One of the first cookbooks I remember pawing through as a child was the Southern Living 5-Star Recipe Collection Cookbook, a three-ring binder of recipes that featured everything from jaw-dropping three-layer cakes to mouth-watering roasts. It is an ideal cookbook for a budding young (or older) cook, as each recipe page has a stunning picture of the finished dish, as well as photographs showing how to complete selected steps throughout the recipe. I remember how helpful those pictures once were to me. When one is learning how to cook, words like cream, sautée, and sear can be baffling with no context. I am a huge fan of visual learning, particularly as it relates to cooking.
Even now, one of my favorite features in cooking magazines is photo tutorials showing various techniques. Rolling out sheets of pasta, butterflying a pork tenderloin, and pitting cherries are among some of the skills I have acquired from looking at and closely examining photos of these techniques. A well-written recipe is a valuable tool in the kitchen, but there are some directions that are nearly impossible to convey in words, or that are better explained with a vivid photo. Photographs can show you exactly how and at what angle to hold a knife when scaling a fish, what meringue should look like when it’s reached soft or stiff peaks, and how thick a soup or sauce should appear.
Pie is a dish that I struggled with for a long time. Specifically, I found the crust difficult to master. My crusts shrank, lacked a flakey texture, or were riddled with holes. That was, of course, until I saw a detailed photo tutorial in one of my favorite cooking magazines on how to make perfect pie crust every time, in a food processor. My crust-making experience has vastly improved ever since. This is a technique that everyone should learn, whether you are making a savory or sweet pie, or a savory-sweet pie like the one I made for this challenge, Apple Pie with a Cheddar Crust.
Step 1: Pulse flour, salt, and cheese together in a food processor.
Step 2: Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Step 3: Drizzle 6 Tbsp ice water evenly over mixture and pulse until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful; If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time. Do not overwork dough.
Step 4: Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half, then form each half into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap until firm, at least 1 hour.
Step 5: Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat at 450 degrees F.
Step 6: Peel and core apples, then slice 1/4 inch thick. Toss apples with sugar flour, lemon juice and salt until evenly coated.
Step 7: Roll out one piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round (or smaller depending on the size of your pie). Carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin and fit into a pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 11-inch round (or smaller depending on the size of your pie).
Step 8: Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with the top crust. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with milk, then cut 5 (1-inch long vents). I used a little shape cutter as an alternative for vents. If you decide to do this, make the cuts before you put your place your top crust.
Step 9: Bake on hot baking sheet for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F and bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more.
To accompany my pie, I concocted brown butter ice cream. Ice cream is one of the easiest and most enjoyable desserts to make at home. In very little time, milk, cream, and eggs (sometimes), along with unlimited flavorings, can be heated gently and then spun into a smooth and rich frozen treat. Making ice cream takes little effort and the results are tremendously impressive.
Step 1: Place the butter in a wide stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Let the butter melt then let it cook, swirling the pan occasonally, until the butter is quite brown and smells toasted. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Step 2: Mix the milk and cream in a heavy saucepan. Measure out 2-3 tablespoons of the milk and pour it into a separate bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch. Set aside. Whisk the sugar and corn syrup into the milk mixture in the saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved, being careful not to let the milk boil over. Simmer lightly for about 5 minutes, then pour in the milk and cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine. Cook the mixture, stirring, for about one minute. Remove from the heat.
Step 3: Combine the cooked milk mixture with the cooled brown butter in a blender or food processor. Carefully blend at high speed (hold the lid on with a towel!) until completely mixed and emulsified. Add in the vanilla and blend for another 30 seconds.
Step 4: Cool the milk and butter mixture in the fridge for at least two hours, or overnight. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to instructions. Add the salt into the ice cream maker in the last few minutes of churning.
Step 5: Pack into a freezer container and cover the top of the ice cream with plastic wrap or wax paper. Freeze for at least two hours before serving.
I hope that you take the opportunity to bake this perfect autumnal pie soon and serve it à la mode with a scoop of home-made brown butter ice cream. You have now seen how simply it will all come together. Why, it’s as easy as pie.
Posts
