Tag: apple

Baking

An Unexpected Twist on Classic Apple Pie

Emerald Thunder

I’m known for my apple pies. My father refuses to eat anyone else’s, and that’s saying something, because he eats any sort of sweets. I usually only make one a year, so it has to be the best. However, this one pie recipe had been nagging me for a while, and I knew I needed to make it soon. Goodbye classic apple pie, hello delicious substitution!

I found this pie recipe on An Epic Change and I knew I wanted to make it sometime, I just didn’t know when. Well, last week I had a burning desire to bake an apple pie, and I knew I wanted to do it before Thanksgiving, as I would be by myself this year, with no one to share the pie with.

Anything with sweetened condensed milk has got to be a winner, right? Right! This recipe is different in every way possible from my go-to pie, but I still loved it.

I started early in the morning and made the crust from scratch. My suitemates slowly came into the kitchen as time passed, asking what on earth I was doing so early in the morning on a weekend. Making pie for us, of course, sillies!

I still can’t believe I had the patience to make a lattice crust. I have never done that before, but I have to say I like the effect. It definitely won’t be for every two-crust pie I make, but it’s nice to know I’m capable of doing it.

The pie filling was a bit runny overall, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker. If I do this again I might add a bit more cornstarch to soak up some more of the juices. Problem solved!

While there’s no picture of it, I made ice cream to accompany the pie. I’m seriously in love with how simple this ice cream process is. I’m not sure how many times I’ve made it now, but it’s in my recipe box to stay. I added an overload of vanilla extract, and I think I’ve finally found the right amount to add (a lot) so that it doesn’t just taste like sweetened condensed milk (not that that’s a bad thing).

Apple pie à la mode, good tv, and my suitemates. A wonderful end to a weekend, and a wonderful start to a three-day week! Thanksgiving’s right around the corner now!

Baking

It Had to Happen Eventually

Emerald Thunder

It was only a matter of time. I failed. That’s the only way to put it. I tried making apple turnovers, and I failed. Miserably. I should have known something bad would happen when the filling was running all over the puff pastry and also when the pastry wouldn’t stick together without LOTS of squeezing and manipulating from turnovers to purses. All I can say is thank goodness I didn’t leave the kitchen after I put them in to bake, or the aftermath would have been much worse than a few filling dribbles in the oven. I was so looking forward to breakfast pastries for the next couple of days, but it looks like that’s not going to be happening and I’ll have to find something else for breakfast tomorrow and Monday. I don’t even know if I want to photograph that poor baking sheet and the sad things upon it.

OH. I just had an idea. Maybe I can still salvage this by transferring everything to one of my glass dishes and baking it that way. Instead it’ll be a sticky, caramelly, appley, desserty thing, rather than a nice clean morning apple turnover. I’m going to see what can be made of the situation.

So, it looks like I’m going to need to clean the oven a bit, because I smell burning sugar. Wonderful.

AH SUCCESS! I can’t believe I salvaged that huge mess. It smells so yummy and I can’t wait to dig in.

Yay!

Edit: Oh, wow, I’m REALLY glad I didn’t toss these after the first attempt mishap. SO GOOD! I don’t want to stop eating them now that I’ve already had one. They’re the new Lay’s potato chip in my life.

Baking

So What if I Have Finals This Week (and One Tomorrow)

Emerald Thunder

After this week, school is essentially over, but I can’t seem to buckle down to do what I need to do to actually finish. I think I basically checked out a few weeks ago, which is not necessarily the best thing. However, all of a sudden I have this insatiable urge to bake and cook and do everything but school work (and dishes). As a result, my kitchen has and will have a vast assortment of baked goods throughout the week.

Baked Good #1: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

          

Baked Good #2: Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream and Strawberries

 

And this baking frenzy will continue as I prepare a Midnight Breakfast Tuesday night, consisting of at least pancakes and something else; lemon-blueberry scones Wednesday night for Thursday morning; and next week a graduation cake for my two suitemates. If only I didn’t have to spend money to satisfy my baking needs. It stinks to run out of supplies at the end of the semester and to have to buy more for a week of baking. Oh well.