Dulce de Leche Apple Pie

After a two month hiatus that was almost too much to endure (I needs my pie), Robin and I teamed up again to deliver another tasty take on a traditional pie. Having already made among the most delicious strawberry-rhubarb and cherry pies known to man (and I'm sure whatever alien species may exist as well), we decided to bake a good old fashioned apple pie. Except, this apple pie would have the gooey amazingness known as dulce de leche to separate it from your grandma's. Despite almost ruining my microwave, we still managed to deliver one fantastic pie worthy of your favorite diner.

Dulce de Leche Apple Pie
Adapted from RecipeGirl.com
Servings: 1 pie
Time: 150 minutes

Despite the weird taste from cornstarch, Robin kept eating it.

Pie Crust (recipe here)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 braeburn apple, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp apple cider
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

This seemed like a fitting top to our Apple pie.

But I forgot the image would be flipped when we actually placed it on...

1. Get your pie crust prepped. You can find the recipe in the link provided or just buy frozen crust. The crust needs to sit in the freezer for an hour, giving you lots of time to make the filling and dulce de leche.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
3. Make the dulce de leche. We made ours in the microwave, which tasted great but had somewhat of a weird consistency. Just microwave the condensed milk on medium power lightly covered in two minute increments until it reaches the desired thickness (about 10 minutes). Be sure to stir well between each round. Also be careful that it may overflow and get all over your microwave and cause your plate to stick to the rotating microwave tray (not that that's what happened to us or anything...). You can also make dulce de leche in the oven or on the stove which will give a much nicer consistency but will take about 5 times longer at least.
4. Mix the sugars, cornstarch and spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
5. Toss the apples, dulce de leche, cider and vanilla extract together to cover the apples. 
6. Coat well with the dry ingredients.
7. Cover a 9" pie tin with half of the rolled out crust and fill with the apple mixture.
8. Top with the other half of the rolled out crust and sprinkle on brown sugar. Make sure to cut some vents into the top.
9. Bake for 30 minutes. If the crust begins burning, cover with aluminum foil (either as a collar around the ends or completely covering the top).
10. Drop the temperature to 375 and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
11. Let cool for at least half an hour (preferably longer if you have that kind of crazy willpower) to let the filing set.
12. Top with vanilla ice cream and serve.

You can't help but feel wholesome looking at that.

After anxiously sitting in front of the oven waiting for the pie to finish, we were treated to a wonderfully gooey dessert that kept things interesting. Nothing quite beats having that warm apple pie meet the cold ice cream to make your taste buds grateful. This was a fairly straightforward pie, aside from the dulce de leche. After we finally cleaned up the microwave, we were able to get a delicious, but far too thick dulce de leche to mix in with our apples. Due to its highly viscous (read: solid) nature, it didn't evenly spread throughout the filling, so we were left with delightful little pockets of dulce de leche that were a nice treat when found (think of it like finding the baby in a king cake except everyone ends up a winner and no one chips a tooth).

If the dulce de leche, takes on a weird consistency just whisk it like crazy (and watch it get stuck to the whisk).

Three pies in to our amazing pie odyssey, I'm ready to declare our baking venture a massive success (it always ends in me eating pie, so really there was almost zero chance for failure) and apply for the necessary small business loans to start up our own pie shop (writers, please send in your best pie puns for naming consideration). Next up, we need to start experimenting with different crusts (even though our current one is perfectly flaky), so we can mix things up a little. Any suggestions for the next pie we should tackle? 

Now that looks like a sweet baker you would gladly buy pie from.

But before long her true pie devouring intentions shined through.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

The gingerbread men have no idea what's about to transpire

I love Thanksgiving. It's a time to ignore family and wait in line for days for Black Friday deals. Wait, no, that's wrong. It's a time to stuff yourself with delicious food until you can't pry yourself from the couch (luckily there's lots of football on to keep you entertained on said couch). This year, I flew back to L.A. to take over the original kitchen where I honed the dark culinary arts. For some unknown reason (see just about every other post I make), my sister signed me up to bake something, so I decided to tackle one of the first things I ever made: The pumpkin gingerbread trifle.

When you own a trifle bowl, you have to use it

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
Adapted with less diabetes from Paula Deen
Servings: Your entire Thanksgiving crew
Time: 60 minutes (plus cooling)

1 box instant vanilla pudding
Milk (as required by the aforementioned pudding)
15 oz pumpkin pie filling (filling not the pumpkin)
2 Gingerbreads (recipe follows)
Gingerbread Man cookies
Whipped Cream (Premade or from this recipe)
Cinnamon for dusting

Nice, well defined layers...

1. Prep the gingerbread in a circular baking pan and let it cool (see below or just get a box from the store if you're short on time).
2. Make the vanilla pudding as directed by the box (typically you mix the pudding with 3 cups of milk and beat for 2 minutes). Let the vanilla set for at least 5 minutes to thicken.
3. Mix in the pumpkin pie filling.
4. Cut gingerbread to fit the bowl (If you don't own a trifle bowl you can also use a punch bowl or make individual ones in cups. Also, if you don't own a trifle bowl go buy one now, you'll use it all the time....) and place one at the bottom of the bowl. If any parts don't quite reach the edge of the bowl, be sure to fill it with your gingerbread shavings or it's gonna get messy.
5. Scoop pudding onto the center of the gingerbread and spread evenly. Again, start from the center to avoid it getting too messy.
6. Spread whipped cream over the top of the pudding.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 to finish off the final 3 layers. 
8. Dust the top with cinnamon and strategically place gingerbread man cookies. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Gingerbread

Modified from AllRecipes.com

Servings: 2 small round gingerbread cakes

1/2 cup vegetarian shortening, softened

The batter reeks of molasses

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Cream the shortening and sugar together in a stand mixer.
3. Add the molasses, milk and egg.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt. 
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in two batches while mixing at medium-low speed until fully incorporated. Be sure not to overmix.
6. Grease two round baking pans and pour in the batter. 
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until the toothpick test comes back clean) making sure to rotate once halfway through. 
8. Let cool before starting the trifle.

The least exciting looking cake ever (but it is crazy bouncy)

The first time I realized I might actually enjoy this whole cooking thing was at last Thanksgiving when my sister put me on dessert duty. We decided on a pumpkin gingerbread trifle and a bourbon pecan pie (both Paula Deen staples). More importantly, we bought the glorious trifle bowl which continues to fill me with wonder to this day. I had no idea what I was doing in the kitchen, but I was determined to make that trifle bowl look cool (and validate the $50 I just spent on the least manly thing ever). It was a much simpler baking time then with gingerbread mixes from boxes and frozen pie crusts, but it was a lot of fun and helped get me started on this cooking path. The results were utterly delicious and the epitome of what the holidays should taste like.

I would not advise shoving your face into the top of the trifle bowl despite how much it calls you to do so.

This year, now that I know how to use an oven safely (haven't burned myself in almost 2 weeks!), I decided to liven the recipe up by making my own gingerbread. The gingerbread had me very worried at first because it was heavy on the molasses and the batter didn't quite come together as much as I had hoped it would. In the end, it turned out very subtle, and I might even consider increasing the amount of cinnamon and ginger (or even adding a hint of pumpkin pie spice). This subtlety was a welcome addition, though, because it helped it blend perfectly with the pudding and whipped cream.

Harry and Faye also suffered from extreme post-Thanksgiving fullness and tiredness.

Speaking of the pudding, it's the most perfect and delicious pudding you will ever have. I actually removed a bunch of sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie filling that Paula Deen had which would have killed it with sweetness. What you're left with has just the right hint of pumpkin to bring home the holiday. Once you top it all with whipped cream and a crunchy gingerbread man cookie, you have a magnificent combination of layers that will leave you and your guests completely satisfied and feeling the holidays with each bite. 

Who needs a turkey when you can have lentil loaf?

Aside from the dessert amazingness, I also made one of my favorite veggie "meat" dishes, lentil loaf, which ended up being a huge hit even with the carnivorous folk. It was great being back in L.A. and spending time with my sister, brother-in-law and the puppies. Although it was a little disconcerting that Harry so readily replaced me with a toy duck as his new best friend.

This recipe would later inspire my spooktacular Halloween  Pumpkin Cupcakes.

The French Macaroon Making Marathon

Ever since the amazingness that was the Lark/Harmon wedding, I've wanted to recreate the incredible little desserts the bride somehow found time to make. Sara was happy to send me the recipe, so I enlisted the services of expert sous chef Nancy (of Tres Leches and Roasted Poblano Enchiladas fame) and set out on what would become my most trying (and delicious) baking adventure yet.

The Batters

Almond Macaroon Master Recipe
All Parts From PastryPal.com
Servings: 30-40 macaroon pairs
Time: 60-90 minutes

1 cup almond flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 large egg whites
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Now you just have to wait about 45 minutes for the skin to form.

There's a decent amount of sugar

1. Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy then add the sugar to help stabilize them. 
3. Continue beating the egg whites until firm peaks start to form.
4. Pour half of the dry ingredients into the bowl with the egg whites and fold the egg whites over to incorporate. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and fold until the dry ingredients are no longer visible.
5. Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe nickel sized circles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Note: the batter will spread more on parchment paper, so for better looking macaroons, you'll have to splurge on the costly mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 280 F.
7. Let sit until a skin starts forms around the batter. This can take anywhere from 30-90 minutes depending on the weather. You'll know they're ready when you can touch then without any batter getting on your finger.
8. Bake for 18 minutes making sure to turn once midway through.
9. Allow the macaroons to cool before removing from the sheet. If you try to move them too quickly, the bottoms will pull off.

Don't remove too quickly if you like your cookies to have bottoms.

This almond master recipe is what you need to start any macaroon. From there, you can simply add dry ingredients to change the flavor (which you'll see in a minute with the chocolate ones). While it is fun to try out a bunch of different recipes, you can succeed with just this simple almond recipe that is already fantastic. Even though these tasted great, we still didn't quite get the consistency down. The macaroons were a little too flaky and sometimes hollow on the inside. This is likely because we didn't beat my egg whites into firm enough peaks, or my piping technique was deflating the batter too much.

The graveyard of failed macaroons: the saddest thing ever. We lost a lot of good men that night.

Chocolate Macaroons

Almond macaroon master recipe (see above)

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1. Repeat the procedure listed above, but also sift in the cocoa powder with your dry ingredients.

The chocolate macaroon batter came out much nicer than the almond ones and they had an intriguing brownie-like flavor. Plus, once you add filling, they kind of look like Oreos, which has to be a good thing. 

Speaking of fillings, now let's move on to our three varieties: chocolate ganache, white chocolate ganache and lemon curd.

The Fillings

Chocolate Ganache/White Chocolate Ganache

Time: 5 minutes

6 oz white or dark chocolate

1/3 cup heavy cream

White Chocolate Ganache: Because the macaroons need to be sweeter

1. Bring the heavy cream to boil in a pot.
2. Pour over well chopped chocolate in a bowl and mix well until it becomes creamy.

The dark chocolate ganache is no slouch either.

These two ganaches are beyond quick and easy to make, which will help your sanity while waiting for the macaroon batter to form its skin. Both provide all the chocolateyness you could want without being too rich and distracting from the macaroon itself.

Lemon Curd

Time: 20 minutes

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

Pinch of salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter, chopped

Nancy has the faux double boiler technique down.

1. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, lemon juice and lemon zest together in a large metal bowl.
2. Bring a few inches of water to boil in a medium pot. Place the bowl of whisked ingredients over the pot and whisk continuously. Keep whisking to make sure the eggs don't scramble.
3. The mixture should transition from frothy to creamy. Once it's creamy, whisk for an additional minute to help it thicken.
4. Remove the bowl from heat and add in a handful of butter at a time until it's all melted in.
5. Pass the curd through a strainer to remove any egg that scrambled. 
6. Let chill in the fridge until ready to use.

The curd in my finest lighting.

It looks a little better sitting atop a delightful little macaroon.

I previously made a lemon curd for some lemon blueberry cupcakes, and I have to say this version of the curd was far superior. You have to be careful that the curd doesn't become too sour, but this was just the right level of lemony goodness. The sour plays perfectly with the sugary sweetness of the macaroon itself to give a winning combination.

Not all fillings can be winners. Just ask the vanilla buttercream that looked like cottage cheese (but still tasted good).

The Wild Card (Toppings)

If you're feeling extra adventurous, you can add some toppings to your macaroons. Simply drop them on top of the batter when it's freshly piped onto the baking sheet. Since the macaroons are baked at low temps, you shouldn't have to worry about the toppings burning. We used some sweetened coconut flakes, but you can also use others like pistachios or hazelnuts.

Just be sure to mix the right fillings with toppings: Coconut and chocolate: yes. Coconut and lemon: no

The Final Drool-Worthy Product

Macaroons, Mac-ma-Macaroons (if you get the reference please apply to be my wife)

What started as a desire to acquaint ourselves with the world's latest baking phenomenon (sorry cupcakes), quickly turned into an endurance test of our will. A lot of work had to be done to make all the different batters and fillings, and our sanities definitely started to wan around hour five (at some point you will likely yell at them and call them stupid when they're not forming their skins quickly enough). Luckily, my sweet baking music (that 90s rap is a great motivator) and the help of the always sunny Nancy led us to French baking victory.  Despite some overmixing of the batter, they still were unbelievably delectable and received rave reviews from all parties fortunate enough to get their hands on them.

Even tastier than the Oreos they resemble.

Each of our combinations was delightful, but if I had to pick a favorite, I'd probably go with the chocolate macaroons with white chocolate ganache. The coconut with dark chocolate ganache (which I lovingly call the almond joy macaroon) came in a close second.

Nancy poses with her baking achievement, while the Ashby highrise continues reeking photobomb havoc

I always knew Sara was ridiculously awesome, but now her status as such has been forever cemented. I'll never figure out how she managed to bake these for all her wedding guests without going crazy, but my stomach is sure thankful she risked it. These didn't quite live up to the ones she delighted us all with, but no one in their right mind would pass on them.

The world's happiest box that my coworkers can look forward to enjoying at the weekly staff meeting.

Recipe Revisited: Shrimp Étouffée

Tonight, I made Shrimp and Grits and remembered I've been meaning to post about the incredible Shrimp Étouffée I made a few weeks back. This dish has undergone a few different iterations throughout my long and illustrious nine month culinary career. During the strictly vegetarian days of this blog, I substituted tempeh and seitan for the shrimp (with delightfully yummy results). Recently, however, I've been on a major shrimp kick, so it was time to meat up (please tell me in the comments how stupid you think that phrase is).

Shrimp Étouffée
Original Post
Adapted from Paula Dean's Recipe
Servings: 4
Time: 60 minutes

15 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb okra, sliced
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning
1/2 cup scallions, minced
1/4 cup parsley leaves, minced
3/4 cup white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes and juices
2-3 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp butter
Tabasco to taste

Progression of the wonderfully aromatic roux

1. Combine the flour and oil over medium heat to form the roux. Stir frequently until it turns into a caramel color (see above) and emits a nutty aroma (about 15 minutes).
2. Sauté the bell pepper, onion and garlic in the roux until the veggies become limp (about 5 minutes).
3. Add in the various peppers, cajun seasoning, scallions and parsley and cook for another minute.
4. Stir in the broth, wine, soy sauce and diced tomatoes.
5. Bring the mixture to a simmer then add the okra and cook covered for at least 20 minutes or until the okra becomes tender.
6. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
7. Serve over long-grain rice and garnish with chopped scallions.
8. Dash on a generous amount of tabasco and enjoy.

Sometimes, I oddly don't feel like driving the six hours it would take to get back to New Orleans for some authentic cajun cuisine, so I have to spend an hour to make it instead (and 3 hours to lay on the couch in an extremely full stupor so really I guess I don't save that much time). This dish is wonderfully spicy and creamy, and the okra is key to bringing it over the top (just make sure you cook it long enough to be tender). 

The equally fantastic vegetarian version

While I was a huge fan of the shrimp version, I have to say that the vegetarian version is every bit as amazing. The seitan version in particular makes a strong showing because it provides just the right texture (and allows you to say you're cooking seitan and giggle).

Italian Sausage with Peppers & Onions: The Dinner of Champions

Add penne pasta, asparagus, garlic bread & pretty basil leaves for a complete meal

Kevin and Alexis ran the half-marathon in San Antonio today while I sat on the couch, watched football and ate potato chips, so I decided to reward these world class athletes with a feast fit for a champion. Combined with finishing off the Kaya Toast, I made sure to load them with enough carbs that they would have been retroactively carbo-loaded for the race.

Italian Sausage with Peppers & Onions

Modified from AllRecipes.com

Servings: 8

Time: 40 minutes

8 links Italian sausage (I used chicken with mozzarella)

2 tbsp butter

1 yellow onion, diced

1 red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly

Fresh basil, minced

1 tsp dried oregano
1/3 cup white wine

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1. Brown all sides of the sausage over medium heat then remove from the pan and slice.
2. Sauté the onions and garlic in butter until soft and translucent.
3. Add the peppers, basil, oregano and white wine and cook until the white wine is reduced by half.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and sausage. Cook covered at a light simmer for 15-25 minutes (make sure the peppers are tender).
5. Serve on bread or pasta.

I reminded them beforehand that dinner was for winners. This certainly was the impetus behind their success.

This is a quick and easy meal that is about as hearty as can be. The bold and manly flavors come together fantastically and go perfectly with a lazy Sunday night of watching football. It's a great way to spice up ordinary pasta or can be used to make delicious deli style sandwiches. There are two easy ways to vary this. You can substitute beer for wine, which I actually think tastes more authentic (but should naturally be Michelob Ultra if right after exercise), or you can leave the crushed tomatoes out to keep the mess to a minimum (especially if you're not using it for pasta). No matter what you choose, you'll be left with an incredible dish that is bursting with flavor and almost impossible to mess up. Just be sure to notify your cardiologist in advance before inevitably going back for seconds (arteries are for suckers anyway).

Now that's the plate of a man who just ran a half marathon... and immediately undid all that exercise

Vegetarian Note: I previously made the vegetarian version of this dish with veggie sausage. I can't recommend it enough. The flavors still come through magnificently, and the meal provides an excellent source of protein.

The vegetarian version minus tomato but with jalapenos.

Indian Bonanza 2: Electric Vindaloo (Bhendi and Garlic Naan)

Apparently I took pics from every angle except focusing on the bhendi or naan.

I love Indian food. It always takes me back to nights of watching ridiculous documentaries (see Crazy Love) with my sister and ordering in from Bollywood Cafe.  It was one of these gloriously delicious nights that I learned about the Indian fabulous okra known as bhendi. As a southerner, I am always transported to home (and my grandma's gumbo) when I eat okra, so being able to combine it with one of my favorite types of cuisine made it infinitely more special. I'm also a massive fan of carbs (they're banned by many diets for a reason), so naan also holds a special place in my stomach's heart. Now on to the exciting conclusion of the Indian Bonanza!

Bhendi (or Bhindi)
Modified From Foods of India
Servings: 4-6
Time: 40 minutes

16 oz frozen okra
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, chopped
Olive oil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of a whole lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Sriracha sauce to spice

Okra: the magic vegetable

1. Sauté the onions in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent (I'm pretty sure about half of my posts start like this, so I'm just gonna start adding it to desserts too).
2. Add the cayenne, tomato, salt and pepper and cook for two more minutes.
3. Stir in the okra and cook until defrosted (unless you're using fresh okra in which case give it a couple of minutes.
4. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10-20 minutes until the okra becomes tender.
5. Top with sriracha sauce to heat it up and serve.

When you need to get your greens in, okra is always the way to go. This okra is a wonderful supporting player to any Indian meal (seriously just mix it in with the korma from my last post), but also has great flavor on its own. A couple of quick notes to make it even better: frozen okra can get a little slimy, so add a little vinegar to fix this; also once it's plated, add a pinch of garam masala spice to give it a more authentic and exciting flavor.

Garlic Naan

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Servings: 8-12 pieces

Time: 2-3 hours

1/4 oz packet active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tbsp yogurt

1 tbsp milk

1 egg beaten

2 tsp salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

4- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

Side note: I was shocked to discover no recipes for electric vindaloo (but there is a band). Look for it soon.

1. I cheated and made this with a breadmaker (which made it crazy simple), but if you lack the convenience of one you can do it on your own quite easily (but in a little longer time) with the following steps.
2. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and let sit for 10 mintues.
3. Stir in the sugar, milk, yogurt, egg, flour and salt to form the dough
4. Knead for 6 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
5. Place in an oiled bowl covered with a damp paper towel or saran wrap (but not damp saran wrap) and let rise until it has doubled in size (about an hour).
6. Punch the dough down and knead in about 2 tbsp of garlic.
7. Pinch off into small balls of dough (as many as pieces of naan you want) and set on a tray covered with a damp towel to rise until doubled in volume (about half an hour).
8. Roll out each ball to be about 1/2 an inch to an inch thick.
9. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until nicely browned.
10. Brush a mixture of the melted butter and garlic over the uncooked side then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

What can I really say about this naan other than it's amazing garlicy flatish bread. On its own, it's worthy of your time, but dipping it in delicious Indian food truly makes it worthy of a spot in the pantheon of your taste buds. Make sure to get it ready just as the meal begins because there's nothing like warm naan to help jumpstart the exciting food coma you have coming. For an interesting dessert take on naan, substitute sweetened coconut flakes for the garlic (if you're feeling adventurous)..

I'm glad I decided to start mixing in vegetarian dishes because my Indian bonanza was a massive hit. As I move forward with the blog (and try to combat the weight gain that inevitably comes with working), I'll try to sprinkle in vegetarian meals along the way. If I forget, keep me honest and yell at me in the comments.