Christmas Goodies

My manager at work give me the best surprise ... a basket of spices and sauces ... with the instruction that I create fabulous things to post here.  It was a wonderful gift that I can't wait to dig into.

I'm off now to start warming up hors d'oeuvres and set up the Trivia Pursuit for my (now) annual game night.

I wish you, my two fabulous subscribers, and anyone who might stumble in, the very best of this succulent season ...

Happy Feasting!!!

Caramel Apple Pie

Not your Grandma's Apple pie (or maybe it is ... if she's really, REALLY cool)  Found this recipe kicking around and it's the only way I make them now.  Easily made Vegan friendly by subbing margarine for the butter.   Pastry dough is made with Vegetable shortening so no worries there.

It's a weird way to construct the pie but the results are wonderful with a nice crunchy candied top latice.

Ingredients:

6 large apples, sliced (I like to mix it up - 2 Grannies, 2 Fujis, and 2 Spartans)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter (roughly 3/8 cup)

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp powdered ginger

1/4 cup water

Double Pie Crust.

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Instructions

1 - Core and peel the apples, let them soak in a cold bath of water and lemon (or lime) juice so that the don't brown.

2 - In a sauce pan combine the sugars, spices, butter, salt, and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Let the mix boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat and let stand

3 - Pre-heat oven to 425 F

4 - Make the pie crust -

Combine:

3 Tbl of white vinager

4 Tbl of cold water

2 tsp of vanilla

2 tsp of almond extract

1 Tbl of sugar (or sweetener)

Mix them together in a dish and stick in the Freezer to chill (the vinager and the shortening make a chemical reaction for very flaky crust and the vinager burns off in the baking so there's no taste - the vanilla and almond extra add a really nice flavour)

Cut together the below ingredients until fine:

3 c of flour

1/4 tsp salt

1c + Tbl of Vegetable shortning (I use Tenderflake - I've always found it the best)

add chilled liquid and mix together lightly.  You never want to knead or really work pastry, that's what makes it tough.

Roll out dough and line a 9", ungreased pie place. Trim and save the remainder dough (this will be used to make the latice work)

6 - Add the sliced apples to the pie

7 - Roll out the remainder of the dough and cut into strips, create the latice work over the apples.

8 - Laddle cooled caramel mix over latice work to fill the pie.

Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 F then cover with Tin Foil (so the crust doesn't burn), reduce the heat to 350 F and bake another 30 - 40 minutes

Cool completely before serving so that the caramel can thicken again.

I'll also use this caramel/apple mix for making apple crumble when I don't want to deal with pastry.