It’s a Great Day for Baking!

I woke up this morning, earlier than usual for a Saturday morning, and heard the rain coming down steadily on the roof. The weather forecast says the temperature isn’t expected to get any higher than the low 40’s today. The first thought in my mind was “what a great day for baking!”. This is the scene out my kitchen window. The grass is still deceptively green. If it weren’t the middle of November, you might think it was Spring.

Tomorrow we have our family gathering for Thanksgiving. Mom is roasting the turkey and everyone is bringing a dish. I said I would bring a dessert. We are a large family, so I wanted to make something that would feed a lot of people. A friend at work had given me some Food Network recipes for Slab Pies and that looked like the perfect choice. I thawed cherries we bought at a road side stand in Michigan this summer and picked up some ready-made pie crust. To me, the crust is just the necessary vehicle for the filling. I’ll eat the crust because I don’t like to waste anything, but the filling is the best part. I can’t recall ever making a lattice-topped pie, so I guess I can now check this off of my culinary bucket list. I’ve had the pastry wheel in my kitchen drawer for years, just waiting for me to use it today. I used the ruffled edge to make it a little prettier. If you don’t have a pastry wheel, use a pizza cutter or even just a sharp paring knife. Whatever tool you use, be sure to protect the surface of your counter as you cut. Here’s the link to the recipe.

Chocolate-Cherry Lattice Slab Pie

The instructions are easy to follow. If you are patient and take your time to go step by step, you can make a pretty attractive pie. I forgot to dot the top with butter, but there was no turning back once the weaving began. I don’t think the taste will suffer much for that omission. I had a few cracks that I pinched together, my lines are a little wavy, and there are a few outright breaks in the weaving, but overall it’s not bad for a first attempt. I had the presence of mind to put the pan on another pan in case of overflow, but wouldn’t you know it, not a drop was spilled. Planning is everything.

There was quite a pile of pie crust scraps left over and I pondered what to do with that. Kevin suggested a baked apple and that was the answer. There are apples on my counter that I’ve been packing in our lunches. I’m not sure what variety they are, but the texture is firm. They are not super sweet, but not as tart as Granny Smith. I balled up the pie dough and rolled it out into about a 10-inch circle. I cored one medium apple, but left the peel on. I put the apple in the center of the circle then sprinkled about 2 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar (mix about 1 cup of sugar with a teaspoon of ground cinnamon) down the center of the hole. Next I cut about two tablespoons of butter to fit the opening and pushed it down into the cavity. I topped that off with a generous sprinkling of more cinnamon sugar, then carefully pulled up the edges of the crust and folded the ends into the center of the hole. I worked my way around the apple overlapping the crust as needed until I had completely sealed the apple in the crust. I left a small vent opening in the middle and put the apple gently into a cocotte. You could use any small individual baking dish you have, too. This went into the oven along with the slab pie for about an hour. The pie came out after about 50 minutes, but I let the whole apple bake a little longer so that it would be tender and soft. Dessert for tomorrow is done and so is dessert for tonight!

Pear Cinnamon and Almond Galette (or is it a Crostata?)

As I passed the fruit bowl tonight I noticed two large pears getting very ripe indeed. These can’t be wasted. What shall I do? Make a quick Galette. Or is it a Crostata? What’s the difference? Either word means a rustic, free form tart. One is French and the other is Italian, other than that, I’m not really sure what distinguishes them. A single ready-made pie crust can help you put a fresh hot pastry on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in under an hour. I took a very basic recipe of fruit, sugar, cornstarch, pie crust and egg wash and added a few embellishments.

Pear Cinnamon and Almond Galette

3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 large, ripe pears
1/2 of a package of ready-made refrigerated pie crust (I like Pillsbury)
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 to 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt (optional for a la mode)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the sugar and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl. Peel and core the pears and slice into 1/2-inch chunks. Add pears to the bowl and mix gently with the sugar and cornstarch until the pears are coated. Take care if your pears are very ripe as they will turn to mush if you stir too aggressively. It’s more appealing to the eye and the palate when there’s a bit of texture. Line a rimmed baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper and carefully unroll the single pie crust out flat. Spread the pear mixture from the center of the crust out towards the edges but leave about a two-inch margin bare. Gently fold the edges of the crust over the fruit (but don’t cover it completely), overlapping a bit to shape it into a round. Beat the egg with the milk in a small dish and brush the crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top of the fruit with the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle with the almond slices. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit center is bubbling. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, if desired.

Apple Cranberry Cobbler

Next up is individual Apple Cranberry Cobblers. You’ll need 3 x 1 1/2-inch ramekins. The recipe says that it makes 8, however I had enough left over to make 4 more 6-once custard cups – 12 servings in all. You may also make one large cobbler using a 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish.
These make a nice presentation for individual desserts or sampler size when you want to do several desserts in small portions.

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups whole fresh cranberries (may use 1 12-ounce package frozen cranberries, thawed)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups oat topping (recipe follows)

Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Grease the ramekins or casserole dish with butter. Place the ramekins (or large baking dish) on a rimmed baking sheet for easy handling. In a large bowl, combine the apples, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared baking dishes. Top each ramekin with 1/4 cup of the oat topping ( I used about 2 tablespoons each) or spread all of the topping over the single larger dish. Place the cobblers on the pan in the oven and baked for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the filling starts to bubble. Serve warm.

Oat Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup chopped English walnuts

In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, oats and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Add the butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or two knives. Stir in the walnuts with a spoon. Use immediately or transfer to a covered container and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.