Apple Cranberry Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup COLD water
6-8 apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup fresh cranberries cut in half

Holiday meals always bring out the favorites. One of mine is apple-cranberry pie. I love the bit of tartness the cranberries lend to the apples, and they seem to bring out the flavor of the apples as well.

Assuming an eight or nine inch pie pan, start the dough for the crust with two cups of all-purpose flour. Add a teaspoon of salt and cut the shortening into the flour until thoroughly mixed and a little crumbly. When the flour and shortening are mixed, add the half cup of cold water a little at a time, cutting the mixture with a fork to distribute the moisture evenly. The dough should readily stick into a clump when pressed by hand.

Divide and form the dough into two balls, wrapping them in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. You can also set the dough in the refrigerator for twenty minutes to let the moisture become even more uniform and allow the shortening to firm up. Roll the dough out on a floured surface. I like to start the process by pressing the dough ball into a disc by hand first. That way, I can make sure the edges are intact and no cracks have formed. Roll the dough from the center to the edge, working your way around the disc to achieve a uniform thickness. If the dough starts to stick to the rolling pin, wipe the pin with a little flour. Make sure both sides of the dough are lightly floured as well. When the disc is large enough to cover the sides and bottom of the pie pan, roll it onto the pin and lift it onto the pan, then unroll it into place. Use a knife to cut away the excess dough.

Apple-cranberry mix
Peel, core and slice the apples into a bowl. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the mixture and give a stir. Mix with sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the halved cranberries, mix and you're ready to go.

Fill the pie shell with the apple/cranberry mix, roll out the other dough ball for the top of the pie. Crimp the edges and cut a few ventilation slits into the top crust, then bake at 350 degrees for about fifty minutes, until the pie is lightly starting to brown.

I like my apple pies less sweet than some people, so you may want to adjust the amount of sugar you use to suit your own taste. Hope you try, this pie, and more importantly, I hope you love it. As always, thanks for visiting my blog.

Savory Sourdough Impossible Spinach Pie

Savory Sourdough Impossible Spinach Pie I talked about making an Impossible Coconut Custard pie in a previous blog. This time I want to do a savory pie, impossibly easy style, with sourdough. It’s super easy to make, can be used for lunch or dinner, and can be done at home or on the road as long as you have some means of baking. Since I made this dish as a meal for one, or a shared appetizer for two, I used a tart pan. To me, it looks like a miniature pie pan, about five inches across, and is just the right size for camping. Rub the interior of the pan with butter. Flour the pan by putting a teaspoon of flour onto the buttered surface, then tilt the pan and tap it while rotating the pan until the flour has adhered to the greased surface. Dump the excess flour out. Heat a frying pan with a half teaspoon of olive oil and add the spinach and diced onions. Season with salt and pepper and a half teaspoon of Herbes de Provence. Turn the spinach as it cooks to keep it from burning until the spinach is cooked and reduced. Set aside and let cool while you get the custard part of the dish ready. Put a quarter cup of sourdough starter in a bowl and add a half cup of milk, one egg, a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and salt and pepper to taste. Beat with a fork until everything is combined into a thin batter. Mix in a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese. Spoon the cooked spinach and onion onto the bottom of the prepared pie pan (tart pan) and pour the custard batter over the top. Bake it at 350⁰ until a knife blade stuck into the pie comes out clean (about fifteen to twenty minutes). Let cool a little, then run a thin knife blade beneath the crust around edge of the pan. Place a dish over the pie and invert it over another dish or clean work space. You may have to gently pry the edge of the pie loose to allow it to loosen. When it drops out, turn it over and lift the pie onto a bed of greens, such as arugula dressed with an herbed vinaigrette dressing. A little olive oil and balsamic vinegar will work just fine as well. You have to admit, this a pretty fancy dish for camping, but it’s impressive, tastes good and is really easy to make. Hope you give it a try. Savory Sourdough Impossible Spinach Pie For the custard: ¼ cup sourdough starter 1 egg ½ cup milk ¼ teaspoon baking soda Salt and pepper to taste 1-2 cups fresh spinach ¼ cup diced onion ½ teaspoon olive oil ½ teaspoon Herbes de Provence Grease and flour 4 inch tart pan with ¼ teaspoon butter 1 teaspoon flour