pie

(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.

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.

Blueberry Pie

By in Fruit, Pastries, Sweets 7 Comments Tags: , ,

Thanks so much to all of you who offered your condolences over the loss of my grandma through comments, emails and messages. I”m truly thankful for your words of comfort and encouragement.

I wanted to share something special today in honour of my grandma. One of her favourite hobbies was baking pies of all kinds, so I decided to make and share one of her favourites - Blueberry Pie. It happens to be the perfect time of year to enjoy blueberry pie since blueberries are at their prime in both price and flavour.

This pie is classic. A crisp, flaky crust housing a sunshine-y filling of blueberries with a hint of lemon. Make this for someone you love and savour the memories while you enjoy it together. xo

Blueberry Pie

  • pie dough for a two crust pie*

  • 4 cups blueberries

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • egg wash (1 egg white + 1 teaspoon water, whisked together)

  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar

Roll one half of the pie dough into a 12 inch circle to fit into a 9 inch pie plate. Transfer to the pie plate and refrigerate while making filling.

To make filling: mix together blueberries and lemon juice. In a separate bowl combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon. Toss together gently with blueberries. Pour immediately into pie shell. refrigerate while rolling out top crust.

Roll remaining pie dough to fit the top of the pie. Place on top, fold edges under bottom crust and crimp the edges to seal. Using a paring knife or scissors, slice cuts in the top for steam to escape while baking. Refrigerate 10 minutes, or until pie dough has firmed up.

Brush prepared pie with a bit of egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400ºF for 10 minutes, lower heat to 375ºF and bake an additional 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Let cool completely, to set (1-2 hours), before serving.

Serves: 8

* I used a new pie crust recipe but wasn”t completely happy with it. If you”re needing a recipe, this has been my go-to pie crust for years, except I make it with butter instead of shortening.

Adapted from Williams Sonoma.

White Chocolate Key Lime Pie

By in Creamy, Easter, Pastries, Sweets 26 Comments Tags: , , ,

white chocolate key lime pie

Is anyone else as giddy as me that today’s the first day of spring? I’m absolutely ecstatic! That means all this gorgeous weather we’ve been having here in New York isn’t just a cruel prank. It’s actually the start of something awesome!

Me and the kids have been going to the rooftop, kicking up our heels and drinking in the sunlight. We’ve been going to the playground in our t-shirts, having barbecues, eating ice cream and making no-bake desserts that slap you in the face with how springlike they are.

Yay spring! As my son is so fond of saying, “goooo-job” spring, “goooo-job”. I’m happy to see your smiling face.

White Chocolate Key Lime Pie. Mmmm. The first words out of my mouth when I tried this were, “oh goodness, that’s good.” I may have said it out loud, while I was by myself. I may even have skyped my hubby to tell him how good it was and that he’d better hurry home so we could have it with lunch. And while we’re at it , it might have taken every ounce of my strength to resist another bite until after I’d finished my lunch. This is a highly probable situation.

This is so easy to make and so refreshing that I just know it’ll become a staple around here in the spring and summer. This is prime potluck and barbecue material (or even Easter, for that matter). It actually makes quite a few servings even though it’s a regular sized pie. It’s very rich – like a big citrus truffle. I think lime and white chocolate are a perfect pairing because, even though this is a rich dessert, the lime makes sure that the white chocolate isn’t too sweet and the white chocolate makes sure the lime isn’t too tart. It’s a match made in heaven, I say.

White Chocolate Key Lime Pie

You can use key limes or regular limes for this pie.

Graham Cracker Crust
  • 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix ingredients together in a 9-inch pie plate until evenly combined. Press evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before filling.

Pie Filling
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 11 oz. white chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1/3 cup lime juice
  • Garnish: lime slices and chopped white chocolate

Melt together cream and chocolate chips in a small saucepan set over low heat. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream, lime zest and juice. Pour into prepared pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.

Garnish with limes slices and chopped chocolate if desired.

Serves: 12

Crust adapted from allrecipes. Filling adapted from my recipes.

Three No-Bake Thanksgiving Appetizers

By in Appetizers, Fall, Thanksgiving 53 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Three No-Bake Thanksgiving Appetizers

I”m not a simple person by nature. The simple life has always appealed to me but I tend to over complicate things and end up going overboard. That “s partly why this blog is so important to me. It helps to remind me to keep things simple and enjoy life. I try to think of ways to help simplify others lives and in turn it helps to simplify mine. So thank you for being my inspiration!

I think the most important thing I have learned this year is to just be myself and not try to fit into the crowd.  I am who I am and I will never live up to someone else”s standards (including my own). I”ve really tried to share things on here that our family truly enjoys and not things that I don”t actually put into practice myself. Sometimes I wish I would put certain things into practice but I”m trying to steer clear of appearing to be and do something I”m not.

All that being said, these no-bake thanksgiving appetizers come straight from my heart. I”m a big believer in make-ahead dishes and at this point in my life the easier and quicker it is to throw together, the better. I do love my time in the kitchen but I love my family more. :) These three recipes can be thrown together in minutes and will hopefully relieve a little bit of holiday meal stress.

Mini “Pumpkin” Cheese Balls

Contrary to their name these don”t actually have any pumpkin in them, but they do have a cute pumpkin shape. I have shared one of my favourite cheese ball recipes below but feel free to use your own and just follow the shaping instructions.

My cheese balls were a little loose because I had to use spreadable cream cheese. I haven”t been able to find the firm blocks here in Norway yet. One day I will find some and then be prepared for baked cheesecakes galore!

Mini “Pumpkin” Cheese Balls

recipe adapted from Kraft Canada

  • 1 (250g/8oz) package cream cheese, softened

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • pinch cayenne pepper

  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

  • 2 green onions

  • paprika, or dusting

  1. Beat cream cheese, red peppers, garlic and cayenne until well blended. Stir in cheddar cheese. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to handle.

  2. Roll into 1 inch balls and then coat in paprika. Make indents in the side of each one with a knife to make a pumpkin shape (refrigerate longer if needed  before shaping with knife).

  3. Slice green onion into 1 inch pieces (green parts only). Slice each piece in half lengthwise. Roll each half back into a circular shape and stick into the top of the cheese ball. Refrigerate until serving.

Makes: 24 cheese balls (4-6 servings each, depending on the size of crackers.)

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Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

We had something similar to these at a taste-testing at the grocery store and I quickly took stock of the ingredients they were using so I could try to re-create them at home, rather then run off with the tray like I wanted to. Although they didn”t turn out exactly the same, they still are delicious. The dijon/honey mixture really compliments the smoked salmon. It”s such a quick and easy recipe to throw together but they look so elegant your guests will never know.

Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

  • 1 teaspoon dijon

  • 2 tablespoon mayo

  • 1 tablespoon sour cream

  • 1/2 teaspoon honey

  • pinch of dried dill

  • 100g thinly sliced smoked salmon

  • 3 (6 inch) flour tortillas

  1. Mix together djon, mayo, sour cream, honey and dill. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto each tortilla. Top with a thin layer of salmon, leaving a 1 inch gap on one side (to leave room for the shifting fillings when rolling). Roll up toward the gap and wrap firmly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

  2. To serve: Trim the ends and slice each roll into 6 slices. Serve immediately.

Serves: 6 (3 pinwheels each)

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Creamy Pumpkin Pie Dip

I have been having major problems finding pumpkin of any form here. Whether it be canned or whole. I have seen pumpkin pie filling (which is what I use in this recipe) but have only seen canned pumpkin puree once, and they were sold out. Needless to say, as soon as I see some I am buying a wackload to last me through the winter. Now you know why I make so many ingredients from scratch. I”m too lazy to search the city, I”d rather do the work in my kitchen. :)

This pumpkin dip is probably my favourite of the three. James said he liked it even better then pumpkin pie! It”s cool and creamy with a hint of those spicy fall flavours we all love so much. I served mine with Cinnamon Almond Crisps, which I purchased from the store. I have to find a recipe for those soon because the combination is addictive!

Creamy Pumpkin Pie Dip

  • 1 (250g/8oz) package spreadable cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1 cup pumpkin pie filling

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  1. Cream together cream cheese and pie filling until smooth. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and sour cream. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

  2. Serve with graham crackers, ginger snaps, cinnamon cookies or fruit such as apples and pears.

Makes: 2 cups

* If using plain pumpkin puree ADD: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or: 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice). PLUS: 3/4 cup icing sugar.

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I hope all of my fellow Canadians have a wonderful and stress free Thanksgiving weekend! (And, everyone else too.) :)

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie (video)

By in Fruit, Pastries, Sweets 8 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Last week I was feeling good enough to break my six weeks of baking silence. Let me tell you, it felt wonderful! My poor hubby has been deprived of homemade goods for so long that he was almost giddy when he found out I was actually going to bake him a pie (and one of his favourites at that!). So giddy in fact, that he decided to capture the process on film. He did such a good job of capturing why I love to bake.

James and I love pie so much that we had it at our wedding instead of cake. Our mothers went through lot’s of work that summer making and freezing pies for the big day. Strawberry Rhubarb was definitely one that we requested be on the menu.

This recipe is a little bit different then your average Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. The obvious reason being that it has a crumble, which makes it that much more of a breeze if you have frozen pie shells in your freezer. The other reason is that the filling is infused with the flavours of cinnamon and ginger. They give such a warmth and richness to the pie. I think I may need to make another soon.

It feels good to be back!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

adapted from Sugar

  • 1-9″ unbaked pie crust
  • 4 cups rhubarb (fresh or frozen), chopped
  • 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • dash salt
  • crumble topping *recipe below
  1. Toss rhubarb, strawberries, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a bowl until well combined. Pour into pie shell. Cover with crumble topping. Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes then lower the heat to 350ºF and bake for an additional 40 minutes until crust and crumble is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Crumble Topping
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  1. Mix together all ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie.

Serves: 6-8

* I used this recipe for the crust. It has been my go to for years. Except I make it with butter instead of shortening and I froze the other half for another day.

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