Drunken Cranberry Apple Pie

After all of that starchy glorious food from Thanksgiving dinner, what better way can you think to end the day than with a slice of pie, a cup of coffee and a table sprawled with board games.

Mom graciously brought up a praline pumpkin pie.  I'm still coaxing her for the recipe.  I do not believe I can go back to regular pumpkin pie after that treat.

And this apple pie.  This pie may have ruined me for any other apple pies down the road.  Go figure it was inspired by one of Jackie's concoctions at the Beeroness.  Her apple pie still out shines this variation.  She uses a cheddar cheese pie crust.  You laugh.  If you spend anytime in Wisconsin, you would know.  Apple pie and cheddar cheese go hand in hand.  Trust me.

What makes this pie so special, besides the cranberries?  The apples marinade in beer for an added boozy boost.

Enjoy!

Inspired by Jackie's recipe at theBeeroness.com

The Ingredients:
recipe for dbl pie crust
6 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups cranberries
16 oz pale ale or wheat beer, I used Futhermore's Fallen Apple
2 lemons, juiced
2 tbs flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp corn starch
2 Tbsp melted butter

The Process:
Place the apples, lemon juice and 16 ounces of beer in a bowl and allow to soak at room temperature for 2 hours, tossing every half hour to redistribute. Remove the apples from the beer and allow to drain and dry for about 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine the apples, cranberries, flour, salt, spices, sugars and corn starch.  Toss to coat and set aside.

Roll out half of the pie dough, line in a  pie pan and press into shape, removing any excess. Add the filling.

Roll out the second disk of pie dough and add to the top of your pie.  Crimp the top and bottom crusts together.  Cut holes to vent steam.  Or try a lattice top.

Brush crust with melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Allow to cool before slicing.

Caramel Apple Pie

Have you been to the Baker Chick?  You should, particularly if  you have a sweet tooth.  Audra's recipes are classic, classy and served up with a twist of her own and a marvelous smile.  Her photos are stunning and her anecdotes will lighten your day.  This recipe was inspired by her passion for salted caramels and a gorgeous crop of apples I had sitting on my counter.  Unlike traditional apple pies, there is no need to add butter or sugar to the pile filling.  The caramel sauce will provide all of the buttery sweetness you need.

Caramel sauce from Audra's Banana Caramel Brownie recipe at the Baker Chick
The pie recipe is my own

The Ingredients:
For the caramel:
6 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp kosher salt

For the pie:
1 recipe for a single crust pastry
6-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 4 cups)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp cinnamon

For the topping: 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
1 stick butter, soft 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

The process:
For the caramel sauce:

Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Add the sugar and stir frequently until sugar is a golden brown.  As soon as the sugar reaches the desired color and starts to smoke, remove it from the heat.  Carefully whisk in the cream, it will bubbly up and produce a lot of steam.  Slowly add the vanilla and salt.  Allow the caramel to cool while you prepare the crust, filling and crumb topping.

Preheat the oven to 350

While the caramel sauce cools, combine the apples, lemon juice, corn starch and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Toss to coat and set aside.


Prepare the crumb topping by combining the softened butter, brown sugar and flour with clean fingers or the tines of a fork until a coarse crumb forms.  Mix in the oatmeal and set aside.


Roll out the pastry and line in a 9 inch pie pan.  Mound the apple filling into the crust.  Drizzle the cooled caramel sauce on top.  Evenly spread the crumb top over the filling.  Bake the pie uncovered for 50-60 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crumb top is lightly browned.  Allow to cool to almost room temperature before serving.

The Review:
I've tried this sauce on many other occasions and the flavor and richness is astounding.  However, in this recipe it doesn't quite seem to hold its own.  As a sauce it turns out to be a but too thin and unstable for this type of baked good.  The pie was amazing, don't get me wrong, but where I was hoping for a rich burnt sugar flavor and rich caramel thickness, I was rewarded with a sweet and buttery ooze of apple filling.  


The pie needs to cool off substantially for the caramel sauce to set up again.  If you are impatient the pie with reward you with a soupy sea of filling pouring all over your serving plates.  (The lovely slice pictured above was taken the next day...after the pie had been in the fridge overnight).  


I absolutely loved the crumb topping, though.  The whole pie was marvelous, but this topping will lead me to try this pie again...perhaps using Audra's candy caramel recipe next time in lieu of the sauce.

Chicken, Leek and Parsley Pie

Savory pies. Meat pies. Pot pies. Perfect British comfort for an overcast and dreary day. What is so alluring about a flaky crust enveloping saucy and hearty fillings? Perhaps only Mrs. Lovett knows...

The Ingredients:
3 skinless chicken breast fillets
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 small onion, quartered
6 black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni
1 lb short crust pastry dough (double pie crust)
1/4 cup butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp cornflower
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
beaten egg, to glaze
salt and ground black pepper
mixed green salad leaves, to serve
The Process:
Put the chicken, carrot, onion, peppercorns and bouquet garni in a shallow pan, add water and bring to just a boil. Lower the heat and poach gently, for 20-30 minutes, until tender. Leave to cool in the liquid, then drain and cut into strips.

Preheat the oven to 400. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Use the larger piece to line an 11 x 7 inch baking pan. Prick the base, bake for 15 minutes, then leave to cool.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over low heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes, until soft. Stir in the cheeses and parsley.

Spread half of the leek mixture over the pastry base, cover with the chicken strips, then top with the remaining leek mixture. Mix together the mustard, cornflour and cream in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and pour into the pie.

Moisten the pastry base edges. Use the remaining pastry to cover the pie. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden and crisp. Serve with salad.

My Modifications:
A shortage of flour and butter (Travesty! How could I possibly be low on such staples of the pantry!) required me to rely on pre-made Pillsbury pie crusts. Unfortunately, not everything can be scratch all the time.

I also lacked the fresh herbs to form a bouquet garni. Thankfully, 2 tsp of a dried mixture from Penzey Spices, wrapped in a coffee filter and tied off with a fresh sprig of parsley filled in the role.

I also turned to my trusty 9" Pyrex pie dish, in lieu of a rectangular baking pan. The recipe's quantity fills a 9" pie plate beautifully.

The Review:
I must confess, Pillsbury makes a mighty fine crust...particularly when I'm not in the mood to roll out my own. The chicken was incredibly tender. I had been skeptical that poaching the breasts with the bouquet garni and veggies would have any impact; but that little pouch of herbs packed quite a punch in the end.

The leek flavor was overshadowed by the mustard, and the gravy/sauce was a bit runny, but overall the flavors were well balanced (even for the mustard-phobic among us).

A touch more parsley, slightly smaller cuts of chicken and a hint less mustard would make this a savory meat pie worth coming back to.

Lingonberry Apple Pie

Exit 88 off of I-94 holds a dear old world secret. Nestled in the quaint downtown of Osseo rests a small Norwegian restaurant and bakery. This little gem has become our regular pit stop whenever we venture into Wisconsin for one reason only...their award winning pies. They put forth an astounding lingonberry apple pie. I cannot promise this pie comes anyway near the pies they create, but the little red berries brought great joy to my Scandinavian self.

adapted from Pillsbury's apple-berry pie recipe

yields one 9" pie

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen lingonberry

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

pastry recipe for a 9 inch double crust pie

5 to 6 cups sliced peeled apples (5 to 6 medium)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

The Process:
Preheat oven to 425

In 1-quart saucepan, mix berries, 1 cup of the sugar, 1 Tbsp of the cornstarch and the water. Heat to boiling. Boil 5 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.

Prepare your pastry and line a 9" pie plate with one crust.

In large bowl, mix apples, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, the cinnamon and nutmeg until apples are coated. Stir in cooled cranberry mixture.

Spoon into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Alternatively, cut second crust into strips and arrange in a lattice work over the filling, pinching the edges to seal.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. After 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

My Modifications:
The only change I made to Pillsbury's recipe is an essential change...I used lingonberries in lieu of cranberries. These can be tricky to find. Fortunately a global market in town happens to have a Scandinavian vendor...who happens to carry the tart little rubies in frozen form.

The Review:
For a first attempt at a lattice top, this pie turned out quite well! The apples stayed firm and a tad tart. Come fall the bounty of beautiful apples should yeild one or two much better for baking. The lingonberries offer a tartness, not unlike cranberries. A bit of lemon zest and a touch more sugar were wanted though.

Regardless, this apple berry pie provided a wonderful breakfast the next day...as well as dessert later on!