Award Winning Apple Pie

There are a wealth of fond memories that I have from my childhood. All of them involve, in some way or another, being with family. I am one of three children, my mom one of four children, my grandmother was one of three or four children....you get the point. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas revolved around the thanks of the season, God, and gathering at my Grandma and Grandpa's home to share the joys that we had in our lives.

When my Grandmother passed away (I was in 4th grade) I started to see that she was the glue that kept our family together. Each year after that, fewer and fewer family members gathered and soon my Aunt began to host Thanksgiving at her home. It was important for that tradition to become someone else's joy but in a way, it never replaces those memories of being at Grandma and Grandpa's. But...when my Aunt took over the hosting duties one of the things that she improved was the dessert spread! I am talking 20+ pies, all different varieties, shapes, you name it. I remember one year going over early (I may have even spent the night, I'm not positive) and I was challenged with the task of helping her prepare the pies. It is a great memory that I hold dear in my heart. I'm not sure how it happened, but the following year or two my Aunt made me responsible for the Apple Pies, and I can remember what she said to this day. She said "Since everyone liked your apple pie better....". Which is NOT true. I used the same recipe that she used, I just think she wanted to pass along the task of peeling those pesky things lol.

Well....somewhere between that Thanksgiving and 8 years ago, I misplaced the recipe that I was using. Now, I know some people might say apple pie is apple pie. And in some cases, this is true. But its about having the perfect pie crust recipe, the right blend of apples, the right balance of cinnamon and sugar and just the perfect touch of love. That's what makes a great apple pie. So, once I realized that I had lost this pie recipe, I went searching for one that could hold its own. Maybe even trick people into thinking it was the same. The recipe that I found and adopted as my own was highly recommend and flaunted as a "Pie that has won hundreds of pie competitions". Really? How can you go wrong??!

I have used this recipe, with some tweaking to make it my own, for the last 8 years and really have gotten some wonderful feedback on it.

I hope that your family enjoys this Apple Pie just as much as mine does. I would LOVE to hear your feedback!

(picture courtesy of images.google.com)


Melissa's Gooey Apple Pie

1 Homemade Pie Crust (my recipe is below)

10 T. unsalted butter

3 T all-purpose flour

1/4 c. water

2/3 c. white sugar

2/3 c. dark brown sugar

3 T Apple Pie Seasoning (or use a mixture of nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon), divided

8-10 medium sized apples (I use combination of: golden delicious, granny smith, cortland, and jonagold), peeled, cored and sliced

** for any type of dish that calls for baking apples, AVOID these varieties: McIntosh, Red Delicious, and Fuji**

Homemade Pie Crust:
4 c. all purpose flour

1 3/4 c. shortening

3 T. white sugar

2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. cold water

1 egg

For the Crust:1) Combine all-purpose flour, shortening, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly.

2) In a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

For the Pie: 

(preheat oven to 425 F)

1) In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour to form a paste. I add in 1 Tablespoon at a time until a paste is made (sometimes i'll use the allotted amount, sometimes it takes more or less). Add in the white and brown sugar and water to the flour paste you've made and bring the mixture to a boil. Add in 2T of apple pie seasoning, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, place the bottom crust into your lightly sprayed pie dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and poke a few holes in it with a fork so that it doesn't bubble up. Bake in the 425* oven for 5-6 minutes. This will prevent the bottom crust from being too soggy when you eat it. To me this is a key step.

3) Once you've 'pre-baked' the bottom crust, fill the crust with the sliced apples and mound it.  The filling will reduce while it bakes so be generous but not over-zealous with the mounding here. Pour 2/3 of the brown sugar mixture over the sliced apples. Add your top crust, using a lattice technique. Pour the remaining mixture ERY SLOWLY over the lattice work, sprinkle with remaining apple pie spice and put into the oven. Cover the edges of the crust with a baking shield or aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes on 425F. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 35-45 minutes. Remove the shield from the edges of the crust when the pie has about 15 minutes remaining on it. This will allow that crust to be cooked but not burnt.

4) Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing. You'll have better luck keeping a nice shape to the pie this way. Serve with milk or vanilla bean ice cream to take this over the top!

Read More

My Family's Chili

Growing up, I remember cooking being a shared task between my mom and dad. Each had their own dishes that only they could rock and was therefore always in charges of. Among my dad's dishes was his chili. Oh his chili....... Over the last few years, I have honed in on what makes his chili better than anyone else's and I think I have come pretty darn close to matching it. I'd be willing to take on Bobby Flay in case anyone has him on speed dial and wants to see a Throwdown. LOL

Of course I add in my own flare every now and then to make it my own but the underlying taste is pretty much just like his. Even though he'll probably never read this, thanks Dad for showing me how to make a mean pot of chili (that inevitably won me the heart of Shawn lol). I hope I won't be shunned for sharing this recipe with the world (ok...maybe not the world but still....)

I will warn you ahead of time...I am HORRIBLE at gauging what I put in so you may end up with two pots. But really, our family motto is "there's never too much chili". For the readers, I have tried my best at reducing the ingredients to just make one pot.

Gould Family Chili

2 - 14.5 oz cans Tomatoes, Diced (I like to get seasoned ones but its a preference, really)

1 - 14.5 oz can Tomato Sauce

2 cans Dark Red Kidney Beans, (not sure on the weight but same size can as the tomatoes), rinsed and drained

1 can Chili Beans

1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 pound Ground Beef (I prefer 80/20 in my chili)

1 medium to large Green Bell Pepper, diced

1 small White Onion, diced

2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1-2 jalapeno pepper, sliced (depending on how spicy you like it)

Water

Chili Powder

Paprika

Cumin

Salt

Pepper

Dried Minced Onion

1) In a skillet on medium heat, cook your beef until it starts to produce a good amount of grease. Dump the grease and add a healthy dose of chili powder and cook until no longer pink. I break it up but not too much. Its nice to have some chunk-age in your chili lol.

2) Meanwhile, put the pot that you'll be cooking your chili in on medium heat and add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and beans. Do not drain/rinse the chili beans. Bring this to a boil and add the beef when its done cooking.

3) In the skillet you used for the beef, put 1 T of reserved grease and add the white onion and green pepper. Sauté until the veggies are crisp but not raw, maybe 5-6 minutes. Halfway through, add the garlic and jalapeno. Slice the jalapeno in half lengthwise (from stem to bottom), seed it, then cut in thin slices and add it to the green pepper/onion mixture. Season this mixture with some salt and pepper and add it to the pot with the tomatoes and such.

4) Now for the tricky part. Add your seasonings to taste. I don't measure them, I used taste as my measuring spoon. Go healthy with it. These seasonings will give your chili the depth of flavor and the rich color. If I had to guess - I would say I start with about 5-6 T of chili powder, 3-4 seconds of shaking of the other seasonings. I know I know....I apologized in the beginning for this part. It really is all taste.

5) Once all the seasonings are in the pot and the chili has began to boil, turn the heat down a bit, cover and allow it to cook 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure you don't burn it. You'll want the chili to be thick but not THICK. Add water little by little to get the right consistency. Don't make it too soupy though. That's a big NO NO.

The flavor of the chili drastically changes the longer its cooked. We don't eat the chili right away. I'll get it all cooking around 9am and we'll eat it for dinner that night. And keep tasting it as you go and add seasonings as you need to. I guess its good to start off light until you know where your flavor preference lands.

I love to garnish mine with some sour cream and cheddar cheese while Shawn likes his plain.

**Note, if you find that the chili is too spicy, add a little drop of honey to mellow the heat out. Taste and repeat until its just right. This works on all dishes, not just chili. If you find that its not spicy enough ADD ANOTHER JALAPENO!!!

If you get bored with having the same thing for dinner, try these variations that we are rather fond of:
Chili Mac

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Chili and Cheese Nachos

Chili Cheese Burritos
Taco Salad

(I will update this with a picture when I get home tonight)

Read More

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

A few weeks ago my Facebook feed was nothing but posts about this friend and that friend going to The Cheesecake Factory. I have never been there...which as insane as it sounds, it might have to stay that way. I think the nearest one is about 25 minutes from my house so it's not that it's too far to drive to. Even though I've never looked at the prices, I'm sure it's an affordable date night option for my boyfriend and I. It's not the inability of the menu items to tickle my fancy. In fact...it's precisely the opposite. Cheesecake is my indulgent dessert of choice. And I am an equal opportunity taste tester. I've not met a cheesecake that I didn't love. I love it all. No bake, drizzled, no crust, graham cracker crust, single layer, double layer .... I could go on but I'll stop.

So one of my friends posted a picture of the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory and I was intrigued. Very intrigued. I figured with all the buzz about this place and the looks of that gorgeous slice of heaven, I had to get my hands on a piece of it. Since I wasn't able to convince her that it was toxic for her health and that she should bring it to me, my fingers started typing away on my iPad and I landed on recipe that was highly rated for it's awesomeness and exactness to the Cheesecake Factory's creation. So....I got started. I was actually home from work sick that day but I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I picked myself out of bed, took a shot of cold medicine and headed for the kitchen.**Side note - I love having the option of using fat free or reduce fat cream cheese in recipes. I love it. However, I don't recommend this short cut when baking, especially when the cream cheese is THE star of the recipe**

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

 

Crust:

Cinnamon Graham Crackers
6 T melted butter

2 T sugar

Cinnamon, to taste

Cheesecake:

3-8oz packages Cream Cheese, softened
3 eggs

1 c. sugar

1 tsp PURE vanilla

1 1/2 c. Pumpkin Pie mix (Libby's brand)

Homemade Whipped Cream Topping:
1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream

1 c. Powdered Sugar

2 tsp Pure Vanilla

1) Preheat the oven to 350*

2) To prepare crust, open two packages of cinnamon graham crackers. Place them in a Ziploc bag and crush them until they are finely crushed. Pour them into a bowl and dump the melted butter on to them and combine. Add the sugar and cinnamon to taste (I wanted a very cinnamon-ey crust). You may need to add butter 1/2T at a time to get the right consistency. You want the crumbs to stick together but not make them too wet. Make sense? When you have the right consistency, press the crust on to the bottom of a springform pan and 1/2 way up the sides. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes to set the crust. Set aside but leave the oven on.

3) In a bowl, combine the cheese, sugar and vanilla and beat until it is smooth.

4) Add in the eggs, pumpkin and spices (if you're adding them). Beat until it is a creamy smooth mixture.

5) Pour into crust and bake for approximately 60 minutes.

6) Allow to come to room temperature then put in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly.

When you are ready to serve, top with freshly made whipped cream!

1) Pour heavy whipping cream in a very cold metal bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. (set on high and it will take about 4-5 minutes).

2) Add sugar and vanilla and beat a little longer.

3) Enjoy!!

I added a bit of cinnamon to my whipped topping for this to enhance the cinnamon experience!

Read More

Lightened Up Corn and Potato Chowder

When it comes to soup, I like very much prefer broth based soups over its cream based competitors. I love the comfort of soup but I don't think you need to load a soup with calories and fat for it to be delicious. This is the reason I've never had a love affair with cream of _____  or  _____ chowder or ____bisque....you get my drift.

But I was inspired by a lightened chowder recipe that I got in one of my Weight Watchers Weekly's that I got from a meeting last fall and thought I'd use it as a starting point.

I made it my own by switching up a few things and the end result was a delicious, hearty soup that didn't add inches to my waist line. That's a win-win in my book!!  (Picture courtesy of this website)

Fall Harvest Skinny Corn Chowder

2 medium potatoes (for ease, I opted for the microwavable ones)

1 medium sized Zucchini

1/3 cup chopped onion (i used a Vidalia onion but white would work too)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c. Roasted Red Bell Peppers, diced

1/3 c. celery, chopped

1 Bag frozen corn (regular sized bag)

6 Strips thick cut bacon, diced

2 C. Skim Milk

1 c. low fat chicken broth (more or less depending on how thick/runny you like your soup) 

Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste

Hot pepper sauce or cayenne pepper, to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

1) Microwave potatoes per directions on the package. If you use regular potatoes, pierce them with a fork and cook in the microwave on high for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Move on to step 2 while this is cooking.

2) Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook bacon until it is crispy. Place on paper towel to allow oil to drain off of it. Drain oil from the skillet but reserve 1 T or so to cook vegetables in. Place celery, onion and zucchini in skillet and cook in oil until tender but slightly crisp. Add frozen corn and roasted red peppers during the last two minutes to bring to temp.

3) In a soup pot on medium heat, pour milk, chicken broth, garlic, bacon, cooked veggies, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. Cut cooked potatoes in spoon-sized chunks (really a preference thing). Reserve 5-6 chunks, and add the remaining potatoes to the pot. Mash the reserved potatoes and add mash to the soup pot. Simmer for 30-40 minutes to allow all the flavors to marry. Do not bring to a boil (you don't want to ruin the milk).
4) Bowl it up and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese and enjoy!!

(soup is so hard to judge how much it makes because bowl sizes vary. This recipe makes 3/4 of a normal size pot)

Read More

Pumpkin Crunch Cupcake

I love fall. Like...REALLY love fall. I love the chilly nights, I love making s'mores over a bonfire, I love wearing hoodies with flip flops, I love the colors. But what I love most about fall is PUMPKIN!! Everything has pumpkin!! Coffee, cakes, candles, cookies....the list goes on and on. As you can tell, I have the biggest sore spot for pumpkin!!!

So I stumbled across some inspiration on pinterest (go figure) for a pumpkin cupcake and headed straight for the kitchen. Well....I had to go pick up a few items from the grocery store first). The result was a deliciously light and fluffy cake with an airy whipped topping. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Pumpkin Crunch Cupcake

Cake Ingredients:

24 Golden Oreos
1/2 c. Vegetable Oil
1/2 c. Cinnamon Applesauce
3 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 c. Sugar
1 c. Brown Sugar
15 oz Pumpkin Pie Puree (I used Libby's)
2 3/4 c. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
(if you use just canned pumpkin, you'll need nutmeg and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice)

Whipped Topping Ingredients:

1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tsp Vanilla
1 c. Powdered Sugar
A few dashes of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice for garnish

1) Preheat your oven to 350*
2) Line tin with cupcake liners. Separate the Oreos and drop the half with the cream in the bottom of each liner. (cream side up)
3) In a bowl, combine eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla.
4) Stir in both white and brown sugar, and beat on low for a minute or two.
5) Stir in Pumpkin Pie Puree (if you use pumpkin puree, add your cinnamon/nutmeg here too; to taste)
6) In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix only until combined. Do NOT over mix. Take a test and add nutmeg/cinnamon/pumpkin pie spice to taste.
7) Fill the liners just shy of 3/4 full and bake for 17-20 minutes. To test, I stick a toothpick in and pull them out when the toothpick comes out sticky but not runny. I find that if you wait until the toothpick is clean that the cake is overdone.


For the whipped topping, the KEY is to use a very cold metal bowl and beaters. I put mine in the freezer when the oven gets turned. Put the heavy whipping cream in the bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Then add vanilla and powdered sugar. Then add in a few dashes of either cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice and beat until the topping is stiff. Put it in a piping bag and go to town!!! Don't be shy with the topping! I sprinkled some seasoning on the top of each cupcake to add some pizazz to them.

The result is a moist fluffy wonderfully fall inspired pumpkin cake with a perfectly spiced whipped topping. The cream from the Oreo adds just a hint of creaminess to the cake and crunch is a nice finishing touch.



Read More