26 December 2010
Apple Pie Vindication
12/29/2010 05:04 PM Filed in: recipes
So after my epic apple pie fail (okay maybe it wasn’t epic) of Thanksgiving, I was determined to re-do my apple pie.
I knew the problem wasn’t with my recipe, but rather with the corn starch. So taking the same recipe I used before and being insanely heavy handed and totally disregarding presentation, I give you: Apple Pie Redux.
You know that saying that everything is bigger in Texas?
Think of this as a Texas pie.
Bigger chunks of apple, bigger crust, bigger portion of cinnamon
The whole picture:
A pie that holds together. Amazing.
Note: this had WAY too much cinnamon. Like...way. And this pie had it’s own share of problems (the crust was too thick, there may actually have been too much corn starch, the apple slices were too think) but it was delicious. So stick with that original recipe, make sure you’re using good corn starch and all will be well.
By the way, apparently this month contains National Pie Week, January 23rd to the 29th. Do you like pie? Baking pie? What’s your favorite?
I knew the problem wasn’t with my recipe, but rather with the corn starch. So taking the same recipe I used before and being insanely heavy handed and totally disregarding presentation, I give you: Apple Pie Redux.
You know that saying that everything is bigger in Texas?
Think of this as a Texas pie.
Bigger chunks of apple, bigger crust, bigger portion of cinnamon
The whole picture:
A pie that holds together. Amazing.
Note: this had WAY too much cinnamon. Like...way. And this pie had it’s own share of problems (the crust was too thick, there may actually have been too much corn starch, the apple slices were too think) but it was delicious. So stick with that original recipe, make sure you’re using good corn starch and all will be well.
By the way, apparently this month contains National Pie Week, January 23rd to the 29th. Do you like pie? Baking pie? What’s your favorite?
Comments
Le Pain de Singe/El Pan de Mono
12/26/2010 08:06 AM Filed in: recipes
Growing up, virtually every Christmas in my recollection revolved around the same traditions. I love traditions, they define holidays for me. You can add new ones to an existing set, but a total change is...uncomfortable for me. The last several Christmases have each been completely different. One year my extended family is all together, the next it’s just my immediate family and one set of aunts and uncles. It’s been crazy.
The one element of Christmas that has remained consistent is monkey bread (or pain de singe. Choose your language!) Monkey bread is dead easy, requires very little and has come to be essentially Christmas. I’ve made monkey bread for Christmases in West Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Virginia, for family Christmases and boyfriend’s family’s Christmases. It’s a universal crowd pleaser.
Take sugar and cinnamon. At least a half cup of white sugar and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon
Enough cinnamon that you get to this shade of brown
Take four cans of Pillsbury biscuits and quarter each. I recommend the flaky style, but any will work.
Grease a bundt!
And roll each piece of biscuit in the cinnamon sugar mix until it is coated
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan across the kitchen...melt a stick of butter, one half cup white sugar and one half cup brown sugar.
Continue with the biscuits until the bundt is nearly full. Take care not to overfill as they will rise somewhat in baking.
Whisk the butter sugar mixture and continue melting until it’s consistent and creamy
Pour over the bundt
Take a picture, including my mother’s hand
Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes. I could have loosely foiled this, but I didn’t. And there are delightly carmelized/burnt pieces to show for it.
Nomnomnom
Take the platter you want to serve on and place it, top side down, on top of the bundt
Related: probably a good idea to bake inside a roaster, as there will be drippage.
Using oven mitts, hold the platter and bundt together and...flip!!
Beautiful
This is why it’s an annual treat:
This is all that was left after about 10 minutes. Impressive.
What’s essential for your Christmas?
The one element of Christmas that has remained consistent is monkey bread (or pain de singe. Choose your language!) Monkey bread is dead easy, requires very little and has come to be essentially Christmas. I’ve made monkey bread for Christmases in West Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Virginia, for family Christmases and boyfriend’s family’s Christmases. It’s a universal crowd pleaser.
Take sugar and cinnamon. At least a half cup of white sugar and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon
Enough cinnamon that you get to this shade of brown
Take four cans of Pillsbury biscuits and quarter each. I recommend the flaky style, but any will work.
Grease a bundt!
And roll each piece of biscuit in the cinnamon sugar mix until it is coated
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan across the kitchen...melt a stick of butter, one half cup white sugar and one half cup brown sugar.
Continue with the biscuits until the bundt is nearly full. Take care not to overfill as they will rise somewhat in baking.
Whisk the butter sugar mixture and continue melting until it’s consistent and creamy
Pour over the bundt
Take a picture, including my mother’s hand
Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes. I could have loosely foiled this, but I didn’t. And there are delightly carmelized/burnt pieces to show for it.
Nomnomnom
Take the platter you want to serve on and place it, top side down, on top of the bundt
Related: probably a good idea to bake inside a roaster, as there will be drippage.
Using oven mitts, hold the platter and bundt together and...flip!!
Beautiful
This is why it’s an annual treat:
This is all that was left after about 10 minutes. Impressive.
What’s essential for your Christmas?
