Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

Question. What dessert pairs perfectly with an exotic Asian meal like sesame-coated tuna with wasabi-ponzu sauce? Good ‘ol fashioned American apple pie. Nothing like a slice of normal to balance out a daring dish like that.

The closest thing to “exotic” in this pie was the caramel, which I found particularly intriguing. I love caramel-dipped apples, and how perfect would it be to have that great county fair flavor, plus a buttery crust, and none of that nonsense skin that ends up wedged between your teeth? And online reviewers simply praised the pie, so I thought it was definitely worth a shot. (Although, those reviewers failed to mention all the effort and time that was about to be sacrificed on my behalf. Whatever happened to “easy as pie”?)

I must admit that I was a little nervous at the thought of attempting anything close to the peach cobbler, the first dessert of my project. Even though the final result came out good, my clumsy measuring, recipe instruction rebellion and a plastic-wrap fight to the death brought on a little beginner’s dough-making breakdown. But all things get better with time, so I was ready for round two with my rolling pin. Lace up my oven mitts and send me in the ring.

After a few deep breaths and a little Christmas music therapy, I started on the dough. I was scared. Nervous. And unarmed. Seems I forgot to put a dough blender on my registry. So instead, I was forced to use two knives to cut the butter and shortening into the flour. But I was getting nowhere. In the end, it took alternating between cutting with knives and smashing with a fork for much longer than I expected, but I finished victoriously.

 

 

I moved the dough carefully to the table and placed it on top of wax paper. Yes, the recipe actually calls for that clingy stuff from hell, but like I said, I’ve learned that it must be avoided at all costs for the sake of my sanity. (The wax paper works better, by the way.) I’ve also learned that when a recipe says, “do not form into a ball,” you shouldn’t. No matter how much your inner Play Doh-loving child wants to. So I followed the instructions to the tee and rolled out a perfect 12-inch circle, and proudly draped it in the freezer to chill. When it was ready, I placed it into a pie plate with a little foil on the bottom, filled it with poor-man’s pie weights, and baked it.

 

 

 

As I started on the apples and stumbled upon an epiphany. I seriously need an automatic slicer. Not only did I nearly slice more than just the apples, it took quite some time to turn each already small apple wedge into four thin slices. And wasted time is not my friend when I’m baking late at night.

 

 

 

When I was finally done slicing, I sprinkled the apples with cinnamon and sugar and poured the mixture into a pan to cook. I’ve never heard of sautéing apples for a pie, and I’m sure my grandma would be opposed to this “highfalutin” step. But I wasn’t about to argue with the recipe. By the time the kitchen was filled with an apple-cinnamon scent no candle could ever imitate, they were done. I added a little flour and lemon juice and spooned it into the crust.

 

 

 

 

Next was the topping. No dough blender, again, so I was cutting and smashing butter, brown sugar and flour the best I could with cutlery until I had the perfect consistency. Then I lovingly drenched the pie with caramel (definitely the best part), topped it with the streusel, and baked.

 

 

 

 

I tell you, nothing beats the aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven on a cold winter evening. And when I pulled it out of the oven, I felt as though I was pulling it straight out of the 50’s. I’m sure the frilly red Christmas apron I was donning may have had something to do with that, too.

And the pie was pretty delicious. Maybe the first bite wasn’t as amazing as I had anticipated, but with such fantastic reviews and so much surrendered time, I think my expectations may have been a bit unrealistic. I was envisioning a Bree Vandacamp award winning pie. But it was sweet and tart, the crust was perfect, and it just got better and better with each passing day as the flavors melded together in the fridge.

We tried it two ways. Usually my favorite way to eat pie is warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which in this case meant lots of melty caramel. But there’s almost too much caramel in this pie to be heated up like that. Once it leaves the microwave and gets weighed down by the ice cream, you literally have just seconds before it’s apple stew. Thankfully my quick fingers allowed me to snap these photos before it collapsed.

 

Looks and messiness aside, it was still good. But surprisingly, Luke and I both liked it best cold. There’s just something about this pie that tastes best when its all gelled together and chilled. The flavors come through more and the crust stays crunchier.

Well, it was a long process. My arms and feet were killing me when I was done. But you know what? It turned out to be the best pie I ever made. Even if it is...the only pie I ever made.

Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Cookbook Note: In this variation on the classic apple pie, caramel syrup is drizzled over the apples then topped with a crunchy streusel.

Ingredients

Crust:
1  cup  all-purpose flour
1/8  teaspoon  salt
2  tablespoons  chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
2  tablespoons  vegetable shortening
3  tablespoons  plus 1/2 teaspoon ice water
1  teaspoon  cider vinegar
Butter-flavored cooking spray
  
Filling:
1  tablespoon  butter or stick margarine
1/2  cup  packed brown sugar
3/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
9  cups  sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 3/4 pounds)
3  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
2  teaspoons  lemon juice

Topping:
1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
1/4  cup  packed brown sugar
2  tablespoons  chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
1/4  cup  fat-free caramel sundae syrup

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1-cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1-cup flour and salt in a bowl; cut in 2-tablespoons butter and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle surface with ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time; add vinegar. Toss with a fork until moist and crumbly (do not form a ball).

Press mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, to a 12-inch circle. Freeze 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Fold edges under; flute. Line bottom of dough with a piece of foil; arrange pie weights (or dried beans) on foil. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until the edge is lightly browned. Remove pie weights and foil; cool on a wire rack.

To prepare filling, melt 1-tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2-cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Add sugar mixture and apples to skillet; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 3 tablespoons flour and lemon juice. Spoon into prepared crust.

To prepare topping, lightly spoon 1/4-cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 1/4-cup brown sugar in a bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Drizzle syrup over apple mixture; sprinkle topping over syrup. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 277 (27% from fat), Fat: 8.4g (sat 4.2g,mono 2.4g,poly 1g), Protein: 2.1g, Carbohydrate: 50.1g, Fiber: 2.4g, Cholesterol: 16mg
Iron: 1.3mg, Sodium: 109mg, Calcium: 33mg

Source: Cooking Light, November 1999

Lots of food. Not so much cooking.

For most, Thanksgiving was all about persistent oven peaking, the endless quest for perfect, lump-free gravy, and hours upon hours of mashing, baking, basting stuffing, and carving.  But for me, it was mostly about eating. (Well, and a little shopping.)

The hubby and I headed to my hometown – the small yet charming La Porte, Indiana – for Turkey Day. And while we had no wifi, barely any TV channels, and there wasn’t a Target in sight, we were perfectly content cozied up on Grandma’s couch with a plate of cookies. Good food and good company go a long way.

I originally planned on cooking a big, blog-worthy meal and dessert for my grandma while we were there, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. As always, she’d spent the days before our arrival baking like a mad woman, so we were welcomed with a kitchen chock full of her famous pumpkin and apple pies, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies and homemade bread.

Just the thought of dismissing all her hard work to bake my own treat seemed a little rude. And even if I wanted to continue stuffing myself after the Thanksgiving feast, her pantry wasn’t quite stocked with the necessities I’m used to. (She buys flour by the 25-pound bag, but there wasn’t a bottle of olive oil or a head of garlic to be found.)

So I kicked up my feet, got caught up on a few weeks of posts I’d been meaning write, and indulged in some good ‘ol fashioned time with Grandma. It was so nice to just get away from everything. Especially that annoying, twitch-inducing sound Entourage makes when I get an e-mail from work.

And our four-day weekend was great. From turkey and sweet potato overload and endless rounds of Euchre, to Black Friday shopping at one. in. the. morning. Yep. It’s tradition around there to hit up the local outlet mall. Unfortunately, it’s also tradition to wait in line for 30 minutes to get into each store. Then again to try on clothes. And again to pay.

But not for me. I zipped past all those freezing cold crazies in line for the Gap, and instead popped into Corningware Corelle Revere, Chef’s Outlet, and Le Gourmet Chef, which were peaceful sanctuaries from the madness in the rest of the mall. And I walked out as happy as a bird with a French fry. Sure, I was exhausted and cold, but I was toting a cherry red Crockpot, a pastry brush (finally!), a beautiful pair of candle holders and a set of mini ramekins. Score for the savvy shopper!

I hope your Thanksgiving was just as fabulous. Although I have no recipe to share, I will make it up. Maybe do double one week. But I was thankful for the break and the chance to catch up. Of course, I’m also thankful for my friends and family, especially my husband, and all the readers who inspire me to continue cooking and writing. I’m already in my third month!

Oh, and I’m also thankful for this awesome antique store find I stumbled upon during our trip.  “Cooking Magic”, a book made up of 12 cookbooks from the 50’s. There’s a section called “cooking with sour cream and buttermilk.” I think I'm in love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After flipping through this book, I really couldn’t wait to get back into the kitchen. And soon you'll see the crazy concoction I cooked up just yesterday. I guess now that I'm totally caught up on posts, I just have to somehow find time to keep it up!

And the cherry on top? My first Cooking Light magazine was sitting on my doorstep when we returned. Just look at all those cookies. Double holiday issue, I really hope you do not double my waistline.

By the way, anyone make anything spectacular for Thanksgiving?

Spinach-And-Artichoke Dip & Stuffed Mushrooms

Christmas was in the air at the Sokolewicz residence as my favorite holiday tradition, trimming the tree, drew near. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed. Perhaps it was the glow of twinkling lights and boxes of shiny heirloom ornaments. Or the spicy cinnamon and pine that mingled with sounds of sleigh bells and Bing’s beguiling voice. Or maybe, and most likely, it was the fact that I could scarf down endless amounts of sugar cookies, fudge and eggnog without even the slightest worry of an expanding wasteline.

Needless to say, I’ve been anxiously waiting to put up our tree since the day I spotted it at a little country store in Romeo, Michigan. Tall. Skinny. Imperfect branches laced with twigs and pine cones. It looked like it was plucked right out of a picture. My mom noticed my giddiness and before I knew it, the tree was transformed from a gorgeous display into our first housewarming gift, along with some of the daintiest icicle ornaments I’ve ever seen.

I think I begged Luke to let me put it up at least a dozen times since we brought it home, which was back in September. The sooner the better if you ask me. And because this marks the first Christmas season for Luke and me in our own home with our own tree and our own annoying tangled up lights, it was definitely worth a fancy fuss. I wanted lots of decorations. Lots of music. And definitely lots of food. Even if there were only two people on the guest list.

So I grabbed my cookbooks and flipped past steaks, roasts, and other holiday dishes that looked more like centerpieces than food, until I realized that a big, extravagant meal just wasn’t in the cards. I thought back to all the Christmas Eves spent with my family around heaping plates of coconut shrimp, fried mozzarella and spanakopita, and I knew it was just the walk down memory lane needed to make the night perfect. So I set out to make my very own finger food feast, featuring spinach-and-artichoke dip, stuffed mushrooms, and a hot chocolate fudge cake that was sure to send all those big chain restaurants running for their tip trays.

My original thought was to mix everything up on Saturday so I could simply pop it all in the oven Sunday night when the festivities began. But with a craft fair and film fest in town, we were helplessly exhausted come Saturday night, and Sunday was inevitably pegged as cook-clean-decorate-last-minute-headlines-for-work-night.

Ah, the joys of working in advertising. Why stop on Friday when the fun can go straight through the weekend? So as I started mixing and sautéing, I also started thinking up print ads for a little kid’s waterpark. How Christmasy.

 

 

 

Ok, so the spin dip went something like this. I defrosted the spinach in the microwave and had Luke squeeze the life out of it. I read that if you don’t squeeze enough, you’ll end up with watery dip, so I made him squeeze until the spinach resembled paper, and the only water left was coming out of his forehead. As for me, I was busy doing a number on the garlic. I placed a few cloves between two sheets of foil, whopped it a few times with my rolling pin, and in the words of Emeril, bam! Crushed garlic. A great trick.

Then I mixed the spinach, artichokes, cheeses, sour cream, pepper and garlic, spooned it into a baking dish, topped with more cheese and stuck it in the fridge. And that was that. One tip, though: Add the ingredients in the order they appear in the recipe. I added the cream cheese too soon, which made it a little hard to stir for my microscopic muscles.

 

 

 

 

The mushrooms were just as easy. I was very impressed with how smoothly everything went for these little guys. The onion, pepper and garlic cooked up nicely, and when I added the cottage cheese and bread crumbs, it clumped up into a perfect little cheesy ball. Not sticky at all, so it was very manageable. And surprisingly, there was exactly enough to fill all 24 caps. (I used regular mushrooms, by the way. The button variety looked too tiny to mess with.) I stuffed them, sprinkled on paprika, and threw them in the fridge.

With my meal prepared and my stress lowered considerably, I poured a drink and got a little writing done while Luke did the dishes. Then, when the temptation got the best of us, I popped my creations in the oven. A perk to making these two recipes together is that they require the same oven temperature, and the dip only takes 10 minutes longer. Gotta love that.

The results were fabulous. I’m a pretty big spinach-and-artichoke dip fan. It’s my appetizer of choice at almost any place that offers it. So you can believe me when I tell you that this version is awesome. Hands down, the best I've ever had. So creamy and cheesy, and not at all salty and greasy like the stuff you'll find at restaurants. We did swap out the baked chips for the full fat, fried version, though. Hey, it’s Christmas. (Almost.)

 

The mushrooms were delish as well. When they came out of the oven, I just topped them with a little parmesan cheese,  and there you go. I’ll admit, they're not the best I’ve ever had, but I blame that solely on their lack of mozzarella and sausage. Even still, we were popping them like maniacs.

After our bellies were full, we pulled out the tree and started on the lights. No biggie, right? Well, this was the part I’d never really done before. My mom always miraculously lit the tree, and my brother and I entered just in time for ornaments.

So there I was, weaving the lights up and over, in and out, back and forth across every branch, twig and needle. (Have I mentioned my passion for perfection?) When the lights were finally up, it was well past 1 a.m., and we weren’t exactly in a "ooh, which sparkly ornament should we hang up next?" kind of mood. Or a Jingle Bells mood. Or even a big chocolaty piece of cake mood. Yeah, I said it.

So off to bed we went. I was disheartened, yes. It was sad to think that my first trimming the tree party never really was. But, lying under the covers, as I started to drift to sleep, a faint smile crept across my face because I realized that in order to finish the tree, we’d have to have another party.

And so it continues…

Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip
Yield: 5 1/2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup dip and about 6 chips)

Ingredients:
2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2  cup  fat-free sour cream
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
3  garlic cloves, crushed
1  (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1  (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry
1  (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (through spinach) in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 148 (30% from fat), Fat: 5g (sat 2.9g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.5g), Protein: 7.7g, Carbohydrate: 18.3g, Fiber: 1.5g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Iron: 0.6mg, Sodium: 318mg, Calcium:164mg.

Source: Cooking Light, September 2007
   

Stuffed Mushrooms
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 4 mushrooms)

Ingredients:
1  tablespoon  butter
1/2  cup  finely chopped onion
1/2  cup  finely chopped green bell pepper
2  garlic cloves, minced
2/3  cup  fat-free cottage cheese
2  teaspoons  Worcestershire sauce
1/3  cup  Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
24  button mushroom caps
Cooking spray
1/2  teaspoon  paprika
3  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in cottage cheese and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat; stir in breadcrumbs. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon mixture evenly into mushroom caps.

Place the mushroom caps in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle mushrooms evenly with paprika. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 104 (29% from fat), Fat: 3.4g (sat 1.9g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.3g), Protein: 8.2g, Carbohydrate: 11.4g, Fiber: 1.7g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Iron: 1.3mg, Sodium: 358mg, Calcium: 75mg

Source: Cooking Light, March 2002

Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m ruined.

I finally made a dessert that is so good, I’m positive I’ll never be able to out-do myself again. I generally like to keep the turnout a secret until the end of the post, but this time, I just can’t hold it in. These cakes are flat out (excuse me for a moment while I wipe the drool from my keyboard) fantastic.

And I’m not new to these dark, melty wonders, either. I’ve had the Chili's molten lava cake. And the Applebee's triple chocolate meltdown. And yes, I’m ashamed to admit that I know them by name. But I’m telling you. This recipe? Right here? Way better.

Now that I’ve gotten that out, let me start from the beginning. The shopping. While the spinach-and-artichoke dip and stuffed mushrooms were a cinch to shop for, there were two ingredients that sent me up and down the aisles for this cake: a 71% cocoa dark chocolate bar, and instant espresso powder. After multiple sessions of riffling through Kroger's chocolate bark selection, I eventually found what I was looking for in the candy aisle. Go figure. As for the espresso powder, no such luck. Thankfully, a trip to Target lead me to these little Starbucks packets of instant extra bold coffee.

Now, you’d think something this pretty and decadent would call for a big fuss in the kitchen. But these cakes are actually extremely easy to make. People will just think that you put a lot of work into them. Unless of course, you blog about it and tell everyone how easy they are. Oops.

But seriously, this is all it required: First, I chopped the chocolate. I read a review that warned against chopping it too fine, as to avoid the chocolate baking into the cake instead of melting. So I made sure my cuts were pretty coarse. No way was I going to deprive that chocolate of its right to be melted and wonderful.

Next, I sifted all the dry ingredients together and set them aside while I mixed the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. After that, you fold in the flour-cocoa mixture, fold in the chocolate chunks, and finally, pour into ramekins. The recipe makes ten cakes, so I halved it down to five. And…the only ramekins I had were twice the size needed, so I made double-sized portions for Luke and I to fight over, err, share.

 

 

 

After that, you chill them in the fridge for at least four hours, or up to two days. I was very thankful that these cakes could be made in advance, because if you happened to read the post on my tree trimming party flop, you know that things were a bit hectic. Thanks to lingering weekend work and an amateur tree-lighting session, we had our cakes, but sadly didn't get to eat them.

But a couple days later, we were back at it. Tree Trimming party, part deux. Thankfully, we still had tons of leftovers , so we chowed down, then laid out all of our ornaments. And what a collection we had. Glistening icicles, feathered birds, sparkling blown glass. After about an hour, our tree was finally decorated, and it was absolutely stunning. But I tell you, nothing was more beautiful than what I was about to pull out of the oven.

 

 

Side note: Every review I read advised against the baking time in the recipe. Seems the four-ounce ramekins only need about 12 minutes or so. (Not 21.) Obviously, my mondo-sized versions took a little longer. But if you try these, and I really hope you try these, set your timer for around 10-12 minutes, and just keep peeking until they puff up and get a little crusty on top. You don’t want dried-out cake, but you also don’t want hot pudding, either.

So, I pulled out the cake, basked in its heavenly espresso aroma, sprinkled it with powdered sugar, and scooped up a little vanilla ice cream. Please do not forget this part. It’s not in the recipe, but I have no idea why. Cold, silky ice cream. Molten chocolate cake. They make a better match than Luke and I.

 

Luckily we savored that first warm, chocolaty bite, because every spoonful after was all too quickly inhaled. Spoons clanged. Elbows violently nudged. And death stares grew fiercer as we battled over our shared cake. Luke would have licked the ramekin clean if it wasn’t still hot from the oven.

So there you have it. I’ve made cakes and cookies and cobbler. I’ve eaten flaming bananas foster that was more expensive than my meal. But believe me. This dessert definitely takes the cake.

 

Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cake)

Cookbook Note: These hot-from-the-oven desserts are ideal for a holiday celebration and can mostly be made up to two days ahead.

Ingredients:
3.4  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
2/3  cup  unsweetened cocoa
5  teaspoons  instant espresso powder
1 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  cup  unsalted butter, softened
2/3  cup  granulated sugar
2/3  cup  packed brown sugar
1  cup  egg substitute
1 1/2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
1  (2.6-ounce) bar dark (71% cocoa) chocolate, finely chopped (note: not too fine or it'll bake in!!!)
2  tablespoons  powdered sugar

Preparation:
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.

Place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 10 (4-ounce) ramekins; arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Let ramekins stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350° for 21 minutes (More like 12-15 minutes!!)  or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty on top. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 260 (28% from fat), Fat: 8.2g (sat 4.5g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.2g), Protein: 5.1g, Carbohydrate: 43.9g, Fiber: 1.8g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Iron: 2.3mg, Sodium: 189mg, Calcium: 63mg.

Source: Cooking Light, December 2008.