Before we get into the pie of it all, I must say you know that your blog is getting popular when you get hit with 261 items of spam overnight. Thank you WordPress spam filters for doing double time!
Anyway, sometimes a pie just comes together and my Thanksgiving pie was amazing if I do say so myself.
I made apple this year as per the request of my better half. I made a double crust apple pie with dried apricots, raisins, and cranberries soaked in Calvados. The crust was dusted with turbinado sugar and pink Himalayan sea salt.
Sounds yummy? It was. So what I did was make a double batch of pie crust (I have given you pie crust recipes before so I am not doing again now), pulled out my vintage deep dish pie dish and threw my apple mixture in, sealed it up, did an egg wash and a little dusting (turbinado sugar and the pink sea salt) and voila! Yummy deliciousness!
I used about 8-10 small MacIntosh apples peeled, cored, sliced thin. Tossed them with 1/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, juice of 1 lemon, fresh grated ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, mace, and 1 1/4 cup of dark raisins, chopped dried apricots, and dried cranberries that had been soaked overnight in Calvados.
I cut my vents, added my pie bird and in it went to a pre-heated oven on a cookie sheet. 400 degrees for 15 minutes, and then 350 degrees for somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes (I forget – so if you are trying to replicate, you will have to simply keep an eye on your pie.)
My yam and pumpkin soufflé topped with toasted butter pecans was a big hit too – another made up mish mosh of a recipe, but I think I am keeping that one to myself for now. And oh yes, I roasted my turkey the way I saw my late father do it time and again, and guess what? It was not dry!
For the record, this chef is on strike for a few days. Executing a fabulous Thanksgiving is like giving birth…and LOL my friend Pamela did just that. (She had a baby girl!)
No, I will not be shopping today. Black Friday is against my religion. For the most part so are malls. For those of you shopping, ditch the mall and check out Main Street. I think supporting independent merchants, small businesses, and BARN sales is where it is at!
And if you are looking for that perfect hostess gift for holiday parties, or a fun present, consider my recently Blurb published photography book chestercountyramblings….four seasons!
