Posts in treats
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.

strawberry rhubarb cake

so. i have been pretty mia when it comes to writing. that doesn't mean i haven't been cooking up a storm, it just means i don't have a free freaking second to even THINK about taking photos of food. now, the cooking constantly part feels great! it's literally my dreams come true. 

but. come on, you knew there was a but. 

but. i am craving those freer days when i could spend an hour playing with where on my butcher block the butter would go. what i wouldn't give to have a day to spend using up hours of morning light to style the perfect food shot. 

today, i carved out an hour and a half in my schedule to a little food play. thursday, we are beginning production on the twenty-nineteen cake calendar and i need to get back in the groove. for seasonal purposes, we are shooting may and june this week while i still have a the last of the seasons rhubarb to work with. 

for two years i have been trying to get some time to play with rhubarb. of course, the second they start to hit the shelves, i become swamped with work. but not today folks, not today. i got lucky with some beautiful late season beautifies and some very delicious strawberries and it was completely worth the wait. 

strawberry rhubarb cake

serves: 9 inch cake

prep time: 15 minutes

bake time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 1.5 cup chopped rhubarb. .5 cup chopped strawberries. 1.5 cup demerara sugar, divided (you can sub granulated sugar if you can't get your hands on demerara). .5  cup butter + 1 tbs. 2 cups all purpose flour. 4 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp kosher salt. 2 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .75 greek yogurt. .25 cup whole milk. parchment paper. 9 inch cake pan. 

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start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees f. in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set it aside. in a second bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries and .5 cup of the sugar and set it aside.

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in a third bowl, combine the milk and greek yogurt and set it aside. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and remaining sugar and mix on medium high speed until fluffy.

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add in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl in between. pour in the vanilla extract.

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start to add your wet and dry ingredients alternating, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

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when your batter is just combined, add in the rhubarb and strawberries and mix until just combined. lightly butter the sides of the your cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

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pour in the batter and bake your cake for 40-45 minutes. just until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean.

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cool till you can handle and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. 

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xo, a

strawberry rhubarb cake

serves: 9 inch cake

prep time: 15 minutes

bake time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 1.5 cup chopped rhubarb. .5 cup chopped strawberries. 1.5 cup demerara sugar, divided (you can sub granulated sugar if you can't get your hands on demerara). .5  cup butter + 1 tbs. 2 cups all purpose flour. 4 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp kosher salt. 2 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .75 greek yogurt. .25 cup whole milk. parchment paper. 9 inch cake pan. 

start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees f. in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set it aside. in a second bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries and .5 cup of the sugar and set it aside. in a third bowl, combine the milk and greek yogurt and set it aside. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and remaining sugar and mix on medium high speed until fluffy. add in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl in between. pour in the vanilla extract. start to add your wet and dry ingredients alternating, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. when your batter is just combined, add in the rhubarb and strawberries and mix until just combined. lightly butter the sides of the your cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. pour in the batter and bake your cake for 40-45 minutes. just until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. cool till you can handle and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.