Thanksgiving is almost here, and with it cravings for delicious and simple comfort foods...
... like bright colorful apples...
... combined with a few simple ingredients...
... along with a very well used recipe...
... carefully prepared with love, by hand...
... and assembled with care.
Comfort foods aren't simply about the ingredients, they are just as much about the feelings of comfort that go into making them and the time spent eating them with those you care about most.
Baked Apple Recipe:
Apples (I used Gala and Granny Smith)
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Granulated sugar
2 Cups All-Purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2/3 cup butter or shortening (cold)
1/3 cup water (ice cold)
1 Egg
Toothpick or string to hold the dough together while baking
To make these yummy backed apples start with the dough. If you have a food processor this is very quick. Just pulse the flour, salt, sugar and butter together until incorporated. Then add the ice cold water slowly while machine is on and mix until the dough just comes together (don't over mix!). My preferred method though, is by hand. There is just something in doing it this way that the food processor will never understand. To mix by hand, cut the butter in to the flour mixture and mix with either a fork, or better yet your fingers. This can take a little time, but keep going until the butter and four mixture is close to a granular texture. Then make a pool in the middle and add the water. Start adding the flour into the water and gently mixing. Do this until the dough will just stick together (don't over mix!). Form the dough into a ball, wrap in parchment paper or plastic and chill for half an hour. One dough recipe will cover three smaller-sized apples.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F, and in the mean time, wash and core the apples. You can peel them if you like, but you don't have to. Dust the insides of the apples with the combined one tablespoon of granulated sugar and Cinnamon.
Once the dough is chilled roll it out to pie crust thickness. Then cut out a leaf pattern, or simply a cross shape, whatever will cover the whole apple. (I chose to do a two maple leaves with two longer pointed sections in between so it looked like the apple was wrapped in fall leaves.) You can do this with a cookie cutter if you have one you like, or free form, or make a pattern with parchment paper. once the shapes are cut it's time to assemble. Start by making an egg wash by beating an egg with a little water. Next place the apple on the dough surface and start wrapping the dough around. Brush the egg wash where the dough pieces overlap, and make sure to press firmly so they combine and adhere properly. Once the dough is completely surrounding the apple, egg wash the whole thing. Next, secure the dough around the apple with either kitchen string or toothpicks to keep it from sagging while it bakes.
Bake in a roasting dish for 40 minutes or until the pie crust is golden and the apples sizzling. Remove the string or toothpicks. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!
~Jordan
*Last time in Recipes: Golden Light
