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In the Oven: Classic Apple Pie

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Mmmmm, pie! Next up on the schedule: a Classic Apple Pie. Posting date is October 22!

Classic Apple Pie
 
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Yield: One 9-inch pie
Ingredients
Classic Pie Dough
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
  • 3⁄4 cup ice cold water
Classic Apple Pie
  • 2 balls of Classic Pie Dough
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 7 medium Granny Smith apples
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon whiskey
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar
Instructions
Make the classic pie dough
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together.
  2. Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss the cubes in the flour mixture to coat. Put the mixture in the bowl of a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the pieces of butter are the size of hazelnuts.
  3. While pulsing in quick, 4-second bursts, drizzle the ice water into the food processor through the feed tube.
  4. As soon as the dough comes together in a ball, remove it from the food processor and divide it into two equal balls. Flatten to a disk and wrap each disk first in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the disks until firm, about 1 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.)
Make the Classic Apple Pie
  1. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap one of the balls of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, folding any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the light brown sugar. Peel and core the Granny Smith apples, then cut them into ⅛-inch wedges.
  3. Heat the butter over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Swirl the saucepan occasionally until the butter begins to brown. As soon as the butter is evenly browned, add half of the apple wedges and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the apples are softened.
  4. Add the remaining apples and the cornstarch/sugar mixture. Mix until the sugar has melted, then add the vanilla, whiskey, and cinnamon to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and thick. Do not overcook.
  5. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the remaining ball of chilled dough and roll out into a 12-inch round.
  6. Pour the pie filling into the frozen pie crust, and top with the second dough round. Trim the dough, leaving a 1⁄2-inch overhang. Crimp the edges together, brush with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with the raw sugar. Cut 3 steam vents into the top crust.
  7. Bake the pie until the filling bubbles and the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool the pie on a rack for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
How to store: The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

In the Oven: Frozen Swiss Chocolate Pie

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Will you serve this with or without chocolate fudge sauce and whipped cream? Posting date is September 11!

Frozen Swiss Chocolate Pie
 
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Yield: 1 9- inch (23-cm) pie • 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Walnut Crust
  • 2 cups (200 g) walnuts, toasted (see page 19)
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 ounces (¾ stick/85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the Frozen Swiss Chocolate Filling
  • 12 ounces (340 g) good quality dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 1 (8-ounce/226-g) package cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (100 g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons (525 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 large egg whites
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) whiskey
  • ¼ cup (25 g) walnut pieces, toasted (see page 19) and coarsely chopped
Instructions
Make the Walnut Crust
  1. Lightly spray a 9-inch (23-cm; preferably deep dish) pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a food processor, process the walnuts until they are finely chopped (do not pulverize); you should have about 1½ cups (200 g). Place them in a bowl, add the sugar, and stir until combined. Pour the melted butter over the walnut mixture, mix well, transfer to the prepared pie plate, and press it into the bottom and up the sides; use the back of a large metal measuring cup to get an even crust. If you are having trouble getting it to adhere to the sides, first refrigerate the crust for 5 to 7 minutes. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
Make the Frozen Swiss Chocolate F illing
  1. Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (double- boiler method, see page 19). Heat the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until it is 80 percent melted. Sprinkle the espresso powder over the chocolate and stir until it is incorporated and the chocolate is just fully melted. Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat and continue to stir the chocolate mixture for another minute to release excess heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, ¼ cup (50 g) of the sugar, the vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of the cream on medium speed until the mixture is combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat again until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds.
  3. Place the egg whites and the remaining ¼ cup (50 g) sugar in a clean, heatproof medium bowl and set it over the saucepan of simmering water you used for the chocolate. Gently whisk the whites and sugar until warm to the touch; remove the pan from the heat. Using a handheld whisk or the whisk attachment on the standing mixer, whisk the mixture just until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the remaining 2 cups (480 ml) cream until soft peaks form. Turn the mixer to low and drizzle in the whiskey, then increase the mixer speed to medium and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the filling until just combined, then pour the filling into the crust. Smooth the top with an offset spatula and sprinkle with the walnuts. Cover gently with foil and place the pie in the freezer until frozen, about 4 hours.
  5. Before serving, place the pie in the refrigerator for 2 hours or at room temperature for 20 minutes. Dip a large knife in hot water, dry it off, and use the hot knife to slice and serve.
Notes
How to store: Leftover pie, covered with foil (tented with toothpicks), can be frozen for up to 1 week.

 

In the Oven: Mega Easter Pie

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We’re making Nato’s gigantic meat and cheese pie next – posting date is March 27!

Mega Easter Pie
 
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Yield: 1 mega easter pie • 10 to 12 generous servings
Ingredients
For the Classic Pie Dough
  • 3 cups (385 g) all-purpose flour, chilled
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Ice cubes
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks/225 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch (12-mm) cubes
For the Easter Pie
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1⁄2 onion, diced
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 3 ounces (85 g) roasted red peppers, drained and diced (about 3⁄4 cup)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 pound (455 g) basket cheese, or 1 pound (455 g) fresh ricotta, drained well
  • 3⁄4 pound (340 g) smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1⁄2 pound (225 g) cooked ham, cubed (we prefer Black Forest)
  • 1⁄2 pound (225 g) prosciutto, diced or rolled and sliced into 1⁄2-inch (12-mm) slices
  • 1⁄4 cup (30 g) grated Romano cheese
  • 1⁄4 cup (30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1⁄4 cup (30 g) cubed soft provolone cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Make the Classic Pie Dough
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. In a measuring cup, stir 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) water with several ice cubes until it is very cold, then discard the ice.
  2. Toss the cold butter in the flour mixture to coat. Place the mixture in a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the butter pieces are the size of hazelnuts.
  3. Pulsing in 4-second bursts, slowly drizzle the ice-cold water into the food processor through the feed tube. As soon as the dough comes together in a ball, stop adding water.
  4. Remove the dough from the food processor and divide it in half. Flatten each piece into a disk, and wrap each disk first in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 1 hour. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before proceeding.
Make the Easter Pie
  1. In a medium skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil and crushed red pepper over medium-low heat until the oil begins to shimmer, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and thyme. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the filling.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.
  3. Using nonstick cooking spray, coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan.
  4. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly spray the parchment.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk 2 of the eggs. Add the basket cheese, mozzarella cheese, ham, prosciutto, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, provolone cheese, parsley, lemon zest, and pepper and stir together. Add the cooled onion-and-pepper mixture. Use your hands to toss everything together until thoroughly mixed.
  6. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of our and roll out the first disk of chilled dough into a 14-inch (35.5-cm) round, about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the prepared pan and carefully work it into the bottom and build it up the sides. There shouldn’t be a lot of overhang, but if there is, trim it back to 1 inch (2.5 cm) at most. Add the meat-and-cheese mixture.
  7. Adding more flour to the work surface as needed, roll out the second disk of chilled dough into a 12-inch (30.5-cm) round. Center it on top of the filling with about a 1-inch (2.5-cm) overhang over the sides of the pan. Working carefully, crimp the bottom and top doughs together. Try not to let the dough extend out over the lip of the pan, as this will make it difficult to remove from the pan without breaking.
  8. Make an egg wash by whisking together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the top crust with the egg wash. Cut 3 steam vents into the top crust.
  9. Place the pie on a half sheet pan and bake, rotating halfway through the baking time, until the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour.
  10. Cool the pie in its pan on a rack for about 2 hours. Unmold the pie from the springform pan, remove the metal bottom, and transfer the pie to a serving plate. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
How to store: The pie can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. We recommend reheating it until warm to serve, but you can slice and eat directly from the fridge.

 

In the Oven: Brown Butter Apple Cranberry Galette

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We’re in the full swing of fall baking — next up, a brown butter apple cranberry galette! Posting date is November 22.

Brown Butter Apple Cranberry Galette
 
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Yield: One 10- by 14-inch (25- by-36-cm) galette
Ingredients
For the Galette Dough
  • 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch (12-mm) cubes
  • ¼ cup (50 g) very cold vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch (12-mm) cubes
  • Ice cubes
  • 1½ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
  • ¾ cup (90 g) cake flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Spiced Apple Filling
  • 3 Granny Smith apples
  • ½ cup (55 g) fresh cranberries, or dried (65 g), or frozen (60 g), thawed and drained (see Baked Note)
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (85 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 ounces (½ stick/55 g) unsalted butter
For the Assembly
  • 3 tablespoons very fine bread crumbs or panko
  • 1 tablespoon sanding sugar
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Instructions
Make the Galette Dough
  1. Place the butter and shortening in a small bowl and freeze for at least 15 minutes and up to 30.
  2. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) water to a measuring cup. Add a few ice cubes to the water to keep it cold, and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  3. Place both flours, the sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the cold butter and shortening chunks. Pulse until the mixture is coarse and pebbly, with a few small chunks of butter and shortening still visible, 5 to 7 quick pulses. Remove the ice water from the freezer. Add 1 tablespoon ice water to the dough at a time, pulsing in between, until the mixture just starts to come together; it will likely take 3 to 4 tablespoons. Keep pulsing until a mass forms or until a pinch of dough in your fingers holds together. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface and bring it together by kneading gently but briefly. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Make the Spiced Apple Filling
  1. Peel and core the apples. Slice them into very thin (about 1⁄8-inch/3-mm) slices. Place the apples in a large bowl and toss together with the cranberries. Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt over the fruit and toss again until the fruit is well coated and the mixture is combined.
  2. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the foam subsides and the butter turns a light nut brown, 3 to 4 minutes; watch carefully so it does not burn. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool, about 5 minutes (pick up the pan and swirl it constantly to cool the butter more quickly). Remove 2 tablespoons of the butter to a small glass or mini prep bowl, then pour the remaining melted butter over the fruit mixture and toss with your hands to combine.
Assemble the Galette
  1. Place a 12-by-16-inch (30.5-by-40.5-cm) piece of parchment paper on a work surface and sprinkle it with a tiny bit of flour. Sprinkle the chilled dough with a little flour and place it on the parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rough rectangle 1⁄8 to ¼ inch (3 to 6 mm) thick that covers or almost covers the parchment, sprinkling the dough with flour if necessary. Lift the parchment with the dough and place it inside a half sheet pan. Refrigerate the dough in the pan for about 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
  3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and sprinkle the bread crumbs in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch (5-cm) empty border from the edge. Use your hands to lift the apples out of the bowl, shake them gently to remove excess liquid, and arrange decoratively (we like slightly overlapping concentric circles or a spiral pattern) over the bread crumbs, again keeping a 2-inch (5-cm) border all the way around. Next, use your hands to remove the cranberries from the bowl, leaving excess liquid behind (if using dried cranberries, give a slight squeeze to remove excess liquid), and arrange them in a circle in the center of the galette over the apples. Feel free to sprinkle the apples with a few tablespoons of the juice, but no more; discard any remaining liquid. Use the parchment paper to help turn the plain border of dough over the apples, using your fingers to pinch together any tears (much of the apple filling will be left exposed). Using a pastry brush, brush the reserved brown butter onto the dough and exposed apples. Sprinkle the dough and apples with the sanding sugar.
  4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is browned; try lifting the corner of the galette with a metal spatula—the bottom should be browned as well. (If the top of the galette crust or the fruit begins to brown too much before the galette is baked through, tent the top with foil for the remaining baking time.) Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
  5. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, if you like.
Notes
How to store: The best way to store leftover galette is to allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly and refrigerate. Rewarm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes, until warmed throughout. Galette, like pie, will get soggy starting on the third day.