Two Girls, Two Guys, Four Pies - Part I

I guess the cat's outta the bag about my autumnal flavor obsession, what with an overload of apple cupcakes, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin spice coffee. Well today is no different. When my best friend Lindsey came up with an idea to bake and test different apple pie recipes in search of the very best techniques and versions, I literally jumped out of my chair with excitement (baking really, really makes me happy). After all, we all know someone who claims to make the best apple pie, or best anything for that matter. Why not put some to the test? And so our 1950's-style play date was set to take place in my Avid Kitchen. Along with Lindsey and I as bakers and taste testers, we enlisted the help of Shaun and Lindsey’s boyfriend Eric for more of a ‘blind test’ since they had no idea which pie was which, how any of them were made and were not involved in the process at all until it came eatin’ time. Shaun couldn’t have been happier when he came home from work to find a plate with four slices of pie ready and waiting for him.

And so we turned these little beauties that Lindsey picked up from her favorite farm stand near her family's Connecticut lake house...

into a full-blown table of delicious...

We decided to make a total of 4 pies using different techniques and slightly varying the ingredients. We also decided to test out pre-made refrigerated crusts versus a homemade crust. We then tracked down a few recipes that we felt were similar yet offered a few different variables. Here’s the rundown:

Apple Pie #1: Pillsbury Perfect Apple Pie with Pillsbury Premade Crust

Apple Pie #2: The Joy of Cooking Apple Pie with Pillsbury Premade Crust

Apple Pie #3: Grandma Mary’s Apple Pie with Homemade Crust (this is my Grandmother’s recipe which my mom swears is the best ever. EVER! And that yes, it is always necessary to make your own crust)

Apple Pie #4: Grandma Ople’s Apple Pie with Pillsbury Premade Crust (via allrecipes.com)

Since this was my first time ever making an apple pie, I only used the homemade crust on Grandma Mary’s version. It was my first crust-making endeavor so I was a bit wary about signing up for more than that (stay tuned for how this went down tomorrow). Meanwhile Lindsey and I got crackin' on our day o'baking fun! Coring, peeling and eventually eating...it was all in the name of research, people!

And so after lots and lots of chopping, peeling, coring and slicing, we were ready for the pieification of our apples.

With a mix of Cortland, Macintosh and Spencer apples, we filled each pie with about 5-6 cups of sliced apples.

Apple Pie #1: Pillsbury Perfect Apple Pie with Pillsbury Premade Crust

Pillsbury Perfect Apple Pie
*Adapted from Pillsbury Pie Crusts box
1 pkg Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (2 crusts included, one for top and bottom)
3/4 C sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pats
6 C peeled, cored and sliced apples (we used a mix of Cortland, Macintosh & Spencer)

Prepare the pie crust as directed, letting it come to room temperature before rolling the bottom out into a pie dish. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk, together flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add apples and mix together gently.

Pour mixture into prepared crust and dot with pats of butter. Never underestimate the power of butter. Big pats all over the pie is the only way to go.

Cover with second crust, securing the edges with the back of a fork. You can get a little fancy here, but we felt the fork method worked best in terms of securing the goods inside the pie (one of them which wasn't forkified leaked all over my oven). Cut some slits or fancy designs into the top so that the steam from the pie can escape, otherwise you'll end up with a mushy mess of a pie. And no one wants that. Cover the edges of the pie with foil to prevent burning and bake on a baking sheet for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the apples feels tender. Remove the foil about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time only if it looks as though the edges are not cooked.

First impressions: Since this was the first pie, we were pretty excited to give it a try, especially since my Avid Kitch had been smelling so heavenly for about 4 hours by the time we actually got to start tasting. On first blush, pie #1 did not disappoint. The apples were nicely cooked though a bit tart. The pie was a bit soupy once it was cut into, so we wondered if perhaps the apple mixture needed a bit more flour for thickening. The crust, while not the best of all time, was flaky and did not seem store bought. So did our opinion match the guys? Did it hold up over the pies to come? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out!

Apple Pie #2: The Joy of Cooking Apple Pie with Pillsbury Premade Crust

The Joy of Cooking Apple Pie with Pillsbury Crust
*Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
1 pkg Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (2 crusts included, one for top and bottom)
3/4 C + 2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pats
6 C peeled, cored and sliced apples (we used a mix of Cortland, Macintosh & Spencer)

 
Prepare the pie crust as directed, letting it come to room temperature before rolling the bottom out into a pie dish. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk, together flour, 3/4C sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and salt. Add apples and mix together gently. Let the apples macerate in the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the apples and let the soften.

Pour the apple mixture into the prepared crust. Add pats of butter.

As with the Pillsbury version, cover with second crust, securing the edges with the back of a fork. You can get a little fancy here, but we felt the fork method worked best in terms of securing the goods inside the pie. Cut some slits or fancy designs into the top so that the steam from the pie can escape, otherwise you'll end up with a mushy mess of a pie. Lindsey was the master of both of these steps.

Sprinkle the remaining sugar and cinnamon over the top of the crust. Cover the edges of the pie with foil to prevent burning and bake on a baking sheet for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the apples feels tender. Remove the foil about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time only if it looks as though the edges are not cooked.

We realized only after one of the pies had burst open and started dripping on the bottom of my oven (causing an unpleasant burning aroma) that it really works better to put the pies on a large baking sheet to catch any overflow.

First impressions: Wowee the difference between this pie and Pie #1 is astounding and this delicious version suddenly makes Pie #1 look like Pie #2’s unattractive and unfun cousin. The major difference here is the apple taste and consistency. The apples were sweeter and more appley tasting that Pie #1, two points that we may not have realized had we not tasted these one right after the other. Our guess? Macerating the apples (letting them sit in the sugar-flour mixture for a full 15 minutes, creating a delicious appley sugar liquid) must have been the culprit in giving this pie the extra zip to take the reigns for number 1 of the two so far. Who would have thought? Not me, since I actually whined how could this be necessary? multiple times while impatiently waiting for the apples to macerate. I was wrong, and I admit it. Apparently maceration is key here since the apple filling instantly went from eh to mmmm. The crust was similar to Pie #1, though the addition of the cinnamon sugar topping made a huge difference in its deliciousness since it added a crystallized sugariness to the top. As you can tell, both pies fell apart a bit after cutting into them, so the final photos are less than prize-worthy.

So there you have it. Our roundup of pies #1 and #2. Our first impression comments do not include those of the guys since Lindsey and I were the first taste testers. Instead, we’ll give you the guys’ roundups and their picks and thoughts later this week when we announce our favorites!

So what do you think? Do you make a mean apple pie? The best? Have you ever tweaked the ingredients slightly in any dish only to find that it made all the difference in the world? And finally, are you a stubborn, impatient cook like me, constantly searching for instant gratification?

DIY Pumpkin Spice Coffee

It's Friday! We made it! Hurrah!

Now that our collective celebration is out of the way, let's get down to the fun stuff. Last night I baked a pumpkin pie (which I'm crossing my fingers that the crust cooked all the way through, but won't know for sure until it's go-time), made white turkey chili for dinner and curled up to watch Fringe. Is anyone else watching? It has been so outta control good this season. Plus, an hour of Joshua Jackson ain't so bad either. I'm so excited for spending time with friends and family this weekend and for getting to rock my brandy new Giants zip up on Sunday!

Anyhow, after two weeks of sipping on delicious pumpkin spice coffee, I thought it time to share my tale with all of you!

Today's recipe is a result of my plight of righteous indignation over expensive coffees and other coffee-laden drinks. You see, all summer I've had an injured wrist. After finally having it looked at by none other than a hand specialist, I found out that the problem was all stemming from a cyst - aka a giant egg on the top of my wrist. After a not-so-pretty shot and a splint, I was sent on my way. And since I was such a good patient, I felt that my inaugural pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks was just the ticket as a reward for my good patient behavior. You know, like I'm an eight-year-old.

Imagine my outrage that a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte was nothing short of $5.17. I mean...seriously? Ok for a once in a while splurge, but how could I possibly justify over $5 per day to get my pumpkin spice fix? There had to be a better way.

And that's when I came across a yum-inducing recipe for Coffee Shop Pumpkin Syrup on Savvy Eats. Bingo. I altered the recipe a bit to eliminate more sugar and overall, this recipe really hits the mark for a super delicious autumn coffee. Oh and minus all the extra calories of a latte!

DIY Pumpkin Spice Coffee
*Adapted from Savvy Eats
2 tbsp canned pumpkin
1/4 C Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/2 C + 2 tbsp water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves (or leave out altogether if you have an aversion to its pungency)
ground coffee (as much as you want to make)
half and half or milk of your choice

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine pumpkin, Splenda, water, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Stir together until ingredients have melted together. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens, resembling syrup, but making sure that it doesn't get too thick. Stir frequently so that it doesn't burn. This entire process took about 5 minutes. I had many reservations about the Splenda's ability to syrupify, but it worked! Hurrah for not wasting calories! I poured mine into that pretty saucer you see above to cool and then transferred it to a plastic container and stored in the fridge.

Now it's morning and time to put it altogether! Get your coffee grounds and make your coffee as usual...

I store my Dunkin' Donuts original blend in this pretty mason jar that I scooped up for just a few buckaroos at Michael's. Isn't it so much nicer than dealing with that awful and annoying bag that coffee comes in?

Since the syrup has a tendency to sink to the bottom, I mixed a teaspoon of the syrup with a bit of half and half (ok, more than a bit...I like my coffee creamy! You see why I don't have calories to spare on extra sugar) in a mug and microwaved it for about 20 seconds so that the syrup could dissapate into the cream. Yum!

Not to mention that adding warm cream to the hot coffee makes all the difference in the world! I carry mine around in a sweet tumbler that I bought at Target a couple of years ago. Add any further sweetner that you deem necessary and you're set with your cheap DIY Pumpkin Spice Coffee! Now do the happy dance because you are saving mucho moola with this creation.

So there you have it. A cheap and easy way to enjoy an autumnal favorite. What do you think? Do you ever prefer to DIY things in the name of saving a few bucks? Am I the only one outraged by the prices of Starbucks and other specialty coffee shops? And bonus question, what are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Easy Peasy Braised Short Ribs

Well we're over the hump and counting down to the weekend! Last night the Mr. and I had baked barbecued chicken with roasted sweet potato fries and finally caught up on Dexter from Sunday. Has anyone else been watching? Meanwhile, I'm kicking off this morning with a few things that are making me smile:

• My DIY pumpkin spice coffee
• Bruce Springsteen's Racing in the Street on my iPod
• The fact that I finally wrapped up the Dragon Tattoo series last night on the Path and have so thoroughly enjoyed reading these books! A bit of withdrawal has set in, so new recommendations are welcome!
• Fringe is on tonight and it is quickly becoming my favorite show on TV this season.

Meanwhile, I found a new favorite dinner dish. I was always intimidated by the thought of cooking short ribs, and fortunately once I feel the bug of wanting to learn a particular dish, make no mistake, I'm going to learn it. Who would have thought that this would be one of the easiest dinners I've ever made? Not this gal.

Boneless beef short ribs, sliced onions, basil gravy and brown rice make this a dish that screams comfort food, albeit it in a very brown way. It's perfect for a chilly night at home when you don't feel like slaving over a dish. Toss the ingredients together, simmer for an hour or so, make a quick gravy from the rib stock and you've got a dish that only seems like you've slaved all evening. Easy peasy. Oh and the braised part? That's just a fancy way of saying that the meat is seared in the pan first, and then continues cooking, covered, in liquid.

Braised Short Ribs
1 lb. boneless beef short ribs
1/4 C whole wheat flour (or all purpose, if you prefer)
1 can low sodium beef broth
1 large onion, sliced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp basil, dried
black pepper
olive oil
brown rice, egg noodles, or quinoa

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Meanwhile, mix together 1 tsp salt and flour together in a dish. Lightly coat the ribs in flour mixture. When oil is hot, sear the ribs on each side until browned. Do not cook them all the way through! This is just to get some flavor on the meat. Add the sliced onions and cook until they are just softened.

 

Pour 3/4 of the beef broth over the meat. You will want to make sure that most of the beef and onions are covered. Bring the broth to a boil and reduce the heat.

Cover the skillet and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes or until the short ribs are fork tender. Mine were done in just over an hour, but this could take an hour and a half or even two hours (though that has not been the case for me). When cooked to desired tenderness, remove the ribs from the pan. It’s time to make the gravy! Add the rest of the beef broth, a couple teaspoons of flour (if you like it thick), black pepper and basil and whisk together.

 

Taste the gravy. If it needs more salt, add more kosher salt. I added another 1/2 tsp or so to taste. Serve over a bed of rice, noodles or quinoa (or any other carb that you prefer), drizzle with gravy and enjoy! I didn’t even need a knife for mine.

So there you have it. Braised short ribs that couldn't be easier. This is a meal that will certainly be added to my regular repetoire since it was delicious, comforting and super simple to boot.

So what do you think? Have you ever tried a new dish, only to find how easy it is? Have you tried short ribs? And bonus question, what is making you smile on this gorgeous autumn Thursday?