Honey Crisp Apple Sauce

It was a beautiful crisp fall day today. The sun was shining bright, but there was a definite chill to the air. Over the weekend, my mom and I went to Ralph's Produce on Fraser Hwy and picked up a 20lb box of Honey Crisp apples to make applesauce. Even though the boxes were labeled "seconds", the apples were perfect for chopping up and simmering down to a delicious sauce.

Honey Crisp apples are fairly sweet, so they make wonderful applesauce apples. We find we don't need to add a lot sugar to the apples. This year (maybe because of all the warm sunshine through the summer) we found we didn't need to add anything to the apples. Which means each jar is 100% pure apple yumminess.

We start with washing all the apples. A little bit of bruising here and there is okay. No worm holes or rough scale spots to cut away this time, so we are good to go. Next the apples are quartered and then cored, and the seeds are removed. We don't peel the skins off the apples; they boil down with the apple pulp. Then it's into the big stew pot on the stove over medium-low heat.

Basically, the apples turn mushy and soft, and then we take a potato masher and squish them down into a warm, yummy pulp. It's really super technical. Once it's at the consistency we like, Mom (or sometimes Dad) ladle scoops of the mush into the food processor. Couple spins and the skins and apple pulp become one. Then it's into the hot sterilized jars, put on the lids, screw on the rings and into the hot water bath cooker to seal them.

From a 20lb box of apples, we made 23 pint jars of applesauce. We could have made an even 2 dozen jars, but we wanted to keep one open for tasting.

Applesauce is perfect with a number of different dishes, so it is always great to have it on hand in the pantry. Classic pairings include pork chops or pork tenderloin, or fried chicken. A number of muffin and coffee cake recipes call for applesauce. But one of my favourite ways to have applesauce is warm over ice cream with a little cinnamon. The other is chilled and stirred into plain Greek yogurt.

Applesauce is also the last thing we preserve for the winter months and so it marks the end of canning season. Time to put away the canning equipment and start going through those Christmas baking books.......

Paris - Day One

Today is Day One of my travels. Well, technically, it's Day Two because I left Vancouver at 10:35am on September 29, but with time zones I arrived in Paris at 8:35am on September 30th, even though my flight was only 9 hours long. Oh, and the 2 hour stop in Seattle. Where I got a manicure at Butter London. Fantastic way to spend you time in an airport waiting for your next flight.

So now I am all checked in to my apartment in Paris. The place is charming, but very rustic. It is an old stone building with a post and beam ceiling. The apartment has two floors. To get into the apartment, there are four flights of stairs. No elevator. I think it used to be an barn or store house for grain and such. Anyhow, yes...it's very rustic. The bathroom does lack all the North American niceties, and the shower will get some getting used to.

I'm staying three stops outside the city, so a little quieter than being directly in the center of the city. Not to mention cheaper. Hopefully it will be a nice stay.

After a short nap to shake off the time change, I decided to take the metro and see some of the monuments at night. This is my second visit to Paris, and I've told myself that this visit would be different. Last visit, I made sure I was back to my B&B by 9pm and I didn't venture much off the predicable trail of tourist attractions. This time is more about seeing the actual city, and not just for the monuments and standard vacation snapshots.

Having said that, I knew that I wanted to stand on the Pont Alexandre III and the watch the Tour Eiffel all lit up and sparkling. It's something I actually didn't see last time. And I wanted to have tarte tartin and wine in Cafe Marly, which is in the courtyard of the Louvre. It's pricey, but it's also the place to be seen in Paris. Well, one of the places anyhow.

It was now 11pm and the cafe was still quite busy. Bottle of champagne (and I mean the good stuff) were being opened left and right. I decided to stick with a little Sancerre and my apple tarte tartin and just take in the scene and the people out having a good time on a Tuesday night.

After wandering around the Louvre courtyard for a little while and sitting by the reflecting pools, it was time for home (well, home for the next few days). The metro at night is a very interesting place. In our train car there was an accordion player, playing French folk songs. He also had a little dog with big liquid eyes that walked around the train with a little basket in its mouth, begging for coins. It was quite cute....except maybe for the accordion playing at near midnight.

Tomorrow will be another day walking around this beautiful city.

Quelle belle vie, non?

A is for Apples

In this case . . . Apple Pie. The other day my family and I were planning an upcoming meal and we got to talking about comfort foods; those foods that either remind you of your home or the foods that seem to wrap you in a warm embrace and chase away any hint of a bad day. One of the first dishes mentioned was Apple Pie; warm apple pie spiced with cinnamon and a pinch of cloves and nutmeg and made perfect with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a large dollop of fresh whipped cream.

My mom taught me to make apple pie. Or rather, she taught me the science part of making apple pie, which is in the crust. She taught me the secret to a great apple pie is not actually in the apples (though these are important . . . more about these later), but in the pastry crust. Specifically, it’s about proportions; too much fat and the crust will be too heavy, too little and it will fall apart. In our family we have routinely used the recipe from the back of the Crisco package. It is easily and successfully doubled if needed - perfect for double crusts or for freezing half the recipe for another day. Here is a video on how to make the perfect pie crust.

Back to those apples. From experience, it is best to use a firmer baking apple else the apples will cook down too much and you will end up with an apple “sauce” pie. For this reason, I choose either Braeburn, Granny Smith or Gala apples. These are best used when they are fresh and firm, as this is when their pectin will lend to a more successful filling as the pie cools; too little pectin and the filling remains runny. For a more interesting taste, you could try mixing more than one type of apple, as long as their firmness is the same so that all the apple pieces will cook evenly.

Apples and cheese are a great combination and often I will include slices of sharp cheddar in my apple pie. This is common in a number of American recipes, and my Canadian friends look puzzled when I describe this addition. That is, until they try it and then . . ah hah! . . . they understand.

Below is my family recipe for Apple Cheddar Pie:

8 cups peeled, cored and sliced baking apples, preferably Braeburn, Granny Smith or Gala
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ cup raisins (optional)
8 slices sharp cheddar cheese (not processed slices)
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 double crust for 10” pie, rolled out and ready to use

Place one layer of pastry dough into 10” pie plate. Cover with moist tea towel so that it won’t dry out. Set second pastry layer aside. This will be the top.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, spices and raisins. Add sliced apples and toss to coat. Arrange apples with spice mixture in unbaked pie shell. Place slices of cheddar cheese in a single layer over apples. Cover with second pastry layer. Trim, seal and crimp edges as shown in the above photo. With a sharp knife, cut decorative slits into the top pastry to allow for steam to rise. Brush pastry with beaten egg yolk.

Fold lengths of aluminum foil into strips about 3 inches wide. Gently wrap crimped edges of pastry dough with foil strips. This will prevent the pastry edges from burning.

Place pie in center of a 425F / 220C oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F/175C and continue baking for 30 more minutes. Remove aluminum strips and bake a final 10 minutes.

Remove hot pie from oven and allow to stand and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This will allow for the pie to start to set; cut too soon and the filling will still be runny and escape out of the crust. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Warm apple pie with hot tea on a cold day or just when you are feeling a little out of sorts is a great way to give yourself a little comfort and lift your spirits.(it is also a perfect way to cheer up a grumpy spouse or to earn a “Get Out of Jail Free” pass).

Turkey and Stuffing and Pumpkin Pie, oh my !

I love turkey dinner. I love the busy day spent preparing all the dishes, and in our house we do the whole works. Turkey with giblet gravy, sausage stuffing with dried plums (both inside the bird and an extra baked dish), mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes with orange juice and brown sugar, brussel sprouts with pancetta, steamed carrots with dill, fresh butter rolls, homemade cranberry sauce and apple sauce. Usually there is champagne (champagne really does go with everything and in fact pairs quite nicely with turkey).

Dessert involves at least two types of pie: pumpkin and either apple or a chocolate Bourbon tart. I either make a traditional pumpkin pie or my mother’s pumpkin chiffon pie, which involves a ½ cup (yes, that’s one half cup) of Triple Sec or Cointreau. I find after the large turkey event, the lighter chiffon pie is much welcomed. Just don’t try to pass a breathalyzer test.

Perfect Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Tart

8 oz semisweet chocolate
dough for a 9” single pie crust
2 tbsp butter or margarine
3 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup light or dark corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup high quality bourbon (our house prefers Marker’s Mark)
1 ½ cup pecan halves

Roll out the pie crust into a 9” straight sided tart tin with removable bottom. Refrigerate tart shell until ready to fill.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and salt. Add corn syrup, butter, bourbon and vanilla. Whisk until well blended and frothy. Spread pecans in a layer on the bottom of the chilled tart crust. Pour in egg mixture. Bake @ 350 degrees for one hour. Serve warm with ice cream (optional – but not really!)

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

9” single pie crust, baked and cooled
1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
2/3 cup suger, divided in half
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ cup water
3 eggs, separated
½ cup Triple Sec or Cointreau (though I’ve used Brandy in a pinch)
1 ¼ cup canned pumpkin
½ cup heavy cream, whipped

In the top part of a double boiler, combine the gelatin, half of the sugar, the salt and ginger. Add water. Beat in egg yolk one at a time. Add Triple Sec / Cointreau and cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally until gelatin has dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and still in the pumpkin. Allow to cool.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue beating until very stiff. Fold in pumpkin mixture and whipped cream. Pile into baked pie crust and chill until firm (about 3 hours). Decorate with more whipped cream and candied ginger if desired.

This pie is also wonderful with a ginger snap crumb crust instead of a traditional pastry crust. Alternatively, I use a pastry crust, but add a bit of sugar and some cinnamon to the dough to give it added flavour.