5/24/17 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser
Memorial Day was borne out of
the Civil War to honor the dead and first known as Decoration Day. Congress changed
it to Memorial Day to fall on the last Monday in May. One thing has not
changed—the day honors those who have died in the service of our country. It is
a solemn day of memorial parades, speeches and visits to cemeteries.
May 29 is also our day to
remember, with gratitude, all those who have served or are serving our country.
Following the public events, everyone is hungry. Picnics and potlucks are a
welcome time to share memories and scarf down someone else’s cooking. I like to
bake an apple pie. They are easy to prepare, travel well and there are seldom
any leftovers.
It is said that during World
War II soldiers coined the phrase “As American as mom and apple pie.” Maybe
that’s why an apple pie seems to be an appropriate addition to the tradition of
Memorial Day. Of course, any day is a good day to bake (and eat) an apple pie.
Today’s first recipe is for a
two-crust apple pie with the addition of spices, orange juice and cranberries.
Sometimes I substitute cherries for the cranberries and if cherries are out of
season and my freezer is bare…my secret ingredient is a can of cherry pie
filling! The second recipe sounds more complicated than it is. If you’re an
expert at pie dough you can just roll the dough over the rolling pin and skip
the waxed paper step. Enjoy!
CRANBERRY
APPLE PIE
2 cups sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup orange juice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon apple pie spice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
4 cups tart apples, peeled and cored
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Pastry for 9-inch double crust pie
2 tablespoons butter
In a
large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Add apples and cranberries; toss
gently. Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom pastry. Add filling; dot with
butter.
Roll
remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut vents in pastry, using a small apple
cutter if desired. Place over filling: seal and flute the edges. Reduce heat to
350° F; Bake 50 min. longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is
bubbly. Serves 6-8.
Crust
variation: a lattice-top pie crust
Cut top crust
dough into 12 strips. Place 6 of the strips over filling. Weave lattice crust
with remaining strips by folding back alternate strips as each cross strip is
added. Fold trimmed edge of lower crust over ends of strips. Seal and flute
edge. Bake as directed.
APPLE PIE BARS
1 pkg. (8 oz.)
PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup butter,
softened
3-1/4 cups flour,
divided
10 Granny Smith
apples, peeled, sliced (about 9 cups)
1-1/4 cups granulated
sugar
1 tsp. ground
cinnamon
3/4 cup powdered
sugar
1 Tbsp. water
Heat oven to 400ºF.
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until
blended. Gradually add 3 cups flour, mixing on low speed after each addition
just until blended. Shape into 2 balls. Place 1 ball on large lightly floured
sheet of waxed paper; flatten slightly. Cover with second floured sheet of
waxed paper. Roll out dough to 15-1/2x10-1/2-inch rectangle. Discard top sheet
of waxed paper.
Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray; invert over
rolled-out dough. Flip dough and pan together. (Pan will be on bottom.) Remove
second waxed paper sheet; gently press dough onto bottom and up side of pan.
Toss apples with combined granulated sugar, cinnamon and remaining flour;
spread onto bottom of crust.
Repeat rolling out of remaining dough ball to make second
rectangle. Remove top sheet of waxed paper; carefully flip dough over apples.
Discard waxed paper. Tuck edges of dough down sides of pan to enclose apples.
Cut several slits in top crust to vent steam.
Bake 35 to 40 min. or until golden brown. Cool 15 min.
Mix powdered sugar and water; drizzle over dessert. Cool 30
min. before cutting into bars. Makes 16 servings.
Keep
it simple and keep it seasonal with Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner
