Homemade Apple Pie

Greetings!
I am getting ready to start the 2 apple pies I will be making today. My energy level at the moment is not very high, so it's good that I am not attempting another Martha Stewart beauty. My husband is sick in bed, which also means that I have to be a little quieter in the kitchen. Good thing this recipe doesn't call for any electric mixing. So for starters I am going to make the traditional filling that is common in apple pies and then I will do the pastry crusts.

Here are the recipes and directions for both:

Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients:
1 C. cornstarch
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
10 C. water
10-12 apples (peeled and sliced)


Directions:
In a pan, blend all  ingredients (except water and apples), stir in water and cook until thick and bubbly. Put apples in heat proof bowl, fill with the syrup put in boiling water for 20 minutes.Remove and set aside. This can be cooled and put in the refrigerator for later usage. One quart makes for (2) 9"  pies.

Pie Crust 
Ingredients:
2 C. flour
1 C. cold butter
pinch of salt
4 tbsp. cold water

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter and cold water and continue working until the dough forms. Do not over work. This will make 2 pie crusts. Roll crust into ball and then using a rolling pin flatten out. Cut off any excess that won't fit in your pan. You will want to have enough to cover both pies top and bottom. You can make the top in strips or just a smooth round piece to cover. Place one crust in round pie pan and then fill with apple filling and then lay the top crust on top.  Bake at 400 F or 200 C for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top. I like to serve this with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

See I told you...super simple!!

Barefoot and Baking in the kitchen

An oldie, but goody

Good morning! It is a glorious fall day today, with a crisp sense in the air that brings your hand up to close your coat a little tighter around your neck. There is a smell that catches your nose and causes you to take a deep breath of freshness.

For today's baking endeavor I am choosing an oldie, but goody...Homemade Apple Pie.
As my memory serves me correctly, there is something very special about coming into a house where a fresh apple pie has just come out of the oven. Apples, cinnamon, sugar and pastry scents tickle the inside of your nose and create a rumble in your tummy. Even as I think about it now, I get nostalgic feelings and am transported in my mind to a place of  pure delight.

The recipe I have for homemade apple pie is super simple. For those of you that have been following my previous entries I have tackled some not so simple and very new recipes. If you are in need of something simple (as I am today) that will have your eaters complimenting your skills...this is the recipe for you!

I will post the recipe in my next entry and will keep you posted on how the pie turns out.

Until then take a stroll down memory lane of the desserts you loved as a kid and give them a try.

Barefoot and Baking in the kitchen

Went down with a treat

It was apparent to me today, that "image" is not everything. I have been a firm believer that when it comes to baking, you need to have the tastes that makes people ask you for the recipe(which you refuse to give) and a look that gives the WOW factor. However, I have been proven wrong this morning. Let me start from the beginning.

Last night I chose not to make the icing that I would cover these cakes with and instead would do it in the morning...that was my mistake.

As I begin this morning with the first batch of this Brown Swiss Meringue Butter cream frosting, I was confident with both my time and the look of the icing. Since I have never done this particular recipe before, I didn't really know what to expect. The taste turned out great and I set the first portion into the fridge to cool down and harden. The second batch was not as firm in its meringue peaks, but still resembled the first, so I mixed the two and set it in the fridge. As my time was drawing near to deliver the cakes I finished the third batch, which had a great meringue effect and I mixed all three together. Since I was delivering these cakes not too far from where I live, I walked them down the road and I left the frosting in the fridge to cool down. When I came back for it, I realized that this was not going to be a firm frosting and that I would in fact being pouring the mixture on top of my stacked cakes and have to call it good. It was one of the messiest cakes I have arranged and the frosting, consisting only of eggs, brown sugar and butter was very sticky. I topped these sad droopy cakes with my marzipan figures and with not so much dignity left of being a beautiful cake maker I put them out and just hoped that they would taste better then they looked.

The first people to come in, raved about how cute and lovely the cakes looked and I had to hide my surprise, which was soon replaced with success at the fact that the cakes won on their tastes and "went down with a treat"...as a British friend told me. 

No pictures of the completed cake, but I hope your endeavor is more successful than mine in both image and taste. I have some pictures of the icing I will post later. The good thing is, I might attempt this cake again now that I know I should have let the icing sit for hours rather then minutes.

Until next time let your taste buds enjoy their life!

Barefoot and Baking in the kitchen

These are pictures of the meringue as it's in the making and my marzipan figures with food coloring

The end is in sight...

The last of the 5 cakes is now finishing up in the oven and I am sitting down for the first time since lunch. When I started these cakes 4 hours ago, I didn't realize what a project I was getting myself into. Not that I don't like a good challenge and to be honest, this recipe was not that tricky or anything. It just took a long time and when the first cake had a "near death" experience in the oven, I was a little worried for the rest of my afternoon. However, I managed to salvage most of that first cake and it turned out totally great. The rest followed suit.

I have decided to wait until tomorrow morning though to make the frosting and then finish them with the marzipan figures before delivering them at 10.30am.

The journey in the kitchen seems to never be dull.

Until my next entry, try not to burn anything and enjoy the tastes of goodness!

Barefoot and Baking in the kitchen

Here is the recipe for this caramelized apple spice cake

Ingredients

Serves 12 to 14

• 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and grated on the large holes of a box grater (4 cups)
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups pecan halves (5 ounces), toasted dark and finely ground in a food processor
• Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• Gold Marzipan Pumpkins, Leaves, and Acorns

Directions

1. Put 1/2 stick butter into a large nonstick skillet. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into skillet, and toss in pod. Cook over medium heat until butter is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in apples, cider, and 1 cup granulated sugar. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are golden and translucent and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Discard vanilla pod. Let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Reserve 1/4 cup flour mixture.
3. Beat remaining 2 sticks butter, remaining 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the sour cream and scraping bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour mixture to apple mixture, and toss. Fold in apple mixture and pecans.
4. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tops are dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Unmold cakes, and let cool, right side up, on rack. (Cakes can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
5. Assemble cake: Trim each cake so it's 1 3/4 inches high. Place 1 cake, cut side up, on a cake stand. Spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream over top. Place remaining cake, cut side down, on top. Spread 1 cup buttercream over entire cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over cake. (Cake can be refrigerated, uncovered, overnight.)
6. Before serving, decorate with marzipan pumpkins, acorns, and leaves.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Caramelized-Apple Spice Cake - Martha Stewart Recipes

Caramelized Apple Spice cake begins

To begin this cake I need to peel, core, cut and grate 6 lbs. of apples...
Good thing for me is that we have apple trees on the property and they taste quite nice. For today's baking tunes, Colbie Caillat is my choice. Outside my window, I have the sites of autumn in full style. A huge oak tree with yellow, green and brown leaves with a gorgeous blue sky as the background. And the birds are chirping away.

So off to my apple peeling...

Barefoot and Baking in the kitchen

Colorful cakes

Good morning! This morning's frost has made it very crisp and sparkly outside and with the autumn colors it is simply glorious to my eyes. I would say the perfect day for baking a Caramelized Apple Spice Cake. I found the recipe on Martha Stewart's website and the pictures (again can be a little deceiving) look absolutely divine. The top of the cake is designed with marzipan figures of leaves, pumpkins and acorns. I just so happened to have those cutouts, except for the pumpkin, which in my opinion is just a matter of rolling and pressing in the right way. I did not have however, the gold dust that they painted on, so instead am substituting it for autumn colors of orange, red, brown and yellow. This will be one colorful cake...or I should say three cakes. Again the number of people is around 40, so I will triple my recipe.

More to come as I begin the journey in my kitchen this afternoon.

Enjoy the beauty of the day,

Barefoot and Baking in the kitchen

The Leaning Tower of Parfait

The sound of "Oh this tastes so good" is music to my ears. Needless to say....the parfait with it's pomegranate, lemon and grenadine sauce was a hit. The sauce however was a bit of a challenge. The recipe cleverly does not mention the amount of time it takes to make this syrup-like sauce. As I followed the directions, I quickly realized that I was not going to make the time I had left before delivering the parfait to it's eaters. So I improvised and instead of it being syrup, it was in fact more saucy. The taste however, was  sweet and tangy that fit perfect to the lemon flavored parfait. Upon delivery, I drizzled the sauce over the top and around the bottom of the parfait which looked quite okay compared to it's competitor in the magazine. A small disaster occurred though, when I set the parfait with sauce on the serving table, which happened to be slightly off balance and the sauce began to trickle off the display plate and onto the table. Again improvisation...and it was a paper plate that came to my rescue. As those who would be partaking in this divine dessert began to arrive, I had to encourage them to quickly take a piece before it slid down onto the table. Thankfully, there were no more small disasters to fix and as I left, I felt satisfied that the "leaning tower of parfait" turned out to be a success! Unfortunately in all my haste to fix the dripping, I forgot to take a photo of the finished product. But this is a chance for you to use your imagination and make it something really lovely.

Have a great weekend and let your tastes buds enjoy their life!

Baking and Barefoot in the kitchen,
Leia