Sunday, September 6, 2015

Luscious Apple Pie


I've had pie on my mind
after watching the new PBS documentary,

Rose's Luscious Apple Pie
was an all day venture.
From letting the apples macerate and release their juices
to the multiple dough chillings.

First off was making Rose's cream cheese pie dough.
I used Nancy's tip to grate in the butter and
it worked like a charm.


Flour with butter and cream cheese


Apples macerating patiently
for the full three hours. 

Thickening apple cider with corn starch
insured an added flavor boost for the
sliced apples.
Apple season just opened and the fresh
ciders haven't really come into the markets.
I found one store with one brand.


The concern has been with the extreme drought,
apples might not be up to par this year.
Surprisingly, the first reports from 
local mountain orchards indicate
they are bigger and sweeter than ever.



The macerated juices are brought to a boil 
with butter.
Lovely aroma, this!


Apples tucked into the pie crust and soused with
these wonderful apple-y sauces,
ready for the oven


I have no idea why this pie took so long to bake.
A good hour past Rose's time.
I tented the pie lest it over brown.

I ran into the same problem I had with 
the cherry pie.
The instruction to bake until the juices bubble through the slits,
just doesn't work for me.  
This pie baked and baked and baked.
I need the exact internal temperature to measure.
I googled and found out it should have reached 175 degrees F
but I'm not certain that is correct.
It didn't occur to me that unless the apples' juices boiled as it baked,
the corn starch added to the apple slices
would not thicken unless it reached 212 degrees F.
And that's what happened.
The crust and apples were more than done, the juices were slightly bubbling but I cut into apple pie soup,
even though the pie had cooled for hours.
I drained as much as I could and brought it to 212 F on the stove.

I've become Thermapen co-dependent! 

Letting it cool and spooning over slices, it is amazing,
even if it doesn't exactly look pretty.
This was the first time I grated nutmeg
to add with the cinnamon.
I love how I learn new things with Rose. 





And then I made more buttery apple cider sauce!


~

by
Rose Levy Beranbaum













7 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to hear that your apple pie was soupy inside. Mine was like not very cooked and the apple slices some were still crunchy..i think those crunchy ones are the Granny Smith slices..I had a mixture of different apples in there..

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  2. Thank you for reminding us that the insides need to get up to 212 before it can be considered done. So far all my TBB press have needed another hour to reach temp. Sorry your pie was soupy but it sounds like you saved it by pouring out and reducing the juices. Ah well. Live and learn.

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  3. I laughed at the 'thermapen co-dependant'. Sorry about the juices although you made the best of it and the apple cider sauce looks delicious. I'm a bit sick at the moment but I'm dying to try this. Perhaps cooking the sauce and apples a bit first is the solution?

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  4. It did take a long time. The sauce looks great!

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  5. Vicki, what a great idea reducing the juice on the stovetop. I was pig-headed with mine and just decided to burn the top to a crisp. I must have gone 45 minutes overtime, at least. At least you made yourself a great looking pie, well done!

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  6. Yes it was your remark about 212' that caused me to even think about temp! Then I went and found the frozen info and figured out what to do. So thanks! Yours looks great.

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  7. I wonder why your pie didn't come to temp. Could it be your oven calibration. Do you need a new thermocouple? It can be so frustrating I know. Still, your pie looks great.

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