Posts in pie crust
caramel apple pie + whipped cream

i’ve been making apple pie longer than i’ve been making my own toast.

my earliest cooking memories are of making pies with my grandma evelyn for thanksgiving and christmas. we would always make two pies, ensuring that we had enough extra pie dough to sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake into “cinnamon rolls.”

and when it came time to finally eat my slice of pie, i would DROWN it in whipped cream. straight up drown it.

well, apple season is coming in hot, and why wait for a holiday to indulge? it occurred to me as i was prepping this apple pie for it’s photo shoot that the salted caramel i had left over from the weekend might just take this already awesome pie to the next level.

and now i’m over here with a fat grin on my face, patting myself on the back. because basically, there is no turning back now. caramel apple pie is here to stay.

caramel apple pie + whipped cream

serves: 10-12

prep time: 20 minutes

active time: 10 minutes

bake time: 1 hour

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 2 cups flour + a couple extra tbs for dusting the dough. .5 cup vegetable oil. .25 cup ice cold water. .25 tsp kosher salt. 6 large granny smith apples, peeled and sliced into wedges. .5 cup salted caramel. .75 cup sugar. 1 tbs cinnamon. .5 tsp nutmeg. 2 tbs cold butter. whipped cream for serving. plastic wrap. rolling pin. pie plate. baking sheet. wax paper, optional.

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start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees f. in a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, oil and water.

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us a spoon to combine until you get a shaggy loose dough.

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use your hands to gently knead the dough until it comes into a ball.

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slice the ball in half and form each half into a disk. wrap each in plastic wrap and pop them in the freezer.

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then, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg well in a bowl.

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pour all but 2 tbs of the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the apples and toss well. set the apples aside.

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now, if you have wax paper, i like to rip two large square pieces and roll out my pie dough in between the wax paper so that there is no sticking while i’m rolling and it gives me a rough guide for how big i need my dough. if you don’t have any wax paper, lightly dust the surface you are working and the top of your dough disk with flour before you roll out your dough. roll the dough into a large enough circle to cover the bottom of you pie plate.

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when your dough is rolled thin and in a large circle, set the pie plate in the center and flip the dough into the plate. clean up any edges that are missing dough by cutting of parts that have too much dough and roughly patching it together. this dough is MUCH flakier than a butter or shortening dough, so it will be a bit shaggy. that is TOTALLY FINE!

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fill your pie filling with all the apples. cut up your butter into six small pieces and spread them evenly around the apples. drizzle the caramel evenly over the apples.

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set the pie bottom aside and roll out the second dough disk. gently place your second dough round over the top of the apples. use any excess dough to patch up any holes or cracks and then use your fingers to crimp the edges of your pie or use a fork to press the edges of the pie all the way around. slice a couple slits in the center of your pie so the steam can escape. sprinkle the top of your pie with the remaining 2 tbs of cinnamon sugar mixture. place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any sugar drips and place in the oven. bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees f. then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees f for 45 minutes.

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remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool enough to serve. serve warm or at room temperature topped with a health helping of whipped cream. you can cover and reserve the pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and let me tell you it is delicious cold with a cup of coffee for breakfast. you are welcome.

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xo, a

caramel apple pie + whipped cream

serves: 10-12

prep time: 20 minutes

active time: 10 minutes

bake time: 1 hour

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 2 cups flour + a couple extra tbs for dusting the dough. .5 cup vegetable oil. .25 cup ice cold water. .25 tsp kosher salt. 6 large granny smith apples, peeled and sliced into wedges. .5 cup salted caramel. .75 cup sugar. 1 tbs cinnamon. .5 tsp nutmeg. 2 tbs cold butter. whipped cream for serving. plastic wrap. rolling pin. pie plate. baking sheet. wax paper, optional.

start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees f. in a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, oil and water. us a spoon to combine until you get a shaggy loose dough. use your hands to gently knead the dough until it comes into a ball. slice the ball in half and form each half into a disk. wrap each in plastic wrap and pop them in the freezer. then, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg well in a bowl. pour all but 2 tbs of the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the apples and toss well. set the apples aside. now, if you have wax paper, i like to rip two large square pieces and roll out my pie dough in between the wax paper so that there is no sticking while i’m rolling and it gives me a rough guide for how big i need my dough. if you don’t have any wax paper, lightly dust the surface you are working and the top of your dough disk with flour before you roll out your dough. roll the dough into a large enough circle to cover the bottom of you pie plate. when your dough is rolled thin and in a large circle, set the pie plate in the center and flip the dough into the plate. clean up any edges that are missing dough by cutting of parts that have too much dough and roughly patching it together. this dough is MUCH flakier than a butter or shortening dough, so it will be a bit shaggy. that is TOTALLY FINE! fill your pie filling with all the apples. cut up your butter into six small pieces and spread them evenly around the apples. drizzle the caramel evenly over the apples. set the pie bottom aside and roll out the second dough disk. gently place your second dough round over the top of the apples. use any excess dough to patch up any holes or cracks and then use your fingers to crimp the edges of your pie or use a fork to press the edges of the pie all the way around. slice a couple slits in the center of your pie so the steam can escape. sprinkle the top of your pie with the remaining 2 tbs of cinnamon sugar mixture. place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any sugar drips and place in the oven. bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees f. then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees f for 45 minutes. remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool enough to serve. serve warm or at room temperature topped with a health helping of whipped cream. you can cover and reserve the pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and let me tell you it is delicious cold with a cup of coffee for breakfast. you are welcome.

stone fruit galette

um... where is this year going? tomorrow is MARCH? how? 

this year is flying by and it is about to get crazier. somehow i managed to pick businesses that all get busy at the same time. now, i am not complaining. in fact, it feels amazing to see my calendar start to fill in after a solid year of struggle. but man, i need more hours in the day.

and easier, but equally delicious dishes to fit in when i have a moment. with ease and speed in mind, i've been cooking up some galettes with all the beautiful stone fruit popping up in stores. the beauty of a galette (basically a french, free formed cake) is that it requires few ingredients and is very easy to make. it's relative the pie takes additional time and precision. 

stone fruit galette serves: 8 prep time: 10 minutes bake time: 30-40 minutes total time: 50 minutes ingredients: 1.5 lbs stone fruit (i've used plums and pluots, but you could use your favorite or what you have on hand), sliced 1/2 inch thick. 1/3 cup sugar. 2 tbs corn starch. 1/2 tsp salt. 1 tsp blood orange (or other citrus juice). 1 tsp blood orange zest (or other citrus). 1 pie crust sheet (i used a store bought to save time). 1 egg, whisked. pastry brush. baking sheet. parchment paper. whipped cream or ice cream for serving.

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preheat your oven to 425 f. 

in a bowl, combine the stone fruit, sugar, corn starch, salt, zest and juice and stir well to combine.

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line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out your pie crust on the parchment. 

gently roll or press out your pie crust till it is in a rectangular shape and about 1/8 inch thick. 

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pour your stone fruit mixture into the center of the crust and spread it into an even layer leaving an inch or two of space from the fruit to the edges of the crust. 

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gently, fold the edges of your pie crust over the fruit working your way around the edge of the gallette until it is all tucked in. 

brush the crust with your whisked egg.

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bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. remove from the oven and
place the parchment and gallette on a cooling rack. 

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allow to cool a bit and serve warm or at room temp. 

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stone fruit galette
serves: 8
prep time: 10 minutes
bake time: 30-40 minutes
total time: 50 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 lbs stone fruit, sliced 1/2 inch thick. 1/3 cup sugar. 2 tbs corn starch. 1/2 tsp salt. 1 tsp blood orange (or other citrus juice). 1 tsp blood orange zest (or other citrus). 1 pie crust sheet (i used a store bought to save time). 1 egg, whisked. pastry brush. baking sheet. parchment paper. whipped cream or ice cream for serving.
reheat your oven to 425 f. in a bowl, combine the stone fruit, sugar, corn starch, salt, zest and juice and stir well to combine. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out your pie crust on the parchment. gently roll or press out your pie crust till it is in a rectangular shape and about 1/8 inch thick. pour your stone fruit mixture into the center of the crust and spread it into an even layer leaving an inch or two of space from the fruit to the edges of the crust. gently, fold the edges of your pie crust over the fruit working your way around the edge of the gallette until it is all tucked in. brush the crust with your whisked egg. bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. remove from the oven and place the parchment and gallette on a cooling rack. allow to cool a bit and serve warm or at room temp.