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| Caramel Apple Cranberry Pie |
Brian: It has been a pretty scary day across the Midwest, so first and foremost, I hope all of you are safe. We were only moderately affected by the storms, as our power went off for awhile. Unfortunately, it happened while we were baking our pies.
Angie: Fortunately, it was at the end of the baking time, so we just let the pies sit in the oven, and they turned out just fine. We also became one of those people, you know the people who put their tree up before Thanksgiving? Guilty! I know many people who hate when others do this. Two years ago my kids said I was always grumpy about putting up the Christmas decorations. I think the direct quote was "It isn't Christmas until mom threatens to not put up the Christmas tree!" I vowed not to be the grump ever again so last year the tree and decorations went up the day after Halloween! I will always put up the tree early and with enthusiasm from now on!!
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| Christmas in November |
Brian: We don't have an attic, so we always have to go out to our storage shed for our Christmas decorations. It is much easier to do before the snow comes, and it is nice to be a bit ahead of schedule. However, in the kitchen we were still focused on the Fall, hence a caramel apple cranberry pie. A good start is to get your apples ready.
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| Apple peelers are the bomb |
Angie: It has been a big week in our household, as our son has been accepted to Indiana University, the school he has always wanted to attend. We are really proud of him, but we are in no way ready to see him go. He manned the apple peeler helping us get ready for this pie. Isn't he the most precious thing? I'll never forget when he was old enough to talk and whenever we held a camera to video him or take a picture he always wanted to see what we were taking pictures of and he would say "I see, I wook (look) it mommy." No matter how he grows I will always see that little boy.
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| Connor the apple peeler |
Angie: Ok, back to the pie... You start by soaking your apples in your lemon juice/water mixture to keep them from turning brown. Meanwhile you can preheat your oven to 425 degrees as you press in your crust and start to prepare your fruit mixture. I began working on the crust, with a recipe I swore I would never use again, because it kept crumbling when I tried to form the dough.
Brian: While Angie worked on that, Emilee and I began working on the pie filling. We began by melting the butter and adding the corn starch. Next we added the water and vanilla, and then started adding the dry ingredients. After that was all mixed well, we drained the water from the apples, and added them and the dried cranberries to the mixture. We simmered about five minutes.
Angie: Next, you pour the apple mixture into the pastry shell.
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| Adding the pie filling |
Brian: There were three different meals Angie was helping prepare for church this morning, so we really intended on buying a store bought crust. However, Angie is more than capable of making a crust, so she set to work her magic.
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| Adding the lattice |
Angie: After adding the top pastry, it was off to the oven, where you bake for 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, and then you reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for additional 30-40 minutes. This is where we ran into problems. We made it through the first 15 minutes and reduced the heat, but when our power went out, so did our timer. So we weren't exactly sure how much time remained. We decided to leave the pies in the oven, and when we took them out, fortunately they were done!
Brian: Wow was this pie tasty! I really felt like we have hit a home run the last two weeks, so hopefully the streak continues. Ironically, though my wife admonished the crust while making it, it was delicious! Our pie of the week recipient asked how we made our pie crusts so perfect, and all I could do was chuckle. :)
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| Care for a slice? |
Angie: I'm thrilled with how the crust turned out, but wow, it was really hard to work with! The flavor and texture of this pie was amazing. It was light and the cranberries added just a little punch. I really think I'll make this one for Thanksgiving!! We normally change the recipes for the pies to make them to our liking. This recipe had so many good reviews we didn't change a thing!
Pie Recipient of the Week
Our pie recipients of the week are Garth and Jenny. They are both very active in serving at our church, particularly on our worship teams. Brian and Jenny have participated in the drama ministry in the past, and currently, Jenny provides vocal lessons to our youngest daughter Emilee.
They are really great people, and we have had them on our list of pie recipients for awhile. When Brian posted the recipe on Angie's Facebook wall, and Jenny mentioned how good it looked, it seemed like the right time. Jenny even mentioned she was out getting some ingredients to make the pie when we dropped it off with Garth.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon white sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Press one of the pie pastries into a 9-inch pie plate; reserve the remaining pastry.
2. Pour the lemon juice into a container that large enough for the apples and fill halfway with cold water. Peel and slice the apples into the lemon water; set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cornstarch to form a paste. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water along with the vanilla extract, 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg; bring to a simmer. Drain the apples and add them to the sugar mixture along with the cranberries. Cook and stir 5 minutes; remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
4. Pour the fruit into the pie plate and press on the top crust. Stir together 1 tablespoon of white sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon; sprinkle over the pie.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until the top crust is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
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