Birthday Pie! Flaky All-Butter Crust Apple Pie

Birthday Pie

Organic cold unsalted butter sliced in 1/4 inch pieces in my food processor, along with only 2/3 of the flour mixture...ready for pulsing.

Several years ago, my friend confided to me that he doesn't like birthday cake (gasp!)
I remembered that.

Pulse butter and flour mixture until most of the flour incorporated but don't overdo it

I might be really crappy with remembering names (not cool when you're a teacher, I know) but I'm good with remembering students' and friends' dietary allergies, food preferences and stuff like that!

Perhaps only other teachers can relate to the happiness of seeing an ex-student years later and the corresponding dismay of not being able to access the student's name on the spot.
"Hey! Ms K!"
"Hey!... Hi!...how are you!...how've you been? what are you doing now?"

Ready for the next step

When I'm walking to Rain or Shine Ice Cream on 4th Ave, filling my prescription at the drugstore, shopping for groceries or paying the cashier at the checkout in Kitsilano...and an ex-student exclaims "Hey, Ms. K!"  I don't always spit out the student's name that quickly in response.  Usually, one out of 4 times, I'll remember the student's full name on the spot during the greeting.  If I've not recalled the name during the initial greetings, hugs and whatnot, then I'm hooped and I have to ask probing questions to jog my memory.  Often, I KNOW the student but the name still eludes me.  The frustrating thing is 10 minutes after the meeting has passed, my lightbulb will turn on and I'll remember your full name and what English class I taught you.  I'll even remember on what side of my classroom you sat.  The years are all a mish-mash now so that I don't really know your Grad year, but I definitely remember YOU.

This is what your butter and flour mixture should look like. Here I'm using the rubber spatula as instructed in the recipe to fold and press the crust mixture

I apologize profusely if I cannot remember your name at that exact moment, but some of you boys are now men with facial hair! I knew you when your face was as smooth as a baby's bottom; when I beat you at arm wrestling in English class and you were shorter than me.  The girls I taught years ago are now women!

3 varieties of apples were employed: Gala, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith 

I will blame my crappy name-recall on my Hashimoto's disease and the fact that I've taught for 25 years. I know I've taught a lot of students in that time, but just had to figure out how many students have been in my classrooms each year (let's assume a class-size of 25, even though it's been 30 the last decade or so).
That's 25 students x 7 classes=175 students each year.
175 students each year x 25 years = 4375 students.
I've worked part time for the last 12 years (because of having kids and also from being a tech mentor) so let's say I'll subtract 12 years x (25 students x 3 blocks)=900.
That's 4,375 - 900 = 3,475 students

After the initial hot water soak of 10 minutes and subsequent draining and drying, I had the kid toss in the cornstarch and sugar mixture for thickening. I observed worriedly as in the bottom of the bowl a huge pool of apple juices collected despite initial drainage and drying.  I dumped out the liquid and tossed in another teaspoon of cornstarch for good measure.  This however, was not enough to set up the apples after the pie was baked and rested for 3 hours. I would suggest pre-cooking the apples and reducing the apple liquid prior to filling the pie crust for baking.

3,745 students.  That's still a lot of names to remember; but in general I still remember your names, eventually.  Those neural pathways just take a bit of time to fire up ya know.  Help me guys, tell me your full name and grad year; especially if you've graduated more than 3 years ago!  I'll remember you a lot quicker! lol

Rolling out the cold-hard dough.  It rested for 2 hours in the refrigerator prior to rolling.

So my buddy tells me this birthday pie wish decades ago.  My initial response was simply that he's weird.  Fortuitously, as I have aged, the harbinger of grey hairs and reading glasses is wisdom and acknowledgement that perhaps there are truly people out there who don't like birthday cake? (gasp again)

But this pie thing is totally something I would remember forever.  This past weekend, I finally had an opportunity to make a pie for him. It wasn't exactly the blueberry pie that I remember he prefers because I had tons of apples on hand that I wanted to use; but it's pie! It's Birthday Pie!

Rolling the pastry onto my rolling pin to move it into the pie plate.

The golden brown crust looked and smelled perfect.  We rammed a birthday candle in the centre of the pie and the kids led us all in singing the birthday song.  He blew out the candle and I think he even made a wish!

This part of pie-making is quite satisfying: unrolling the crust into the pie plate.  It fits.  yay!

Some gentle manipulation of the crust is required to have your pastry conform to your pie plate.  I am using an Emile Henry Ceramic Pie Dish.

The recipe for the pie crust is from Serious Eats.  I was going to make my crust with ATK's Vodka pie crust recipe, but I was too lazy to do that.  This recipe guarantees via technique solely, a flaky crust made with butter in a food processor.

I am excited to finally use my new leaf cutter to cut out the air vents in the top crust

The apples look pretty but at this point I'm worried that they are not softened enough from their initial hot water bath.   I just stick to the recipe regardless and carry on as if everything will turn out.  You never know, ya know.

My favourite part of the pie-making process: crimping the edges.

Here's how I do it.

An egg-white wash 

Sprinkling with organic evaporated cane sugar 

ta-daa. It looks pretty even before baking 

Delicious, excellent, flaky pie crust.  A winner.  The apple pie filling was meh. It tasted good but half the apples fell out of each slice as I cut them.  I had rested the pie 3 hours after baking but that was insufficient for the filling to set up.  The next day, from the refrigerator, cold in this picture, the pie sliced very easily and the apples stayed intact in each slice.  However, the point of making pie is to eat it warm and freshly baked.  So I will likely modify the recipe next time by keeping the Pie Crust as is and cooking down the apples in a saucepan until they are softened and then adding the cornstarch/sugar mixture.

PIE CRUST (from Serious Eats Pie Crust)

• 2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pats
• 6 tablespoons cold water

1. Combine two thirds of flour with sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse twice to incorporate. Spread butter chunks evenly over surface. Pulse until no dry flour remains and dough just begins to collect in clumps, about 25 short pulses. Use a rubber spatula to spread the dough evenly around the bowl of the food processor. Sprinkle with remaining flour and pulse until dough is just barely broken up, about 5 short pulses. Transfer dough to a large bowl. 
2. Sprinkle with water then using a rubber spatula, fold and press dough until it comes together into a ball. Divide ball in half. Form each half into a 4-inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling and baking.

APPLE PIE (from Serious Eats Perfect Apple Pie) 

• 4 to 4 1/2 pounds Golden Delicious, Braeburn, or other baking apples, peeled cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 quarts boiling water (or cider)
• 10 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling over crust
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 recipe Easy Pie Dough (above)
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

1.  Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and place a heavy rimmed baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place apple slices in a large bowl or pot. Pour boiling water or cider directly over top. Cover and set aside at room temperature for ten minutes. Drain apples well and let sit in a colander in the sink, tossing occasionally until completely dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add 10 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch, and toss until apples are evenly coated. Set mixture aside.

2.  Roll one disk of pie dough into a circle roughly 12-inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Add filling. Roll remaining disk of pie dough into a circle roughly 12-inches in diameter. Transfer to top of pie. Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim the edges of both pie crusts until they overhang the edge of the pie plate by 1/2 an inch all the way around. Fold edges of both pie crusts down together, tucking them in between the bottom crust and the pie plate and working your way all the way around the pie plate until everything is well tucked. Use the forefinger on your left hand and the thumb and forefinger on your right hand to crimp the edges. Cut 5 slits in the top with a sharp knife for ventilation.

3.  Use a pastry brush to brush an even coat of lightly beaten egg white all over the top surface of the pie. Sprinkle evenly with a tablespoon of sugar. Transfer pie to sheet tray in the oven and bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

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Blueberry Milkshake

Blueberry Milkshake

My friend gifted me a HUGE ice-cream pail full of perfectly sweet local blueberries from a UPick farm in Richmond.  The blueberry season is here NOW! and I don't know about you, but I have blueberries starting to turn mushy and I'm heading to the freezer now with trays of them to save them for smoothies and baking.  

Aside from a healthy smoothy, a more decadent way to enjoy a nice heap o' blueberries is in a milkshake.  Here's my quick recipe:

Blueberry Milkshake

2 scoops vanilla ice cream (can be made dairy free with almond or coconut ice cream)

1 cup milk (can be made dairy free with almond or coconut milk)

1 cup blueberries

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until combined and no longer lumpy.

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LAZY SUMMER LOCAL STRAWBERRY & VANILLA ICE CREAM TARTS

Fresh local strawberry & vanilla ice cream tarts 

In keeping with my "Lazy Summer" theme I started with my last post, I thought I'd show you a sneaky-delicious treat to use up those local strawberries that are so juicy sweet this month.  After we visited the driving range in Richmond, we noticed the blueberry & strawberry farm next door to it had a "U Pick" sign.  It didn't take much to convince the kids to pick berries.  They were half-way across the strawberry field before I could finish "Do you want to pick..."

Frozen tart shells are an economical and time-saving trick for making summer berry desserts.  Keep a sleeve on hand in the freezer for the summer.

I pre-bake my tart shells and leave them on the counter to be assembled as needed.  Assemble only what you'll eat or you'll have soggy tarts with melted ice cream flooding your plate.

local strawberries are dark, sweet and juicy right now!

Slice the strawberries in half if they're small; in quarters if they're large.  I like to use medium-sized strawberries because they fit perfectly on the tarts.

Use a good quality vanilla ice cream. If you're in a rush and need to feed a crowd, you could assemble the tart shells up to filling them with ice cream...then freeze them all on a sheet pan until ready to serve.  Then, just slice and top with the berries.

7 yr old is taking pictures for me...so expect some fuzziness and weird focussing occasionally

Fill the pre-baked tart shells with vanilla ice cream.  [If you are going to need a lot of these, fill them all and place on a sheet pan and re-freeze to harden the ice cream and store until needed for serving]

The pictures have an interesting perspective taken from my 7 yr old's height.

I'll be making just 3 tarts for serving so I had to hurry as the ice cream melts fast in the summer!

Just one more strawberry half to complete the dessert and ready to serve...

Enjoy your family and friends...and the local berries! Don't sweat the small stuff

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MAKING THAT BBQ COMPLETE: STRAWBERRY MEYER'S LEMONADE, YOGURT CUCUMBER SALAD AND ROASTED PEPPERS (GF)

Strawberry Meyers Lemonade

Depending on your lemons, you should get about 1 cup from 5 juicy Meyer's Lemons.  The ones I had were huge and full of juice.   The lemons were also way sweeter than regular lemons, so I didn't need to add much sweetener.  The fresh strawberries also helped with sweetness and added a nice pink tinge to the lemonade.

Made with fresh squeezed Meyer's Lemons, Fresh sliced strawberries and Agave nectar

This lemonade is perfect for a picnic or summer barbecue.  If you don't have agave nectar, you could add simple syrup to taste.

By the way readers, I apologize for the long absence between posts!  I have been MIA because my doc has prescribed for me a lifestyle change.  My Hashi's has been causing me to fluctuate from hypo to hyperthyroid these past few months.  I have been feeling kind of weird lately (irritable and emotional) and had been breaking out and getting cystic acne.  He told me that I could alleviate my symptoms by regulating my insulin levels which should help in turn regulate my hormone levels better (thus reducing my acne flareups).

So that means not only am I GF, but he distinctly said No Sugars.  Avoid simple carbs.  Yikes!

Sugar was all I had left!  I think I adapted well to the Gluten Free deal.  Then I held back on the dairy because it contributed to my hormonal acne.  Now he says that I must also ensure I do cardio 3 to 4 times a week.  I admit I fell off the running wagon this year since starting the Grad studies because I had no time.  I have to run at night because that's the only time I have after marking essays, making the kiddies' lunches and snacks and writing my own reflection papers (Grad studies is all over reflecting on your learning it seems).  Sometimes I'm too pooped to stay up late to run on the treadmill.

Well, despite my tiredness, the hardest step towards running is the anticipation of having to do so.  When I'm actually on the treadmill, time flies since I watch Netflix on my computer.  If I'm dead tired, the least I'll do is a brisk walk for the duration of a movie (that's 70 to 90 minutes) and if I'm energetic and/or it's early in the evening, I might alternate between a light jog and walking on the treadmill.  Right now, I have no inclination to run outside because it's too dark.  Maybe in the summer it'll be better.

So I am happy to say that after 2 weeks of doing the prescribed cardio 4 times a week, my cystic acne that was primarily located on my chin, has cleared.  I will need to keep this up for a month to see if it truly is working.  I'll admit I've succumbed to sugar on more than a few occasions.  I haven't baked at all as you can see...but I have these awesome dark chocolate covered dried coconut chunks by True Bliss that I have been addicted to.  First one little square...then another.  Then the rationalization that dark chocolate is good for me...you get the drift.  I've usually downed a handful of little dark chocolate coconut chunks before I'm done.  For sure on those days I do my cardio.  Being dairy-free is tough.  I'm trying to find how much I can get away with ingesting because that can contribute to the acne since there's hormones in milk and it also has a lot of simple sugars. Since the chocolate almond milk I was drinking tasted so good (i.e. had tons of sugar in it), I had to stop drinking it.  I have now switched to unsweetened almond milk (30 calories per cup) and that has been good.  It tastes way better than soy milk, which I shouldn't be drinking anyways because people with autoimmune issues like Hashimoto's should stay away from soy and goitrogenic foods.

So why this recipe for a sugar-laden (albeit agave) strawberry (which is goitrogenic) beverage?  Well, my kiddies and my guests don't have to eat my way.  I think I could make it sugar-free but then I'd have to use Splenda.  I didn't want to do that and agave is easy to use, dissolves readily and you can adjust the sweetness easily.

I am eyeing the Paleo diet and have been thinking about giving it a try to see if it helps all these wacky symptoms of Hashi's.  I think this is something I'll be working on slowly to ensure success as it's really a lifelong lifestyle change.  Paleo is no grains, no legumes and beans, no dairy, no sugar, no processed foods and possibly no fun!  Don't tell me medjool dates used as sweetener is going to help you make a delicious-looking chiffon cake.  I know it won't.  I have a feeling that I'll be making a lot of dense cakes and brownies.  I think the no grains deal is the toughest because before I could still substitute rice, corn, sorghum, tapioca and other flours for wheat and gluten-filled flours.  Now, I'm perplexed.  If I make almond-flour based cakes, my kids can't eat them because they're allergic to nuts.  So if I bake, I'll have to eat it all myself which doesn't really help my health at all.  If I have a treat occasionally, it'll have to be small batch baking for me.  I'll be working on small batch Paleo baking I think.

I've been eyeing a recipe for some Paleo brownies lately and I do have medjool dates (eww!) because my Meyer's Parrot loves those and I always keep them on hand.  I also have coconut flour, which I think will be my buddy from here on.  I'll still be baking tons of regular stuff for my family but I'll try to ease the kiddies from eating normal baked goods to some of the Paleo ones.  I know for sure that I can make everything GF and not have it taste GF.  In fact sometimes it tastes better than the wheat-based baking!  GF is truly not difficult for me anymore.  My Quinoa Chocolate Cupcakes are my go-to recipe.  The challenge now is doing the Paleo diet.   You know I'm gonna cheat on the Paleo like crazy sometimes.  Especially on the weekends when I go out for restaurant food, which has tons of sugar.  And it's so constricting; especially for a baker.  This will certainly be a huge challenge for me balancing the joys of life with quality of life.

Stay tuned for my escapades with dates, coconut and honey!

ahh. refreshing!

Here's the lemonade recipe for your next barbecue:

STRAWBERRY MEYER'S LEMONADE
1 cup freshly squeezed Meyer's Lemons
6 cups cold water
1 small basket hulled, sliced strawberries
1/4 cup agave nectar (or to taste)

1.  Pour the lemon juice into a large (2 litre) pitcher.
2.  Add water and stir well.  Stir in the agave nectar and mix thoroughly.  Taste and adjust if necessary (this depends on the sourness of the lemons you have)
3.  Add the sliced strawberries to the lemonade.  Stir.  Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours to allow the strawberries to macerate and flavour the lemonade.
4.  Serve cold.

Cucumber Salad

CUCUMBER SALAD

2 long English cucumbers 

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup prepared tzatziki or homemade tzatziki 

salt

1.  Chop the cucumbers into large chunks.  Place in a colander or sieve and lightly salt

2.  Allow the cucumbers to drain for about 2 hours in the refrigerator (placed over a bowl)

3.  With paper towels, squeeze gently or blot the cucumbers of any remaining liquid; discard the cucumber liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

4.  Mix sour cream and tzatziki with the cucumbers.

5.  Season with pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

ROASTED PEPPERS

Red and yellow peppers

Olive oil

Salt

1.  Place the whole peppers on the barbecue.  Grill until blackened/charred.

2.  Place the peppers in a large pyrex bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool.

3.  Scrape the charred skin from the peppers.  Slice in large chunks; discarding the seeds, membrane and stem.

4.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt to taste.  Serve at room temperature

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