Thanksgiving

(Classic) Apple Pie

By in Fall, Fruit, GF Sweets, Pastries, Sweets, Thanksgiving 3 Comments Tags: , , ,

When I hear the word pie the first flavour that comes to mind is apple. It”s just a classic. And, also happens to be James” favourite. This is actually the recipe I used the first time I made apple pie by myself, many moons ago when we were newlyweds. But somewhere along the way, I forgot about the plain ol” apple pie. I got so excited about trying new recipes and different techniques that I forgot all about the original.

Finally I got my butt in gear and decided it was time for something classic and comfortable. So I whipped up this pie a couple of days before James left on a business trip, to make extra sure he would miss me while he was away. ;) It turned out just as wonderful as I remembered it. The filling is perfectly sweetened and lightly spiced, and the crust is buttery and flaky. There”s really no need to look any further for a classic apple pie recipe. Of course I”ll always try my hand at different variations and styles, but when I want a classic, you can bet this is the recipe I”ll be making.

Apple Pie

To make this gluten-free make a double recipe of this gluten-free pie crust instead of the recipe below.

Crust

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup cold butter, cut up

  • 5-7 tablespoons ice-cold water

Filling

Which apples are best in a pie? Check it out here.

  • 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (a mix of apples is extra yummy)

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the crust: In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or using fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (and butter is approximately the size of peas). Slowly add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing flour mixture lightly with fork  after each addition. Continue this process until the dough is evenly moistened and clings together when pressed into a ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten each into a 1/2 inch thick round. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, while you prepare filling.

For the filling: Place apples, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl; toss until evenly coated. Set aside.

To assemble: Remove 1 dough round from the fridge. Place on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, lightly flour the top of the dough as well. Roll out dough with a rolling pin, lifting the dough from the parchment and giving it a slight turn after each roll, until you have an even circle that extends approximately 2 inches past an overturned 9-inch pie plate.

Transfer dough to pie plate and press evenly onto bottom and up the side of the pie plate. Trim off excess dough with a sharp knife. Pour in apples and any accumulated juices, spread evenly.

Roll out remaining dough, as directed. Place the dough over the filling and trim it 1/2 inch past the edge of the pie plate. Fold the dough under the bottom crust, pinching together to seal. Flute the edges. Cut slits near centre of the pie, to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400°F for 45-50 minutes, or until crust is browned and filling is bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature (but not hot, or filling will be runny).

*For a golden brown top with a sparkly finish, brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, just before baking.

Makes: 8 servings

Adapted from Kraft.

(Easy Gluten-Free) Pie Crust

By in GF Mains, GF Sweets, Gluten Free, Pastries, Thanksgiving 10 Comments Tags: , , ,

gluten free pie crust

I’m sure I can’t be the only one who serves gluten-free guests from time to time. Even if you don’t eat gluten-free yourself it doesn’t have to be stressful to feed someone who does. It’s becoming much more popular to eat this way and thanks to that, there are far more products and recipes that are truly delicious, and will have even the biggest wheat lovers asking for more. Since it’s becoming such a common thing, I thought I’d start sharing some of my fave gluten-free recipes with you on occasion. These will be recipes that can be served to (and enjoyed by) everyone – gluten-free eaters or not. That way there’s no need to make separate food for everyone.

With the holidays approaching there will be plenty of pies being baked so I thought I’d share my favourite recipe for gluten-free pie crust. I made it for the first time for our (Canadian) Thanksgiving and it got rave reviews. I was only able to capture the photo above with my phone before taking it to our celebration, but the crust was so spectacular I just had to share it with you pronto. The dough is so easy to work with and the results are flaky and crisp – no one will ever guess it’s gluten-free.

My first tip, for those who normally don’t cook gluten-free, is to by a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix and stick with recipes that call for that. That way you don’t have to stock your pantry with a bunch of ingredients that will only be used every once in a blue moon. Most grocery store stock them nowadays but just remember that the better the quality, the better the results!

Gluten-Free Pie Dough

This can be used for savoury or sweet pies. Double the recipe for a double crust pie.
  • 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 2-4 tablespoons very cold water

Using a food processor: Place the flour and salt in the processor bowl fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly and no large pieces of butter remain. Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse again until mixture sticks together when formed into a ball. If necessary add remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Form into a disk and use immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Mix by hand: Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add butter and cut it in using a pastry cutter or your fingers, until the mixture is crumbly and no large pieces of butter remain. Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of water. Toss with a fork until mixture sticks together when formed into a ball. If necessary add remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Form into a disk and use immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Makes: 1 crust

Adapted from Every Day Food Sept/12.

Pumpkin Spice Roll

By in Cakes, Recipes, Sweets, Thanksgiving 11 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Pumpkin Spice Roll

I was planning on sharing a Thanksgiving side dish with you today, but it was a royal flop so I decided to make something pumpkin instead. Pumpkin heals all wounds. And, let”s face it, the whole (north american) world, including myself, is pretty much obsessed with pumpkin right now. And, I was in need of a guaranteed win.

I”ve made this Pumpkin Spice Roll quite a few times over the years and it”s always a winner no matter where I serve it. It”s so extremely easy to make and yet looks so impressive. I made it in our first years of marriage, when I was just learning to cook, and it turned out a great success, so you know it”s easy. ;)

A soft pumpkin spice cake coated in a layer of walnuts, with a creamy yet light, cream cheese filling – it”s pretty much an inside out spice cake rolled up into one pretty presentation. It would be perfect for Thanksgiving but you can save it for any special day, like maybe the first snow fall? Hopefully your snow holds off a little longer than ours. :)

Pumpkin Spice Roll

You can sub 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin spice for the combination of spices in the recipe, if you prefer.

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

  • 3/4 cup icing (confectioners) sugar, divided

  • 1/2 cup (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened

  • 3/4 cup cold whipping cream

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease a 15x10x1 inch pan, line it with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper as well. Whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Set aside.Whisk together eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Whisk in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle walnuts over evenly. Bake at 375°F for for 15 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when touched.

While cake bakes, sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with 1/4 cup icing sugar. As soon as cake comes out of the oven, invert onto prepared towel, remove the pan and gently peel of the paper. Starting at a short side, gently roll up the cake and towel together to form a log. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before adding the filling.

To make the filling, beat together 1/2 cup icing sugar and cream cheese until smooth with an electric beater. Gently mix in the cream and vanilla, scraping up any cream cheese stuck to the bottom of the bowl (mixture will be lumpy). Beat on medium-high speed until mixture is smooth and stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted.

Gently unroll cake, spread filling evenly over entire cake, leaving a 1 inch gap on both short ends (so filling won”t squeeze out as you roll it back up. Re-roll the cake, firmly but gently. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. To serve, dust with additional icing sugar if desired.

Makes: 10 servings

Adapted from Kraft.

Apple Slab Pie with Crumb Topping

By in Fruit, Pastries, Sweets, Thanksgiving 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Apple Slab Pie with Crumb Topping

Thanksgiving just wouldn”t be the same without pies and tarts. Especially pumpkin pie. But, not everyone”s a huge fan of pumpkin pie so it”s always good to have another option to share. Apple pie is a favourite in our house. If we”ve got an abundance of apples, Apple Pie or Apple Crisp must be made!

This pie is a little different from the norm for several reasons. It”s baked on a sheet pan instead of in a pie plate, it”s got a delicious crumble topping, featuring pecans, and it feeds a crowd without the work of making several pies at once. I think it would be the perfect addition to the Thanksgiving table. It”s like an apple pie, tart and crisp all in one. And, it can easily be eaten out of hand, which means less dirty dishes – bonus!

If you”re not feeding a crowd you can always freeze the extras between parchment paper and just take out as many as you need at a time, to thaw. I prefer to heat them up in the microwave or oven for a bit, because nothing beats warm apple pie.

I would venture to say this recipe is even easier to make then a regular apple pie because of the crumb topping and since the effort of one pie makes so many servings. And, it”s just so extremely delicious that I know I”ll be making it often over the coming months.

Apple Slab Pie with Crumb Topping

Pie Crust

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2/3 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

  • 8 – 10 tablespoons cold water

Apple Filling

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 3 1/2 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (or 10 cups sliced)

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes

  • 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

To Make Pie Crust: Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Toss in the butter cubes and, using your fingers, quickly break up the clumps, rubbing together with flour, until the butter is in pea sized amounts and mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or cut in with a pastry blender). Sprinkle water over flour mixture 1 tablespoons at a time; gently toss with a fork, until all of the flour mixture is moistened. Gently knead the dough just until a ball forms.

Roll out the dough to approximately a 17×12 inch rectangle, on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Transfer to a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Patch any corners that don”t reach the edges of the pan, with any overhanging dough. Roll edges under and press down onto the rim of the baking sheet. Trim off excess parchment paper. Refrigerate while you make filling.

To Make Filling:  Toss together all ingredient, in a large bowl, until apples are evenly coated. Pour into dough-lined pan, spreading evenly. Refrigerate while you make the crumb topping.

To Make Crumb Topping: Stir together oats, brown sugar, and flour until well combined. Using your fingers, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in chopped pecans. Sprinkle evenly over apple filling.

To Bake: Bake at 375ºF for 45-60 minutes, until filling is bubbly near the centre and crust is browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

To store: Once completely cool, cover and keep at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerate for up to 3 days (bring up to room temperature to serve). Freeze for longer storage.

Makes: 20-25 servings

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens.

Shortcut Potato & Cheese Perogies

By in Main Dish, Pasta, Pork, Thanksgiving 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

Shortcut Potato & Cheese Perogies

Potato and Cheese Perogies have got to be one of my favourite comfort foods and homemade is THE best! But, they”re so much work. You spend all afternoon making them only to have half of them eaten at dinnertime.

I used to get together with my sister-in-law and we”d make big batches of cottage cheese perogies together. That definitely made the whole experience a lot more fun and worthwhile, but it”s still not something I would want to do every week.

I grew up with homemade perogies and I honestly don”t know how my mom did it. Three growing boys and one growing girl (with an appetite to rival the boys). Yikes! It must have been like slave labour. And yet she did it. And, every week she would bake fresh buns and bread out the wazoo. How did she ever find time to make homemade pizza pops on top of it all? She was (is!) wonder woman, I tell you.

I came up with this recipe one day when I was really craving homemade perogies but I didn”t have the time or energy to conquer them. You can use this same method with any of your favourite perogi fillings.

All you do is cook up some cannelloni, cut them in half, pipe in some filling, cover and bake for 20 minutes, top with your favourite toppings, bake a little longer, and you”ve got yourself some homemade perogies!

Since my favourite filling is potato and cheese, and since many people will be looking for ways to use up their Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, I thought I would head in that direction this time around. I topped mine with an easy Ham and Garlic Cream Sauce. Heavenly.

Now you can have homemade perogies on a weeknight, made from scratch, and your children will think you”re wonder woman. ;)

Note: I like to keep the peel on my mashed potatoes when I make them just for us, because that”s where most of the nutrition is. If you do the same, know that those potatoes will work fine in this recipe.

Shortcut Potato & Cheese Perogies

The perogies will only be as good as your mashed potatoes, so make sure they”re well seasoned and delicious before you begin.

Filling

  • 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes, warmed

  • 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar is yummiest)

  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Pasta

  • 12 cannelloni, cooked according to package directions and cut in half width-wise.

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 cup chopped ham

Mix together filling ingredients. Place in a large resealable plastic bag. Snip off the corner of the bag and pipe the filling into each cannelloni half, until full. Place, in a single layer, in a 10 cup casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350º F for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile make the sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan, add garlic and cook for 1 minute until softened. Add cream, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce.

Once the filled cannelloni are done baking, remove from oven, sprinkle with ham and pour sauce over all. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

Serves: 4

Chickpea Garlic Dip

By in Appetizers, Thanksgiving 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , ,

chickpea dip

I couldn’t really share an awesome cracker recipe with you without also sharing a dip to go with it. As good as they are on their own if you want to serve them to company you’ve gotta have some yummy toppings.

I personally love bean dips, my hubby on the other hand is not such a fan. I’m always a bit nervous sharing a recipe that only I’ve tasted because it tastes great to me, but what if I’m crazy? Although I usually like getting a second opinion before I share a recipe with you, I found this dip to be quite addicting and my son gobbled it up with his crackers, so I’ll take that as my second opinion, “it’s good”. :)

This is not only a great dip to serve with crackers but would also be great as a dip for veggies, pitas or even spread on the base of a sandwich. It’s reminiscent of hummus and could be used in any of the ways you would usually enjoy hummus.

It’s quick, it’s easy and the cumin and garlic have me coming back for more. I think this would probably be good a little chunkier too. Next time I might mix things up and only puree half of the chickpeas, then pulse the rest just until they’re broken up. I can always puree the heck out of it later right?

Happy dipping!

Chickpea Garlic Dip

I found 4 cloves of garlic quite overwhelming so I would start with two and add more to taste.

  • 1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, drained (reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2-4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Makes: 2 cups

Adapted from Kraft Canada.

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