Stoli Gala Applik Martini

 

I'm taking a pause from 'food blogging' to head over to 'bar blogging' or 'booze blogging' Either way it's time for a cocktail! This vodka was kind of sweet, so it less of a true apple taste than I was expecting, but I'm still not complaining.

The glass that is photographed is a waterford crystal martini glass we received as wedding presents, they are beautiful and so much fun to sip Gala Apple Martinis out of :)


Stoli Gala Applik Martini (receipe from Stoli)

1 part Stoli Gala Apple Vodka
1 part apple juice
1/2 part cranberry juice

Shake with ice to chill until icy cold, strain and serve up. You can also garnish the glass with an apple slice to be extra fancy!

OK fine-to smarten up this post, did you know in the height of the cold war a deal was struck between the Pepsi-Cola company and the Russian Government: Pepsi for Stoli!

Homemade Apple Pie

An apple pie from scratch was a scary thought for me a while back-making dough from scratch was the scariest part. However I thought I would give it a try. I broke it down to, if it didn't work, oh well, I'm out flour, shortening, and water. Not really a big loss. However, if I succeeded, it would be much more than flour and shortening and water! It would be small source of pride, knowing that was one more thing I could cross off my list things to try.

I recently purchased a Kitchen Aid Food Processor, and not that this part is necessary, but dough making became a breeze. If you do own one, use it for this, it'll be perfect!

Homemade Apple Pie
(dough recipe from Ina Garten:Food Network)
(Pie recipe is inspired by several sources, mostly of my own measurements)

For the crust:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

For the pie

8 apples, varieties such as granny smith, fuji, or other good baking apples
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
lemon juice
4 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 375 degrees after pie is in oven.

Mix the nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar together. Incorporate the butter and 4 Tbsp of flour into the sugar mixture. Slice the apples into thin wedges and place in the prepared pie plate. Mound the apples high with the center of the pie being the tallest. As you are piling the apples in the prepared the plate, sprinkle some of the lemon juice and sugar based mixture between the apples.

Place the second rolled out crust over the apples, seal the edges tightly. I found a good website to demonstrate basic pie crust edging here. Create several steam holes for the steam to escape. Brush the top crust with a beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of these tasty bars, because I really don't think that this does these bars justice. Oh well, it's a learning process right! I took a moment to do some Googling, who was Granny Smith and how did she get an apple named after her? Well I found out that a lady named Maria Ann Smith cultivated an unintentionally cross bread seedling to yield these tasty green apples. Additionally, the Beatles' Apple Records adopted the Granny Smith as their icon in 1968.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars (From Good Things Catered)

2c plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

small pinch of ground cloves

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 c packed brown sugar
1 c white sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced

about 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 pan, lined with foil and baking spray.

In a medium bowl combine sugars, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine sugars, melted butter. Set on medium high speed and mix until batter is light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one, also add the vanilla at this time. Turn mixer on low and add the flour mixture slowly, incorporating it fully before adding more.

Once the mixture is fully combined, remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in apples . Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared 9"x13" pan. Very generously sprinkle the top with the cinnamon sugar. Use more than you would think, because after the bars bake up, the cinnamon sugar will form a nice little crust on top.

Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through and the top springs back when pressed gently

Cool and serve!

Apple Pancakes

This is perfect Sunday morning brunch treat, as usual, Penzeys has yet to steer me wrong!

Apple Pancakes (from Penzeys)

2 granny smith apples

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide butter into 2 glass pie plates and place in oven, the butter will melt while the rest of the ingredients are assembled.

Combine eggs, flour, vanilla, salt, and milk in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Peel the apples and slice, roughly about one cm. thick. The thickness can vary, but don't them get to thick or they will not cook uniformly.

Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a separate dish. Working in batches, dip the apples in the cinnamon sugar.

Pull the two pie plates out of the oven when butter has melted and swirl the plates to coat with the butter. Arrange the cinnamon sugar dipped apples in the pie plate and divide and pour the batter over the arranged apples, the remaining Cinnamon sugar should be dusted over the prepared dishes. Move the pie plates into the heated oven.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. The pancakes will be light and fluffy when finished. Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and keep some maple sugar close by if you'd like, it's mighty tasty.

Apple Raisin Chutney

I don't often find myself without anything to say, but...I think it's actually come to this. I think that I cannot correctly sum up how delicious these flavor combinations are. Perhaps pure happiness may be correct, or 'giddy-ness?' Oh what the heck I'll borrow Google's definition of happiness "state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy." Yeah, that might sum it up nicely.

Now whether you prefer Gorgonzola, or cambozola, or brie, or whatever else you'd like, I personally think there is no loser here. This apple raisin chutney was easy to prepare, and I've never made a chutney before-So you should try to! This powerhouse flavor combo includes a nice crusty bread or crostini, apple raisin chutney, oven roasted garlic, and the cheese of your choosing.

I've chosen to only blog about the chutney itself, only because the rest are self evident or rather Google-able (Is that a word now?)

Apple Raisin Chutney (Adapted from Simply Recipes)

2 large tart cooking apples (such as green Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and chopped)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp grated orange peel

1 Tbsp grated fresh or 1/2 Tbsp powdered ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes. If the chutney looks too dry, as in too much liquid has cooked off, add a little apple juice or cider. Uncover and simmer over low heat for a few minutes more to cook off excess liquid if there is any; let cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Makes about 2 cups.

*Note: This chutney would also pair really well with roasted chicken or pork

Apple Tart

Autumn has finally arrived and no one could be happier than I-the leaves, the apples, the pumpkins, I could go on and on. But I won't, I'll save you from that. I needed some saving when it came to this apple dessert. You see, originally it wasn't to be an apple tart, rather an apple tarte tatin, which is actually quite different. A tarte-tatin is actually an upside down apple tart/cake that according to the French is to be served warmed so when the cream hits it, it will instantly melt and pool around the cake. Don't believe me? Check this out, and no it's not from Wiki :)

The trouble I had getting sugars to carmelize led me back to the drawing board, so I looked and there it came out of the blue, was this tasty little number-Enjoy!

Apple Tart (adapted from Martha Stewart)

All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 sheet Puff Pastry
Water, for sprinkling
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Applesauce
2-3 apples, your choice but I used Granny Smith apples and a Zestar apple
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a large rectangle approximately 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle a baking sheet with a little water.

Transfer pastry to prepared baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator to chill, 30 minutes.
Core the apples and slice them crosswise on a mandoline as thinly as possible, about 1/16 inch thick. I hand sliced mine because I do not have a mandoline. Remove chilled pastry from refrigerator, and use a butter knife to gently make an indentation an inch or so from the edge all the way around. This will look like you’ve drawn a rectangle inside the border. This step helps insure that the inside where the topping will be will not rise as much as the ‘crust’ will

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Spread applesauce evenly over pastry. Place apple slices on the pastry in overlapping rows to cover, leaving a 1-inch margin around the edge. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Brush the edges with heavy cream and drizzle any unused cream over the tart filling as to not waste any. Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 33-35 minutes.