My Personal House of Pies Part I
I took a much needed break after the endless parties through August and September - I am just so popular it is exhausting -from baking. There was so much build-up, craziness, and anxiety surrounding those events that I decided I should step away from the Kitchen Aid for a while. My own personal intervention if you will. It helped that I had a gig and some classes to keep me busy, out of town, and away from the oven. It took two weeks for the urge to bake to return and when it did, it was full on Stephen Segal style - with a vengeance.
All of a sudden I had the need to make delicious fall delights. You know, apple pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, apple cake... The list could go on and on and on. I think what sent me into a frenzy about baking was the idea of going apple picking and what fun I could have with all of those apples I picked. The possibilities were endless. The sad fact was since all of these events and the gig ate up most of my fall I had one weekend to get it all in: apple picking, apple pie baking, and pumpkin carving. Man oh man. Kate suggested we go apple picking - since it was the only thing I had been talking about for 2 months. We made the early and convoluted plans that would get me to the apple promise land and then it happened: RAIN. Yep. That Saturday was a total wash - according to Chris Cimino. No apples for me.
Well Kate, undaunted, suggested we do "apple picking" at her house and invited me to come over to bake and eat and play games. I said sure why not and so it began. Before I left my house I decided I wanted to try a new pumpkin custard recipe that I saw a couple days earlier. It is Gluten free and sugar free and sounded absolutely delightful. I read the directions and although it said not to use canned pumpkin and use roasted pumpkin I said rules be damned and raged against gluten guru Elena's recipe. I thought that if I cooked the pumpkin for a little prior to putting the mixture in the food processor it would dry it out. NOT THE CASE. It got more gooey and watery. Oops. I was running late - shocker - to meet Kate so I through it all in; the agar, agar, the agave nectar, the cashews, the water, the watery pumpkin and I crossed my fingers. The plan for this custard was to be in the center of some gluten-free, sugar-free choux I wanted to make.
Kate and I met up and we bought 3 pumpkins, a whole host of ingredients, and set off to the apple sale at Manhattan Plaza. Kate and I were just supposed to get a half a peck of macouns - my favs - but then Kate went crazy. She got apple cider, she got apple cider donuts (Boston style spelling) she was so excited to see a little bit of fall in the city I think she would have taking the whole stand, but we had too much to carry as it was.
When we got to Kate's, I immediately started on the pie crust a la Better Homes and Gardens cook book. It really is the best crust recipe I have tried. Since Kate's kitchen is not fully equipped with all the baking accoutrements I was making pie crust Carolyn Ingalls style. I felt like I was living in a prairie house. Look at me the early settler...
When I was done mixing my pie crust with my hands I placed it in the fridge and I moved onto the choux. As I was making it I was like how in the hell is this going to rise to be puff pastry if there is no leavener (is that even a word) in it? This isn't a glue like consistency like the recipe says! Hmmm, VERY suspect. There was so much butter in this recipe I thought my arteries were clogging while I was stirring it. No joke. I piped the batter onto the cookie sheets and sheepishly placed them in the oven. I check on the custard that was not setting up - drat that canned pumpkin - and place it in the freezer. Now I am known in these parts for being a superior baker. It would have been very embarrassing to have not one, but two recipes fall flat.
A little dejected I turned to the apples to lead me out of this failed day of baking in a foreign kitchen and new recipes. Apples, sugar, butter, lemon juice, and salt. Does it get any easier? Mixy, mixy and done. Delightful. When I took the pie crust out of the refrigerator and floured the surface I was ready to roll - literally and figuratively- but then I realized that Kate doesn't have a rolling pin. I thought, what would Caroline Ingalls do? I rummaged a little and found a beer stein and rolled out the dough. The pie looked delightful. I mean absolutely wonderful. The last apple pie I made looked and smelled delicious, but tasted like absolute dirt. Could be the same? Could pie be my biggest baking shortfall?
Pre-bake Apple Pie. Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Let's hope this time that is not true.
While we anxiously awaited the final pie product we carved pumpkins. I was really intense in my pumpkin carving - or so I am told - and made a Frankenstein pumpkin creatively named Frankie. After about an hour the pumpkin was done and so was my pie. It smelled delightful, but the true test was the taste test.
Frankie my Jack 0' lantern. He is pretty righteous.
We waited a 20 minutes and then cut into that sucker. It was a little watery, but lawd was it good. The crust was flaky and rich, the apples were sweet, but not too sweet and a little tart - just the way I like them. It was a true pie TRIUMPH. I mean I think the House of Pies in LA would carry this pie that is how good it was.
I am going to DC to visit Liza in a couple of weeks and think in her apple pie I will add some vanilla bean. I think that will impart a kind of richness I can get behind. Yay! I made a delicious pie!
All of a sudden I had the need to make delicious fall delights. You know, apple pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, apple cake... The list could go on and on and on. I think what sent me into a frenzy about baking was the idea of going apple picking and what fun I could have with all of those apples I picked. The possibilities were endless. The sad fact was since all of these events and the gig ate up most of my fall I had one weekend to get it all in: apple picking, apple pie baking, and pumpkin carving. Man oh man. Kate suggested we go apple picking - since it was the only thing I had been talking about for 2 months. We made the early and convoluted plans that would get me to the apple promise land and then it happened: RAIN. Yep. That Saturday was a total wash - according to Chris Cimino. No apples for me.
Well Kate, undaunted, suggested we do "apple picking" at her house and invited me to come over to bake and eat and play games. I said sure why not and so it began. Before I left my house I decided I wanted to try a new pumpkin custard recipe that I saw a couple days earlier. It is Gluten free and sugar free and sounded absolutely delightful. I read the directions and although it said not to use canned pumpkin and use roasted pumpkin I said rules be damned and raged against gluten guru Elena's recipe. I thought that if I cooked the pumpkin for a little prior to putting the mixture in the food processor it would dry it out. NOT THE CASE. It got more gooey and watery. Oops. I was running late - shocker - to meet Kate so I through it all in; the agar, agar, the agave nectar, the cashews, the water, the watery pumpkin and I crossed my fingers. The plan for this custard was to be in the center of some gluten-free, sugar-free choux I wanted to make.
Kate and I met up and we bought 3 pumpkins, a whole host of ingredients, and set off to the apple sale at Manhattan Plaza. Kate and I were just supposed to get a half a peck of macouns - my favs - but then Kate went crazy. She got apple cider, she got apple cider donuts (Boston style spelling) she was so excited to see a little bit of fall in the city I think she would have taking the whole stand, but we had too much to carry as it was.
When we got to Kate's, I immediately started on the pie crust a la Better Homes and Gardens cook book. It really is the best crust recipe I have tried. Since Kate's kitchen is not fully equipped with all the baking accoutrements I was making pie crust Carolyn Ingalls style. I felt like I was living in a prairie house. Look at me the early settler...
When I was done mixing my pie crust with my hands I placed it in the fridge and I moved onto the choux. As I was making it I was like how in the hell is this going to rise to be puff pastry if there is no leavener (is that even a word) in it? This isn't a glue like consistency like the recipe says! Hmmm, VERY suspect. There was so much butter in this recipe I thought my arteries were clogging while I was stirring it. No joke. I piped the batter onto the cookie sheets and sheepishly placed them in the oven. I check on the custard that was not setting up - drat that canned pumpkin - and place it in the freezer. Now I am known in these parts for being a superior baker. It would have been very embarrassing to have not one, but two recipes fall flat.
A little dejected I turned to the apples to lead me out of this failed day of baking in a foreign kitchen and new recipes. Apples, sugar, butter, lemon juice, and salt. Does it get any easier? Mixy, mixy and done. Delightful. When I took the pie crust out of the refrigerator and floured the surface I was ready to roll - literally and figuratively- but then I realized that Kate doesn't have a rolling pin. I thought, what would Caroline Ingalls do? I rummaged a little and found a beer stein and rolled out the dough. The pie looked delightful. I mean absolutely wonderful. The last apple pie I made looked and smelled delicious, but tasted like absolute dirt. Could be the same? Could pie be my biggest baking shortfall?
Pre-bake Apple Pie. Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Let's hope this time that is not true.While we anxiously awaited the final pie product we carved pumpkins. I was really intense in my pumpkin carving - or so I am told - and made a Frankenstein pumpkin creatively named Frankie. After about an hour the pumpkin was done and so was my pie. It smelled delightful, but the true test was the taste test.
Frankie my Jack 0' lantern. He is pretty righteous.We waited a 20 minutes and then cut into that sucker. It was a little watery, but lawd was it good. The crust was flaky and rich, the apples were sweet, but not too sweet and a little tart - just the way I like them. It was a true pie TRIUMPH. I mean I think the House of Pies in LA would carry this pie that is how good it was.
Delightful, delightful pie! I have conquered my pie demons! WooHoo!
I am going to DC to visit Liza in a couple of weeks and think in her apple pie I will add some vanilla bean. I think that will impart a kind of richness I can get behind. Yay! I made a delicious pie!
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