Apple Gingerberry Deep Dish Pie

Happy National Pi Day! This holiday totally takes me back to my high school days of endlessly difficult math and physics homework. But let's remember the good times of pi. Like using those confusing equations to build the coolest, longest, loopiest and functioning (model) roller coaster ever!

As I gently kneaded the dough for this deep dish pie, I caught the scent of that intoxicating butter-flour combo and almost melted away. Heavenly. And the colors! I love that the apples just absorb the vibrant blueberry juice...it's gorgeous!

And don't think I'm ignoring the flavors here. The ginger gives a delicate depth and heat to the pie while the flaky crust balances out the sweetness of the fruit filling. You're gonna need to run to the store now. 


Apple Gingerberry Pie [click to print]
Makes one 8-1/2" deep dish pie


For the Pie Crust: 

2-1/2 c. flour

1 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 sticks (8 oz.) butter, cold

1/2 c. water, ice cold

For the Delicious Filling: 

4 c. tart apples (about 5 med.), cored, peeled and sliced in 1/4" thick pieces
1 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. lemon zest (about 1 med.)
1 tsp. ginger paste (OR grated fresh ginger)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. blueberries, divided


For the Crumble Topping: 
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
4 T. unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces


Start by making the pie dough. Whisk flour, sugar and salt in large mixing bowl. Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and add to flour mixture. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until butter pieces are about the size of peas. It doesn't have to be perfectly even at this point. Drizzle water over mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gather the dough together until the mixture starts clumping. Gently knead dough together with your fingertips; when it forms a lumpy ball, it's done. Be careful not to overwork, the heat from your hands can make the butter melt and that's what makes the crust so flaky and good! 

Flatten dough to 1/2" disk; seal in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The colder the dough, the better, though, so leave it for 2 or more hours if you can. 

Combine apples, water, sugar, zest, ginger and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup blueberries and simmer for 10 more minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Drain fruit and save juice. Pour juice in small saucepan and simmer until reduced to 1/3 to 1/2 cup; allow to cool. 

Now for the crumble topping. In food processor, combine sugar, flour, ginger and salt. Process to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is combined but still crumbly. Set aside. 

Coat 8-1/2" springform pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to about 1/4" thick. Press into bottom of springform pan and about 2" up the sides. You'll have a little left over pie dough, but don't throw it away! Check back in a couple days for a tasty idea to use up those scraps!

Pour fruit mixture into pan. Spread remaining blueberries across top of fruit. Sprinkle crumble topping across top of pie, gently press edges of crust down with fingertips to meet top of pie and stick the whole thing in the oven. I like to bake pies with a baking sheet on the rack below in case it decides to drip, then you don't have to scrub nasty baked on stuff off the bottom of your oven. Ew. 

Bake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes. Allow to cool and remove from springform. Drizzle reduced juice across top of pie and enjoy!

Source: Pie crust from Smitten Kitchen; Pie adapted from What Katie Ate; Crumble topping adapted from TableFare

Sweet Sixteen: Makin' Whoopie

What else would you possibly do with your Valentine's Day? Enjoy this week's round up of Whoopie Pie deliciousness!

(Left to Right and Top to Bottom)

Healthy Whoopie Pies, S'more Whoopie Pies, Whoopie Pie Surprise, Whimsical Whoopie Pies

Whoopie Pie Bar, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Vegan Spicy Chili Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Hot Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Strawberry Milk Whoopie Pies, Real Maine Whoopie Pies, Snickerdoodle Whoopie Pie Stuffed Cinnamon Roll, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Mini Funfetti Fudge Whoopie Pies, Chocolate and PB Whoopie Pies, Lemon Polenta Whoopie Pies with Chocolate Ganache, Blueberry Pancake Whoopie Pies with Ricotta Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Every Christmas, my mom and I (and sometimes my sister) would bake and bake and bake. We'd scoop and cut and slice probably hundreds of cookies and sweet breads, and, thanks to our benevolent taste testers who would die before we delivered any less-than-perfect treats to our neighbors, we ended the whole project with just barely enough to go around. My mom would sweetly scoot us kids out the door, reminding us to smile and sing loud enough for our old neighbors to hear, and off we went! My favorite house was right next door, at Reverend Fred Donaldson, or "The Rev" as his license plate said. He was a giant of a man, was missing part of one finger on his left hand and always sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" right back to us in his booming choir voice.

I know it's a little past Christmas and pumpkin season now, but this has gotta be one of my absolute favorite sweet breads. There's nothing like the smell of pumpkin and ginger baking in a hot oven to warm up your home and singing voice!

Pumpkin Gingerbread [click to print]
Makes 1 loaf

1 c sugar
1/2 butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 c molasses
1 c. pumpkin puree
1-3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Combine sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla; mix until smooth. Add molasses and pumpkin; mix until blended. Add dry ingredients in about 3 additions, scraping, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Mix until blended.

Coat loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes. Reduce heat by 25 degrees if using glass loaf pan.

Source: Adapted from AllRecipes

Baked Apples

During the fall, I become obsessed with everything apple, as you may have noticed. So when I saw some beautiful baked apples on Cherry Tea Cakes, I just knew I had to try them!

Baked Apples   [click to print]
Makes 4 baked apples

For the crust: 
1-1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 stick (8 oz.) butter, unsalted and cold
1/4 c. water, ice cold

For the appley part: 
4 apples (I used honeycrisp)
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves

Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Cube butter in 1/2" pieces and add to flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, work butter into flour mixture until it forms crumbles about the size of peas. Slowly drizzle water over butter mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gather dough, working around the edges. When dough begins to clump together, use fingers to gently knead together a few times until it forms one mound. Place dough on plastic wrap and flatten to about 1/2". Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Core apples; if you don't have a corer, stab your vegetable peeler in a circle around the core and then push it out. Peel apples. Slice horizontally into 1/4" slabs. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Remove pie crust dough from refrigerator and separate into four balls. Roll each ball out between two pieces of plastic wrap to about 1/8" thickness. Chill about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. sugar mixture in center of dough. Set your first apple slice (bottom piece) on sugar and cover with 1/2 to 1 tsp. sugar mixture. Layer next slice on top and sprinkle with 1/2 to 1 tsp. sugar mixture; continue alternating apple slices and sugar mixture until your apple is reassembled on the dough. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. sugar on top of apple. Stuff center of apple with about 2 tsp. sugar mixture. Gently pull edges of dough to wrap entire apple. Trim off any excess dough.

Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Cherry Tea Cakes

Brown Butter Cupcakes with Pumpkin Pie Frosting

After forgetting my fries under the broiler, making extra toasty enchiladas and burning my soup...in a crockpot...I realized something. I'm pretty good at burning things. Normally, this would not be good news, but when I came across Cupcake Project's Browned Butter Cupcakes, I knew I had to give them a try.

I tested this recipe using margarine and then again with real butter. Believe me, browned margarine tastes absolutely nothing like browned butter. Definitely worth the extra $2 for real butter to get that delicious caramely flavor. 

When you're browning the butter, use a pan with a light colored finish so you can keep track of how dark your butter is getting. It can happen pretty quickly. And if you don't have cake flour on hand, substitute the cake flour with 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour plus 2 T. potato (or corn) starch.

And to top it all off, these cupcakes deserved more than just a boring old spiced buttercream. These babies were covered with pumpkin pie. Yes, I said it. Actual pumpkin pie. You just prepare and bake pumpkin pie filling/custard stuff as normal, without the crust. Once it's done baking and has cooled, stir it up until smooth and pipe it onto your cupcakes. Thanks for that idea, too, Cupcake Project! These were delicious and perfect for the start of fall!