It’s
the morning of my departure from the farm, and I’m not convinced that I
can think clearly enough to string together two thoughts about this
delicious pie. Leaving has left me utterly verklempt. Joey and I have
planned a sweet two-week road trip down to North Carolina and back up to
DC for Christmas, but for the first time in a long time, I’m more
focused on what I’m leaving behind than on what’s ahead; needless to
say, working as a cheesemaker in Maine has been an experience that has
me all sorts of choked up about what’s next.
While falling asleep in a cloud of wine fumes last night, I thought about a few of the standout moments from my “semester at sea.” There was that very first affirming market, seaside at Winter Harbor; an incredible cookout at Clover Crest farm and the attendant fables of a calf cannon for disposing of dead baby cows; that night of bootleg vodka and verbal perversions in Brewer; my first contra dance!; an abundance of but still never enough lake time; the sickening and bloody task of disbudding a few baby goats of their horns; that party at a radical collective farm down south that found me and Emily sleeping in the back of her truck; a few stoned and raucous nights around the table talking about salt and poking holes in each others' cultural theories; breeding the goats! petting the baby goats all the time! running with the goats!; I even loved mucking the barn. This has been a time of unprecedented mental and emotional challenge for me, and I’m sincerely grateful for all of it, particularly the parts that super sucked.
Another
standout moment would of course be Thanksgiving, at which this pie won hearts and stomachs. Dave, a former chef who would rather retire to bed
with a PB&J than eat something even remotely subpar, is fond of
telling me that things I bake are “fine”; it’s his concise way of
excusing himself for a sandwich. He who did not especially like my
waffles, doughnuts, raspberry cake, latkes, goat cheese cheesecake, or
banana bread--and you surely know where I’m headed here--fell head over
heels with this pie. And so did I! The recipe is a spin on Yossy’s apple, quince, cranberry pie, and her combination of allspice, orange,
and vanilla is just perfect. This was also my first cranberry-baking
experience, and I ain’t lookin’ back. I will forever hold it against
Dave for not taking me canoeing to pick cranberries from the riverbank,
which is apparently a thing that they do here and just forgot to tell me
about--curses! At least it’s something to look forward to and demand
upon any future fall visits.
Meanwhile, it’ll probably be a bit silent here while I’m on the road, but there’s an exciting interview coming up soon and lots of holiday-spirited deliciousness in the archives. Just have a look around! And thanks, as always, for following along.
Meanwhile, it’ll probably be a bit silent here while I’m on the road, but there’s an exciting interview coming up soon and lots of holiday-spirited deliciousness in the archives. Just have a look around! And thanks, as always, for following along.
Apple Cranberry Pie
Adapted from Apt. 2B Baking Co.’s Apple, Quince, Cranberry Pie
For the Crust
From Apt. 2B Baking Co. and I Made That!
Makes two, or enough for one lidded pie. Feel free to substitute in your favorite recipe.
12 ounces pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
8 ounces (two sticks) very cold butter
4 to 6 ounces ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1. On a clean counter, dump your flour and salt; mix it around with a bench scraper. Chop one stick of butter into quarters, and cut it into the four with your bench scraper. When butter is about the size of lima beans, cut in the second stick, pulling, folding, and tossing with the bench scraper as you go, until the butter is about the size of quarters. Add the vinegar to the ice water.
2. Using your fingers, flick the water onto the butter-flour mixture, gently folding with the bench scraper all the while. You have added enough water once the mixture holds together when squeezed; it should be very shaggy.
3. Next, push the butter into the flour. Using the heel of your palm, push a small section of the dough down and away from you; this creates long layers of butter in your dough, which translates to long flaky layers in your crust. Use your bench scraper to scrape up the smear, and put it a bowl. Repeat until all the dough has been smeared and you have a bowlful of long, buttery layers. Push these into one mass, divide in half, wrap each in plastic, flatten into disks, and chill at least two hours, or better yet overnight.
For the Filling
5 or 6 large tart apples, about 3 pounds (I used Northern Spy and Empire)
1 cup fresh cranberries
zest and juice of one small lemon
zest and juice of half of an orange
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt salt
2 tablespoons butter (salted is my preference), cut into little cubes
1 egg yolk whisked with a touch of water, for topping
Large-grain sugar, for topping
1. Prepare dough: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half of your pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Gently fit it into a nine-inch pie plate, and place it in the fridge to chill. Roll out top dough into a 12- to 13-inch circle and, if planning to do a lattice-top pie, cut dough into eight to ten strips that are about one inch wide (I prefer the thick strips!). Place in the fridge to chill; it’s easiest for me to slide the strips on the back of a cookie sheet and into the fridge.
2. Prepare filling: Peel and core the the apples, then cut them into half-inch slices (I kept my slices long, but you can cut them into chunks too if you prefer). Put the apples and cranberries into a large bowl, then gently toss with lemon and orange juices and zests. Add the sugar, vanilla bean pulp, flour, allspice, and salt, and stir to gently to combine.
3. Assemble: Pour filling into the prepared pie shell, and dot with the bits of butter. Weave your lattice across the top (this is a great tutorial), or top with a full crust if you’d rather. Trim the overhanging crust pieces to about one inch, tuck under, and crimp. Cut some vents into the top if you’re carrying on with a full crust, brush with the egg yolk mixture, and sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of large-grain sugar.
4. Slide pie onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes on the lowest rack of your oven. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling up around the edges. Remove from oven and let pie cool for an hour or two before serving up with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
For the Crust
From Apt. 2B Baking Co. and I Made That!
Makes two, or enough for one lidded pie. Feel free to substitute in your favorite recipe.
12 ounces pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
8 ounces (two sticks) very cold butter
4 to 6 ounces ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1. On a clean counter, dump your flour and salt; mix it around with a bench scraper. Chop one stick of butter into quarters, and cut it into the four with your bench scraper. When butter is about the size of lima beans, cut in the second stick, pulling, folding, and tossing with the bench scraper as you go, until the butter is about the size of quarters. Add the vinegar to the ice water.
2. Using your fingers, flick the water onto the butter-flour mixture, gently folding with the bench scraper all the while. You have added enough water once the mixture holds together when squeezed; it should be very shaggy.
3. Next, push the butter into the flour. Using the heel of your palm, push a small section of the dough down and away from you; this creates long layers of butter in your dough, which translates to long flaky layers in your crust. Use your bench scraper to scrape up the smear, and put it a bowl. Repeat until all the dough has been smeared and you have a bowlful of long, buttery layers. Push these into one mass, divide in half, wrap each in plastic, flatten into disks, and chill at least two hours, or better yet overnight.
For the Filling
5 or 6 large tart apples, about 3 pounds (I used Northern Spy and Empire)
1 cup fresh cranberries
zest and juice of one small lemon
zest and juice of half of an orange
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt salt
2 tablespoons butter (salted is my preference), cut into little cubes
1 egg yolk whisked with a touch of water, for topping
Large-grain sugar, for topping
1. Prepare dough: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half of your pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Gently fit it into a nine-inch pie plate, and place it in the fridge to chill. Roll out top dough into a 12- to 13-inch circle and, if planning to do a lattice-top pie, cut dough into eight to ten strips that are about one inch wide (I prefer the thick strips!). Place in the fridge to chill; it’s easiest for me to slide the strips on the back of a cookie sheet and into the fridge.
2. Prepare filling: Peel and core the the apples, then cut them into half-inch slices (I kept my slices long, but you can cut them into chunks too if you prefer). Put the apples and cranberries into a large bowl, then gently toss with lemon and orange juices and zests. Add the sugar, vanilla bean pulp, flour, allspice, and salt, and stir to gently to combine.
3. Assemble: Pour filling into the prepared pie shell, and dot with the bits of butter. Weave your lattice across the top (this is a great tutorial), or top with a full crust if you’d rather. Trim the overhanging crust pieces to about one inch, tuck under, and crimp. Cut some vents into the top if you’re carrying on with a full crust, brush with the egg yolk mixture, and sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of large-grain sugar.
4. Slide pie onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes on the lowest rack of your oven. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling up around the edges. Remove from oven and let pie cool for an hour or two before serving up with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
