Old Fashioned Apple Pie ~

It was Pru's turn to decide on what we were going to make this week for Martha Mondays, she wanted us all to throw the seasons out the window and chose Martha Stewart's Old Fashioned Apple Pie. Now this was a little difficult for me because my mom makes the best apple pie, and I learned from her, and she learned from my dad's mom. So it's kinda in the family, and being from Michigan the apple selection is tops. Which is a big challenge living in Florida. My mom likes to use Spies apples, I think my grandma liked Ida Reds, we can't find either one down here. I was lucky though Martha's recipe calls for Granny Smiths, which we can find, but apples are a little pricey here this time of year, at least compared to Michigan. I used half Granny Smith and half Gala.

I gathered all the stuff I would need and set up a little area in my tiny kitchen, and got to work. It was a beautiful day here with it getting up to 87 F, so it was hard to stay inside with the oven on. That's okay, it's warm in the autumn here as well.

I want you all to know I went pretty much by the recipe...surprise...surprise! I made her dough recipe too and used the food processor, first time making dough that way. I must say it sure made it easy, but I think I like my mom's better...I don't know what it is, just a better texture. It called for an egg wash too which is another first...I don't think it turned out the way it was supposed to. I also sprinkled some sugar on top and it just seemed to melt in. I should of use some sanding sugar I guess. I think next time I'll skip the egg wash.

Old Fashioned Apple Pie (Martha Stewart's)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting Pâte Brisée (Pie Dough)

Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)*

12 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

3/4 cup sugar, plus additional for pie top

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee into two 1/8-inch-thick circles to a diameter slightly larger than that of an 11-inch plate. Press one pastry circle into the pie plate. Place the other circle on waxed paper, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill all pastry until firm, about 30 minutes.

2.In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon zest and juice, spices, and flour. Toss well. Spoon apples into pie pan. Dot with butter, and cover with remaining pastry circle. Cut several steam vents across top. Seal by crimping edges as desired. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with additional sugar.

3.Bake until crust is brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool on wire rack before serving.

*Pâte Brisée (Pie Dough)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:

1.In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

2.With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3.Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month

It rolled out easy enough, I don't think I needed the rolling pin cover (it was something my mom always had on her rolling pin)

I had to get out a bigger pie pan than I usually use for my quiche...

...and I still couldn't fit all 12 apples...

I couldn't find my cute little cutters that I use for my bento boxes. I was going to cut a tiny flower in the middle. We are doing a lot of spring cleaning around here.

I had some extra dough too. My mom would always sprinkle cinnamon, sugar and butter and roll it up...slice it and bake. It was such a treat for us kids the little cinnamon crust rolls...brings back memories. I was going to let Maranda do that, but I had some apples left too, so I tossed them on the leftover crust with cinnamon, sugar and butter...

...and folded the dough up and over, and baked it on an 8" stone right along side the pie.

While it all was in the oven baking, I went outside to help Wade trim the cactus tree...before you know it it can take over. It can grow from one cactus pad dropping on the ground and it takes root!

These innocent blossoms give you those invisible tiny stickers that hurt like crazy and you can't really see them to get them out. All you have to do is rub across your skin and you can feel them.

Mmmm ...smells good fresh out of the oven...

Just not happy about the egg wash on top...oh well...

It was a little juicy...I don't know why because it had flour in it, maybe it's the lemon juice. I also used half Granny Smith apples and half Gala apples, maybe that was it. What ever the reason it didn't really matter because it still tasted good!

To see some other participants of Martha Mondays visit:

Martha and Me

Perfecting Pru

Sassy Suppers

To join us, be sure to let Brette from Martha and Me, she's really nice and there is no pressure to do it every week, just have fun!

Martha Mondays

It was my turn to choose the project for Martha Mondays. I chose the apple tart made with puff pastry. I like using puff pastry like this to make pizzas. It's the same idea, but you put the sauce or pesto/ricotta cheese down then sliced tomatoes, and anything you like on pizza topped with cheese!

Okay back to the tart. Well I cheated. I checked out Pru's post before I made mine. She stated that it was a little dry and lacked something. Well I didn't have any "good" apple sauce that the recipe called for so I thought I'd try using the apricot preserves and cream cheese on instead. So half of the tart I mixed softened cream cheese mixed with warmed apricot preserves, and just the preserves on the other half.

Topped with the sliced Gala apples (that's what I had on hand) in Florida we can't be too picky about our apples! Then I had to add cinnamon and some of the mace I had that I want to use more often. I put the butter and sugar on top. I think next time I wouldn't add the egg wash on the pastry because it seemed to get pretty dark. It doesn't do that when I use it to make the pizzas. The directions were to roll out the pastry and cut 1 inch strip to add the the edges with egg wash . Poke with a fork in the bottom where you don't want it to puff, refrigerate. I added the preserves and cream cheese, sliced apples topped with butter, cinnamon, and mace. Brush egg wash over the pastry, then sugar was sprinkled over the whole thing. Put in a 400 degree oven until puffs up about 20 min. Turn down to 350 degrees and finish another 15-20 min. or so. Transfer to a wire rack to cook. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want.

I posted before I got a picture of the cut piece. I think it tasted good with the cream cheese/apricot preserves combo. It could of used a little more sugar, maybe the preserve side only won't, I tried the cream cheese side it was so good that way! It definitely needed the added flavor the jam and Cinnamon gave it. It came out of the pan easily in one piece I just used my hands (gotta love that stoneware). I really enjoyed it, but I don't like desserts that are so sweet! It would be great cold for breakfast.

Make sure you check out some of the others that join in MMs. Pru and
Brette if you want to join in the fun check out Brette's Martha and me blog here. Others still have time to post their results. Here are some other members Megan Sassy Teresa .

Martha Mondays: Apple Brown Betty

This is a quick post before it gets too late in the week. I did make the Apple Brown Betty even though the temperature was still in the high 80s. Okay I use my oven anyway even in 80 degree weather. I grill all year long too. The recipe had you make your own bread crumbs, and toasts them slightly. I found some good Gala apples. It went very smoothly, for which I was glad because after work I just don't feel like baking much.

Because we have a small family that doesn't eat much desserts I cut the recipe down. I used 4 (or 5 apples I can't remember), squeezed some lemon juice on the slices. 1/4 cup brown sugar (I still only had the dark). I did add a little more cinnamon than it called for and I added some ginger and a little crystallized ginger since I just picked up some more at the Asian market over the weekend. I am also on a ginger kick lately. (maybe it's a Fall thing)

It's a little different with the bread crumbs, I like the oats, butter and brown sugar topping better. This was nice though because the sweetness was just right, not too sweet at all.

I just wish my photos were as nice as some of you out there. I'm just not used to not having a good camera that I can control and won't take close ups very well.

It made the house smell wonderful! I took a photo before the meatloaf was out of the oven and the ice cream was out in the freezer. Oh well we ate it with ice cream.