"Cooking With Garlic" A Delightful Dessert

If you all remember, last week I said that I was going to start posting some of my favorite recipes! I decided to title all recipe posts as "Cooking With Garlic" because I am the "Garlic" in "Half Gaelic, Half Garlic"

Today's recipe will be one that does not include garlic........I have chosen a favorite dessert!

I wish I could take credit for this one, but I can't....

None the less, if you are having a dinner party and you serve this for dessert.....it will definitely create a WOW Factor!

Deep-dish Apple Pie



Recipe compliments of the Barefoot Contessa

4 pounds of Granny Smith apples, peeled , quartered, and cored
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup of sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Cut each apple quarter into thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9 or 10 inch pie pan to extend about 1/2 inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it.

Fill the pie pan with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom of the pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1 inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits.

Place the pie on a sheet pan and back for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the crust is browned and the juices bubble out. Serve warm

Perfect Pie Crust

12 Tablespoons of very cold unsalted butter
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/3 cup of 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 the 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 and place in the pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat for the top crust.

My family absolutely loves this pie....I am embarrassed to say this, but when I make it, I usually double the recipe and make two at a time....Let's just say, that in a matter of days....as in two, both pies are gone.....if anyone needs me, you can find me a the gym permanantly chained to the treadmill!!!

Don't let the pie crust intimidate you....it is not hard to make.....I was never one to make my own pie crust before this recipe, but this one is almost foolproof!

Oh and I almost forgot.....it is best served warm with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Bon Appetit!