of (naturally) was to make pie for everyone! Because pie enhances every experience. Ever.

Challenges faced: lots of hungry mouths, no stocked pantry, no rolling pin, no food processor, no wax paper, no apple peeler, looked in three kitchens for a grater…this was quite a challenge. Total time spent on Onesipie: at least 4 hours. I took a couple pictures for you along the way.

(Can I just take a wee minute to show you my “new” apron? I discovered it while visiting my family in Minnesota, and my Aunt Sarah felt that it was only fair that I should have one of Grandmother’s handmade aprons. So now it’s mine, and I love it a lot.)

How to make a pie, Onesimus style.

When you’re baking for thirty, you need a big bag of flour.

Okay, getting started. All-Butter Pastry. Lots of butter. Go.

Apples, lemon zest and sugar get mixed together for the filling.

When you can’t locate a rolling pin or wax paper to save your life, improvise with an empty juice bottle and Glad Press n’ Seal. But this is really a last-resort option.

You’ll notice these pies look a bit naked right now. There’s no top crust in sight…but just wait until you see how we’re going to finish these!

Are you ready for the secret ingredient? Prepare yourselves…here it comes….

Weird, right?

In the absence of a food processor, enlist the help of small friends to mix the Cheez-It topping together by crunching it up inside a Ziploc bag. Many hands make light work!

Add the crumblies part of the way through baking…and that’s how you make an Apple Pie with Cheddar Cracker Topping.

(Thanks so much to our friends Vinnie and Rachel, who let us stay in their comfortable and adorable cabin for over a week! Every time I noticed another piece of bird decor, I squealed with happiness. No joke, just ask Levi.)

Love Language

28 Tuesday Feb 2012

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A couple of years back, we were into these books by Gary Chapman…The 5 Love Languages ones. You may be familiar with them. In case you aren’t, the premise is that individuals communicate their love for others/want to be communicated to in a certain way…for example, physical touch. (From my experience, people either really like this concept, are really annoyed by it, or just really don’t care. My apologies if you belong to one of the second two groups, I promise this won’t be a lengthy dissertation.) My point is that when I read the original book (as you do when you’re dating and you’re curious if you speak the same love languages as your significant other) I was of the opinion that if your love language was “Gifts” instead of “Quality Time” or “Words of Affirmation,” you were probably pretty shallow. So naturally, when I took the little quiz the book gives you, I scorned any answers that made it sound like I would prefer gifts to any other type of lovin’. I guess I cheated a little, because years later I have come to the conclusion that–alas–I am, in reality, a GIFTS PERSON…a hoarder of wrapping paper, a maker of handmade cards, and a pie-baking fool. Don’t judge me! I like hugs too. And I’ll love you if you mop my floors. I just generally find that I show love by giving physical things to my friends. And since I like to bake and cook, if I love you, chances are high that I’ll try to feed you.

(Side note: I think I’m turning into my Nana.)

Some of our best friends, Todd and Abby, were just out from New Jersey for a short visit. I made a pie. Truth be told, there are very few people that I love more than Todd and Abby (and their stinkin’ cute kids, Benjamin and Verity.) And I know Todd loves apple pie. Here’s the thing…I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I’m running out of berry pies. I’m kind of running out of apple pies too, and I think it’s because every time I see Todd these days, I make him an apple pie. This is his fifth one. Love language.

Happy birthday, Todd!

Liz Smothers’s Sugarless Apple-Berry Pie, eaten with vanilla ice cream so as to totally negate the sugarless part. For any readers who actually avoid sugar fo’ realz, I really enjoyed that this pie doesn’t use any artificial sweetener…it’s just the fruit with apple juice. No, it’s not super sweet, but I also wouldn’t taste it and think that there was something missing. I used blueberries, but I’m thinking raspberries might be even yummier.

And now, for my final trick, I will sneak into my post pictures of adorable children!