i know this looks like a fall or winter dessert, but after the cold, rainy weekend we just had here, we’re not making any excuses for cooking up tons of apples in brown sugar and cinnamon. besides, sunday was pi day, and the culinary calendar demanded that we make a pie of some kind. the ice cream was just a bonus. now with that out of the way, i’m going to make a bold statement: this apple tart may be the greatest thing i’ve ever baked.

it’s a dessert you’ll dream about, waiting impatiently to bake a new one before devouring it in mere hours. a bite of the tart combined with a spoonful of the ice cream…there were literally no words exchanged while we ate.

there’s not much the girl and i don’t have in the kitchen since we moved in together, but when i received a few gift certificates, i got myself a shiny new tart pan. bon appétit magazine has probably 2 tart recipes per issue, so i didn’t have to look far for inspiration. although the recipe may look a bit daunting, it’s actually pretty simple when you get down to it, which is what makes it so delicious in the first place.

take 2 lbs granny smith apples, cored, peeled and diced…

…and cook down with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. you could stop right here and just eat, but i promise it gets even better.

there is a quick caramel sauce that we almost considered omitting in fear that the tart would be sweet enough without it, but we were so glad we kept it in – not only does it give a great base to which the apples can adhere, it also bubbles over during baking, adding extra (duh) gooey caramelization to the crust.

so once you have your apples piled in the tart, just top with a simple crumb mixture (not pictured here) made of butter, brown sugar and flour (and nuts if you like). you end up with a beautiful golden crispy crust.

and let’s not forget about the ice cream. it only takes a few hours to make, but it’s best if you do it ahead of time and serve it with the tart hot from the oven. if you have guests over, the smell will drive them crazy until it’s time to eat. but just wait until they actually take a bite. i’m not saying this tart will make you some new best friends for life, but it can’t hurt.

caramel apple tart
makes 1 9-inch tart and 1 1/2 quarts ice cream. from bon appétit magazine. UPDATE: i originally wrote that the crust called for 1 cup butter.  it should be 1/2 cup butter. it has been corrected below.

crust
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/4 c sugar
1 egg yolk
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

caramel sauce
2/3 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp sea salt

filling
1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp (1/4 stick) butter
2 lbs granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp whiskey (optional)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

crumb topping
6 Tbsp flour
6 Tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c pecans, toasted (optional)
3 Tbsp chilled butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

cinnamon ice cream
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1/2 c whole milk
3/4 c sugar
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp dark rum (optional)
1tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. make the crust: beat the butter in a medium bowl until smooth. add sugar, egg yolk and salt; beat until blended. add flour and beat just until dough begins to clump together. gather dough into ball and flatten into a disk. press into bottom and up sides of 9 inch tart pan. pierce crust all over with fork. freeze crust for 30 minutes. preheat the oven to 375F. bake crust until golden brown and baked through, about 30 minutes. cool crusts in pan on wire rack. can be made 1 day ahead – store airtight in pans at room temperature.

2. make the caramel sauce: combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in a heavy medium saucepan. stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, occasionally brushing down pan sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystallization, and swirling pan, about 6 minutes. remove pan from heat. add cream, then butter and salt. the mixture will bubble. stir vigorously until smooth. can be made 1 day ahead – cover and chill. to rewarm, place on medium-low heat until just pourable.

3. make the filling: whisk brown sugar and cornstarch in a bowl to blend. melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. add apple pieces and saute until almost tender, about 10 minutes. add brown sugar mixture; stir until sugar dissolves, then add vanilla, whiskey (optional) and cinnamon. simmer until juices are bubbling and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. remove from heat and cool completely.

4. make the crumb topping: blend flour, brown sugar and salt in a food processor. add pecans (optional) and blend until coarsely chopped. add butter and process just until small moist clumps form. can be made 1 day ahead – cover and chill.

5. assemble the tart: preheat the oven to 375F. place the tart crust on a baking sheet (in case filling bubbles over during baking). pour caramel sauce on crust and spread to cover. spoon the apple filling down over the caramel sauce and top with the crumb topping. bake until apple filling is bubbling and topping is crisp and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. cool 5 minutes, then carefully loosen crust from sides of pan with a small sharp knife and remove the pan sides. cool 10 minutes more before cutting and serving.

6. make the ice cream: whisk egg yolks to blend in medium metal bowl. pour 1 cup cream into another medium bowl; set fine strainer over bowl with cream. whisk milk, sugar, pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup cream in heavy medium saucepan; bring to simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg yolks. return mixture to same saucepan and stir constantly over medium-low heat until custard thickens slightly and instant-read thermometer reads 160F-170F, about 5 minutes.

7. pour custard through strainer set on bowl over cream. whisk mixture to blend; mix in whiskey (optional), vanilla and cinnamon. chill custard until cold, about 2 hours.  process custard in ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. transfer ice cream to container; cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

ok fall, you win. it just dropped about 15 degrees here in dc, the leaves have changed color, and it’s dark by 6pm. even though i’m counting down the days until the fireflies return to our front porch, i’m excited about the prospect of months of warming comfort food. sweaters and soups and…PIES.

granny smiths are pretty much the reigning champ of baking apples. i usually go 100% granny smith in my recipes, but you can mix it up with whatever you can get at the market.

this is probably the best part of the whole pie process. you mix the apple slices with sugar and cinnamon in a big bowl. then, you sit around and eat a bunch of the slices and pretend like it never happened before arranging the rest in a pie crust. at the bottom of the bowl, the apple juice, along with the sugar and cinnamon, forms a delicious syrup. it’s really tempting to just drink this syrup, but if you’re feeling less gluttonous, you can just pour it over the apple slices.

ooooh, pretty.

the best part about this pie is not having to worry about a fickle top crust. the crumb topping is easy to make and crisps up perfectly. it’s like having an apple pie and an apple crisp at the same time.

it’s been fall for less than a month and i’ve already made this pie twice. and i see another one coming in the near future. you can whip one of these up in about an hour and have it ready for some vanilla ice cream. it’s a good thing.

apple crumb pie

filling
6 cups apples (i like granny smith)
1 9″ frozen pastry shell (or make your own dough)
1/2 c sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon

crumb topping
1/3 c sugar
3/4 c flour
6 Tbsp butter, cut into chunks (chilled)

1. pare, core and slice the apples thinly. mix the 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon and mix with apple slices. arrange the slices in the pastry shell.

2. in a separate bowl, combine the 1/3 cup sugar and 3/4 cup flour. cut in the cold butter chunks until crumbly. you can do this with a few quick pulses in a food processor or just using your hands to combine. sprinkle the topping over the apples.

3. bake the pie on a baking sheet in a preheated 400F oven for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. remove and cool on a rack for about an hour before serving.

a week and a half in our new place, and this pie is already the third thing we’ve baked. the very first was a batch of chocolate chip cookies (to test out the oven), followed by blueberry muffins. but this past weekend we had a few people over for a bbq and i knew we had to have a pie. peaches are out in full force in dc right now, and peach pie + ice cream = good times.

now that we’re completely moved in and pretty much settled, we can really start enjoying summer. and now that we have a grill (which we plan to use several times a week), it feels more like summer than ever.

peach pie is one of the simplest pies to make, but also one of the most refreshing and delicious. there are few foods that actually taste like summer, but eating a slice of this pie just makes you feel like school’s out and nothing else matters except for taking a nap in the afternoon sun.

the key to this pie is getting good ripe peaches – once you’ve got that, you can just let the fruit do the work. so, you should probably get on making this pie, like immediately. don’t wait for the weekend – get yourself to the store, or better yet, the farmer’s market, and share the peach pie love now.

peach pie
from How to Cook Everything. makes 6-8 servings, or 1 serving for someone who really loves pie.

2 lbs peaches (6-10 peaches, depending on their size)
1 Tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp butter, cut into bits
milk, as needed
2 frozen pie crusts (or homemade crusts, i recommend alton brown’s recipe)

1. peel the peaches: bring a pot of water to boil and drop peaches into it, a few at a time, for 10-30 seconds until skins loosen. plunge into a bowl of ice water and slip the peels off. pit, slice and toss skinned peaches with the lemon juice.

2. mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch and toss the peaches in the mixture. pile into the ready pie crust, slightly higer in the middle. dot with the bits of butter. roll the second pie crust on top and crimp edges of both crusts together to seal.

3. brush the top crust lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar. use a sharp knife to cut two or three 2-inch long vent holes in the top crust.

4. place pie plate on a baking sheet (to catch any peach filling that bubbles out) and bake at 450F for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 40-50 minutes, until pie is golden brown. cool on a rack before serving warm or at room temperature.

there are only a few absolute rules of food. for example, everything will always taste better with bacon. another rule is never turn down pie. take this to heart and your life will improve dramatically. but what if you already love pie but it’s just not extreme enough for you? default to another absolute of food, namely that everything can be deep fried.

deep fried pies are basically fruit empanadas. the filling is cooked ahead of time and then wrapped inside a simple pastry dough. apple pie is my all time favorite, and the filling is so good that it’s hard to not just dump it all on a big bowl of vanilla ice cream…or forget the ice cream and just walk around the house eating the filling with a spoon. to be totally honest, i went the easy route with the dough when i made these, using pillsbury biscuits that i rolled out into rounds. i have provided a recipe for a great dough below though in case you want to use it.

now while i’m over my initial fear of deep frying (everything i can get my hands on), i can understand why this could be a little too extreme for some (wusses). whether it’s for health reasons or a phobia of hot oil burns, i won’t judge you too harshly if you want to bake the mini pies instead. either way, there won’t be any left at the end of the day.

deep fried apple pie
makes about 10 depending on how big you want your pies. adapted from the new york times and…paula deen.

crust (or you can use pillsbury biscuit dough)
2 3/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), chilled and cubed
1 large egg, whisked with enough ice-cold water to make 1/2 cup

filling
2 Tbsp butter
4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice

plus oil for frying

1. make the dough: in a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt. add butter and pulse until mixture forms pea-size crumbs. pulse in egg mixture a tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together (you may not need all the egg mixture). divide dough into 10 equal pieces. flatten into disks with your palm, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 45 minutes.

2. make the filling: add the butter to a large saute pan and melt. add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the apples are soft, about 15 minutes. remove from the heat and cool.

3. when the filling is cool, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to form 7 to 8-inch circles. place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling on 1/2 of each circle. brush the edges of the circle with water and fold the circle over the filling to make a half-moon shapes. seal by pressing the edges with the tines of a fork.

4. heat a deep fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with oil to 350 F. carefully add the pies to the oil, 1 at a time, and fry until golden brown, turning the pies as necessary for even browning, about 5 to 8 minutes. alternatively, you can bake the pies at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden. drain on paper towels. sprinkle with powdered sugar immediately.

i’m a little late for thanksgiving, but…pie!

gratuitous “pie that resembles pacman” below. so how was your thanksgiving?

sweet potato pie
from epicurious.com.

crust
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 cup almonds, toasted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

filling
18 oz sweet potatoes
3 eggs
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup whipping cream

topping (optional)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup whole almonds, toasted
1/3 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted

1. make the crust: coarsely grind all nuts in processor. blend in graham cracker crumbs, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. add butter and blend in using on/off turns until moist crumbs form. press crumbs onto bottom and sides of 9-inch deep-dish pie dish. set aside.

2. make the filling: preheat oven to 350 F. bake sweet potatoes until tender, about 1 hour. cool potatoes; peel and puree in processor. transfer to bowl and whisk in eggs. cook butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until melted and brown. add sugar, honey and pumpkin pie spice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. whisk in cream. add butter mixture to potato puree; blend until smooth.

3. pour filling into crust. bake at 350 F until center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, covering with foil if crust browns too quickly, about 40 minutes.

4. meanwhile, make the topping: stir first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. increase heat and boil 1 minute. mix in nuts, coating completely.

5. take the pie out of the oven, spoon on the hot nut mixture if you’ve made it, and continue baking until topping bubbles, about 5 minutes. transfer to rack and cool completely.

this past friday was the fourth of july, which gave me a chance to unleash a recipe for one of my all time favorite things in the world – PIE. seriously, even my old AIM screen name had to do with my love of pie (i’m not giving it away, sorry). instead of a birthday cake, i would ask for a birthday pie. and what’s the best kind of pie? the answer is clearly apple (i’m not even going to recognize arguments to the contrary. and for independence day, what’s more american than apple pie? how about a no holds barred competition between two apple pies?

i’ve been intrigued by mock apple pie since i first read about it in jeffrey steingarten’s the man who ate everything. it’s an apple pie without any apples in it that promises to taste just like the real thing. i was doubtful, but the thought of a cheap and quick pie recipe was too much to pass up. this is a real celebration of conflicting american baking tactics: one pie is a carefully and lovingly crafted piece of americana, using fresh ingredients and a homemade crust. the other is a quick and easy answer (albeit a delicious one) to a hectic schedule that can satisfy in a pinch. but which pie will reign supreme?

we rose to the challenge with a blind taste test. could we tell the difference between an apple pie with real fresh apples and one without? the girl and i both tried warmed forkfuls of both pies while blindfolded. the results? both of us INCORRECTLY named the ritz cracker pie as the real deal. needless to say, i was astonished, but also excited to find an apple pie i could whip up in half the time of an “authentic” one.

some comments on each pie: the mock apple pie was characterized as tasting a bit like the apple pie filling you can buy at the grocery store. it was also a bit too lemony. i would cut down on the amount in the recipe. the real apple pie was delicious but not as flavorful as we had hoped. i think my crust had some “integrity” issues, and as a result, a bunch of the gooey sugary syrup from the pie leaked out. i’m betting a lot of the flavor went with it, so next time i’ll be more careful. you can actually see in the pictures that the pie deflated a bit as it cooled.

you’ll also notice that although i made a fresh pie crust for the real apple pie, i did not document it in any way. this is because pie crust is a pain in the butt to tackle, and trying to take pictures of it at the same time does not make the job any easier. i will say that that the finished homemade crust was very flaky, buttery and savory. i would recommend making your own, but if disaster strikes, there’s no shame in using a frozen prepared dough.

real authentic apple pie
my mom’s recipe – you will sit and eat the entire thing in one sitting. on a side note, today is my mom’s birthday! thank you thank you thank you mom for always putting up with late-night phone calls for recipes and inspiring me to bake.

6 cups granny smith apples, cored, pared and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon1 dash nutmeg
2 Tbsp butter
pie crust (i used Alton Brown’s recipe, doubled)

1. make the pastry dough and refrigerate while you prepare the filling. cut up apples and sprinkle with lemon juice in a large bowl. set aside.

2. combine sugar, flour, spices and a dash of salt. mix with apples to coat.

3. line a 9 inch pie pan with your prepared crust and fill with the apple mixture. dot with butter. lay over your top crust and seal very well. use a knife or tines of a fork to make steam slits on the top crust. sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar.

4. bake at 400 F for 45 minutes or until golden brown. put the pie pan on a baking sheet in the oven in case any filling bubbles out.

ritz mock apple pie
from the kraft website

pastry for 2-crust 9″ pie
36 ritz crackers, coarsely broken (about 1 3/4 cups)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
grated peel of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. preheat oven to 425 F. roll out half of the pastry and place in 9″ pie dish (or use ready-made pie crust dish). place cracker crumbs inside.

2. mix sugar and cream of tartar in medium saucepan. gradually stir in 1 3/4 cups water until blended. bring to a boil. reduce to a low heat and simmer for 15 minutes. add lemon peel and juice and cool.

3. pour syrup over cracker crumbs. dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. roll out remaining pastry and place over pie. trim and seal edges and slit top crust to allow steam to escape.

4. bake 30-35 mintues or until crust is golden and crisp. cool completely before eating. put the pie pan on a baking sheet in the oven in case any filling bubbles out.