Apple Slab Pie

Raise your hand if you have an over abundance of apples right now.  I thought so!  There are many things I want to do with my apples; make apple challah, apple sauce, apple cake, and an apple slab pie.  Well, 1 out of 4 isn't so bad now, is it?

This past summer I made a cherry slab pie and it was so good.  I shared it with my friends and, without tooting my own horn, we are still talking about it.  So, why not an apple slab pie?  The pastry from the cherry slab pie was near perfect.  I made another batch of the dough and then simply switched out the fruit. Apples cook differently than cherries, so I adapted the filling from a recipe from The Cook's Country Cookbook.  Slab pies are great for a crowd.  And this pie fed a huge crowd.  It was demolished in about 15 minutes.  I had one teeny tiny bite.  That teeny tiny bite was really good.  I am going to make this many times over throughout out the next few months.  Next time I will pair my apples with some fresh pomegranate seeds!

Think about this apple slab pie for your Thanksgiving Dessert Table. Maybe add some cranberries or some pomegranate seeds! Your guests will thank you later!!

Apple Slab Pie
crust adapted from here
yield: 16 servings

ingredients:
7 lbs apples (3 1/2 lbs tart apples, 3 1/2 lbs. sweet apples) peeled, cored + cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 Tbls. unsalted butter, melted
4 Tbls. cornstarch
3 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
zest of two lemons
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

instructions:
• roll out dough according to this.
• preheat oven to 350* and butter + flour a 10" x 15" jelly roll pan
• toss the apples with 1 cup of sugar and place in a colander set over a bowl (to catch the juices). reserve the "apple juice".  in a large bowl, mix the apples, cornstarch, lemon juice, zest, cinnamon, and salt.  add 2 tablespoons of the reserved juice.
• spread the apple mixture over the bottom layer of crust.  place the second dough over the apples and with the overlap of the bottom layer of crust, seal the top and bottom crust together.
• brush the entire surface with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water, whisked) and then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• with a knife, make a few slits in the top of the crust so the steam can release during baking.
• bake the pie until the juices are bubbling, and the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour.  Let the pie cool on a wire rack!
• cut into 3" squares and serve!

Apple - Pomegranate Crumble

I have a problem with my fridge.  I have had this problem since it entered my house.  The bottom drawer, where I like to keep some of my produce, freezes my fruits and veggies.  I like my apples cold.  Aside from the obvious fruits, this is the one fruit that I have to eat cold.  Up until this week, I have continued to keep my apples in the bottom drawer ( creature of habit ).  If I don't eat them within a few days, they are virtually ruined.  I am tired of throwing away perfectly good ( and expensive ) produce.   I was determined to not throw 6 frozen apples down the drain.  I peeled these sorry little creatures, cored and cubed them and made a perfectly healthy and delicious dessert.

I added a few new apples into the mix along with some frozen pomegranate seeds and viola, no more waste.  I no longer store my apples in the bottom drawer of the fridge.  They reside in a large bowl, on my counter along with some of their friends; plums, peaches, nectarines, bananas, and avocados.  Each night, before I go to bed, I put one apple in the fridge.  The next day, I have my perfectly chilled apple which makes me very happy.

Hence, the drawer did not stay empty for too long.  It has become the perfect home for all my alternative flours!

Apple - Pomegranate Crumble
yield: 8-10 servings

iingredients:
topping
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp. fine salt
5 oz. unsalted butter, melted

filling:
6-8 large apples, peeled, cored and cubed
1 1/2 cups frozen pomegranate seeds
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbls. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest from one lemon

instructions:
• preheat oven to 375*.  Spray a 3 quart oval baking dish with cooking spray.
to make the topping:
• mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt together in a bowl.  stir in the butter and mix until it comes together.  it should be clumpy.  put the topping in the fridge or freezer ( can be frozen for 1 month )
to make the filling:
• combine the apples and frozen pomegranates, and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.  mix until it all comes together.
• put filling in prepared baking dish.
• press the crumb topping onto the fruit.
• bake 45 - 55 minutes, or until lightly golden and bubbling around the perimeter.
• if serving immediately, cool for 20 minutes.
• best served the same day along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

The Perfect Pie Crust

In honor of Julia Child's birthday (yesterday, the 15th) I wanted to make something from the Baking with Julia cookbook. I make something that would put me over the edge and really challenge me.

However, when a friend of mine asked me to "cater" her parents 50th wedding anniversary party, I had a hard time saying no. I am not a caterer. I just love to cook and everyone in my inner circle knows this about me. After putting the menu together, I thought it would be festive to make little apple tarts to go along with the "wedding" type cake they were going to get for the party.

In the front of the book are about 8 "basic" must do recipes. The flaky pie dough is one of them. I have not found a dough that I am in love with, until now! This is the perfect pie dough. It doesn't shrink when cooked and it holds true to its name...it is flaky. The recipe says it makes enough for 4 9-10 pies or tarts. I made 22, 4" small tarts.

Originally, when I was planning the menu for my friend, I wanted to make individual apple crisps. I made some, as a test (aug. 10th post) and although I thought the crisps were good, it didn't translate well for individual desserts. I wanted to keep them small and remembered an apple streusel tart I made one Thanksgiving back in the early 90's. I found the original recipe, however didn't have both pages of the recipe. So I decided to make one up. Here is what I did:

Flaky Pie Dough
Baking with Julia

Ingredients

5 1/4 cups pastry flour
1 Tbls. kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups solid vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup ice water

I made mine in my food processor.

Directions
1. Put dry ingredients in bowl of food processor fitted with the metal blade and process.

2. Take the top off and scatter the cold butter and shortening and pulse until it resembles moist cornmeal.

3. Add a little of the liquid and pulse a few times and then add more liquid until the mixture has curds and clumps and sticks together when pressed between your fingertips.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

5. Roll to 1/4" thickness. Cut out and place in desired pan.

The dough can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or frozen for one month. Divide it into quarters before freezing.

Apple Filling

Ingredients
2 Tbls. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
zest from one lemon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions
1. Peel and core the apples. Cut apples anyway you like.

2. Pour other ingredients over apples and mix to coat apples

Put apples in prepared tart/pie shell

Streusel top

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick (4 oz. ) butter, cold and cubed
zest of one lemon

Directions
1. Mix dry ingredients

2. Cut butter into dry ingredients with your hands or a pastry cutter. It should be chunky and crumbly.

Top each tart with a handful of streusel.

Preheat oven to 350*. Bake for about 30-40 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, check tarts, they may or may not need more time.

Happy eating!!