My First Pie: Part Deux

So the pie is in the oven and here's how we did it:

I cut up 5 apples: 3 granny smith and 2 fjui (each apple cut into 12 pieces), and a quart of strawberries (each cut in half). To that I added:

zest from one orange
2/3 C Sugar
1/4 AP Flour
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Mix up that mixture and then toss the fruit in it and set aside.
Then take your pie doughs out of the fridge and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Put a little whole wheat flour on your counter and dust your rolling pin and your work space. Using the weight of the rolling pin roll from the center out moving your dough clockwise until it is big enough to cover the bottom of your pie plate with plenty of room for the sides and the crimping around the edges. This lady on youtube does a good demo. Roll the dough over your rolling pin and use it to get it on the pie plate. Make sure that it's slightly pressed into the bottom corners and use egg whites to glue any pieces that fell off. Throw that baby back in the fridge and roll out your top using the same method- or make a crumble for the top and save that other half of dough for another pie with a crumble top. Once your top is rolled take the bottom from the fridge and pour in the fruit. Make sure that you don't have a mountain of fruit- make it kind of level or it will never cook all the way through. Using the rolling pin again roll the top layer onto the pie and crimp the edges. Here's a demo on crimping. Then, I scored the top to get 9 slices so it will be easier to cut later. I also cut 2 little holes in each top to let the steam out. Then it went in the oven at 450 for 10 minutes and then I reduced the heat to 350 for 35 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the apples are tender but still have a bite to them.

Let cool then cut or your fruit will not be set and will run everywhere.

My First Pie

Today I am attempting my first pie. I just made the dough and it is chilling in the fridge. Her is the recipe I used- it's a combo of some stuff I found on the interweb and my mom's pie recipe.

Ingredients:

2 Sticks Butter

1/3 C Ice Cold Water
2 Egg Yolks
3 Tbsp White Vinegar or Lemon Juice

3 1/2 C AP Flour
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Sugar

Method:

Cut the butter into 1/2 squares and throw then back in the fridge/ freezer to keep cold. Then measure the water and break the yolks right into the measuring cup and add the vinegar in there too- save yourself some dishes. Put the wet in the freezer to keep cold until you're ready to use it. Then SIFT the flour into the bowl of your stand mixer and throw in the salt and sugar. Mix it real quick just so the dry is combined. Then throw in your butter and mix for a few minutes (flour might get all over you)- until the butter has broken into pea-sized pieces and flour has turned a little yellow. Don't over mix!! Then take the wet out of the freezer and add to the mixer on low. Mix and stop and mix and stop for like 20 sec intervals until it has juuuuuust come together. We had to add about 2 Tbsp more cold water to get it to come together. For real though, don't over mix this. It has to just come together when you squeeze it with your fingers. Once combined- dump the dough onto saran wrap and divide it into two discs- don't handle it too much or you'll melt it damnit. If you're going to bake today, throw the discs into the fridge for 1/2 hour. If you're going to bake at a later date throw them in the freezer and they will last indefinitely.

Next post after I get back from the gym: the filling (strawberry and apples), rolling out the dough, and baking.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are super easy and come out looking beautiful. They are quite rich because of the peanut butter but they answer the call if you are looking for a satisfying treat. The original recipe can be found at Katherine Martinelli.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8-9 ounces dark chocolate chips

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking sheet.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-sized bowl.
Put the butter and sugars in a separate large bowl and beat until smooth and light in color (can be done by hand or with a stand mixer).
Add the peanut butter and mix to combine.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix to combine. Stir in the vanilla.
Slowly add the flour mixture in thirds until fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Using a spoon, scoop cookie dough into small balls and put on the prepared sheet (formed cookie dough can be frozen at this point – line a baking sheet with parchment, line up the cookie dough balls, and freeze until set. Then transfer to freezer bags. To enjoy simply transfer directly to preheated oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes).
Transfer cookies to the oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until set but still soft.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Photo Credit: Katherine Martinelli

Natalie's Killer Kitchen- Grammy's Yum Yums

Big props to Natalie of Natalie's Killer Kitchen (I love your blog) for these bars. I made the mistake of cutting these while they were still warm so they gooed all over the counter, but eventually they set up nicely. You can sub any other kind of nut you want- I think I used slivered almonds.

yield: 12 bars

1 1/4 cup AP Flour
4 TBS Brown Sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) Butter, melted
2 Eggs
1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Pecans

prepare a 10 x 10 baking pan
preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Mix first three ingredients in a bowl with your hands. Press evenly into prepared pan and reserve 1/2 cup of the dough for topping.
2. Whisk eggs, brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and frothy. Should be light in color. Add pecans and stir to mix.
3. Pour mixture over unbaked crust. Sprinkle with remaining crust.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes (30 only if your oven is known to be a slow baker). Cool all the way before cutting into squares.

Photo Credit: Natalie's Killer Kitchen

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

My mom and I made these from Natalie's Killer Kitchen for my mom's school. When we made the crust we doubled the crumble part of the recipe to cover the top of the bars- the original recipe didn't make enough to cover the top. But when we baked them the filling absorbed all of the top crumb so next time we will try to stick the original recipe and let the top be a little naked.

Crust

1 cup AP Flour
1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
6 TBS Butter, melted
3 TBS Orange Juice

Filling

1 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
3/4 cup Sour Cream (I used light)
1/2 cup Sugar
3 TBS AP Flour
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Orange Zest
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, in a large bowl and combine with a spoon until clump free and evenly mixed. Add the butter and orange juice and mix with a spoon until fully combined. Press half of the crust mixture into a prepared 11×7 inch baking dish.
2. In a separate bowl add the cranberries, sour cream, sugar, flour, orange zest and egg. Mix until fully combined. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake for 40 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cool completely before cutting.

Photo Credit: Natalie's Killer Kitchen

Chocolate Cranberry Press-In Shortbread

So I like everything to be very easy. Martha Stewart does not. In this recipe she cuts all of these shapes out of this shortbread and essentially wastes all of the scraps- waster!! This is essentially a one-bowl recipe- which I love- and there's not chilling involved- so get it in the oven for instant gratification. I added chocolate chips and cut the whole pan into bite-sized squares. So make hearts if you want or make life simpler and go with the squares.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries or cherries

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees.with a rack in center. Combine butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until combined but not too creamy. Stir in dried cranberries.
Pat dough evenly into an 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Place pan on cooling rack until cool enough to touch, about 20 minutes. Run knife around edges, remove shortbread, and transfer, right side up, to work surface. Use 1 1/2- to 2-inch heart cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Use a paring knife to trim stray bits of cranberry from edges. Cookies will keep for 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

Photo Credit: Martha Stewart

Baked Fish With Veggies

I do not cook. I mean I literally only make chicken, turkey burgers and vegetables. So I branched out a little and made some fish. This recipe by Giada De Laurentas of all people is really easy and you can use any kind of fish- I think I used trout. And I also discovered how good roasted peppers and snap peas are together.

Ingredients

1 lemon, zested
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas, stemmed
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 (4-ounce) trout fillets, skinned (or other fish about 1/2-inch thick)
8 thin slices lemon
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl mix together the lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Lay out the 4 sheets of aluminum foil. Place 1/4 of the sugar snap peas, 1/4 of the yellow bell peppers, and 1/4 of the orange bell peppers on each sheet of foil. Over each pile of vegetables drizzle 2 tablespoons of white wine, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and gently toss.

Top each pile of seasoned vegetables with a piece of fish. Sprinkle the fish with some of the reserved lemon zest mixture. Top each fish with 2 slices of lemon.

Fold up the foil into an air-tight packet. Place the foil packets in the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Sprinkle the fish with mint just before serving.

Photo Credit: Giada De Laurentis

Orange Hazelnut Olive Oil Cookies

I made these cookies for my friend Maya who is gluten free, using the bulk gluten-free flour at my local cooperative market. She loved them so much she told me I should start selling them on Etsy, which I tried to do for about a week and then gave up.

Anyway, I made this recipe with ground almonds, once with walnuts, and with carob chips- she is also allergic to milk. Basically it's a really versatile recipe and heart healthy because of the olive oil. I found the recipe on Fine Cooking's website.

Yields about 6 dozen cookies.

2 cups toasted and skinned hazelnuts
10 oz. (2-1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. table salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 2 medium oranges (about 1-1/2 packed Tbs.)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Tip:
For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you don’t have a scale, use a measuring cup meant for dry ingredients, not liquids, and don’t scoop the cup into the flour. Instead, stir the flour to aerate it, spoon it lightly into the cup without packing, and sweep the cup level with a straight edge. Learn why it matters.

Finely grind the hazelnuts in a food processor. In a medium bowl, whisk the hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, and salt to blend. With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, zest, and vanilla on low speed until the sugar is moistened, about 15 seconds. Increase the speed to high and mix until well combined, about 15 seconds more (the sugar will not be dissolved at this point). Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough has just pulled together, 30 to 60 seconds.

Divide the dough in half. Pile one half of the dough onto a piece of parchment. Using the parchment to help shape the dough, form it into a log 11 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the parchment around the log and twist the ends to secure. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line four cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners.

Unwrap one log of dough at a time and cut the dough into 1/4-inch slices; set them 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. Bake two sheets at a time until light golden on the bottoms and around the edges, about 10 minutes, rotating and swapping the sheets halfway through for even baking. Let cool completely on racks. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Photo Credit: Fine Cooking

Awwwww...

I just found this picture of my mom and grandma baking!! They are so cute. When we go visit, my grandma has usually made a box of betty crocker cookies for us to nibble on. Such a sweet lady.

Olive Oil Shortbread Cookies

For some reason I got really into olive oil cookies for about week. Whole Food's 365 EVOO is the cheapest around- and when I was working there I got a discount on top of it. This recipe is insane it's so simple and easy. And while you don't get that buttery shortbread taste, they are really good all the same, and it makes a ton of little cookies, enough to share- or not. I just realized they are also vegan, nice.

I actually added vanilla and cardamom to mine because I thought they were sooo simple. THey would probably be good with any spice- like cinnamon, and a ground nut- like an almond or something. I found the recipe at Wendy Paul Creations.

1 cup extra virgin light olive oil
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups flour

Mix together all ingredients until dough forms a ball. On a piece of parchment paper, place dough and shape into a log, sealing all edges (like a piece of candy). Refrigerate 1 hour until firm. Unwrap dough and cut into 1/3" slices, baking at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cookies stand on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack until cooled completely. Happy Baking!