Rocking Apple Pie Filling

October 16, 2009 | Posted by Lorraine as Baking, Pie at 3:00 pm | Comments »

apple-pie-filling

Isn’t that a pretty looking pie? Let me tell you, though, about that filling. For me, apple pie is all about the filling – and this is my favorite recipe yet. Because:

  • It’s not runny,
  • It’s not dry,
  • It doesn’t contain flour or cornstarch,
  • It tastes like apples (and not just cinnamon), and (perhaps most importantly)
  • it doesn’t shrink!

The secret? Pre-cooking the filling. Here’s how:

Rocking Not-Runny Apple Pie Filling

7 to 8 medium large apples. I like to use a combination of Fuji and Gala. Peeled, cored, and sliced around 1/4 inch.
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons simple syrup (or you can use Calvados or rum)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, melt the three tablespoons of butter and cook until sizzling. Add the apples, and toss so you cover them well with the butter. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until softened slightly- around 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine sugar, syrup (or alcohol), cinnamon, all-spice, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well. Add to the apples in the skillet, and increase the heat. Cook until the juices are thick- this happens quickly, so I’d say around two to three minutes.

Use in your favorite pie-crust.

Mini Chicken Pies

July 15, 2009 | Posted by Lorraine as Pie at 4:11 pm | Comments »

chicken-pies

Mini chicken pies might seem like they take a long time to make, but the beauty of these little gems- aside from being jaw-droppingly delicious, of course- is that they freeze beautifully. Make a big batch, stick them in the freezer, and whenever you or anyone in your family feels like some hot pie, simply heat it in a hot oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Because I’ve spent so much time perfecting my own pie-crust recipe, I use homemade pie-crust. But feel free to use store bought pie crust- or even some puff pastry or filo. The star of this show is the filling- the recipe of which I give you here:

Mini Chicken Pie Recipe

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded (from your favorite roast, or simply some chicken you’ve boiled up)
6 thick slices of bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups white onion, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 cup green beans, chopped
4 teaspoons fresh marjoram, chopped (* sage works particularly well in this too!)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cups creme fraiche (or good thick sour cream)

Preheat your oven to 450F (yep, you want it preheated HOT so you don’t get soggy crusts). Prepare your crusts by rolling it out and cutting in circles. Line the holes of a muffin pan with these mini crusts. Set aside.

In a large pan, fry chopped bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan- and add your chopped onions into the pan. Saute this until soft and lightly browned, around six to eight minutes. Add carrots, green beans, and marjoram, and cook while stirring for about a minute. Add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced, but not dry. Stir in your chicken, the creme fraiche, and bacon. Simmer shortly. Season to taste. This is your filling.

Fill the mini crusts with a generous amount of filling. Cover each with another piecrust round, pressing the edges together to seal. Cut holes for steam. Bake until golden brown, around 25 minutes.

Sweet but sugar-free Apple Pie

April 22, 2009 | Posted by Lorraine as Diabetic Recipes, Pie at 12:59 pm | (1) Comment »

sugarfree-applepie

Having a diabetic husband makes preparing our sweets just a little bit harder- I say that because while I used to moan about not being able to make any desserts we could both enjoy, I’ve developed an absolutely delicious, comforting, mouthwatering Apple Pie recipe that’s sugar-free! And I’m here today to share it with you:

Sweet Sugar-Free Apple Pie

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds tart apples (I use Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 packets splenda sweetener
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 double piecrust, unbaked

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cream

Preheat oven to 425F. Make sure rack is in the bottom third of the oven. Peel and core apples. Cut each half into 6 wedges. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.

In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add splenda and spices (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg) and salt. Stir over heat until well mixed. Add apple wedges, lower heat and let simmer for around ten minutes.

Prepare your piecrust. I make my own, but storebought will do. When your filling’s ready, fill bottom crust. Cut vents (I use a small fondant cutter) in the top crust, and cover pie with it. Brush with mixture of egg yolk and cream. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.


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