TWD: All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie

I've begun the list. The packing list. Everything I will want or need for the week leading up to the wedding - heels, dresses, running shoes, malted milk powder... All the important things. (What? My mom couldn't find malted milk powder in the store when shopping for wedding cake ingredients!) This past weekend, we hosted the fiance's bachelor party guests for a couple nights before they went off to golf courses, breweries and bars. There was cleaning, a lot of it, both before and after. I'm pretty sure our kitten was a bit traumatized. The night they were out on the town, I had a friend over, and we had cake. Cake and beer. Because that's as close to a bachelorette party as I'd ever want.


I've also been baking, trying to get ahead on November's TWD recipes. (It feels like that's all I've been doing the past 6 months - getting ahead in order to fall behind) Luckily, I have classmates and the fiance has coworkers to foist the treats off on. With all the preparatory happenings, it's needless to say things are a bit crazy over here. Note to any soon-to-be brides out there - ignore those countdown thingamajigs that show up on The Knot (*gag* - seriously, go here instead) or your wedding website. I didn't, and let me tell you - I have no idea how in the world 13 months of engagement turned into 11 days. No idea whatsoever.


It's times like this that call for a couple things. One would be a good night's sleep, but unfortunately our kitten wasn't a big fan of that solution and attacked our feet under the covers at about midnight last night. And then she knocked things off a table in the apartment at about 4a. So in lieu of a good night's sleep, I prescribe pie. Apple pie. Apple pie for breakfast. With a butter pie crust, tart-firm-sweet apples, and a hefty dose of cinnamon. Have I mentioned that our centerpieces are little half-peck baskets of apples? I have a feeling a good number of those will become pie as well. Apple pie works as a recovery prescription post-wedding as well, I'm sure of it.

Last Week: Caramel Pumpkin Custard
Next Week: Peanuttiest Blondies

TWD: Caramel Pumpkin Custard

Craziness. That is all my life consists of right now. I'm seriously so scattered and tattered at the edges, it's ridiculous. Then again, I guess that's what I get for having the following all occurring in the very near future:

- two midterms. Have I mentioned how long it's been since I even took a test?
- one lab writeup. For which I have no clue how to do the data analysis.
- two proposals. Which would be done if collaborators would get back to me...
- fiance's bachelor party. Because every fiancee bakes a cake for these events, assembles breakfast for the guys, picks them up from the bars, etc, right? Right?!?
- epic cake baking. 16-8" cakes, 2-4" cakes. This is going to be awesome, and not just due to the 50+ eggs and 5 lbs of chocolate.
- manicure. I guess that's a normal pre-wedding thing? Hmm...
- wedding and all the related events. Nuff said.


And in the meantime, I just want to curl up with a book, a mug of tea, and an adorable kitten. I just have this feeling that if I had enough self-belief and willpower, I'd be able to make everything else just pouf! disappear.

That makes comfort food the perfect thing to have around. And if you know me or the fiance, you'd know - pumpkin pie is our thing. For serious. Pumpkin pie is serious, serious business here. Growing up, my mom would make two pies - one for me, one for my family. I finished mine before the other three members of the family finished theirs. For both of us, pumpkin pie is an all-meals sort of food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert... little wedges for snacks throughout the day... Perfection.


So when I mentioned that I was making caramel pumpkin pie, there was a bit of trepidation. You don't mess with perfection. And perfection = Libby's. Libby's pumpkin, Libby's pumpkin pi recipe. Anything else is blasphemy. But this is TWD. Yeah, the group of which I've been a member for nearly three years - I can't skip it! Thus, my solution - little baked pots of caramel pumpkin custard. Because if it doesn't look like pumpkin pie, we won't require it to taste exactly like Libby's. Yeah, we play mind games on ourselves. Totally works.

The result? Deep, dark, complex and caramelly pumpkin custard. Not our standard, but definitely delicious. The texture was unbelievable, and while the burnt caramel notes were a surprise, they were worth it. The fiance even said that he'd like it in pie form. I, on the other hand, have a nice little stockpile of Libby's pumpkin just screaming out for my favorite pumpkin pie. It's fall, after all, and I deserve it.


Last Week: Foldover Pear Torte
Next Week: All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie

TWD: Foldover Pear Torte

For all that I make fun of the fiance for his dislike of various foods, I have to come clean - there are some textures and foods that just don't do it for me. For his dislike of fresh tomatoes, there's my dislike of slimy or slippery textures. For his dislike of squash and zucchini, there's mine of egginess. For his spiciness aversion, there's mine to gelatinous things. For his dislike of everything else, well - you've got me there. I mean, unless you want to get into my aversion to tequila, because that opens up an entirely different story. And I doubt you really want to hear my tequila story.


So even though he likes custardy things and loves creme brulee, I knew I'd be making this torte for myself. You see, he had already entered a request into the baking lineup - brownies. So given his slow pace of consuming desserts, I figured this one would be all mine. And that meant some slight tweakage was necessary, otherwise known as wholesale removal of the custard in said foldover pear torte. I know. I just removed one component in a three component dessert. But it's not like I removed an integral part. There are some three part desserts that would completely fall apart if you removed one - it'd be like removing a leg from a three-legged stool. Not good. But this one? You remove the custard and angels sing. Seriously. Deep dish pear galette!


And for those of you who want wedding updates, I don't really have any. Everyone keeps asking me if it's all become rush-rush-rush since we hit the four week mark. But truly, Saturday came, we looked at each other and went "huh. guess we'll be married in four weeks won't we?" Seriously, that's it. Well, then I ran into the other room and tried on my wedding band so I could admire it. But that's totally not stereotypical pre-wedding freaking out. Okay, okay, so there will probably be multiple episodes of freaking out - I'm envisioning at least a couple revolving around how I'm going to fail graduate school because I'm missing a week of classes. Oh, and one or two about the cakes. We'll see though, eh?


Last Week: Double Apple Bundt Cake
Next Week: Caramel Pumpkin Pie

Apple Pie

My life currently revolves around a few things. Yes, there are the nerves from actually having to take quizzes and tests, the frustration of hours in lab, and the panic of proposal writing. But really, there are just a few things that matter enough that my life revolves around them. And that's the way it should be - I need to realize that while my life is full of craziness, there are only certain things that truly matter. They are, in no particular order:

Fiance's and my wedding bands - we picked them up three weeks ago (two whole weeks early!), and are smitten. Party pooper that he is, I wasn't allowed to wear it for more than five minutes before it went into our lockbox.

Our wedding flowers are gorgeous and unique, but even better? Leslie packed an extra flower just for fun when she shipped them to us. It's been stuck in a mason jar on our countertop along with some strawflowers we picked up at the Madison Farmers Market last year - yes, I brought them with me when I moved!

Kitteh! Two weekends ago, we went to the Orange County Animal Rescue and picked this cutie. We got to pick her up on Wednesday after she was spayed. Her "name" at the shelter was A122479, and the fiance wanted to keep that as her name - with the nicknames of A-1 or Steak Sauce. I vetoed, thinking she looked like an Annie, and we settled on the name Annabelle.

And finally, that first photo in this post. That countertop plus me in pjs equals a perfect Sunday afternoon for me. Apple pie first, then anadama bread. Brown rice cooking for a dinner later this week. Pumpkin cookies are hiding to the left, and the fiance is chilling on the couch and making origami for the wedding while watching Law & Order. Plans for dinner already made. Yep, where it counts - life is good.

Apple Pie
as my mom taught it to me when I was little, makes one 8" pie

5-6 tart, firm apples
a couple tablespoons flour
sugar, to taste depending on the sweetness of your apples (I used 2-3 Tbsp)
cinnamon, lots
nutmeg, a couple pinches
2 cups flour
2/3 cup Crisco
1 tsp salt
ice water, 4-6 Tbsp
a couple bits of butter
milk
cinnamon sugar

Preheat the oven to 425F. Or 400F if you're me and have a crappy yet turbopowered apartment oven.

Peel the apples. Have a contest with a friend to see who can make a longer strip of peel. Cut slices of apple off of the core, the more haphazard the better. Toss the peels and cores to the goats, horses, chickens, dogs, or whatever livestock you have on hand. Or in the compost, that works too. Toss the apple slices together with the flour, sugar, and spices.

Dump the 2 cups of flour into a bowl with the salt. Cut in the Crisco until it resembles very coarse crumbs. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing gently, until the dough just holds together. Take a little over half of it and roll it on a well-floured countertop (with a well-floured rolling pin). Move it around often to make sure it doesn't stick to the counter. When it fits in your pie pan with an inch or so of overhang, transfer it to the pie pan. Mound in the apples until you're afraid they won't stay put, and set aside. Take a moment to eat the remaining apple pieces. Taunt your significant other with them and the prospect of fresh, warm apple pie. Remember that you're supposed to be making the pie. Take the remaining pie dough and roll out until it fits over the apples, again with about an inch of overhang. Place on top of the apples. Trim off any extra pie dough and crimp the edges of the pie. Remember you were supposed to put little bits of butter on top of the apples before putting the top on. Swear, then get inventive and stuff the little bits of butter into the slits you've cut in the top to vent any steam. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Take the little scraps of pie dough and brush them with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven alongside the apple pie. Don't forget to check those after 8-10 minutes though! They burn easily - I would know. After 15 minutes, turn down the oven to 375F and bake until a knife inserted goes through the apples easily, probably another 45-60 minutes. Let cool most of the way before slicing in and topping with ice cream.

TWD: Double Apple Bundt Cake

Oh fall, you wonderful thing you. Just in time, just when I thought I had made a mistake moving to North Carolina, I woke up Saturday morning to 55*! Literally the perfect running weather - clear skies, sun just coming up, low humidity, slight breeze, and it warmed up just slightly while I was running. Every person I ran past was grinning too. Out came the long sleeves and the jeans, away went the sandals and shorts and tank tops. And it looks like it's here to stay, at least for a little while. Temperatures should hover around 70* all week, and today was another Carolina blue sky.


Nothing makes a better accompaniment to that sort of weather than apples. Apple sauce, apple cider, apple pie and apple cake. I can't get enough of it. I love fall. I adore fall. It's clean and crisp, homey and comforting. That's what makes this month of TWD selections that much better - we have apples and pears and pumpkin. Pumpkin, people! The two year shortage is supposedly over, although I did hoard a few cans when I went to the store a couple of days ago. You can't be too sure, right?

And to kick it all off, a double apple bundt cake chosen by Lynne! Now I must admit, there appears to be a bit of a failing here in central North Carolina. Can you believe that it is supposedly too hot to grow apples here? Coming from the midwest, this is a horrifying development. I honestly could not find a single apple orchard to pick at within a two hour drive. And I totally would have driven two hours each way just for crisp apples and freshly pressed cider. *sigh* So I found some that had been brought in from the western part of the state, grated them up, and whipped up this cake. And seriously, whipped up - it barely took as much time as my oven took to pre-heat!


I even got to re-use my adorable quarter-size bundt pan. I love it to bits. My cake was done quite a bit sooner because of the size - just make sure to check starting at 20-25 minutes if you downsize as drastically as I did. One note is not to skimp on the rest time! Cakes like this do meld together overnight, and it becomes noticeably more unified and full in flavor after a day.

On a completely different note, can you believe that we already have more than half of our guests RSVP'd?!? Gifts are beginning to come in, music has been chosen, readings have been picked... And it was around then that I realized - what in the hell do I do on the day of? I mean, I have everything else nicely planned out. When I'm baking cakes, decorating the reception location, having the rehearsal. But when to show up to the church? Where to get ready? Gah! Needless to say, I had this vision of getting up, showering, having a bowl of cereal, throwing the dress and shoes on, driving to the church and walking in as the music started. Evidently, that is not what you do. Evidently, there are things like manicures the day before, breakfast with people the morning of, makeup (horror!) and hair, getting dressed at the church... Eep!


So there you go. The minute you think I have a clue what's going on, the second you think that I've got this whole wedding thing down, remember this - I didn't even realize that you were supposed to get dressed at the church and have breakfast with your bridesmaids. Engineer planner fail.

Last Week: Tarte Fine
Next Week: Foldover Pear Torte