Big Apple Pie #40

                             




                                      Big Apple Pie  (page 233)


3 pounds red or golden apples, 2 or 3 different kinds,
 peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider, or apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

several grindings of black pepper

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

pastry for pie shell and top

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water

Whipped cream or ice cream for serving


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place apples in a large bowl. Add sugar, apple cider or vinegar, cinnamon, salt, pepper and flour. Mix well.

2. Line a deep-dish 9 or 10 inch pie pan with half the pastry, leaving a generous top edge. Prick bottom of pastry shell with tines of a fork. Transfer apples to pie pan, mounding slightly in center. Cut butter into bits, and distribute over apples.

3. Cover apples with the other half of the pastry. Trim around edges, and crimp the top and bottom pastry together. Using a pastry brush, paint the top of the pastry with the egg wash.With a sharp knife, make a hole in the center of the pastry. Make 5 cuts, each about 3 inches long, radiating from the center hole.

4. Put the pie pan on a baking sheet, and bake on the lower level of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, and bake for about 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 8-10 people.

Bolzano Apple Cake #39

                                                        Bolzano Apple Cake  (page 40)


4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

5 Granny Smith apples

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Confectioner's sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, then grease with thick layer of butter. Dust with flour, and tap lightly to remove excess.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Set aside. Beat together eggs and half of the granulated sugar to blend. Continue to beat while slowly adding remaining sugar, until the mixture is thick and light and forms a ribbon when dropped from a spoon.

3. Peel, quarter and core the apples, then trim ends and slice thin. 

4. Stir butter into egg-sugar mixture. Whisk together 1/2 cup flour and the baking powder, then stir it into the batter alternately with milk. Fold in apples, making sure they are well-coated with batter. Pour batter into pan and smooth top.

5. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan;bake for about 25 minutes more, until cake pulls away from pan and is brown on top. A thin-bladed knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Cool 30 minutes.  Dust with sifted confectioner's sugar before serving. Serves 6-8 people.

Sauteed Apple Pie #26

                                   Sauteed Apple Pie  (page 236)


4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

10-12 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and
sliced 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

pie crust pastry

1 Tbsp. heavy cream


1. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet, preferably not nonstick. (Apples will not caramelize as well in a nonstick pan.) Add apples, sprinkle with 3/4 cup sugar, and saute, turning apples, about 10 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized. Fold in cinnamon. Spread cooked apples on a platter to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide pastry into two unequal halves; roll out larger portion on a lightly floured board, and line pie pan. Spoon in cooled apples. Roll out remaining pastry, and cover pan; seal and crimp edges. 

3. Brush pastry with cream, and dust with remaining sugar. Bake about 40 minutes, until pastry is golden. Cool briefly, then serve with ice cream. Serves 8-12.

Comment: Not too sweet, just the right amount of cinnamon, and better than Marie Calendar's!

Apple Strudel #18

                                      Apple Strudel  (page 323)

 Apfelstrudel is a specialty of Austria and Bavaria. the history of the strudel dates back hundreds of years, however it was the Turkish baklava pastry, introduced into Austria in 1453 that laid the foundation for the Strudel.



4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup golden seedless raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

4  16-by-22 inch sheets phyllo, thawed

Confectioner's sugar

1. In a large bowl, combine apples, granulated sugar, raisins, pecans, cinnamon, salt and 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Toss until mixed.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on cookie sheet, and brush lightly with melted butter. Spoon apple mixture over phyllo to within 1 1/2 inches of edges. Roll up jellyroll fashion. Brush with remaining melted butter. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool, then sprinkle lightly with confectioner's sugar. Serve warm. Serves 6-8 people.

Apple Upside-Down Cake #17

                                         Apple Upside-Down Cake  (page 79)


6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into
slices 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. apple cider, or Calvados

3/4 cup sifted cake flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder


1. Melt 4 Tbsp. of the butter in a heavy skillet. Add the apple slices and saute over high heat about 5 minutes, until the apples are tender, beginning to brown, but still holding their shape. Remove the skillet from the heat.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 9-inch pie plate in the oven, add the remaining butter and allow it to melt. Remove the pie pan from the oven.

3. Tip the pan so it is completely coated with butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and spread in the pan. Return the pan to the oven just until the sugar has melted. Remove from the oven and spread the sugar mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.

4. Arrange the apple slices in a pattern over the brown sugar in the bottom of the pan. 

5. Beat eggs until thick, gradually adding the granulated sugar, beating until light and lemon-colored. Stir in cider or spirits.

6. Sift the flour with the baking powder, and fold into the batter. 

7. Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Bake 30 minutes. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes, then unmold the cake onto a large platter, and serve while 

still warm. Serves 6-8 people.

                               Bon Apetit!

Apple Crepes #7

                                                   Apple Crepes  (page 201)

  7 Tbsp. unsalted butter                           2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored 
 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour                     and cut into rounds 1/4 inch thick
 4 large eggs
 2 cups milk                                               Whipped cream or ice cream for garnish
 1 1/2 tsp. salt
 2/3 cup milk

1. Melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter. Let cool.

2. Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. Add eggs one at a time, stirring in gently to mix eggs gradually with flour.

3. Add milk a little at a time until it is smoothly incorporated. Add salt and 2 Tbsp. sugar, and stir to mix. Pass batter through a fine sieve; then mix in melted butter.Refrigerate up to 12 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

5. Place an 8-inch nonstick omelet or saute pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp. butter and 4-5 apple slices. When butter starts to color, turn over apple rounds, and pour in 1/4 cup crepe batter, tilting pan to coat it evenly.

  6. When batter is set and browning at edges, flip crepe with a wide spatula. Top with 1/2 Tbsp. of butter. Sprinkle evenly with 1 Tbsp. sugar. Brown about one minute and flip again. Immediately transfer to a baking sheet and place in oven. repeat with remaining ingredients. Transfer crepes to individual dessert plates. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

  Great for dessert or breakfast!