Apple Pie

I recently watched and loved the TV show Pushing Daisies starring Lee Pace, who plays a sweet, socially awkward pie-maker.  Naturally, there were many pies featured on the show and I have never baked a pie other than lemon meringue.

My family is decidedly not a pie family; I haven't had a wide range of pie experiences, so I decided to tackle apple pie first.  It seemed like a good place to start.

The first time I tried this, I went straight from the recipe and it was a pretty big disappointment.  Putting uncooked apples in the pie resulted in, basically, a pie shell with slightly softened apple slices inside.  I wanted something with more of a soft, squishy apple filling, so I played it by ear and did my own thing.

I'm pleased to say that my round of pie-baking was a success!  The crust has a great texture with a hint of lemon that's not overpowering; and the innards of the pie are sweet, soft and lightly spiced.

Recipe heavily adapted from: Jamie Oliver
Ingredients - crust (20 cm (8 inch) pie)
250g flour
50g icing sugar
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1/2 lemon (use the zest from the other half in your filling)
125g cold butter
1 egg
1 tsp milk

Ingredients - filling
4 cooking apples (I used Granny Smiths)
1 eating apple (I used a Pink Lady)
5 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Squeeze of lemon juice

Ingredients - egg wash
1 egg
Splash of milk

Method - crust
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).

2. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor.

3. Add the lemon zest and cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

4. Add the egg and pulse until the dough starts to come together.  Add the milk and pulse until the dough is smooth.

5. Form the dough into a flat rectangle and wrap it in cling wrap.  Leave it in the fridge and get on with making your filling!

Method - filling
1. Peel your apples and cut them up into eighths.

2. Place the apples into a saucepan along with the brown sugar, ginger, lemon zest and lemon juice.

3. Mix the ingredients together and cook over medium heat until the apples are softened.  Cook longer if you want a softer filling, or cook for a shorter time if you prefer more texture.

4. Take the filling off the heat and let it cool.

Method - baking/assembly
1. Take the crust dough out of the fridge.  Flour your clean work surface and split the dough into two portions, about 2/3 and 1/3 each.  The bigger portion will be for your base and the smaller for the top of the pie.

2. Roll the larger portion out into a circle about 1/2 cm thick (make sure to flour your rolling pin and the top of the pastry so nothing gets sticky).  You want it to be big enough to drape over the sides of your pie dish.

3. Carefully roll the pastry over your rolling pin then unroll it over the pie dish.  Gently manipulate the pastry so there are no air bubbles and the pastry is flush with the entire base and sides of the dish.

4. Pour your apple filling straight onto the pastry and make sure it's packed in evenly.

5. Whisk the egg with a small splash of milk (egg wash).  Brush some of the egg wash around the edge of the pie crust.

6. Roll the other portion of pastry out to 1/2 cm thick.  Roll the pastry over the rolling pin and unroll it over the top of the pie.

7. Fold the edges of the pastry in and crimp them together with your fingers.

8. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash.

9. Cut a few slits in the top of the pie - to let steam escape as it bakes.  I also sprinkled the top of my pie with some white sugar.

10. Bake the pie for about 40 minutes until the crust is golden and firm.

Let the pie cool, then enjoy!

Almond Apple Cake

This is a lovely cake; easy to make, moist and with a fresh tangy lemon icing.  The toasted almonds garnished on top bring it all together.

Recipe adapted from: The Australian Women's Weekly Cakes & Slices Cookbook
Ingredients - cake (20 cm (8 inch) cake)
185g butter
188g caster sugar
3 eggs
80g self-raising flour (or use 80g plain flour and 1 tsp of baking powder)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
185g almond meal
1 apple
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Ingredients - lemon icing
60g butter
185g icing sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method - cake
1. Preheat oven to 190C (375F).  Wash, peel and grate the apple.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition.

4. Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, almond meal and grated apple.

5. Line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper or butter and spread the batter into it.

6. Bake the cake for about 55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let it cool in the tin for a bit before turning it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Method - icing
1. Beat the butter until light and fluffy.

2. Add the icing sugar (sifted for smoothest results) and beat until incorporated.

3. Add the lemon juice and mix until the icing is spreadable.  Use a little more lemon juice if needed.

4. Spread the icing onto the cake to your liking.

5. For garnish, toast the sliced almonds (you can use slivered almonds if you prefer) and sprinkle them onto the cake once they've cooled.

Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

These orange poppy seed muffins (you can make them lemon flavoured, if you so choose, which is the form the original recipe came in) are sweet, moist and they're best when they're warm.  They're good for an afternoon tea snack or as a dessert!

Recipe Adapted From: The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts by The French Culinary Institute
Ingredients - cupcake
250g plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 tsp salt
115g butter/margarine
175g white sugar
2 eggs
200g sour cream
50g lemon or orange juice
Zest of one lemon or orange
14g poppy seeds (2 tbsp)

Ingredients - syrup
150mL lemon or orange juice
50g white sugar

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 175C (350F).  Line a 12-cup muffin/cupcake tin with patty pans, or alternatively just grease the bottom and sides with butter.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

4. Add the sour cream and lemon juice (I used the juice of the orange that I zested, and made up the rest of the weight with bottled lemon juice).  Beat until incorporated.

5. Add the flour, bicarb soda and salt.  Mix slowly or fold in until just combined.

6. Add the lemon zest (I used orange zest) and poppy seeds.  Stir gently until incorporated.  Make sure that the poppy seeds are evenly dispersed amongst the batter!

7. Spoon the batter into the cupcake tin and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Transfer the muffins a wire rack to cool slightly.

9. To make the syrup, combine your orange or lemon juice with the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir over the heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture begins to boil.

10. Using a pastry brush, coat each muffin with the syrup.  Really douse them so they're all moist and delicious!

11. Serve the muffins as soon as possible!  

They look good when dusted with icing sugar, and they also go well with buttercream!

Blueberry Muffins

Recipe Adapted From: Homestyle Cookies, Muffins And Cakes 

Ingredients

375g plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

165g brown sugar

125g butter/margarine

2 eggs

250mL milk

185g blueberries (can be frozen or fresh)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 210 C (415 F).  If you're using frozen blueberries, either set them aside to thaw or heat them a little in the microwave.

2. Lightly grease two six-hole muffin tins or a cupcake tin of your choice.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.  Mum bought this awesome triple-sifter gadget that's so easy to use!

4. Stir the sugar in and make a well in the dry ingredients.

5. Melt the butter.  In a separate bowl to the dry ingredients, add the butter, eggs and milk.  Stir to combine.

6. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and fold them together until just combined.  Don't overmix the batter!

7. Fold the blueberries into the batter and transfer the batter to the cupcake/muffin tin.

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, then turn the muffins onto a rack to cool.

These are lovely little muffins - they're moist and not too sweet, good for a snack!  You can sprinkle some icing sugar on top to make them a little sweeter.

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

Hello there!  -shouts into the abyss of the Internet-

I know it's been a while since I was last here - in the meantime, I've been travelling, completing high school and, of course, baking!  So, I've mustered enough oomph to sort through all the food photos I have lying around and start posting again.

To make these mini lemon meringue pies (or, as I like to call them, Lemon Meringue Pielets), I used this recipe.  The detailed recipe and ingredients can be seen there.

First, I made the pastry and cut it into circles with a cookie cutter, then pressed the circles into cupcake trays and individual fluted moulds.  I then cut squares of baking paper and filled them with ceramic baking beans (you can also use rice or other uncooked beans as loading).

I whipped the lemon filling up while they baked, then poured the filling up to the edges of the pastry after they came out of the oven.

After the pies were baked, I piped the meringue icing onto the top.

After the meringue icing was piped on, I used my little handheld torch (I like to call it my flamethrower) to brown the meringue.  It gives it a lovely caramelised flavour.

One thing I particularly love about lemon meringue pie is the contrast.  The shortcrust pastry has a bit of a crunch and is only a little sweet, the lemon is smooth in texture and slightly tart, while the meringue topping is sweet and fluffy.

Having pielets is a good option for parties and office birthdays when you don't want to be cutting up and serving up a cake.  Plus, they look so cute!

Marbled Blueberry Cake

*flails wildly*

I'm back, and I have cake this time.  A delicious, swirly blueberry vanilla cake, which is delightful when consumed warm out of the oven.  It's pretty, too!

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: Homestyle Cookies, Muffins and Cakes

Ingredients (20 cm (8 inch) cake)

1 tbsp white sugar

195g fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

125g butter

165g self-raising flour

125g caster sugar

2 tbsp brown sugar

Icing sugar to dust

Method

1. If using frozen blueberries, weigh out 195g and leave them out to defrost.  Leave the eggs out to warm up too.

2. When the blueberries are thawed, preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 F).

3. Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) diameter round cake tin.

4. Place the white sugar and half (approx. 95g) of the blueberries into a small saucepan.  Stir over a medium heat until the blueberry juice begins to run.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining blueberries.

6. Beat the eggs lightly then add the vanilla and butter, beat well.  Mine looked terrible for ages (probably because the eggs were cold) but suddenly conglomerated.  If yours looks like mine did, do not despair!  Just keep beating them.

7. Mix the self raising flour and caster sugar.  Make a well in the centre and pour the egg mixture in.  Fold the two mixtures together.

8. Transfer 3/4 cup of the cake batter into the blueberry saucepan.  Mix the cake batter into the blueberry mixture until combined.

9. Drop random spoonfuls of blueberry and vanilla batter into the prepared cake tin.  Try to alternate white and blue.

10. Use a knife or skewer to swirl the batter and create a marbled effect.  Just do it gently - if you over mix then it'll turn out all blended instead of swirled.

11. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.

12. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

13. Let the cake cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin.  

14. Serve the cake warm and dusted with icing sugar.