English Muffins

I know it seems like I have fallen off the planet, but I'm here.  I promise.  It's just been an exceptionally busy couple of weeks.  I had the best intentions.  After all, English Muffins and Marmalade go together perfectly.  And then, one day turned into two twelve, and well, here we are.  But we don't have to worry too much.  After all, if you preserved your marmalade, then it is still perfectly good and you can enjoy it on a freshly toasted muffin.

Now I'm sure you're an English Muffin eater.  Of course you are.  After all, who could possible resist all of those delightful nooks and crannies?  But i'm guessing it has probably never occurred to you to make them.  If it has, well then you should probably stop reading this and go finish making your homemade cheeses or olive oil or whatever.  Otherwise, please follow me.  We have some English Muffins to make.

For me, this all started quite innocently.  In fact, I was simply checking out at the local Whole Foods and just happened to stumble across the Holiday Edition of Cook's Illustrated.  I have to admit: I have a very soft spot for these magazines.  I love the recipes, and I love the discussions about why they made changes.  On flipping through, I found it.  A recipe for English Muffins.  And I was thrilled.  And, oops, that magazine just wanted to come home with me so badly.  How can I possibly blame it for jumping into my basket?

As most of you know, I enjoy have an obsessive need to tweak recipes.  One idea tends to trigger another, and it becomes one big jumbled mess of flavors in my head.  In this recipe, though, I really didn't feel the need to tweak much of anything.  It is wonderful as is, and results in delightfully nooks-and-cranny filled muffins.

The only truly weird part about this recipe will be the fact that you cook the raw dough before baking it. Did any of you ever wonder how they get those muffins to be flat and perfectly browned on the outside?  Well, you are about to find out.  I do apologize though.  Because if you decide to try these, I would bet that you will have been ruined for store-bought English Muffins forever.

English Muffins
Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking 2011

Makes 12 muffins

1 cup milk (while they call for whole milk, 2%/low-fat milk works just fine), room temperature
1/3 cup water, room temperature
3 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 Tablespoons honey
3 1/2 cups (19 1/4 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
cornmeal
vegetable oil or spray

If using a stand mixer:
Whisk milk, water, butter, and honey together in a large liquid measuring cup.  Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  With mixer on low speed, add liquid mixture and mix for 2 minutes.  Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add flour one teaspoon at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to the bottom.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand to form a smooth ball.  Transfer dough to a well oiled bowl and cover, allowing to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

If mixing by hand:
Whisk liquid ingredients together in a bowl.  In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.  Stir liquid mixture into dry mixture with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until dough comes together in a shaggy ball.  Turn dough out onto a counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, 15-25 minutes, adding more flour as needed to develop a smooth, supple dough.  Transfer to a well oiled bowl and cover, allowing to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

To make muffins:
Sprinkle cornmeal over a large baking sheet.  Turn dough onto a clean counter, and, using hands, stretch into an even 12-inch log.  Divide into 12 even pieces and cover.  Shape each piece into a smooth, taught roll and place onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Mist rolls with spray oil and cover loosely, allowing to rise until nearly doubled in size, 45 to 75 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Gently press rolls flat, 3/4 inch thick with a metal spatula.  Dust muffin tops with cornmeal and cover.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat for two minutes.  Carefully lay four muffins in pan and cook until bottoms are darkly browned, 3-5 minutes, occasionally pressing gently on muffins to prevent doming.  Flip muffins, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook 2-4 minutes, until both sides are browned.  Transfer muffins immediately to a baking sheet in the oven and bake 10 minutes.  Repeat with remaining muffins.  Let cool on wire rack.  Split muffins with a fork and toast before serving.

Four Fruit Marmalade

So today, I'm here to talk to you about canning.  If you ask most anyone the one thing they are scared to make, the answer is often something like "pie crust" or "pizza dough" or perhaps even "a souffle".  If someone were to ask me that question, my answer would have emphatically been "canning".  It's not that I don't like the idea of canning.  In fact, the thought of canning is right up there with making wild-yeasted breads and handmade soap.  It's something I have always wanted to do.  It's one of those awesome home projects that's just shy of setting up bee hives and producing your own honey.  In a word?  Wonderful.

But with canning, I have always been afraid of, well, killing people.  You know, all that improper preserving and bacteria stuff.  I always felt like the kid staring in the window of the secret club I wasn't a part of.  And then, my Mom bought a home canning kit and it was all over for me.  I had to at least try...didn't I?  Living in California where citrus trees abound, and never knowing what to do with all of that fruit, this seemed like the perfect excuse to open the kit.

So, several days and many of hours of research later, it seemed like canning wasn't that difficult.  And that marmalade, with its high acid content, was actually a pretty food to begin with.  This was the moment -- the one where the little kid faces the monsters in the closet, ladle in hand.    

I have never been very good at staying afraid when it comes to food.  If I get an idea to make something, it's very likely that I will do so within a few days or risk thinking about making it until I do.  So there I was with jars, canning pot, rack, and fruit.  All that was left was to begin.  

So two days and one too many British women canning marmalade on YouTube later, I was done.  And I must say, even though there were a few moments of doubt (mostly surrounding when I had reached the gelling point), it was a lot of fun.  I had officially been let into the secret club.  

There is something very freeing about being on the other side of that window.  I know I still have a lot to learn about preserving, especially when Summer comes around, but it's nice to know that I now have the tools to do it.  So...beekeeping anyone?

Four Fruit Marmalade
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Makes 6 half-pint jars (Note: the original recipe claims to make 8 half-pint jars, however, I got only 6)

1 1/2 pounds grapefruit
1 pound sweet oranges
8 ounces limes
8 ounces Meyer lemons
5 1/2 cups of sugar
6 cups of water

Day 1:

Remove peel with 1/8 inch of pith and thinly slice.  If you are handy with a knife, you can slice the peel off the fruit, however, a vegetable peeler works very well.  Combine the sliced peel with two cups of water and simmer for 10 minutes until the peel is softened.

In the meantime, juice half of the fruit and add it to a large pot.  Set aside any seeds.  With the remaining fruit, cut off the pith, cut fruit in half, and remove the center and seeds.  Chop pulp into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the pot with juice.  Place seeds and pith on cheesecloth and tie together to form a bag.  Put the cheesecloth back, peels and water mixture, and four additional cups of in pot.  Cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Day 2:

Add sugar to fruit mixture and boil rapidly, stirring often, until it reaches the gelling point, about one hour (around 220 degrees F).  At the same time, Heat water in a 21-quart canning pot (or other large stock pot) and sterilize jars, screw bands, and lids.

When the marmalade is ready skim off any foam and remove the cheesecloth bag containing the seeds and the pith.  Fill sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  For more detailed canning directions, click here.

Christmas Wreaths

I think most people would agree with me when I say there are "grown-up" desserts and their are "kid" desserts.  If you don't spend very much time with children, then it may surprise you to know that they are rarely thrilled by a Mint Chocolate Truffle Tart, or by a Meyer lemon souffle.  In fact, they will choose white confetti cupcakes from a box every time.



With Christmas fast approaching, many of you will be attending (or hosting) parties, and if children are attending then you will surely want these on your menu.  You may even want them for those of us who never really grew up.

Now, I can enjoy a Meyer lemon souffle with the best of them, but every once in a while, I get a real kick out of a sticky, gooey kid dessert.  Something made of strange colors or shapes.  Something that rarely appears to be real food.  With a dash of vanilla and salt, this particular recipe tries to be a little adult friendly.  Although it is green and red.  

Christmas Wreaths

Adapted from my Mother's recipe and from Smitten Kitchen 

1 10-ounce bag of marshmallows 

4 ounces (1 stick) butter

6 cups cornflakes

1/4 teaspoon flaky salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

7-10 drops green food coloring

Cinnamon red hots (found at most grocery stores in the cake decorating isle)

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Heat butter in a large pot, over medium-low heat.  Continue cooking melted butter, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown and smell nutty (about 3-5 minutes).  Be careful when browning butter, as it can easily transition from browned to burned in very little time.

When butter is browned, turn heat off and immediately add marshmallows and vanilla extract.  Stir the marshmallow mixture until fully melted (this may take a few minutes).  When the marshmallows are melted, add green food coloring until the desired shade of green is acquired.  Add cornflakes and salt, stirring until fully coated.  Let mixture cool briefly, until warm to the touch (so as not to burn your hands).

With oiled hands, shape cornflake mixture into wreath shapes (use about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the cornflake mixture for each wreath).  Work quickly as the mixture is very sticky and will set as soon as it cools.  When cookies are shaped, press the red hots on top.  Let cool completely before serving. 

Nutmeg Maple (Sandwich) Cookies

I have a confession to make.  While normally I am the first kid at the front of the Christmas-Is-Coming line, this year, I have been taken by surprise.  It's not like I didn't see the month change to December, it's just that where "Christmas" normally lights up in my brain, I seem to have burned out a bulb or two.

In an attempt to ease myself into what is normally a holiday baking marathon, I went searching for a simple sugar cookie.  You know the kind.  The ones where you make large cookies and decorate them with sparkly sugar and icing.  They tend to be fairly basic and predictable, but in such a way that lends itself to many a family's holiday tradition.  Since this seems to be my moment for confessions, though, I must admit that I tend to find basic sugar cookies...well, a little basic boring.

In my quest for sugar cookies, I stumbled across Maple Butter Cookies from Gourmet.   Well, ever since I was a little girl and was introduced to the maple syrup snow cone (you know you want one), I have always loved maple syrup.  Coincidentally, I stumbled across a very similar recipe on Smitten Kitchen this week.  Only this time, the word "nutmeg" was added.  Now, I love nutmeg, and I find it to be a fascinating and vastly under appreciated spice.  It seems like nutmeg is always paired with cinnamon (and don't get me wrong, I love cinnamon), however, it's nice to see nutmeg stand in the spotlight every once in a while.

So of course these cookies entered the have to make it now category and I quickly forgot about the cookies I had planned to make.  And I have to say these didn't disappoint.  In fact, they are absolutely delicious, with a prominently showcased maple flavor.  They also taste fabulous days after they were baked, which I can't say about many cookies.  I was a little disappointed with the nutmeg - it wasn't quite as pronounced as I would have liked.  I think next time I would add a bit more.

To remedy the nutmeg problem in this batch, I came up with a nutmeg buttercream frosting to sandwich in between the cookies.  Yup, you heard right.  Nutmeg buttercream frosting.  I know your ears just perked up.  If you weren't convinced before, you are now reaching for a piece of paper on which to write your grocery list.

Now don't get me wrong - these cookies are lovely when left alone, but they reach a whole different level of wonderful when you turn them into sandwich cookies, with a sweet maple beginning and a spicy nutmeg finish.  And they keep very well.  So you can whip up a batch on Thursday afternoon and bring them to your Saturday evening Christmas party.  I hope you tuck these lovely little cookies into your holiday rotation.  I know they look plain, but I promise they pack a lot of flavor.  Consider them your "holiday surprise" cookie.  I don't think anyone will suspect.

Nutmeg Maple (Sandwich) Cookies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Gourmet

You will probably ask me how many cookies this recipe makes.  And I will have to sheepishly tell you that I don't know.  I have a recent fascination with petite foods, and these cookies were no different.  So I ended up using very small cookie cutters (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches), and of course was able to make dozens of cookies.  I can, however, vouch for the fact that this dough holds up very well in the refrigerator as I made my cookies over the course of several days.

Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup, Grade B (it has way more flavor than Grade A)
1 large egg yolk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
1 1/4 teaspoons flaky salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  With mixer running, add egg yolk and slowly drizzle maple syrup in.  In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and nutmeg together.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.  Gather dough together (it will be in loose clumps) and tightly wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to four days.

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.  This dough softens quickly so work on a well-floured surface and roll out a quarter of the dough at a time, leaving the rest in the refrigerator.  Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick and cut into desired shapes.  Arrange cookies on baking sheets and bake for 8-11 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.  If you wish to make sandwich cookies, please proceed...

Nutmeg Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 tablespoon cream
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Using an electric mixer (with whisk attachment if applicable), beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add vanilla and nutmeg and continue to whisk until fully incorporated.  Add cream, 1 teaspoonful at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

To assemble cookies, frost the back side of one cookie (cooled completely) using either an knife or small offset spatula.  Gently press a second cookie on to the frosting so that the cookies are now back-to-back.  Let frosting set before serving.  Store in an airtight container.

Whole Wheat Challah

Today, I would like to talk about bread.  I find that bread is one of those make-it-or-break-it foods that cooks either LOVE to make or are TERRIFIED to make, fleeing the scene of any recipe with the words "yeast" and "rise" in it.  Well, being of the former group, I would like to attempt to take some of the fear away for all of you in the latter group.  There seem to be a lot of misconceptions in the bread-making world, and I would like to clear a few of them up if I can.

The first misconception that I'm sure you have all heard is that of rise temperature.  Something along the lines of "bread dough MUST rise in a warm, draft-free location or else it won't rise and therefore won't work".  Does this sound familiar?  The reality is, that is simply NOT TRUE!  Bread doughs actually benefit from longer, slower, cool rises, and the longer you allow dough to retard in a cool location (like the refrigerator), the better the overall flavor will be.  Now before you run away thinking I'm nuts, trust me, it works!  This not only gives you better-tasting bread, the cool-rise method also provides you with much more flexibility in your time table.

The Windopane Test:
The gluten is developed enough that a small piece of dough can be stretched thin without breaking, to the point of seeing light shine through the dough, much like light through a window pane.

The next misconception is that dough is too sticky and should be drier.  This could very well be true, but often this leads to one of the most common errors made by the novice bread maker, which is to add too much flour, resulting in difficult dough and tough bread (believe me - I've been here).  I know it's tempting to add more flour when the dough is sticking all over your hands, but don't.  Be aware of the type of bread you are making.  For example, sandwich bread and bagel doughs tend to by dry and smooth, while rustic bread doughs like pizza dough and ciabatta dough are very soft and tacky.  If you know you are prone to adding too much flour, then either use a stand mixer with wetter doughs, or else wet your hands to make kneading easier.

The above issue is directly linked to the following: measurement accuracy.  The most accurate way to measure ingredients for bread is to weigh them.  If you have a kitchen scale, or if you were looking for an excuse to buy a kitchen scale, here it is.  Different measuring techniques provide you with drastically different measurements, often leading to a dough that is either significantly stiffer or stickier than it was supposed to be.  If you don't have a scale, though, don't worry.  Measure ingredients as best you can, and pay attention to the feel of the dough.  Look at key words in the recipe that describe the dough consistency (like satiny, tacky, soft, stiff, etc).  And if you dough feels too dry?  Add more water (start with a small amount).  Too sticky?  Add more flour by the teaspoonful.  And trust yourself (sometimes this can be the hardest part).

So perhaps Whole Wheat Challah is not the best starting example?  Well, I apologize, but it is beautiful, and oh so fun to make.  While whole wheat flour is somewhat unconventional in this form, it gives challah a wonderful complexity, while maintaining the integrity of of the egg bread flavor.  And besides, this particular recipe allows you to practice all of the above ideas.

And did I mention?  It will fill your home with the delicious smell of baking bread, which is one of the best scents just shy of baking cookies on a cold December day.  Oh, and there is one rule of bread I forgot to mention: you have to share it.  It tastes better that way.

Whole Wheat Challah
Adapted, barely from Peter Reinhart, Whole Grain Breads


Soaker
1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) whole wheat flour
3/4 cup (6 ounces) water, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all soaker ingredients together until the flour is completely hydrated and the ingredients form a ball.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours.  (If it will be more than 24 hours, then place soaker in the refrigerator and remove two hours prior to use.)  The soaker will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Biga
1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) unbleached bread flour
1/3 teaspoon active dry yeast (or 1/4 teaspoon rapid rise/instant yeast)
7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces) water, room temperature
1 large egg (1.65 ounces)
4 egg yolks (2 ounces)

Mix all biga ingredients together to form a ball of dough.  Note: the biga will feel very sticky.  Using wet hands, knead dough for about 2 minutes, and then let the dough rest for 5 minutes.  Wet hands and knead biga again, about 1 minute more.  Transfer biga dough to a clean bowl, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and leave in refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.  Like the soaker above, remove biga from refrigerator about 2 hours prior to using it in the final dough.

Final Dough
Biga (use all from day before)
Soaker (use all from day before)
7 tablespoons  (2 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise/instant yeast)

3 tablespoons honey (or 1.5 tablespoons honey and 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar)

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) olive oil

Using a metal pastry scraper, chop soaker and biga into 12 smaller pieces (sprinkle with whole wheat flour to keep pieces from sticking together).  Combine biga and soaker pieces with flour, salt, yeast, honey, and olive oil.  Stir with either a spoon or with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.  If using your hands, knead with wet hands for two minutes, or if using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for two minutes.  Add more flour or water as kneaded until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.

Dust work surface with flour, then roll the dough in flour to coat.  Knead by hands for 3-4 minutes, incorporating as little extra flour as is needed until the dough feels soft and tacky but not sticky.  Form dough into a ball and let rest for five minutes.  Resume kneading for one minute and make any final water or flour adjustments.  The dough should pass the windowpane test (see photo above).  Form the finished dough into a ball, and place in a clean and lightly oiled bowl.  Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature until 1 1/2 times its original size (45-60 minutes).

Gently transfer dough to a clean work surface and divide into 3, 4, 5, or 6 pieces, depending on the type of braid you want to make.  Roll pieces into short ropes and let rest for 5 minutes, then roll each piece into a longer rope, about 12 inches long.  Braid ropes as you wish*.

Place the braided loaf on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and brush the loaf with egg wash (1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of water), then cover loosely and allow to rise at room temperature for 20 minutes.  Brush dough with egg wash a second time, and top with poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional).  Allow dough to rise 15 minutes more.  At this time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  

Place challah on the middle oven rack, reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes.  Rotate pan and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes, until bread is a rich brown all around and sounds hollow when thumped.  Alternately, test the internal temperature, which should register 195 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool at least 1 hour before serving.

*For the life of me I can't seem to make a six-strand braided challah, so I made two three-strand braids and then twisted them together.  If anyone knows how to do this, I would love to learn.

Butternut Squash Soup

 When I was a little girl, I didn't like butternut squash at all.  It was that bland, orange thing on my dinner plate that I either tried to eat as fast as possible to "get it over with" or attempted to surreptitiously feed to the dog.  In more recent years, I have come to truly enjoy the versatility of this winter squash, and now use it in soups, sauces, and stir fries among other things.  It pairs just as beautifully with cinnamon as it does garlic, and lends itself well to both sweet and savory foods.  And besides, it just wreaks of Autumn.

With Thanksgiving coming to a close, I felt that a few lighter meals were in order.  Now in my experience, butternut squash soups are either rich with cream or sweet and apple-filled.  I wanted a soup that was instead light and savory, while still rich with flavor.  A soup that you could eat a whole bowl of without feeling like you were either drowning in cream or saccharine sweetness.  

What I found was a soup that works beautifully as the opening to a meal, but can also stand alone.  It manages to feel decadent while still being light.  If fills your house with Autumn and warms you up on a cold night without feeling like you just had dessert for dinner.  Oh, and it's easy, too.  

Butternut Squash Soup 

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Serves 6

2 1/2 pounds Butternut Squash

2 tablespoons butter

1 leek, sliced thin and washed thoroughly (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 cups vegetable broth (or 1 bouillon cube in three cups hot water)

1 sprig rosemary

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Salt and pepper

1 to 2 cups water

Cut butternut squash in half, remove seeds, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until it can be easily pierced with a knife, about 30-40 minutes.   Alternately, if you do not wish to oven roast squash, you can peel, seed, and cut squash into chunks.  You can then place squash in bowl, cover, and microwave 14-18 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Using either method, squash is ready when easily pierced with a knife.  It does not have to be cooked through, just softened.

Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add sliced leeks, squash, and one teaspoon of salt, stirring occasionally until squash begins to break down and leeks begin to soften, 10 to 13 minutes.  

Add vegetable broth, and stir to release the brown fond that has developed at the bottom of the pot.  Add rosemary sprig, cayenne, and cinnamon if using.  Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer soup for 6 to 8 minutes, or until leeks are fully softened.  

Remove and discard rosemary sprig.  To blend soup, either puree in batches in a blender, or blend using an immersion blender, until it reaches the desired consistency.  Add water to thin soup as desired.  Adjust salt and add pepper to taste.  Garnish with pumpkin seeds or sprinkle with soft goat cheese.

Rustic Apple Tart

I have to admit it: I love this time of year.  I love the air, the colors, and I love the holidays that come with it.  It doesn't seem fair that the two biggest holidays come within a month of one another, but I have trouble complaining when it begins with cinnamon, pumpkin, and apples, and ends with cranberries, chocolate and peppermint.  The potential menus are endless, and if you really enjoy cooking, you probably have a huge stack of "holiday someday" recipes to try.  Right now, I imagine, if you don't already know what your Thanksgiving menu is this year, you are frantically trying to finalize it.

 While I know that apples and desserts are quickly becoming a repetitive theme here, I do feel like this recipe can be a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving menu.  As sad as it makes me, there are indeed people who are not fans of pumpkin pie (who could these people be?) who would welcome a different option for a Thanksgiving dessert.  And even for those of you who do love pumpkin pie, I don't think you will complain too much if you get to try both this year.

If you are one of those people who are afraid of making pies in general, galettes and free-form tarts are a wonderfully easy introduction to the whole fruit/crust thing.  They provide you with a great deal of flexibility and room for creativity.  If you like nuts?  Lightly toast some chopped pecans or walnuts and toss them in with the apples.  Cranberries?  Sure!  Raisins...why not?  (Although I would stay away from a mixture of the two!)

 This particular tart is minimally sweet, highlighting the apples, and as such, seems lighter than many others.  It begins with the flake of crust, a zip of cinnamon, and finishes with those oh so lovely apples, so make sure to get good ones.  It lends itself to an elegant meal while still being reasonably simple to make.  And for those of you on a holiday cooking schedule time crunch?  It comes together pretty fast, too.  

So here's to a lovely week of family, friends, and lots and lots of baking.  And if you have time?  Add this one to the holiday rotation.  Or to the Tuesday-Afternoon-I-Would-Really-Like-Some-Pie-But-Don't-Want-To-Make-A-Whole-Pie-And-Eat-It-All-By-Myself rotation.  Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Rustic Free Form Tart serves 6-8
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated


A note on pie crust:  most veteran pie makers I know have a signature crust that they prefer to use.  If this is true for you, then by all means substitute your own recipe in here.  I'm sure this would be just wonderful with a whole wheat or mixed grain crust!  If you do substitute your own recipe, make a half recipe (enough for an open-top pie), or be prepared to increase the number of apples used.


Crust:
1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2-3 tablespoons ice water


Filling:
6-7 medium apples, peeled and cored
1/8 cup sugar (can be increased to 1/4 cup if preferred)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)


Topping:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
sugar for sprinkling


To make crust, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  With a knife, slice cold butter into pieces and quickly toss with flour.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients by using either your fingers or a pastry blender.  When you are through, the butter should be evenly incorporated with pea-sized pieces scattered throughout.  Next, pour ice water over mixture, quickly cutting water in with either a spatula or your fingers until the mixture is evenly moistened and begins to form a ball.  If the mixture is too dry, add more ice water, one teaspoon at a time.  Press dough into a rough ball, then flatten into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to two days.


Meanwhile, peel and core your apples.  Then, thinly slice apples (make slices no wider than 1/8 inch thick).  If you prefer a "loose" look, separate the apple slices and toss evenly with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  If you prefer a tighter look, as in the apple spiral shown above, leave the sliced apples together as they will be easier to arrange.  


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Once your pie dough has been chilled, remove from the fridge, and roll out onto a floured surface, until it is about 15 inches in diameter.  Once your dough is rolled out, cut the ragged edges off  and set aside to be used as decoration, if desired.  Place rolled out dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and arrange apples on the dough, leaving a 2-3 inch border of dough.  Once the apple slices are arranged as desired, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture (if you have not already done so), then fold dough border up over filling, pleating dough to fit snugly around apples. With cupped hands, gently press dough to filling, reinforcing shape and compacting apples.  You can then bake tart as is, or if you want to put a decorative border, roll scrap dough out, cut shapes, and arrange on tart before baking.


Bake until pale golden brown, about 30 minutes. Then, remove tart from oven, and place the pan with tart onto a second pan of about the same size to insulate bottom crust.  Brush crust with beaten egg whites and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Return to oven and bake until crust is a deep golden brown and apples are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Cool tart on pan 10 minutes, loosen parchment where it may have stuck to pan, then, using parchment lining, slide tart onto cooling rack and let cool completely.  Enjoy!