They are to die for. I mean, So. Unbelievably. Delicious. And, truly, they will kill you a little bit. They will make your life a little shorter. But it will be sooooo worth it.
As with so many of my most favoritest things to make, these began with a recipe. A recipe which I made, over and over, tweaking a little bit each time, until I had THE PERFECT result. I would like to properly credit the original author, but the thing took up residence as an index card in my recipe box probably fifteen years ago. I do know this: it came from a cookbook offering make-at-home versions of favorite items from chain restaurants, such as loaded potato skins from TGIFridays, honey-whole wheat pizza dough from California Pizza Kitchen, and cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon. Hence…
However, I don’t know if it was the author of this cookbook, or the folks over at Cinnabon, but their original recipe was definitely lacking. They were holding out! The cinnamon rolls were okay, but… I’m sorry. Just not gooey enough. A bit small. And dry. Just not the same. Something was definitely missing.
So, here is what I came up with, and have completely fallen in love with, and will be serving for Mr. Allie’s birthday breakfast this weekend, as well as probably for Valentine’s Day in a few weeks. And every other occasion thereafter, that warrants homemade cinnamon rolls. (Is there really any occasion that doesn’t???)
In a recent post, we talked a little bit about baking with yeast, and how it can be intimidating. Pizza dough is a great way to ease into it, because it’s pretty low maintenance. Well, if you’ve conquered pizza dough, and are ready to step it up to a new challenge, this recipe is for you. We’ll be building on the basics, so check out the post in question if you need to brush up.
Hi, friends! …sorry for the long absence… After all the busy of the holiday season, a series of (minor) illnesses, and a week or so of immersing myself in house projects (I’ll fill you in on all that soon), I just felt like I needed to lay low for a bit. But, I didn’t forget about ya! And I made you a yummy snack!
What do you think about baking with yeast? Does it freak you out a little bit? I was always a little scared, y’know? It seems complicated. Like, what if I kill the yeast? Doesn’t it take a while with all the risings and stuff? How about kneading? Sounds hard.
Well, I do think that bread baking is a real art form. One that I definitely have not yet mastered. But, making pizza is super easy! And rewarding! And a great way to gently ease yourself into the wide world of yeast…
So, stick with me here for the (very) basics of yeast dough, we’ll end up with a great result, and then next time we bake together, we’ll take it to the next level with an awesomesauce treat for Valentine’s Day breakfast (wha? did somebody say homemade cinnamon rolls…?)
I love making my own pizza dough, it’s so easy! All the ingredients keep really well for a long time, and I always have them on hand in my pantry. I can whip this up whenever the urge strikes, and top it with whatever’s laying around in the fridge. The dough needs anywhere from 45 minutes on up to rise, so just make sure you allow yourself that down time.
Grab yourself a packet of instant dry yeast. I like the highly active kind. That just means it takes less time to proof. Proof means prove that it’s alive. More on that later.
Next you’ll need some warm water. The temperature of the water is kinda critical, but don’t be scared. If you can run a nice warm bath for a baby, without giving him a chill or scalding him, then you have this in the bag. Test the water with the inside of your wrist, where it’s really sensitive. It should feel warm, not hot.
Sweeten up the water for the yeasties. They like to eat, too, you know. You can use any form of sugar. Granulated, brown, honey, agave, whatever. On this day, I chose maple syrup. I thought it would work well with the onions and gruyere. (It did )
Now sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the warm, sweet water, and swirl it around. If you are using highly active yeast, you’ll start to notice things happening within about five minutes. Regular yeast may take ten or fifteen. What you are looking for is like a weird foam. That proves that the yeast is alive and eating. And burping (sorry).
Once you see that foam, you can go ahead and dump in the flour and set it on to mix. Use the dough hook attachment, and just leave it go for like five good minutes. This will knead the dough, and develop the glutens in the flour. In other words, it will help give it that stretchy-chewy quality.
Dribble in some olive oil and season it with salt.
Now make a nice bed for the dough, because it’s nap time. It needs a big bowl, all oily and slick, a warm place, and a damp towel. Nestle him in his bowl and smear some more olive oil over his surface. Drape the damp towel over the bowl and put it in a warm place. At this time of year, I often just use my oven. Not on, just inside the cold oven, which actually isn’t all that cold, because of the pilot light, which is always flickering a little bit, even when the oven is switched off.
Here is where I got my toppings made. I sliced up a whole bag of onions in my food processor. Dumped them in a big pot with some olive oil, red wine, worcestershire sauce, sherry vinegar, brown sugar, and salt and pep.
Left it go on medium-low, giving it a stir every now and then, for around an hour or so.
I also used my food processor to shred the gruyere. I hate dragging that thing out, so if I gotta do it, I make sure it gets plenty of use.
After a while, you can take a little peek under the towel. If the dough got all big and poufy, then you’re in business!
Crank the oven as high as it’ll go!
If I had a pizza stone, I’d use that, but I don’t, so I just use a cookie sheet. (I have plenty of those!) I smear a little olive oil over it first, and then dump out the spongy dough right in the middle. It will deflate, a lot. That’s cool, no worries. You want that for a nice thin crust.
Use your fingertips or knuckles to smoosh the dough all the way out, to cover the sheet. At first you may think that’ll never happen, but just keep at it! It will, I promise! It’s like magic.
Now work quickly to put the toppings on. If you dilly-dally, your dough will rise again, which is fine if you like a sicilian style pizza, but I like a thin crust.
Into the oven it goes, for about 15-20 minutes.
When it comes out, all sizzly and bubbly-brown, sprinkle on some freshly snipped chives. If you have a little truffle oil stash, I highly recommend you break it out, now. A little drizzle is all it takes to bring your French onion soup pizza to dizzying heights.
Tah-dah! I brought this to my neighbor’s house for a little shindig they were having, and he called it “the best part of the French onion soup!” He was so right on!
Sprinkle the yeast onto the sweet water and swirl to combine. Allow it to proof.
Add the flours and incorporate on low speed with the dough hook. Add the salt and olive oil.
Place dough in a large, oiled bowl. Coat the surface with additional olive oil, and cover with a damp towel. Set in a warm place to rise, 45 minutes to several hours.
For the Topping:
Heat the first six ingredients in a heavy pot, on medium low heat, for one hour, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 550 degrees.
Once the dough has doubled in size, flatten it onto an oiled half-sheet pan. Spread the caramelized onions evenly on the dough, and top with shredded gruyere. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Top with freshly snipped chives and truffle oil.
3.2.1215
Do you like baking with yeast? What have you made recently? Were you happy with the results?
Picky doesn’t even begin to describe how complicated it can be. My kids have their favorites, but are the meals balanced? Are they getting enough protein? How about fiber? Is it too high in sugar? Or sodium? Oh, and that thing that they loved last week and ate for just about every meal? They hate it now. And their younger sibling never would touch it, and probably never will. He or she has another whole set of food criteria, and it’s an even narrower list.
My older son is currently on a taco kick. It all started with the Doritos Locos Tacos, from Taco Bell, that he saw being advertised in between his favorite cartoons. I’m actually kinda psyched that he’s open to this, since it does seem to be a pretty balanced meal (as far as kid food goes), and I’ve managed to bring him around to the idea of homemade tacos, instead of the fast food version (winning!). But they are kind of a pain to put together, and messy, and his preschool doesn’t heat up lunch so I’d prefer to be able to put something in a thermos for him.
I recently saw this on Pinterest, and thought it sounded like a pretty good idea. Unfortunately, the link doesn’t lead to an actual recipe, so I had to get creative. C and I worked together in the kitchen developing our version, and we both love it!
Begin by boiling the pasta in salted water (for a minute or two less than the package directs), and browning the ground turkey, chicken, or beef in a skillet, along with some grated onion, garlic, tomato paste, and the fragrant spices.
**It’s very important to C that I differentiate “fragrant spice” from “hot spice.” ”Hot spice” = NO/ “Fragrant spice” = Ok.**
If your meat is very lean, you may need to moisten it with a half cup or so of chicken stock or water.
Grease an oven safe baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
After the pasta and meat are cooked, drain them and combine them in a big bowl, along with the greek yogurt, shredded cheddar cheese, and beaten egg.
Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish, and top with crushed up corn tortilla chips.
At this point, you can put a tight cover on it and freeze or refrigerate it for another day! Or, if you just can’t wait to dig in, bake it for 25 minutes covered, then take the cover off and broil on low for another five minutes, to crisp up the top.
Garnish with finely shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. The grownups might enjoy a little cilantro… Guacamole would also be great!
I’m stinky. Sometimes very stinky. And, since I work from home, I don’t need to shower first-thing. Some days I’m sitting here working, stinking this whole house out, and I comfort myself by pretending that I’m having a contest to see how stinky I can get. Only, it’s just me here, so I’m competing with myself, therefore, I am the winner.
I use natural deodorant, and for most people, that induces a lot of giggling. Because everyone knows that natural deodorant doesn’t work for shit.
I’ve tried a bunch of brands over the years, and found a semi-decent one, Kiss My Face in Peaceful Patchouli (the other scents don’t work). This only works if you’re blind to the fact that it actually kind of smells like BO, only friendlier BO. Also, it’s very wet. It’s cold. It’s a roll-on. On a cold Connecticut morning, the thought of being cold and wet is not-preferable.
This morning, I realized in desperation that I’m out of Peace Patchouli! I don’t plan on showering for at least 5 more hours. So unless I take action, it’s going to get scary in here.
I Googled, and came across a recipe for homemade deodorant. However, I couldn’t make it, because my sexy beefcake of a husband, (who is also quite inconsiderate, hello!?) tightened up the jar of coconut oil so much that I couldn’t OPEN IT. Ugh!
Luckily, I had some of the body butter, which I made for presents last week (click here to see that post). So all I did was add baking soda and corn starch (or arrow root powder) to it. The results are pretty impressive!
Just to let you know, this formula is weird, it’s a cream, and most American’s aren’t used to rubbing cream on their armpits, so it’s a bit different, but it works. And the best part, it works at keeping you dry too (which, Kiss My Face does not do!). YES!
The essential oils smell lovely, and dissipate as the day wears on, so you don’t smell like deodorant. The baking soda absorbs the stench, and the cornstarch absorbs wetness. The nice oils keep your gorgeous, lady (or not) pits from looking bumpy from shaving. After a busy day working and chasing for a highly-active 3 year-old, without a shower, I am stink-free and loving life.
The full natural antiperspirant deodorant recipe is below. You’re welcome, I love your stinky butts!
Makes 2½ to 3 cups of goodness, which is kind of a lot. Basically it’s three 12 oz mason jars, or 4½ 8-ounce jars. My suggestion would be to just make the big batch. You’ll be glad you did, because it’s easier to whip up when it’s a lot, and because you’re the type to appreciate this kind of thing, you’ll either use it up yourself, or give it away for gifts. Omit the dry ingredients for a lovely body butter.
Ingredients
1 cup shea butter
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup almond oil
Essential Oils (I used Lavender, Frankincense and Lime)
1 cup Baking Soda
½ cup Corn Starch or Arrowroot Powder
Instructions
Melt the shea butter and coconut oil in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
Stir in almond oil and essential oils (just a few drops of each, it’s easier to add more than take away).
Place oil mixture in freezer for 20 minutes.
When the oils are partially solid, they’ll look like yellowish goo, whip it up with a mixer until it’s got a buttery consistency. It’ll get very white and pretty, and you’ll be tempted to eat it, but don’t.
Stir in your baking soda and corn starch or arrowroot powder until it’s mixed throughout. (If you omit this step, you’ve got body butter.)
Is everyone enjoying their Christmas/Winter Break? We had a lovely gathering of close family and good food here at the YinMom YangMom Allie household, with all of our old favorites on the table and some new recipes too. It was a wonderful time and now we are just winding down with all the cleanup and leftovers…
Today I have a very special post for you, from a very special guest! He is a tremendously talented and creative food-lover, who happens to also be….
MY HUSBAND!
That’s right, friends! I am so pleased to introduce you to Mr. Allie.
This is one of his favorite recipes to make for a crowd. It’s one of those old favorites that’s always on the table at our Christmas Eve celebration, but really it’s perfect for a cocktail party at any time of the year. If you’ve never heard of gravlax, it’s a lot like smoked salmon or lox, only without the smoke! Everyone is always so impressed that he made it himself! But it couldn’t be easier… It’s cured in salt and other aromatics, and, well, why don’t I just let him fill you in:
As a holiday season tradition, I’ve been preparing this favorite for almost 10 years. It’s perfect for all parties, large or small, and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and a wonderful treat for your New Years Eve party.
Start with your ingredients:
Salmon 1.25 to 2lbs (feeds 15-25 as an appetizer) 1/2 cup salt 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp ground pepper 2 lemons 2 limes 1 orange Bunch of dill
Line a 1 inch+ deep roasting dish with plastic wrap. Make sure to double layer.
Mix the salt, sugar and pepper to create your dry rub. Cut the fruit lengthwise into very thin slices.
Place 1/3 of your dill onto the wrap, this will be your first layer. Next, strategically align 1/3 of your fruit on top of the dill. Next, spoon half of the spice rub on top of the first two layers.
Now it’s time to lay the salmon, skin side down, on the bed of ingredients.
Begin to layer the rest of the ingredients in the same size portions on top of the salmon in reverse order. Spice rub, fruit slices, then dill. You should have a few slices of each fruit and some extra dill reserved for garnish.
Now bring in the sides of the short side of the wrap, then the long side, so everything is completely covered. Remove some more wrap from the roll and begin to overwrap tightly. A good tip is to remove the wraproll from the box.
Place your wrapped ingredients back in the dish and weigh it down in your refrigerator with another pan topped with heavy canned veggies for at least 48 but no more than 72 hours. You will notice fluid accumulating at the bottom of the dish. This is normal as the salt is pulling the moisture out of the salmon. Flip the salmon after 24 hours to ensure even curing.
Remove from refrigerator and wash off the salmon thoroughly under cold water. Discard other ingredients.
Cut salmon across the grain in paper-thin slices and arrange on a platter.
As you can see, I’ve arranged my serving on a plate with remaining fruit slices, a few sprigs of dill, and creme fraiche with citrus zest.
In years past, I’ve served the gravlax on homemade potato latkes. This year we were short on time so we used potato chips with sea salt.
Hope you enjoy!!
Thanks, Mr. Allie!
Friends, you absolutely must try this at your next party! It’s perfect with a chilled glass of champagne. Maybe for your New Year’s Eve bash! It’s also really great on thin slices of pumpernickel, with a little chive cream cheese, or on blinis with caviar!
an easy make-ahead appetizer consisting of fresh salmon cured with salt, herbs, and citrus
Ingredients
Salmon 1.25 to 2lbs
½ cup salt
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp ground pepper
2 lemons
2 limes
1 orange
Bunch of dill
Instructions
Line a 1 inch+ deep roasting dish with plastic wrap. Make sure to double layer.
Mix the salt, sugar and pepper to create your dry rub.
Cut the fruit lengthwise into very thin slices.
Place ⅓ of your dill onto the wrap, this will be your first layer.
Strategically align ⅓ of your fruit on top of the dill.
Spoon half of the spice rub on top of the first two layers.
Lay the salmon, skin side down, on the bed of ingredients.
Layer the rest of the ingredients on top of the salmon in reverse order.
Keep a few slices of each fruit and some extra dill reserved for garnish.
Bring in the sides of the short side of the wrap, then the long side.
Everything should be completely covered.
Remove some more wrap from the roll and begin to overwrap tightly.
A good tip is to remove the wraproll from the box.
Place the salmon back in the dish and weigh down in your refrigerator.
Use another pan with some heavy canned food for extra weight.
Refrigerate for 48 but no more than 72 hours.
You will notice fluid accumulating at the bottom of the dish.
This is normal as the salt is pulling the moisture out of the salmon.
Flip the salmon after 24 hours to ensure even curing.
Remove from refrigerator and wash off the salmon thoroughly under cold water. Discard other ingredients.
Cut salmon across the grain in paper-thin slices and arrange on a platter.
Arrange on a serving plate with remaining fruit slices, a few sprigs of dill.
Serve with potato latkes or potato chips and creme fraiche with citrus zest.
3.1.09
Do you have an old standby recipe that your family adores? What kinds of foods are always on your holiday table? What are your New Year’s Eve plans this year? If you’re having a party, would you try this recipe?
I saw this recipe last year for homemade body butter, and it’s so beautifully photographed on this blog, that I just couldn’t wait to do it. My plan was for this to be a 2011 project, and since plans were meant to be procrastinated-on, here I am one year later, finally getting around to it!
The recipe calls for “100% Pure Unrefined Organic Raw Shea Butter“. But, since I made this on a whim the other day, I didn’t have time to wait for the delivery of “100% Pure Unrefined Organic Raw SHEA BUTTER”, so I went to the health food store and bought a container or regular old shea butter, and lo and behold, it worked fabulously!
I didn’t have a double boiler, so I just put two pots together. Make sure to skew them a bit so the steam can escape.
It ran me about $75 dollars for the supplies and the jars, but I ended up with 9 little jars, so for 9 presents, $75 isn’t so bad! Plus, I bought WAY more almond oil, coconut oil and essential oils than are needed for the recipe, so I have leftovers to use on myself
Author: Susan – Rawmazing.com, modified by Yin Mom, Yang Mom Mere
Makes 2½ to 3 cups whipped butter.
Ingredients
1 cup Organic, raw (I used regular, and it was fine) shea butter
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup almond oil
Several drops of your favorite essential oils. I chose Lavender, Frankincense and Lime
Instructions
Melt shea butter and coconut oil in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
Stir in almond oil and essential oils of your choosing.*
Place oil mixture in freezer or outside to chill for 20 minutes.
Whip until a butter-like consistency is achieved.
Place in clean, glass jar and enjoy! A little goes a long way.
*Not all essential oils are skin friendly or child friendly. Please do your research before adding.
Tips:
You can use what ever oils you wish, just make sure you keep the ratio 75% solid to 25% liquid.
The chilling step is crucial. If you don’t chill it properly, it won’t whip or stay whipped. About 20 minutes in the freezer usually does the trick for this batch. Make sure you scrape down the sides before mixing.
Since this recipe does not contain any water, it will not mould. You should keep in a cool place but it does not have to be refrigerated.
I do not know the exact shelf life but I know it will keep at least a few months, plus.
The body butter melts as it goes on and gets a little oily but absorbs beautifully, quickly and leaves your skin very soft.
3.1.09
This stuff feels amazing on your skin, and really gave me a boost on a cold, rainy Connecticut day. It’s also a really nice texture for a nice back rub with your favorite back rub provider.
I made cute little labels, which you can print for your own gift-making awesomeness!
There’s one which lists the fragrance, if you choose to use the same oils I did, and a generic one in case you want to experiment with your own combinations.
I know you just love ‘em, in all their sweet, marshmallowy, melt-in-your-mouth glory:
FrenchMacarons!
I initially started experimenting with French Macarons as part of a series I created for YinMom YangMom on 2012 Food Trends for the Home Cook. French Macarons were predicted to be a huge trend this year, and if the search terms leading people to this blog are any indicator, then I’d say that prediction was right on the money!
For today’s macaron adventure, I’ve decided to show you a recipe that makes a perfect homemade gift. ‘Tis the season, right? We all want a little chocolate splurge at this time of year, and the addition of some warm spice makes these just perfect for the holidays!
Macarons are so special because they aren’t the sort of thing that everybody goes around making. Besides being trendy, they also have that little bit of European mystique surrounding them. They are adaptable to so many different flavors, (and colors, so they are also beautiful to look at!) but they can be a little tricky to make, so I’m here to make it super simple and foolproof for you. Why not let’s just make this an in-depth tutorial for all the macaron maniacs out there?
I’m also going to show you my measuring method, which results in the least possible amount of dirty bowls in your sink. With all the weighing, sifting, and mixing, macarons have the potential of leaving your kitchen looking like a hurricane just blew through if you aren’t judicious about your dishes (I swear I didn’t mean to do that!).
And finally, I’m including links to purchase all of the special equipment and ingredients you will need, so you can grow up to be just like me Just click the links and set yourself up for macaron success!
Evidently, somehow, it is December now. (?!?!) Just the other day I was teaching my kids how to use the slip ‘n slide in the backyard, so I really don’t understand how this happened. However, I have confirmed it with several sources, that it is, now, in fact, December the first, and that means there are just 24 days until Christmas, and only eight more days until Hanukkah.
We gotta get our butts in gear, friends.
Like many of you, I’m sure, I have a lot of wonderful people in my life who deserve nice gifts at this time of year. It can get a little overwhelming sometimes, choosing and shopping for everyone’s gift, trying to make it personal, and working it into the budget. One thing I really like to do is try to make homemade gifts, because by their very nature, they are more personal, and unique, and as a nice bonus, they are often more affordable.
Spoiler Alert (for the five most important men in my life)!
I begin by chopping the apples and putting them into a large pitcher with a lid. I also add in the cinnamon sticks and ground nutmeg.
Then, I open the bottles of bourbon and pour them over the apples and spices.
Put the lid on the pitcher and let that sit, at room temperature, for four days.
While the bourbon is infusing, I use Goo-Gone to remove the original labels from the bottles.
This stuff works miracles. You can buy it in my shop.
Just spray it on the label and let it sit for ten minutes or so. The labels just scrape right off, no sticky residue.
Clean the bottles with hot, soapy water, or in the dishwasher.
You can also print and cut out these nifty labels!
After the bourbon has had it’s four-day long nap, place a funnel in the neck of the clean, original bourbon bottle. Place a fine mesh strainer over the funnel, and pour the infused bourbon through, discarding the solids. Add 2 tablespoons of honey or agave nectar to each bottle, and replace the cork topper.
Mist the backs of the labels with spray adhesive and adhere them to the bottles.
These can keep in the fridge for up to two months!
I plan on giving them along with a six-pack of artisinal ginger ale, for a delicious and festive winter cocktail!
Do you like to receive a homemade gift? Do you like to make them and give them? What kinds of homemade gifts will you be making this year? I have some other ideas up my sleeve, you can check them out on my Homemade Gifts Pinterest Board. Be sure to also check out all the fabulous gift ideas in the Homemade Gifts Category of this blog. Let me know what you think!
I have no explanation for why my children would prefer to eat something that looks like this:
over something that looks like this:
but, what can I say? It is what it is.
Those are not doggie biscuits. They are Homemade Scooby Snacks for your kiddo’s lunchbox! And they hail from Lunch Lady Land… a magical place full of yummy snickety-snax that are perfect for a packed lunch. Check out the other recipes from this series:
My boys fell in love with the idea of eating things that look like dog food when I recently brought home a box of Scooby Snacks from my local grocery store. They are basically just a thicker graham cracker in the shape of a dog bone. We can totally do this ourselves! And end up with something even yummier (homemade always is, right?), and probably a lot better for you.
I tried a few different graham cracker recipes, and found this one to be my favorite. If you can’t find graham flour…
…I’ve tried substituting whole wheat flour and it works just great!
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups graham flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
I began by creaming the butter, dark brown sugar and honey in my mixer.
Then I just tossed in the remaining ingredients and mixed it all up!
One little tip: don’t mix it for too long because it will incorporate air that may cause your Scooby Snacks to spread out too much in the oven. This goes for any kind of cookie that you roll out and cut with a cookie cutter.
So, as soon as the dough came together into a ball, I just rolled it out between two sheets of parchment paper. I used my rolling pin rings to ensure an exactly even thickness of 5/16″ (I am anal a Virgo).
Cut them out with your handy dandy bone-shaped cutter, and gently peel them off the parchment. You can re-roll the scraps because you didn’t add any additional flour rolling them out the first (or subsequent) time around.
Place them on a lined baking sheet and fork ‘em.
This is technically called “docking the dough,” and it helps keep them from puffing up. Also it makes them look more authentic. Like dog food, that is.
Bake them at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Take them out and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Then bake for another 4 minutes.
I know they look like the dog’s breakfast (sorry, couldn’t resist), but they are soooo super yummy! They are crumbly and buttery and they have a deep, warm flavor from the dark brown sugar and honey. The cinnamon sugar is like the icing on the cake! They are awesome warm from the oven with a cold glass of milk, but they’ll keep really well, (like, for weeks!) in an airtight container.
They were a big hit for my 5- and 3-year olds, so you should definitely try them out! And, if you like these, be sure to check out the other posts in our Lunch Lady series!
“this is the best thing you’ve ever baked, mommy.”
That is a direct quote. And I have baked a lot of things.
I think that is all the introduction this recipe needs.
Apple Pie Cups with Cinnamon Streusel
(makes 12)
For the Crust: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
approx. 1/3 cup ice water
A few words about pie crust:
At this time of year I really love having some pie crust hanging around in my fridge. It keeps in there for weeks (maybe even months?). Come Fall, I just never know when the pie-baking urge will strike. And with it already sitting there, all chilled and ready to roll, it’s that much easier to just go for it! I suggest whipping up a double batch, just so you have some extra at the ready. This recipe works beautifully for sweet or for savory recipes (chicken pot pie, anyone?). Which leads me to my next point…
About this pie crust recipe. It holds a special place in my heart. For a few reasons.
Number one, it is the best pie crust recipe/method, EVER. The shortening makes it tender, and the butter makes it flaky. The folding/rerolling step makes it CAN’T FAIL.
My own pies were always a little bit of a letdown for me, until this recipe came along. It is everything I ever wanted a homemade pie crust to be. So, my second reason is, it got me over my fear of pies.
tender-flaky layers!
And third, when I posted my White Peach and Blueberry Pie, using this crust, it was Freshly Pressed on WordPress, gaining our little blog A LOT of attention. I’m still plugging away at trying to reciprocate all the comments and likes we got.
I owe it all to a beautiful, fun, and sweet blog called BakeAt350, where I first saw the recipe. (Thank you, Bridget!) If you’ve never read it, please be sure to go check it out.
To make this magic pie crust, you will begin by placing the flour, salt, and shortening in a large bowl. Cut the shortening in until the pieces are pea-sized. Cut the cold butter into thin slices and toss them around in the flour until they are all dusty-coated. Now dribble in the ice water, about a tablespoon at a time, while stirring the whole mess around. As soon as it starts to come together into a ball, you are done adding water. Divide it into two equal portions so it’s easier to work with.
Dust each dough-ball in flour, and roll out to about 1/4″ thick. Fold it into thirds, like a letter. Turn it 90 degrees, and fold into thirds again. Fridge for 30 minutes, or till you’re ready to make pie.
So now that you have a ridiculously long pie crust explanation, and the beginnings of the best thing you’ve ever baked in your fridge, we’ll move on to the filling.
For the Filling:
6 granny smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice
Peel, core, and cut your apples into 1/2″ pieces. Toss them with the remaining filling ingredients.
For the Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Just melt the butter in a little bowl and then throw the rest of the ingredients on top. Mix it up with a fork and you’re good to go!
What is the best thing you’ve ever baked? Do you make a lot of pies in the fall? Have you had much luck with your crust? What do you think of this method I’ve been using? Leave us a comment!
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