Apple Cookbook (16 page)

2 medium apples (Granny Smith, Braeburn, Newtown Pippin, Northern Spy) or 2 cups drained canned apple slices

1 teaspoon butter

2 cups pumpkin purée, canned or fresh

1½ cups light cream or half-and-half

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1
. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 10-inch pie plate.

2
. Roll out the pastry and fit it into the pie plate. Trim and flute the edges. Refrigerate.

3
. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices. Place in a skillet with the butter, cover, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain. If you are using canned apples, simply drain and set aside.

4
. Place the pumpkin, cream, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat together until smooth.

5
. Arrange the apple slices in the bottom of the chilled pastry shell and pour the pumpkin mixture over them.

6
. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake for 35–40 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

Yield: 8–10 servings

Apples and raspberries go well together, perhaps better than any other apple combination. At least I think that until I taste apples and peaches, apples and strawberries, or apples and cranberries
.

pastry for a double piecrust (pages 113–115)

1 tablespoon raspberry jam

1 package (12 ounces) frozen raspberries, thawed and drained with the juice reserved

1½ tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup plus 1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

4 large apples (Rome Beauty)

Note:
If you use fresh raspberries, you will need 1½–2 cups of berries plus ½ cup apple or apple-raspberry juice to use in step 3.

1
. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch pie plate.

2
. Roll out half of the pastry and fit it into the pie plate. Smooth the raspberry jam over the bottom of the pie shell. Refrigerate.

3
. Pour the reserved juice from the raspberries into a small saucepan; stir in the cornstarch and

¼ cup of the sugar.

4
. Bring the cornstarch mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring until the juice is thick and smooth. Remove from the heat, stir in the drained raspberries, and cool.

5
. Combine the flour and the remaining
¹
/
₃
cup sugar.

6
. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices.

7
. Alternate layers of apple slices and the flour mixture in the chilled pie shell. Top with the cooled raspberry mixture.

8
. Roll out the top crust, place over the filling, trim and flute the edges. Cut 3 vents in the center.

9
. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce oven to 350°F, and bake for 30–40 minutes longer, until the crust is golden brown. If the edges start to brown too quickly, cover with strips of aluminum foil. Allow the pie to set for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm, with English Custard Sauce (page 152) or vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Another recipe given to me by my good friend Ann Kojis Ziff when we worked together in New York City. With its pretty pink interior and lightly golden swirled meringue crust, it is a festive holiday pie
.

pastry for a single 9-inch piecrust (page 114)

1 egg white, at room temperature, beaten

3 medium apples (Ida Red, Empire, Golden Delicious)

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups fresh cranberries

½ cup granulated sugar

M
ERINGUE
T
OPPING

3 egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ cup granulated sugar

1
. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.

2
. Roll out the pastry; fit it into the pie plate. Flute the edges. Brush the egg white over the pastry. Refrigerate.

3
. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices. Place in a medium-sized bowl. Mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and ginger. Toss with the apple slices and put into the crust.

4
. Combine the cranberries and granulated sugar. Using a fork, lightly crush the cranberries. Spread over the apples.

5
. Cover the filling with a piece of aluminum foil in which a ½-inch hole has been cut in the middle. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350°F and bake 45 minutes longer.

6
. T
O MAKE THE MERINGUE TOPPING
, place the 3 egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium-sized bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until foamy. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar — 2 tablespoons at a time — beating continuously. When the whites are stiff, spread over the hot filling, bringing the meringue to the edges of the crust to form a seal. Return the pie to the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes longer at 350°F, until golden. Allow the pie to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Brambleberry is the British name for blackberries, which make a dark, juicy filling. When she thinks she needs to make a variation on pie, my mother will make this into a cobbler, which is actually easier, because the dough doesn’t require rolling
.

5 large apples (Rhode Island Greening, Granny Smith, Fuji)

1 cup sugar

½ cups blackberries or brambleberries

pastry for a single piecrust (pages 113–114)

1 egg white, beaten

Note:
This pie is very juicy, because no thickener is added. If you prefer a thicker consistency, mix 3 tablespoons flour with the sugar.

1
. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish or soufflé dish.

2
. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices. Layer half in the dish.

3
. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the sugar. Cover with the berries, then the remaining sugar. Finish with the apple slices.

4
. Roll out the pastry 1½ inches larger than the dish. Cover the filling with the pastry, turn under the overhang, trimming where necessary, and press firmly to the rim of the dish. Make a pattern around the edges, if desired, with the tines of a fork.

5
. Cut 3 steam vents in the crust and brush with the egg white to glaze. Bake for 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden. If the edges start to brown too quickly, cover with strips of aluminum foil. Allow the pie to cool and serve with English Custard Sauce (page 152).

Yield: 8 servings

This recipe was given to me by Louise Salinger of Salinger’s Orchard in Brewster, New York. Having been married to an orchardist for 40 years and having raised a family, Louise knows more about apples and pies than anyone else I’ve met. Her daughter-in-law, Maureen, who is head baker for Salinger’s Orchard Apple Market, comes in a very close second
.

pastry for a single 10-inch piecrust (page 113)

5 large apples (Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Fuji)

1½ cups sour cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup chopped pecans

1
. Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease a 10-inch pie plate.

2
. Roll out the pastry and fit it into the pie plate. Flute the edges and refrigerate.

3
. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices. Arrange in the chilled pie shell.

4
. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, granulated sugar, ¼ cup of the flour, egg, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and pour over the apple slices.

5
. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce oven to 350°F, and bake for 30 minutes longer.

6
. Mix the remaining ½ cup flour, brown sugar, and butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the pecans and sprinkle over the baked pie.

7
. Return the pie to the oven and bake 15 minutes longer, or until the topping is golden brown.

Yield: 8 servings

With streusel oat crumb topping and base sandwiching a luscious combination of fruits, this is a most satisfying crumble pie
.

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 medium apples (Golden Delicious, Empire)

2 cups sliced rhubarb

2 cups whole strawberries, hulled

1
. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 10-inch pie plate.

2
. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, and butter. Blend well.

3
. Take two-thirds of the mixture and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Refrigerate.

4
. Mix the granulated sugar, flour, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl.

5
. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices.

6
. Toss the apples, rhubarb, and strawberries with the sugar and flour mixture and pour into the chilled streusel base. Sprinkle with the remaining streusel crumbs.

7
. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake for 30 minutes longer or until golden brown. Let cool before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Hank is a photographer who also sells apples at Salinger’s Orchard in Brewster, New York. When I was buying apples and peaches toward the end of a particularly beautiful summer, Hank described the apple and peach pie he’d made that weekend. It sounded so delicious that when I arrived home I reconstructed it — he hadn’t worked from a recipe
.

5 medium apples (Cortland, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Braeburn)

3/4 cup sugar

¼ cup instant tapioca

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

5 medium peaches pastry for a single piecrust (pages 113–116

1
. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.

2
. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¼-inch slices. Put into a bowl.

3
. Mix the sugar, tapioca, lemon zest, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Sprinkle the apple slices with the spice mixture and toss until completely coated.

4
. Remove the pits from the peaches and cut into ½-inch slices. Place in a separate bowl.

5
. Starting with the apple slices, layer the apples and peaches in the greased dish.

6
. Roll out the pastry 1½ inches larger than the casserole dish. Cover the filling with the pastry, turn under the overhang, trim where necessary, and press firmly to the rim of the dish. Make a pattern around the edges, if desired, with the tines of a fork.

7
. Cut 3 steam vents in the crust and bake for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. If the edges start to brown too quickly, cover with strips of aluminum foil. Let the pie cool before serving.

Yield: 8–10 servings

The homemade apple purée is like a thick, smooth sauce. You could also start with store-bought applesauce and cook it down to a thicker consistency. Or you could use thick apple butter
.

pastry for a single piecrust (pages 113–116)

4 large apples (Granny Smith, Empire, Golden Delicious)

2–4 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1
. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 12 small muffin cups or a tin tartlet pan.

2
. Roll out the pastry to a rectangle 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round pastry cutter, cut out 12 circles and fit into the muffin cups. Pat the pastry up the sides and around the rims of the cups and press down with the tines of a fork.

3
. Prick the base of each crust with a fork and fill each with crumpled aluminum foil or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil or beans and bake for 5 minutes longer. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

4
. Peel, core, and slice the apples. Put into a saucepan, cover, and cook slowly until soft, approximately 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook 5–10 minutes longer, until the moisture has evaporated.

5
. Add the sugar and nutmeg. Stir until the mixture is like a thick purée. Cool.

6
. Preheat the broiler. Fill the cool tartlet crusts with the cool apple purée. Top with the Cheddar and broil for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Serve warm or cooled.

Yield: 12 small tartlets