Brown Bagging It

With Fall here, it's the perfect time to go pick some apples at a local orchard or pick some up at the grocery store.  But this time, when they ask "Paper or plastic," go with the paper, because you're going to bake your pie in it

That's right, baking the pie in a brown paper bag makes a perfect, crunchy yet flaky crust and a perfectly cooked filling —neither too hard nor too mushy.

My husband spent most of Sunday afternoon working out in the yard and flowerbeds before winter, so the least I could do for him was bake him a pie.

To start - my foolproof pie crust. (makes 2, one for now and one to freeze)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups lard
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup very cold water

--Add flour, shortening, sugar, and salt to a large bowl. Get out your pastry cutter.
Mix flour and shortening with the pastry cutter until it looks nice and crumbly, crumbs should be much small than the size of peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, egg, and water.

Add to the flour mixture, stirring until well moistened.

Shape it with clean hands into a ball of pastry dough. (Don’t overhandle.)
Divide the dough into four equal-sized balls.

OK, pie for breakfast

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 disk into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Keep rolling until the circle is at least 2 inches larger than your pan. Line the pie pan with the dough, letting the edge hang over a bit. Roll the second disk, place it on a sheet pan, and chill it until you're ready to build your pie.

Filling:

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Equipment: 9-inch aluminum pie pan, 1 medium-sized brown paper bag

Give the Dog a Snack

Make the Filling:

In a medium bowl, toss the apple slices with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Transfer to the pie shell and dot with the butter. Brush the overhanging edges of the dough with water. Carefully cover with the rolled-out top crust, then pinch the edges together and turn them under all around to make a thick edge. To decorate the rim, press it all around with the back of a fork, or just pinch it to seal. With a knife, cut a couple of small V's in the top crust.

Slide the pie into the brown paper bag and fold the top down. Staple the bag shut and place it on a sheet pan. Bake  in a preheated 425 F. oven for 1 hour (check at 50 minutes).

Let the pie cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Autumn Play

It's getting darker earlier and earlier, so Sunny and Napoleon have been having their play dates as soon as Nap's Mom gets home from school (she works with autistic children).  They don't let the waning light and the cooler temperatures slow them down.  Let's Play!

The Grills of Summer

As summer says goodbye, and Fall starts making that "let's just be friends" speech, it's time to think about one last grill. It's dipped down in the 40s at night this last week, so it was a "now or next summer" kind of moment.

First, I made some buns - well, not exactly buns.  I had no yeast, no eggs, and no milk, as my husband had been on the road on a long trip and I had used up what I had, and hadn't needed to make a trip to the store (or the fence to trade the neighbors some bread for eggs from their chickens).

I had flour, butter, and Kefir (fermented milk found in the yogurt aisle) and honey. These turned out great - sturdy enough for the burger, but with a texture that was tender and biscuit-like, soaking up all the burger juices. Plus, they took 5 minutes to get into the oven. The leftovers will be frozen to be a base for stew in the coming weeks

No yeast "Buncuits" (a cross between a biscuit and a hamburger bun)
In one bowl, mix:
3 and 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

In another bowl mix:
1 and 1/2 cups kefir (fermented milk drink) or plain yogurt

1 stick butter, softened until starting to melt 

3 Tablespoons wild honey

Combine wet and dry and stir until it holds together. Place on a floured board and knead 12-14 times, adding flour as necessary to keep it from being too sticky. This is more than you'd knead biscuits but LESS than bread. You don't want it so smooth and elastic that you have a hockey puck when you are done. Make six small balls out of the dough. Knead the dough in your hands, form it into a ball, and place it on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake in a 375°F preheated oven for 17-20 minutes. The top will NOT get brown, but the bottom will. Check for doneness with a toothpick.

 Then, it was time to light the briquettes.

 The rest, they say, is history.

Bison burger with Worcestershire and maple bacon seasoning, sharp cheddar, and garlic mayo on the tender "buncuit".  It was worth it.

ARE YOU GOING TO EAT THAT?

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It's that time of year for the Fall school picture. . .

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CHEESE!!