Apple Crostata with a Twist

Winter.. winter.. Brrrrrrrr..

Ingredients

For the pastry:
• 2 cup flour
• 4 tablespoons Caster sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks very cold unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
• 4 Large Green apples
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons Icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Method:
1- Starting out with the pastry by placing the flour, sugar, orange zest and salt in the food processor and pulse to combine.
2- Add the butter and mix.
3- Add the 4 tablespoons of water gradually while mixing until combined and the dough starts to form.
4- Remove the dough from the food processor and form into a disk.
5- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for one hour.
6- Prepare the filling by peeling the apples and cutting into wedges.
7- Toss the wedges with the cinnamon and icing sugar.
8- Once the dough is cool, remove from fridge and flour the rolling pin and the surface to roll the dough into a circle and transfer it into a baking sheet.
9- Place the apples in the middle of the dough away from the edges.
10- Role up and fold the edges to hug the apple mix and enclose the dough to form a circle.
11- In a preheated oven 180 degrees, place the crostata to bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust turns golden and the apples are tender.
12- Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Serve with icecream or whipped cream.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Serves 12-16

Prep. time: 35–40 minutes
plus eight or more hours downtime.


Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:

24 double-chocolate Oreo cookies
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted


For the Chocolate Mousse Filling:

1&1/2 pounds semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup water
4 egg yolks, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream

whipped cream or raspberries for decoration

Requires a 10-inch springform pan.


Method:


For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:

- Preheat oven to 350° & Prepare a 10-inch springform pan.

- Place the broken cookies into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and blitz to create fine crumbs.

- Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl, add the melted butter, and mix until well combined.

- Place the crumbs into a 10-inch springform pan and press evenly over the bottom and half way up the sides.

- Bake 10–12 minutes until set.

- Remove from the oven and cool completely before filling.


For the Chocolate Mousse Filling:

- Add the espresso powder to the warm water and mix well.

- Place the melted chocolate, espresso, water, and egg yolks into a spacious bowl and mix until smooth.

- Pour the cream into the bowl of your electric mixer and whip until it forms stiff peaks.

- Pour the chocolate mixture into a spacious bowl and use a large wire whisk to fold in the whipped cream. Fold gently but thoroughly, until no streaks remain.

- Pour the mixture into the springform pan, place plastic wrap over the surface and refrigerate for 4–6 hours or overnight.

- Remove the mousse pie from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

- Gently run a knife between the crust and the pan to loosen it. Open the latch of the spring form pan, and remove the pie. Place on a serving plate, decorate, and serve.


yum!

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:


For the Crust:

3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
graham cracker crumbs (15 full crackers)

For the Filling:

1 cup Key Lime juice (20 - 40 key limes, depending on size and juiciness)
2 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
zest of 2 limes



Method:

- Mix all crust ingredients thoroughly. Press into bottom and sides of a 10" pie tin with fingertips. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Do not let burn. Remove from oven.

- Combine filling ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into pie crust.

- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until firm.

- Remove and let cool. Refrigerate. Serve with dollop of whipped cream and fresh lime zest.


Enjoy...

Old-fashioned Apple Pie

Serves 8







Ingredients:



Pastry:

2 & 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Crisco brand shortening (found at Sultan Center)
1 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
6 tablespoons ice water


Filling:

8 medium tart green apples
1 & 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 egg white, beaten lightly - optional
1 teaspoon sugar for sprinkling (coarse sugar is nice) - optional



Method:


1- Mix flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles the texture of tiny split peas. Do not use your hands to try and mix it, the heat from you hands will melt the shortening, causing the pastry to be "heavy", not light and flaky.

2- When mixture is the right texture, add the ice water and combine with a fork. It may appear as if it needs more water, it does not. Quickly gather the dough into a ball.

3- Divide dough into two balls and flatten each into 4-inch-wide disk. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

4- Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator. If stiff and very cold, let stand until dough is cool but malleable. Roll one dough disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. To transfer dough, carefully roll it around the rolling pin, lift and unroll dough, centering it in an ungreased 9-inch regular or deep-dish pie plate. (Or you can fold dough in quarters, then place dough point in center of pie pan and unfold dough, whatever is easiest for you.)

5- Gently press dough into sides of pan, leaving portion that overhangs edge of pie pan in place. Refrigerate while preparing apple filling.

6- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 425*F (220*C).
Peel, core, and cut apples into slices no larger than 1/2-inch thick. Gently toss the apple slices with the lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add sugar mixture to the apple slices and gently toss to coat well. Turn apple mixture into into chilled pie shell and mound slightly in center. Dot with butter.

7- Roll out second dough disk and place over filling. Trim overhang to 1-inch from edge. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan edge. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Make several slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. If pie dough is very soft, place in freezer for 10 minutes. Brush egg white onto top of crust and sprinkle evenly with sugar, if desired.

8- Bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375*F (190*C); continue baking until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to almost room temperature, at least 4 hours.


Enjoy...