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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Garlic Scapes Potstickers

Garlic Scapes! My fave ingredient for amazing home-made potstickers

These are Garlic Scapes.  They are not hollow like scallions or chives but have a solid core.  They are very mild in flavour and a wonderful addition to homemade potstickers.  I threw in a few stalks of green onion also (can you spot them?) because they just happened to be in the fridge too.

See the difference between scallions (green onions) and garlic scapes?  The scallions have a hollow core and the garlic scapes don't.

Each package of potsticker wrappers weighs 1 pound.  I buy all my major ingredients in a 1:1:1 ratio.  I generally buy 2 pounds of pork and 2 large bunches of garlic scapes for 2 pounds of wrappers.  The scapes are available pretty much year round at T&T supermarket (most asian supermarkets carry them).  Local scapes are available in the summer at the weekend farmers' markets. 

I try to fit as much filling as I possibly could in each wrapper. Sometimes this results in a big disastrous mess and the wrapper explodes.  A heaping teaspoon usually suffices.  Ingredients for my filling: ground pork, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, sea salt, soy sauce, white pepper, garlic scapes and a few stalk of green onion.  I saute the scapes with some olive oil until they are soft; then cool them before adding to the ground pork and seasonings.

I use a brush to paint some water on the outer edge of half of the wrapper so the wrapper will more readily stick to itself and then pinch the centre to start the pleating process. 

After the initial central pinch, I pleat towards the centre; usually I use 3 pleats on each side of the central pinch.  If I feel ambitious I try for 4 or 5 pleats!

My kids love to help make potstickers.  They generally don't like frozen store-bought potstickers because of the veggies in them (usually chinese cabbage); nor do they always like the potstickers in restaurants because they sometimes have too much ginger.  Mine have a lovely soft garlic flavour (even without any garlic) from the scapes and they're getting their veggies too!  The texture of scapes is quite similar to asparagus (but they don't taste like asparagus). 

Perfect pleats! yay!  Pleating allows you to cram more filling into each wrapper.  That's what I think anyway. Plus, they're prettier and then you get a 3-sided dumpling that allows you to in the end, get more crunchy goodness from the cooking process.

To cook the potstickers, I usually use a non-stick pan.  I add a little oil and the potstickers.  Then I add 1/3 cup water and immediately cover the pan with a lid. 

Cook on medium heat for approximately 4 minutes, or until the water is evaporated.  

Remove the lid and then allow the potstickers to panfry and crisp up.  I generally like to use tongs or chopsticks to flip each potsticker  

I always pan-fry at least 2 sides of the potsticker (more crunchy skin!) and I like my potstickers separated; not stuck together in a clump like you may find some cooks do (lazy, lazy hey).  I tell you, the scapes thing is perfection.  We don't make potstickers any other way in my kitchen and my kids won't accept anything else now.  

Any left-over potstickers are placed on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, covered with plastic wrap and frozen until solid.  Then, if I remember, I place them into a large ziploc bag and store in the freezer.  

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London Fog Pots de Crème

London Fog (Earl Grey) Pots de Crème with candied Cocoa Nibs

Got 3 egg yolks kicking around from macaron making?  we do...

This recipe is a perfect companion to any macaron recipe that incorporates 3 egg whites.  Are you like me and feel guilted by those extra yolks in your refrigerator?  Every time I opened the fridge, the yolks in their little plastic-wrapped glass bowl sat looking forlornly...begging to be made into something worthy.

and I've got a hankering for London Fog Pots de Crème

Instead of making matcha pots de crème (notice the preoccupation with all things matcha on my blog?) I decided to go the Earl Grey tea route because I've been seeing it practically everywhere in Vancouver...in ice cream and gelato parlours in particular.  I have no idea why Earl Grey tea came to be associated with the flavour "London Fog" but when I saw it on the ice-cream menu at Earnest Ice Cream, I knew right away what kind of tea it would be.

Bib has a new apron! She is all over baking and making and the apron was on sale at WS

preparing the custard. Bib loves to use the whisk. I had to stop her from over-beating as too much air will create bubbles in the custard which will result in a baked custard that will not look that great

If you are distracted like I am during baking while the cream mixture is heating on the stove, you'll experience this lovely boil-over.  I hate that.  I hate cleaning up the spilled cream but it's important to do this right away or it'll be hard to remove later on.  I use my silicone oven mitts and a wet old dish towel to mop up the spill-over.  Getting the spill when it's fresh is important.  Trust me.

I was so busy taking pics the cream boiled over.  oops.

adding the hot earl grey tea infused cream to the egg yolk mixture. careful not to make scrambled eggs!

the pots de crème in their water bath, ready for the oven. cover with foil before carefully sliding the custards into the oven

I run the custard mixture through a fine sieve before filling the pots

candied cocoa nibs sprinkled on the refrigerated pots de crème, just before serving

London Fog Pots de Crème...my take on the flavour that's all the rage in foodie YVR

If you love Earl Grey tea, you will love these little London Fog Pots of Cream

smooth, creamy and delicious! 

LONDON FOG POTS DE CRÈME

adapted from Martha Stewart

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 Earl Grey tea bags (I used Tazo Earl Grey tea bags)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons organic evaporated cane sugar
• pinch of salt
• cocoa nibs for sprinkling/serving (can be omitted)

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.  In a small saucepan, bring the cream, milk and tea bagss just to a boil over medium heat (watch carefully as the cream can boil over quickly).  Turn off heat and allow the tea bags to steep at least 10 minutes.  
2. While the mixture is cooling, in a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Gently press on the tea bags and discard.  Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolks.  
3. Arrange ovenproof cups in a baking pan large enough to hold the cups without touching one another (four 6-ounce cups or try espresso cups and various other cute oven-safe containers) Pour boiling water into the pan, being careful not to splash any inside the cups, until water comes halfway up sides of the cups.
4. Divide infused cream among the cups.  Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, poking a few holes to let steam escape.  Bake until custards are set but still slightly wobbly in centers, about 30 minutes.
5. Carefully remove baking pan from oven; remove foil.  Transfer cups from the hot water bath to a wire rack; let cool about 30 minutes.  Cover cups with plastic wrap; chill in the refrigerator until custards are firm, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.  
6. Sprinkle with candied cocoa nibs on the top of the pots de crème just before serving.

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Upon Her Turning 12: Mini Crême Brûlée Birthday Cheesecakes (gluten free)

Birthday Cheesecake.

Say what? 

You want me to make Mini Cheesecakes for your birthday?

okay. sure.

16 oz of Cream Cheese--softening; awaiting transformation into my daughter's celebratory Birthday Cheesecakes.

Today we celebrate my 1st born's 12th birthday.  For this auspicious occasion, I thought back to the many birthday cakes I baked for my two children and decided to ask her what she would like me to make. Remember the epic Ariel's Underwater Castle Cake I made for Bebe's 5th bday? While walking through the cake-decorating section of Michael's, I had asked her what she wanted me to bake her for her 5th birthday party. She stopped in her tracks and pointed to a huge box at her eye level.  It was the Wilton Castle Cake kit. I had a 40% off coupon and just thought, heck...why not? It wouldn't be that hard.  It's just a cake.

Ariel's Underwater Castle Cake: Bebe's 5th bday cake...just in case you weren't around this blog back then

Okay, I admit that for my second child, I was not so ambitious...and I had hidden the Castle Cake Kit Box by that time--far in the dark recesses of a cupboard inaccessible to preschoolers lest she decide that she wanted one too, like her big sister.

ahh. those days are over when I could dedicate a couple weeks to planning her birthday and bake her cake.

"I dunno...it doesn't matter" she says in response to my query the other day about what she'd like me to bake.

My trusty KitchenAid making short work of beating the cream cheese until smooth

My eldest child is not a sweet-tooth (like her daddy.)  She is a savoury-girl.  In the past 12 years she is gradually showing her personality and preferences.  Do you remember a time when you chose her clothes; the foods she would eat in a restaurant and decided what she would play with by filtering things for her?

After adding the eggs one by one and beating until smooth, we're ready to go

Well.  Bebe's not into cake.
Truly not.
I know!
Such a shame!
I was slightly disappointed but my 2nd child has a sweet-tooth so no fear, she'll inherit my bakeware.

Meanwhile, the Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crusts have come out of the oven and are cooling on my counter.  We made the mini crusts by pulverizing store-bought GF Graham Crackers and combining with melted butter. Then we pressed into my mini cheesecake molds.

Thus, when I pressed her for an answer again, "well, what should I bake for your birthday?"

She replied with a smile and eyes-popped-wide-open, "mini cheesecakes!"

Any excuse to use my trusty "batter pen!"  I filled the batter pen with cheesecake batter and then squirted the batter evenly between the cheesecake molds. I didn't spill a drop of batter on the pan's sides as I usually do when I try using a spoon, ice-cream scoop or spouted measuring cup. 

So here it is, with a brûlée crust.  When brûléed just before serving, you get a crunchy candy crust. If you refrigerate the brûléed cheesecakes overnight, then you get a lovely caramel sauce (just like crême caramel) the next day.  So this would make for a great make-ahead dessert for any occasion if you love crême caramel cheesecake.

After refrigeration, the crunchy brûlee crust turns into a lovely drippy, sticky caramel sauce. 

I embraced her differences and respected her wishes and gave her what she really wanted.  I didn't try to guide her towards another choice I thought she would appreciate better (as I am apt to do.)  I just sucked it up and let it go.  A birthday cheesecake.  Well, actually a whole bunch of mini birthday cheesecakes.  There would be no cutting of the cake. That's okay.  And it was vanilla. She doesn't really like chocolate.

I know!
You think that was easy to accept for me? I mean my mom and I (and the 8 yr old too) love chocolate.  What happened here with this one?  Let's say I went back and forth several times these last few years to make sure she was sure she didn't really like chocolate.   Lots of Godiva chocolates were ingested to ensure this fact. We consistently entered chocolate stores whenever we were in malls--just to "browse"--and because sometimes they give out free samples.

I started this blog while I was on maternity leave with my first born.  My intention was to create an archive of recipes for my child.  Today she's 12.  wow.  Don't worry. That's my espresso. 

I always mis-time capturing the candle blow-out! Here's Bebe's chin after blowing out her bday candle. 

Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes (gluten free) with caramel topping 

The brûlee dissolves into a caramel sauce that drips down the sides of the mini cheesecakes.  Serve with fresh local ripe berries like we did.  

MINI CRÊME BRÛLÉE OR CRÊME CARAMEL CHEESECAKES (gf) 

adapted from Williams Sonoma recipe on the back of the bakeware box

For the Crusts:

• 1 cup (114 g) Gluten Free Graham Crackers, crushed or pulverized in a food processor
• 2 T sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 T unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

• 16 oz (500 g) cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (125g) sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped into the cream
• pinch of salt

For decoration:

• I used fresh seasonal strawberries or berries
• organic evaporated cane sugar, for sprinkling on the cheesecakes; to brûlée

1. Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat the cups of the 12-cup cheesecake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make the crusts, in a small bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the cups and using your fingertips, press it evenly into the bottom. Bake until the crusts are set, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Reduce the heat to 300°F.
3. To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream and vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and salt and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Pour the batter into the crusts, dividing it evenly among the cups. [NB. I used my "batter pen" by filling it with the cheesecake batter and squirting the batter evenly between the mini molds.] Bake until the cheesecakes are set, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5. Using a small teaspoon, sprinkle organic cane sugar evenly over each cheesecake (while still in the cheesecake pan).  Using a brûlée torch, caramelize the sugar until golden brown.   
6. To unmold, gently push up from the hole in the bottom of the mini cheesecake pan to remove the cheesecake from the cup. Use a small spatula or butter knife to remove the cake crust from the metal bottom. If the cheesecakes are sticking to the pan, gently run a toothpick around each cheesecake to loosen it before pushing it out of the cup. 
7. If you would like a caramel sauce instead of the brûlée, simply place the unmolded brûléed cheesecakes into a container with a lid and refrigerate overnight.  The next morning, you will notice that the brûlée crust has melted into a lovely oozy sticky caramel sauce.  Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh ripe local berries.
8. Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.

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