My Favorite Apple Pie

My last post on the blog was published way back on November 7. And today I'm republishing an existing recipe...so much for coming back, right? I can honestly say that I've had every intention of publishing something new but for the last few weeks, I've literally had no time to do much of anything. This entire moving out process was draining and exhausting...I mean, I went to IKEA not once, not twice, but three times last week. I love IKEA and their cinnamon buns and froyo and Swedish meatballs as much as the next guy, but three times in a week is just too much. When I wasn't at IKEA, I was packing, at Target, at Home Goods, at the Home Depot, basically anywhere and everywhere that wasn't my computer. I actually had a whole new recipe and photos that I could have published, but I didn't have spare second to even sit down and select which photos I wanted to publish, let alone edit them, type up a recipe, and write a reasonably coherent and mildly interesting blog post. And to be honest, I'm so pooped from the move that I'm still not sure I'm able to do so. I'm sure this isn't my most interesting post, but I think that all I need to get back in the game, now that I'm more or less settled into my amazing ew apartment, is a few days of rest and a whole lot of Thanksgiving in my belly. 

Since the big say is only two days away, I figured I would bring back an old recipe while I'm still recovering from moving my entire life up to my fourth floor walk up apartment. A really good, classic, no-frills apple pie is, in my opinion, the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert. I personally can't stand pumpkin pie (believe me, I've really tried hard just getting to a point where I think it's ok), so I consider apple pie to be the Thanksgiving dessert to end all Thanksgiving desserts, and this version is especially delicious. 

Homemade Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts

One of my earliest, EARLIEST posts on this tiny site of mine was all about pop tart pops. A bit more trouble than they were worth, poorly photographed, but tasty nevertheless. They were teeny tiny, filled with strawberry and peach preserves, drizzled in a sweet icing, and sprinkled with candy colored sugar. They were a "wholesome" breakfast option and a great after work snack. Fast forward two years, to when I questioned why I felt a need to make pop tarts on a stick. Surely I could be a better foodie than that. Fast forward to last weekend, when I found myself trapped inside my house on a snowy Sunday making mini pop tarts again. 

At least these were a bit bigger. And I got rid of the sticks. I replaced the candy colored sugar with candy colored jimmies (and chopped pistachios because I'm almost a grown up now). I did add more icing though. And used only strawberry filling because it's my favorite (how mature of me). I really don't know why I made these; the only explanation I have is that I was bored at home, came across some home made pop tart photos online, and got a huge urge to make a batch. Sometimes you just can't reason everything out logically. 

Strawberry Pie

Happy July, everyone!  The Fourth is the day after tomorrow, and I can't believe it's already here.  It seems like just yesterday that  New York was covered in snow and super cold temperatures, and yet here we are in the middle of summer.  I'm not complaining though!  New York had a rough winter, and I was so sick of the cold and snow by the time it finally ended.  The lovely weather we've been having recently has definitely helped me to forget about the chilly winter season, but I know that before long, the hot and humid days of summer will arrive and I'll be ready for the arrival of cooler weather.  Until that happens though, let's celebrate summer!  

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite parts of summer, and what's more American than celebrating the Fourth with some pie?  I love a good pie, and experimenting with pie is one of my favorite adventures to have in my kitchen.  Every time I set out to make a pie I learn something new that I try to write down to remember for next time.  Making a good pie has been an extensive learning process, filled with some really bad pies and some really stellar pies.  Like all good things though, good pies take practice, and I'm willing to keep working on mine until I get them perfect!

Pear, Brandy, & Vanilla Bean Brown Butter Slab Pie

I saved the best pie for last, of course.  It doesn't need much explanation.  Butter gets browned with a vanilla bean.  This vanilla scented brown butter gets tossed with pears, brown sugar, and some brandy.  This boozey and sweet pear mixture gets enveloped in between layers of rich, buttery, flaky pie crust.  There's no way a pie with this kind of filling and this crust could be anything short of delicious!

I'm keeping this a short, picture filled post because as always, I'm running late on all the things I have to do in preparation for tomorrow.  I'm in charge of bringing dessert, and I don't even have my dessert options finalized yet!  I do know that I'm definitely bringing a Pumpkin and Maple Bundt Cake, and an apple version of this slab pie, but aside from that, I'm not exactly sure what I'm making.  Cookie tray perhaps?  Cream Puffs?  I'll have to get back to doing some more thinking.  On top of all that, today is my dad's birthday, so I've also been busy baking up a couple of his favorite loaves of bread.  Busy busy day I've been having!

Perfectly Buttery, Flaky Pie Crust 101

If you're like most people, myself included, you love pie, whether it's for the filling, or for the crust.  You've also at some point been intimidated by the thought of making pie from scratch yourself, or maybe, you're still a bit intimidated.  I remember that I used to find the thought of making pie dough from scratch completely intimidating and daunting, that is, until I finally got the hang of it.  After a few attempts, and a few delicious (and of course, not so delicious) pies later, I was able to confidently say that I could make a pretty good pie crust.  It wasn't until recently, though, that I became able to say that I make a perfectly buttery and flaky pie crust. 

The interesting thing is that I've always used the same exact pie crust recipe.  I just like the way it tastes.  I think it's buttery and just has a subtle hint of sweetness that perfectly compliments the various pie fillings I use. This single pie crust recipe was able to produce two completely different pie crusts, meaning that the main factor in creating a perfect pie crust lies in the technique used, rather than the ingredients used.  

Chess Pie Tart

So, before I introduce this fantastic recipe, I just want to mention that this post right here, is my 200th post since starting this blog.  Yes, 200th.  It's not necessarily the 200th recipe that I'm sharing, but that milestone is coming up soon too.  I couldn't believe when I opened up Blogger to work on this post and saw that I had 199 published posts.  I have no idea where the time has gone, or how I've suddenly reached my 200th post, but I'll admit that it's pretty cool, and I'm excited to have gotten to this point!  But anyway.  Enough of this. Thanksgiving is only a few very short days away, and there are other more pressing and important things to discuss. Things like pie.  Things like chess pie.  Wait, you don't know what chess pie is?

I'll be honest.  I also had no idea what chess pie was until I made this tart version of it.  I had heard of chess pie before, but I really didn't know what made a chess pie a chess pie. I wouldn't have been able to describe what it tasted like, or even what ingredients where in it, or why it was even called chess pie.  I basically did't know anything about chess pie aside from that fact that I knew that such a thing actually existed.  Points for me, I guess?  As I was flipping through recipes for Thanksgiving pies and desserts, I knew that I needed to find a recipe that was actually quick and simple to put together, yet also one that could at the same time provide major wow factor.  It needed to be a pie that could be made together in advance and would taste delicious if served the next day.  I stumbled across this recipe, and after giving it a quick read, it seemed like it was the exact recipe that I had been searching for.  All I needed to do was make it and see if it would taste great the next day, so I went ahead and gave it a shot.  And now, I know exactly what chess pie is, and I know that it's seriously awesome.

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue...and a Guest Post!

And we're only a few short days from Thanksgiving!  Time has flown by, and by now, I'm sure many of you have your Thanksgiving spreads all planned out. Maybe you're sticking to traditional recipes that you've been using for years, or maybe you're digging up an old family favorite that you haven't made in quite some time. Or maybe, you're like me and have been obsessively searching through every food magazine, online and in print, in search of a new recipe that can grow and become a new tradition (Thanksgiving dinner isn't even being held at my house, yet I feel a compulsion to do this).  While all these things are good and dandy (did I really just say that...?), I really hope you haven't done too much figuring out in the dessert department, because I have some great ideas for you that I'll be sharing in these last few days before the big holiday.  Hopefully you're still in the dessert planning stages or are willing to squeeze in an extra dish to your already planned dessert menu, because I've got some pretty awesome things planned!

First up, as you may have guessed, is a sweet potato pie with marshmallow meringue.  I'd never actually had sweet potato pie before making this one, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.  I figured I'd like it, because I loveeee anything with sweet potatoes, but I wasn't entirely sure.  You see, sweet potato pie happens to look a LOT like pumpkin pie, and I really, really, really just DO NOT care for the stuff at all, so I was a bit apprehensive, thinking that it might also taste like pumpkin pie.  Really.  People like me actually exist, as hard as it may be to believe for some.  I've shared a pumpkin pie recipe before on the site, but I'll be honest with you, I didn't even like that pie.  The only reason that pie made it onto the blog was because my sister, who is obsessed with pumpkin pie, was around to try it and said it was pretty darn delicious.  I personally couldn't see (or taste, rather) the deliciousness that she was talking about, but trusted her judgement enough to post the recipe anyway.  This sweet potato pie, though, was a completely different story.  

This is a sweet potato pie with a graham cracker crust and an enormous mound of creamy marshmallowy meringue piled on top, and lightly toasted in the oven.  It's basically the dessert version of your favorite marshmallow topped sweet potato casserole, but kicked up like ten notches, at least.  It's rich and certainly indulgent, and while it borders on the verge of dessert overkill, trust me, it's damn good, and Thanksgiving is one of the few times a year where I say it's perfectly ok to just eat what makes you happy.  However, if this mountain of sweet and sticky marshmallow meringue is still leaving you feeling a bit overwhelmed, I definitely suggest you head over to Skinnytaste and take a look at the mini sweet potato meringue pies that are being featured today!  I've mentioned before that my cousin Gina runs the ever popular Skinnytaste blog, and has been serving as a mentor in helping me figure out this crazy and constantly changing world of food blogging, a favor for which I owe her many thanks.  Last week she asked me to help her create a light and delicious dessert that would be appropriate for Thanksgiving, and I was certainly up to the challenge.  I ended up getting some really great results, and while I won't reveal the secret to creating a light sweet potato pie here (you'll have to head over to Gina's blog to find out my secret!), just know that pie crust AND a marshmallow topping all made it on to the skinny version of my pie.  Sounds crazy, but it's true, so check it out if you're in search of something light and simple.  If you have more time to get your hands dirty and are ready to be indulgent, then by all means, please keep reading here!

Classic Sweet Cherry Pie

One of my most extreme summer obsessions involves cherries...lots of cherries.  I am a self-proclaimed cherry fiend, and I simply cannot get enough of these beautiful little summer fruits.  I'm addicted to them, and I have determined that there is no cure for this addiction, and to be very frank, that's totally ok with me.  I will live happily with my summer cherry obsession.  

I love eating cherries when they're fresh, and as is.  If you were to put a giant bowl of cherries, or the usual 2 1/2 pound bag that they sell in the supermarket, in front of me, there's a very good chance that I could eat every single last cherry, completely unassisted (and believe me, this has happened once or twice before).  I tend not to bake with fresh cherries too often (although this cherry clafoutis is a delicious exception, and you should definitely try it out if you're in need of an easy dessert), simply because I can't bear the thought of not being able to enjoy the cherries in their natural state.  This is actually a problem that I have to deal with during the summer almost all the time, and with all fruits in general, to be honest.  I mean, I love the idea of mixing up a fabulous peach cobbler, a refreshing champagne mango sorbet, and a beautiful mixed berry crisp as much as the next crazed food blogger/general population, but eating fruit in its fresh state is an idea that I love even more, especially because in the summertime, these fruits are at their peak, and you just can't find really delicious peaches, champagne mangoes, or mixed berries, let alone cherries, in the dead of winter.  I sometimes feel like I am doing a disservice to the fruit itself by enjoying it in any other form than its natural state. 

But then, I decide to get over my semi-existential crisis mode, and instead bake myself a pie.   

Strawberry and Blueberry Hand Pies

Things are a bit weird around here. For starters, I'm bundled up in my fuzziest sweatpants and hoodie and am sitting underneath a mountain of fuzzy blankets as I'm writing this.  The weather has been crazy these past couple of days, and it's been cold and then hot, and then super rainy and super windy, and then suddenly, it's a perfectly calm day, only to be interrupted ten minutes later by gray skies and heavy wind.  I don't know what's going on with the weather, but what I do know is that it's brought out all the pollen in the world, and I'm dying because of it.  Sheesh, two days of not taking my allergy medicine because it was packed away while I was packing up all my belongings to move back home from school has left me in a serious funk.  My allergies are driving me nuts, and wait....move back home from school?  

Yep.  I'm home for good.  

It's so crazy to think that I'm actually finished with college.  I don't think it's really sunk in yet, because it just feels like I'm home for summer vacation right now, but I know that sooner or later, it's going to really hit me.  I'm both happy and sad about finishing my time at Columbia- I know that it was a huge accomplishment to get to this point, but at the same time, I feel like a huge part of my life is just missing right now.  Leaving campus for the last time on Thursday morning felt so indescribably strange, because I knew that there would be no "next year."  Nevertheless, as bittersweet as this time is, I know that I've gained so much from my time at Columbia, and I'm so excited to see what comes next!  

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Alright.  It's time to be totally honest with you guys.  I really dislike pumpkin pie.  I'm being serious.  I have never ever liked it, and I don't think I ever will, although that could maybe change, eventually.  My dislike of pumpkin things in general has changed a lot in the past year, and ever singe I baked up a batch of pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and a batch of miniature pumpkin doughnut muffins, my dislike of pumpkin-things started to fade away.  Pumpkin things could actually be tasty!  In fact, just writing about those miniature pumpkin doughnut muffins makes me wish I had a batch right now...they were really THAT good!  A couple of weeks ago I posted a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake muffins, which were also really delicious, and very, very, very shortly, I'll actually be posting another delicious pumpkin recipe!  I think I like pumpkin when it's baked into muffins or yeast breads, and pumpkin pancakes are actually pretty good too.  But pumpkin pie...that's a whole other story.  

I really just don't like it. 

I guess it's strange, then, that I'm posting a recipe for classic pumpkin pie.  But, given that Thanksgiving is only a couple of short days away, and that pumpkin pie is a popular favorite around this time of year, I figured I HAD to post a pumpkin pie recipe this time.  Also because my sister wouldn't stop nagging me about making a pumpkin pie.  My sister is the only person in my family who actually likes, no, LOVES, pumpkin pie, and she's always asking for pumpkin pie during Thanksgiving and the fall season.  Her pumpkin pie requests usually get denied, because no one else in my house is willing to eat the pie with her, but I figured that this time, I would give in, and make her a pumpkin pie.  

Key Lime Pie

I was never really much of a beach person (shocking I know, anti-beach people like former-me actually exist) up until this summer.  I don't really know why I never liked the beach, I just knew that it was soooo not my thing.  My parents aren't really beach people either, so I didn't really spend a lot of time at the beach when I was little.  I mean sure, I went to the beach a handful of times growing up with my cousins, and I did spend a week in Santa Marta (a city off the coast of Colombia) going to the beach every day I was there, but other than that, I can't say I have too many memories of myself at the beach.  I hated getting sand all over me, I though seaweed was gross (I still kind of think this), I was convinced that beaches were dirty, and the idea of being totally exposed to the hot rays of the sun with no possible chance of shade relief seemed like a terrible idea to me.  Hot weather and I just don't mix very well at times...I'm probably the only person that has somehow managed to end up angry at Disney World.  Yes, despite Disney World being the happiest place on Earth, visiting Orlando in the middle of August when there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it felt like 125 degrees in the shade just made me livid.  The part that makes this even sadder is that I wasn't even that little when this last happened...I was like 16 years old or something.  My parents still rub this story in my face every chance they get, but I digress.

Back to the beach.  

Something happened this summer where I decided that I needed to give myself a mild attitude adjustment.  If the marjority of the population actually likes going to the beach and everyone seems to be having a good time there, and if it's become a normal and socially accepted summertime activity...then maybe it couldn't be THAT bad.  I set a goal for myself this summer; I was going to learn to love (or at least appreciate) the beach, and you know what...it's kind of working.  I wouldn't say I LOVE the beach just yet, but I definitely won't turn down any beach day invites in the future.  I'll admit that I found the beach to be relaxing, and even enjoyable.  I still hate getting sand everywhere, but I suppose that just comes with the territory.  All I needed was the right mindset, and I ended up learning to enjoy something new.  Crazy how that works, right?

Blueberry Pie

It happened again this weekend...the amazing blueberry sale at the supermarket came back.  Last year, the sale was offering blueberries at 99 cents a pint.  This year, you could buy a case of 6 pints for $7.00.  Maybe not as good as last year, but whatever...this sale was still pretty legit, and I made sure to take full advantage of it.  My love for fresh blueberries is just too much to let something like this pass by.  I think I bought two cases on Sunday. I think my mom went back and bought a couple more cases this week.  That's a lot of blueberries. Here's the sad part though...we don't really have that many left...

 

You'd think that buying tons and tons of blueberries like we did would ensure that they would last quite some time, but you'd actually be wrong.  My sister and I kind of just...ate them.  We ate SO many.  I didn't even get to freeze any of them!  What is wrong with me!  What am I going to do later in the year when there are no fresh blueberries to be found!?  Thank goodness for rainchecks...phew!  I still have a chance to get some more berries, and I promise to stick those straight in the freezer and store them for later in the year.  But until I get myself to the supermarket to do that, let me tell you what I did with the berries that I was able to restrain myself from eating straight out of the container.  I made a fresh blueberry pie! 

Mini Strawberry-Rhubarb Pies

Every now and then we think up an idea that at the time seems brilliant and amazing, and no matter what, we HAVE to go through with it.  This happens to me all the time.  Last summer, I got the idea of making a sour-cherry lattice top pie stuck in my head.  I just HAD to make one.  Mind you, I had only made like...one pie before that in my life, and it had a crumble for the topping; it wasn't even a double crust pie!  I'm not really sure how I figured that I would be able to put together a lattice crust given that I had practically no experience with pie dough.  Other fun factors that added to this situation was that I decided to try a completely brand new pie crust recipe, despite having made a pie crust successfully before.  I'm not sure why I didn't choose to simply reuse that recipe that I knew worked, but I just HAD to try out a new recipe for some reason.  To make matters even more fun, I also didn't have a cherry pitter...and I still don't (this fact will change soon, I'm sure). I decided to give myself the added pleasure of pitting about 2 pounds of cherries by hand.  These were clearly all great decisions on my part.  

Spiced Apple-Cranberry Pie

Thanksgiving is less than a week away...um, excuse me, what?  It's really already almost Thanksgiving?  No way.  This means that it's almost Christmas countdown season, which means that this year is practically over.  Woah.  That might be too much to handle at the moment.  This year went by way too quickly it seems...but I feel like we always say that, every single year.  It always seems to go by too fast.  But anyway.  Now that that realization has been made, let's focus on the fact that Thanksgiving is less than a week away.  Need a dessert?  Make this. Spiced Apple-Cranberry Pie...it'll knock your socks off. 

Seriously, it will.

Peach Crumble Pie

I used to really dislike peaches when I was little.  First, my mom would always lecture me to eat the peach very carefully, because peach juice stains everything permanently, and then she would wrap the peach in a paper towel to catch any peach juice so that it wouldn't drip onto my clothes, making the actual eating process such a nuisance.  However, more importantly, they were just too fuzzy for me.  How on earth could anyone seriously look me in the eye and tell me that a hairy and fuzzy fruit was actually delicious…it just made no sense to me. “Fruits just shouldn’t be fuzzy,” I would think to myself, “that’s just weird.”

Fortunately, I’ve become a much more mature person in these past couple of years, and have grown to really appreciate and love fuzzy fruits (except kiwis, those are a whole other story…don’t even get me started with them).  Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, and lately, I’ve been on a real peach kick, and I’ve become pretty obsessed…I even switched from using strawberry jelly on virtually everything to using peach preserves…I’m trying not to let this obsession get out of hand.  They are just too darn pretty and delicious though!