Update and Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie!

Hello everyone! Happy Thursday! I am sorry I didn't post my usual/traditional quotes on Tuesday! it's been busy here and I've been a little bit under the weather...

Sunday was a very emotional day in church... it was "Adoption Sunday" and ... well... everything that has to do with children being abandoned/abused, etc just really affects me... then we attended an Adoption Forum in the evening... and all the stories just break my heart and actually have physical consequences! I just felt sick for the next two days... We're praying about adoption... it's not something certain... but ... we're open to look into it.

 Then on Tuesday (still not entirely well)  I went with a group of ladies from church to the Houston Mission Centers, I was a little hesitant about going... because of how I was feeling but it was a blessing and we had a blast! Bagging Rice/Beans, Sweeping, organizing skates for the children who go and play there, inflating balls, weeding in the gardens, making bags of candy, etc... (I didn't do all that, I am just mentioning the chores that were assigned to all of us) ... so... that was a good reason to not be able to blog, don't you think? Here is a picture of all of us!

I am the first one standing from left to right

Yesterday, I just took it a little slower and I did feel better! I think I was needing a break... Today... well, here I am! Looking forward to tomorrow's Coffee Friday! Did you think I forgot? Well no! So I hope you join us!

Now... here comes the Recipe to make a delicious and very old-fashioned Pecan Pie! It uses Maple Syrup and Molasses instead of Karo Syrup, to make sure it has the robustness, deep flavor and crisp crust from the original Pecan Pies.

This Pie is Original from the Cook's Country Show/Site... and I thought it would be great to share with all of you!

Pecan Pie, Top it with Homemade Whipped Cream Preferably

Ingredients

• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon molasses (regular or light, not dark)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups toasted and chopped pecans
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell (you can use your favorite pie shell or my own recipe which I shared in the Pumpkin Pie Recipe I posted a few days ago), chilled in pie plate for 30 minutes

Instructions

• 1. Make Filling: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat sugar, syrup, cream, and molasses in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Whisk butter and salt into syrup mixture until combined. Whisk in egg yolks until incorporated.
• 2. Bake Pie: Scatter pecans in pie shell. Carefully pour filling over. Place pie in hot oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until filling is set and center jiggles slightly when pie is gently shaken, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool pie on rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate until set, about 3 hours and up to 1 day. The wait is totally worth it! Bring to room temperature before serving.

 Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

Perfect for Fall - Apple Pie with "leaves" crust

Good and Blessed Monday everybody! How was your weekend? We had an almost "surprise visit" from family in Wisconsin... FIL and his wife, Donna, were traveling and stopped by and stayed with us for a couple days! It was a really great time! The girls were so happy to have grandpa' and grandma' here with us!

Now... let's go to our Fall Theme... as you know I am trying to help you get encouraged and host your own Thanksgiving Dinner... not only host it actually but enjoy it too! Stress free! Truly! It is doable... My first Thanksgiving "TIPS"and "secrets" to achieve it is: HERE , and I'll continue sharing those tips, so, stay tuned... there is a lot more to come! But today I want to share a delicious, really delicious Apple Pie Recipe... I found this recipe online a while ago, in my search for the "perfect Apple Pie" and since I found it and made it my own I've stopped searching! This is it!

Homemade Traditional Apple Pie

Apple Pie... My way!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

I teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons butter (softened and room temperature)

6 tablespoons shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Note: If this is your first time making this pie crust, make a double batch to be sure you have enough crust. (although one batch is enough)

For the Filling

5 Tart Peeled Apples

1 Tablespoon Lemon or Lime Juice

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

Plus 3 tbsp. of cold butter cut in cubes.

Directions:

Make The Crust:

Mix in a large bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour

I teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Then cut in using the dough blender or fork: (avoid using your hands)

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons ice water (I use 7),

 Note: You will only need enough water to bring all the ingredients together, once it has formed a "ball" or it's wet enough to form it you should stop adding water, so add it little by little.

• Wrap your pie crust in plastic wrap. Then place in refrigerator for at least 30 mins. while you make the pie filling. 

Time to Make The Filling:

• Fill a big bowl with water (about 2/3rds. of the bowl and add the tbsp. of lemon juice) Peel and slice your apples, as you slice them throw them in the bowl with water immediately to keep them from browning. Once you've peeled and sliced them all and they're still in the water, cover with saran wrap as close to the surface of the apples/water as possible.

Mix in a separate large mixing bowl:

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt 

     1 tablespoon vinegar 

• Now, drain the water off of the apples and mix them with the spices.

Time to put  that Pie together: (Preheat your oven at 400F)

• Now that your pie crust has had plenty of time to cool, divide it into two, equal halves.    
• Roll one of the balls of pie crust out until it is around 1/8th of an inch thick.
• Once you have rolled out the dough, wrap it around the rolling pin and unroll it onto your pie pan.
• Once you have shaped it to fit the inside of the pan, take a fork and poke holes all over the bottom of the crust. This will let the steam out as the pie bakes. Don't be shy... just go ahead and poke holes all over the bottom.
•  Dump all of the apples in the pie. Place about the chunks of cold butter on top of apple filling. This will give the filling rich flavor.

Putting Top Pie Crust On Pie

• Roll out the remaining pie dough and place it on top and seal the edges together with your fingers you can create a wavy design like the traditional pies or instead once the top crust has been rolled out just cut with a leaf shaped cookie cutter and place the leaves of dough arranged on top of the apples to make a beautiful, fall looking and very inviting crust.

Note: For a glossy effect you can brush the top crust with egg wash (mix 1 egg and 1 tbsp. water and brush it all over the top crust) I also recommend you to place aluminum foil around the edges of the pie and a small square of foil also right on the center on top of the pie to prevent too much browning.

Bake for 50 to 60 mins. until pie looks golden and you see the inside is bubbling.

Let it rest on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours (do not rush this) it will not only cool off but it will let the filling set, it's even better the next day!

Hopefully you will make this pie part of your family traditions for FALL!

Enjoy!

© Paloma K.