a few days ago, NPR broadcasted an interview with The Atlantic National Correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg, who commented on the genesis of Utah (R) Senior Senator Orrin Hatch’s new Chanukah composition (watch the studio music video). whatever your religious or political beliefs, i’m taking the high road to say the senator’s effort was a thoughtful gesture, however musically underwhelming.
while my mom and i are more aligned in our political philosophies than in our faiths, i wanted to extend my own heartfelt Chanukah gesture by creating a little dinner (we’d had a rather hefty lunch) reminiscent of her childhood. over the years, she’s shared stories about her father, Julius, who regularly made the family latkes (in fact, i’ve been using his recipe for decades); i knew some kind of potato pancake needed to be part of the plan. her dad served them with applesauce, another natural addition to the menu. finally, to address my mom’s love of yeast-based breads, challah would serve as the complement to our light meal.
the first step: find the right challah recipe. sweet, but not as in a dessert. tender, based on the appropriate amount of eggs and fat content. after culling through my cookbooks, i decided to put my trust in the anal editors of Cook’s Illustrated. after our taste-tasting, i have to report that, while verbose (takes one to know one), the editorial team didn’t lead me astray. for the applesauce, i found a phenomenal oven-roasted recipe on Martha Stewart’s site: it’s simple, with a nice layering of flavors from the combination of spices and the varieties of heirloom apples i used, skins on. i gave the latke recipe a little twist by choosing garnet yams, instead of Yukon golds. 
of course, my mother thought i was serving her carrots. but i imagine there are few 87-year-olds with 20-20 vision. i’ll be hearing from some opthomologists on that topic.
dinner was a smashing success—once we got past the carrot discussion. i trotted out a few little gifts to combat the frigid Northwest temps, like some toasty, sherpa-lined shoes she can kick around in. and a magenta hat trimmed with black buttons to go with her new black pea coat. who says there’s an age cap on the role of fashionista? certainly not my mother.
Challah
a recipe from The New Best Recipe, All-New Edition
makes one large loaf
INGREDIENTS
3 – 3 1/4 cups unbleached organic flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg separated (reserve the white for the egg wash)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup water, plus 1 tablespoon, at room temperature
1 teaspoon poppy or sesame seeds (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- in a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt; set aside.
- in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 2 eggs, egg yolk, melted butter and 1/2 cup water.
- using the dough hook, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- knead at low speed until a ball forms, about 5 minutes. add the extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time, only if needed.
- place the dough in a very lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough over to coat.
- cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- in a small bowl whisk the egg white with the remaining tablespoon of water; cover and refrigerate, until you’re ready to use.
- when the dough has doubled, gently press down to deflate.
- cover again with plastic wrap and let rise again until double, 40 to 60 minutes.
- transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and divide dough into 3 equal pieces (the actual recipe has more intricate instruction for braiding, but i kept it simple).
- roll each piece of dough into a 16-inch-long rope, about 1 inch in diameter.
- line up the ropes side by side, and braid them together, pinching the ends of the braid to seal them.
- place the braid on a lightly greased baking sheet, loosely drape the loaf with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until the loaf becomes puffy and increases in size by a third, 30 to 40 minutes.
- adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat oven to 375F (my oven tends to run hot, so i chose 350F).
- brush the loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle with seeds, if you’ve chosen to use them.
- bake until golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes (i cooked for about 20 minutes, and the loaf was done).
- place the baking sheet on a wire rack, and let the challah cool completely before slicing.
- adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position
Roasted Applesauce
a recipe from Martha Stewart Living
makes eight 1/2-cup servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
a pinch of coarse salt
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
3 pounds small assorted apples, about 10, cored (i used a mix of King David, Waltana, Gravenstein and Golden Russet, which created a more tart applesauce…yum!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
a hefty pinch of ground cloves
DIRECTIONS
- preheat oven to 425F.
- combine water, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- core apples (the heirloom apples didn’t need to be peeled).
- scatter butter pieces over mixture; top with apples.
- roast until apples are very soft, 30 to 40 minutes.
- working in batches, pass the apple mixture through the medium disk of a food mill and into a bowl. (um, i don’t have a food mill, so i pureed the batches in my KitchenAid blender. alternatively, try a food processor.)
- serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.
the applesauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Juli’s Sweet Potato Latkes
makes 8 latkes
INGREDIENTS
one large sweet potato, grated (ok, not technically; i used a garnet yam)
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
2 large eggs
3 heaping tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
DIRECTIONS
- in a medium bowl, combine grated sweet potatoes and chopped onions.
- add eggs and stir until well integrated.
- add flour and mix until well combined.
- add salt and pepper.
- let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes.
- heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- cook the latkes on each side until golden brown.
- serve warm, with roasted apple sauce and/or sour cream.
i’ve clearly spent too much time away from the kitchen (and this blog) since the Thanksgiving holiday. while leftovers can be divine, i need to get off the sofa and back to cooking. but before i move forward (or upward), i want to share one more holiday tradition that’s cherished above all others: the pecan roll.
when i recall childhood Thanksgivings at my uncle’s home (the family gathering place), two food-related items come immediately to mind: drumsticks, one of which my uncle embossed with my name each year (i kind of think the other leg was allocated to my cousin Pete), and pecan rolls, which arrived in delightful boxes, fresh from a local bakery. fixated on this delicious duo, i remained unconcerned about anything else my aunt worked lovingly and laboriously to serve.
i’d generously slather the sticky, sweet pecan rolls with butter—taking a gooey little bite with my left hand, then i’d turn my attention to wrestling the too-big turkey leg with my right hand. ever tidy, in a lovely (and prissy) velvet dress (my mom and sister had dresses of matching fabric), i’d genteelly dab the corners of my mouth with my napkin. (the entire experience an apparent catalyst for spending most of my undergraduate years and beyond in flannel, jeans and hiking boots; i did keep a bandana in my back pocket to maintain my fastidious demeanor.)
whatever the genesis for your family holiday traditions, Thanksgivings with my uncle (an incredible jazz musician, sculptor, radio and television pioneer, Corvette-empassioned bohemian) set the annual baking of pecan rolls at my house into motion. these sticky, rich, easy-to-make rolls disappear fast, so grab one for yourself before it’s too late. not even Nancy, George and Bess will be able to unearth a single one.
Pecan Rolls
a variation based on combined recipes from Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook and Better Homes and Gardens Old-Fashioned Baking
INGREDIENTS
for the dough
2 cups scalded milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), plus some to butter bowl, pans
1 teaspoon salt
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
2 eggs, beaten
5 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached organic flour
for the topping
2/3 cup butter
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons light corn syrup
48 pecan halves or 1 1/3 cups chopped pecans
for the filling
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
- combine the scalded milk, sugar, butter and salt (i just throw all these together, then microwave); pour into bowl of stand mixer, and cool until lukewarm.
- add the yeast and beaten eggs; beat well.
- with the dough-hook attachment, gradually add the flour until a smooth dough forms.
- place the dough in a buttered bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until double.
- butter two 9 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pans.
- while the dough is rising, prepare the topping by first melting the butter in a medium-size saucepan.
- stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup, and cook until just blended.
- divide the mixture evenly between the two baking pans.
- place the pecan halves or chopped pecans on top of the mixture; set pans aside.
- punch dough down, then turn out onto a floured surface.
- divide dough in half.
- roll out the first half of the dough into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle.
- brush the rectangle with 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter.
- combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- sprinkle one half of the mixture evenly over the dough.
- tightly roll up the rectangle, jelly-roll style, beginning with one of the 12-inch sides.
- pinch the seams to seal.
- cut into 10 to 12 pieces, and place into one of the baking pans.
- repeat the process for the second half of the dough.
- cover both pans and place in a warm place to rise until nearly double.
- preheat oven to 350F.
- bake for about 20 minutes or until done.
- let the rolls cool slightly, then invert pans onto serving plates (if the rolls are too hot, the gooey topping will slide off when you flip the pan onto the plate; the voice of experience).
serve warm, any time.
when my friend Paul asked me for Thanksgiving side-dish ideas, i began to think not about food, but about classic and cult television characters. go figure. Lucy and Ethel. Mary and Rhoda. Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. for me, the combination of perfectly balanced personalities (comedic mastermind and straight gal; independent, midwestern career woman and artistic, husband-seeking New Yorker; cape-clad super-heroine teacher and student) and sometimes zany antics entertained and demonstrated that things are generally better when you have a trusted sidekick.
so, what side dishes best complement the Thanksgiving turkey? the pairings are clearly endless. i keep my holiday meals simple, but they have combinations of rich, spicy, wonderful flavors. i’ll share just some of the things i plan to make in the next few days. hope you’ll let me know what you’re creating.
beginning with dessert (of course), i’ve already prepared and frozen Kate’s Apple Pie, with Arkansas Black, Belle de Boskoop, Golden Russet and Waltana heirloom apples. i just need to bake it on the big day. tomorrow i’m going to try Tyler Florence’s pumpkin and banana pie (minus the meringue…ack), using Kate’s crust recipe. i’ll let you know how that turns out; i plan to top it with lots of whipped cream.
next, the carbs: Perfect Northwest Macaroni and Cheese, minus the King Crab, plus some crispy pancetta for the topping. mashed potatoes are a definite requirement, so some rose fingerlings, whipped with a good measure of butter, half-and-half and some Velveeta. did i really say that? yes, that’s how my dad made them, and that’s how everyone at my house likes them.
grandma Ida
i do a pretty traditional whole-berry cranberry sauce. this New Englander cuts back on the sugar, so the sauce is more tangy. oh, and i’ve had a request for a butternut squash dish; i’ll bake and whip the squash, add some spices (like a little cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), then finish the dish by baking in a casserole with a mixture of pecans and my apple crisp topping. if i had a family-favorite to share, it would be this: my grandmother’s sweet potato and apple casserole. super easy to make, with that lovely balance of sweet and tart.
whatever your traditions, there can never be too many good sidekicks. i know i’m particularly grateful this year for my happy-go-lucky, laid-back sidekick, Elroy, who is continually glued to me. especially when there’s something cheesy in the kitchen, with his name monogrammed on it. wishing you and yours a happy holiday!
Ida’s Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole
INGREDIENTS
3 medium-size fresh sweet potatoes (i use garnet yams)
2 – 3 tart apples (e.g., Granny Smith or Waltana)
1/2 stick organic butter, cut into small pieces, and more to butter the casserole dish
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling
2 teaspoons cinnamon, plus a little more for sprinkling
DIRECTIONS
- peel the sweet potatoes and place in a large pot of cold water.
- boil the potatoes until they are cooked through, but are still firm; be careful not to overcook.
- drain the potatoes, and let cool.
- butter a covered casserole dish. (mine is 3 quarts)
- peel and core the apples, then slice into 1/4-thick pieces.
- preheat oven to 350F.
- cut the cooled sweet potatoes into a little slimmer than 1/2-inch slices.
- place a few pieces of the butter on the bottom of the casserole dish.
- put a layer of the sweet potatoes over the butter.
- place a layer of apples over the sweet potatoes.
- sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the apples (use more, if your taste dictates).
- sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon over the sugar.
- dot the apple layer with butter.
- repeat the process (the top layer should be sweet potatoes).
- bake covered for about 40 minutes, or until the apples are cooked.
- remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon.
my grandparents arrived in the United States in 1903. Russian immigrants—he from a big city and she from the country—they settled in a section of Boston to begin exciting new lives as Americans. my grandfather opened a wholesale millinery, and my grandmother continued her career as a seamstress. i didn’t come along until more than half a century later, just a few months after my grandfather had passed away. but memories of my grandmother remain vivid and dear.
beginning at the age of four and for the next few years, my mom would drop me off at Nantasket Beach on the Hull Penninsula, where i would gleefully spend a week every summer with my grandmother. just the two of us. she’d rent a room in a giant boarding house, complete with veranda and rocking chairs, right across the street from the beach. she and her friends would dote on me, taking my hands as we crossed the street to spend the morning sunning and swimming on the South Shore. already in her sixties by that time, grandma was still a very strong swimmer, diving headlong into the surf and briskly doing laps along the beach. as she emerged triumphant from the salty water, she’d wave enthusiastically at me, as if she took great pride in the accomplishment. and, indeed, she should have.
grandma and mom, circa 1930
as we both got older, we’d play baseball in my parent’s yard; grandma would pitch the ball to me, i’d hit it with my trusty bat, then i’d run and get the ball, so we could do it all again. our dog would run alongside, thinking this was a very clever game. on Sundays, my parents would drive us to grandma’s apartment in the city for a visit. sometimes she’d make chicken soup, and we’d all sit around her kitchen table slurping down the golden liquid. sometimes we’d bring babka from our local Jewish bakery, so she could have a special treat. what’s babka? a sweet, moist and buttery yeast-based bread, much like brioche, filled with a blend of rich chocolate, sugar and cinnamon, finished off with a streusel topping. as grandma might say in still-broken English, “so, what’s not to like?”
with my grandmother top of mind, i wanted to re-create the babka of my youth. first i tried a recipe from Gourmet, but something about it wasn’t quite right. what was it? hmmm. no cinnamon. no streusel. the dough didn’t seem elastic enough as i worked with it or delicate enough after it had been baked. so, i went in search of an alternative. i turned to the chocolate babka recipe found in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. and that was it: exactly as i remembered it, exactly as grandma loved it.
rather than making loaves, i cut the recipe by 2/3 and made six individual servings in a popover pan, an idea i borrowed from the Bread Farm in Edison, Washington. this perfect babka kept beautifully for several days, maintaining its rich flavor and texture.
Chocolate Babka
a recipe from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
makes three loaves
INGREDIENTS
for dough
1 1/2 cups warm milk (110F)
2 envelopes (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
3/4 cups plus a pinch of sugar
2 whole, large eggs, plus 2 large eggs yolks, at room temperature
6 cups organic unbleached flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature, plus more for bowl and pans
for filling
2 pounds semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped (i used Scharffen Berger)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature
for topping
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/3 cups organic unbleached flour
1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
DIRECTIONS
- in a small bowl, sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar over the warm milk; stir until dissolved. let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- in a medium bowl, whisk together the 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs and yolks.
- add to yeast mixture, and whisk to combine.
- in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour and salt, then add the egg mixture; beat on low speed until almost all the flour is incorporated.
- add the 2 sticks of butter, and beat until completely incorporated, and a smooth soft dough forms, about 10 minutes. (the dough should still be slightly sticky when squeezed.)
- turn out the dough on a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth.
- place the dough in a well-buttered bowl, and turn to coat with butter.
- cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- to make the filling, stir together the chocolate, sugar and cinnamon.
- using a pastry blender, cut in 1 1/2 sticks butter until combined; set aside.
- to make the streusel topping, in a large bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and flour.
- using a pastry blender, cut in the butter, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; leave in some larger pieces (see top photo), then set aside.
- in a small bowl, beat the egg with the cream to create a wash; set aside.
- generously butter three 9-by-5-by-2 3/4-inch loaf pans (check out the online version of the recipe for instructions about the parchment paper; i used a non-stick popover pan, and the babka came lifted out beautifully.)
- punch the dough down, transfer to a well-floured work surface, and let rest for 5 minutes.
- cut the dough into three equal pieces.
- roll out one piece of the dough into a 16-inch square, about 1/8-inch thick.
- brush edges of dough with the egg wash.
- crumble 1/3 of the filling evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch border on the long sides.
- roll up the dough lengthwise into a tight log (as if you were making cinnamon rolls), pinching ends together to seal. (ok, this is where i went my own way, cutting the roll into 6 individual pieces and placing in the popover pan.)
- twist dough evenly down the length of the log, a full five or six times.
- brush the top of the log (or tops of your babka popovers) with egg wash.
- crumble two tablespoons of the chocolate filling down the center of the log, being careful not to let the mixture fall off (i didn’t have the dexterity for this feat).
- fold the log in half, into a horseshoe shape.
- cross the right half over the left.
- pinch the ends together to seal, and form a figure eight.
- twist two more times, and fit into prepared pan.
- repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- brush the top of each loaf with egg wash.
- sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel topping on each loaf.
- loosely cover each pan with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until dough has expanded and feels pillowy, about 40 minutes.
- preheat oven to 350F.
- bake loaves, rotating halfway through until golden, about 55 minute (20 minutes for babka popovers).
- reduce oven temperature to 325F; bake until loaves are deep golden 20 to 30 minutes more. cover loaves with foil, if they begin to brown too quickly (10 minutes for babka popovers).
- transfer pans to wire rack to cool completely.
for me, baking is a dance—one that i perform with infinitely more poise and grace than i could ever exhibit on any dance floor. i glide through my kitchen, moving from pantry to countertop to oven with clarity of purpose and a decided rhythm that helps me keep beat with my joyful, self-defined creative process. as i learned from Seattle’s acclaimed, award-winning, pie-baking maestro Kate McDermott this past weekend, rhythm also plays a pivotal role in crafting an exceptional pie.
Kate and husband Jon Rowley spent more than two years refining their perfectly tender, flaky, lightly crisp and rich pie-crust recipe—and another few years researching and experimenting with combinations of heirloom apples to determine which yielded the best-tasting results. with a Brix refractometer, they measure each variety’s sugar content to determine how other ingredients might be adjusted to ensure every pie’s flavors are ideally balanced.
Kate McDermott listens to the rhythm of a nearly done heirloom-apple pie.
as a classically trained musician with a highly refined ear, Kate discovered that her pies were completely baked when they emitted a rapid cadence of sizzle and a steady beat of whump. these culinary rhythms prompt her to remove her glorious handmade pies from the oven.
recently—in our small class of four pie-making wannabes— Kate demonstrated how to form a perfect pie crust by first combining refrigerated King Arthur flour, cold Kerrygold butter, chilled rendered leaf lard and salt in a very large, very chilled mixing bowl. she plunged her hands deeply into the bowl and lifted the ingredients with her palms up, blending the butter, lard and flour with her fingers, leaving fat chunks of all sizes to encourage an ultimately flaky consistency. next, Kate sprinkled icy cold water until a dough formed. then she let us loose to do the same, until each of us had two, flattened pie-dough disks.
as our dough chilled in the fridge, Kate and Jon shared that heirloom apples have thin skin, which contains tremendous flavor; it’s neither necessary nor desired to peel them. we all cheered. we cored and chunked Belle de Boskoop, Black Twig, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Egremont Russet, Elstar, Jonathan, King David and Prairie Spy varieties, tossing them into a giant communal bowl. Kate then measured and divided the apples into four-to-five-pound piles, one pile for each of our pies. we laughed nervously when we realized how many apples we needed to load into our pie dishes. after combining a blend of spices with the apples, we were ready to roll out our pie crusts. and that’s when i panicked.
rolling my pie crust has always been a overwhelming challenge. i clumsily try to shape a round, but it never is. round, i mean. Kate helped me to relax, work more confidently and less gingerly with proven techniques. if the dough isn’t perfectly round, life isn’t over. a happy revelation. it will still fit in the pie dish and on the top of the pie. and, most importantly, it will still taste great.
when our crusts were rolled and pies filled, we crimped, vented and egg-washed the top crust, then Kate carefully loaded our masterpieces into her oven. as the pies baked, Kate served snacks, including some of her own divine apple pie, and read Henry Ward Beecher‘s apple pie sermon aloud. as our pies came out of the oven, and we listened for their sizzles and whumps, i realized it wasn’t simply the rhythm of the pies that made for a warm, uplifting afternoon. it was Kate’s melody: her overarching enthusiasm, patience, openness, generous spirit and genuine love of pies. and it was the harmony of working together for a common goal: to proudly craft our own amazing pies.
i wish i would have taken more photos during class to share every step of the process with you, but i was literally up to my elbows in flour, lard, butter, pie dough and apples (and loving every minute of it). i totally forgot to remove my camera from its case, until our pies had been popped in the oven.
i’m about 100 percent positive that neither of the Gershwin brothers would have imagined the title of their 1924 hit could be applied to an award-winning berry or cherry or peach or heirloom-apple pie. but Kate’s rhythmic discovery is, indeed, fascinating. and her dedication to the Art of the Pie and teaching it to others, unwavering. if you’re near Seattle, i enthusiastically recommend that you take her class; it’s truly an experience every aspiring pie maker should have.
Kate’s Apple Pie
recipe shared with the gracious permission of Kate McDermott, Art of the Pie
makes one double-crust, 9-inch pie
INGREDIENTS
for the double crust
2 1/2 cups refrigerated King Arthur unbleached white flour
8 tablespoons leaf lard, cut into various-size pieces, from peas to walnuts
8 tablespoons Irish butter (e.g., Kerrygold), cut into various-size pieces, from peas to walnuts
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 – 8 tablespoons ice water (variable, depending on environmental conditions)
for filling
about 10 cups heirloom apples, quartered and cored
1/2 cup flour
1/2 – 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar (my optional addition to 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (my optional addition)
a pinch or two of nutmeg
1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
for topping
1 egg white mixed with 2 to 3 tablespoons water
1 – 2 tablespoons sugar
DIRECTIONS
- in a generously large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the double crust, except the water.
- with clean hands, blend the mixture together until it looks like coarse meal; leave some lumps in it, so your pie will be flaky!
- sprinkle ice water over mixture and stir lightly with your hands or a fork.
- squeeze a handful of dough together; if it doesn’t hold, add a bit more water.
- form the dough into a ball, then divide in half.
- make two chubby disks, about 5 inches in diameter.
- wrap each disk in plastic, and let chill for about an hour.
- when the dough has chilled, place one of the disks on a well-floured surface and sprinkle some flour on top of it.
- thump the disk with your rolling pin (Kate prefers a French rolling pin, but whatever works best for you) several times; turn the disk over and thump the other side.
- if needed, sprinkle more flour on the disk to prevent sticking, then roll out the crust from the center in all directions. Kate advises to turn the dough quarter turns and to flip it over during the rolling process.
- when the dough is about an inch larger in diameter than your pie dish, fold the dough over the top of your rolling pin, brush off the excess flour on each side, and lay it carefully in the pie dish. don’t be alarmed if you have to patch your dough in a place or two; just brush a little water over any cracks, then reconnect the dough with any extra pieces you have left over.
- for your filling, slice the apples in 1/2-inch pieces.
- in a large mixing bowl, combine all the filling ingredients, except the butter; mix lightly until the surface of the apples have been coated.
- pour the mixture into the pie dish that contains your bottom crust, mounding high; dot with the butter.
- preheat oven to 425F.
- roll out your top crust, and place over the pile of apples.
- trim your crust with kitchen shears or a sharp knife, leaving about an inch of overhang.
- roll the crust over or under, so the pie is sealed; make sure the crust doesn’t extend beyond the edges of the pie dish.
- crimp the edges of the crust with a fork.
- paint with egg-white wash.
- cut decorative vent holes of your choice in the top crust.
- sprinkle sugar on top.
- bake the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F and bake for about another 40 minutes.
- when you remove the pie from the oven, listen for the sizzle and a deep, subtle bubbling or whump.
- cool on a wire rack. Kate’s sage advice: if you leave your pies to cool on the back porch, expect resident squirrels to pay a little visit.
serve alone for breakfast or with ice cream after your evening meal.
when i want a little something with my morning cup of tea, but don’t want to fuss, i turn to the noble scone. it’s simple. unassuming, yet satisfying. exactly what i would serve my friend Alex from the U.K., should he pop across the pond for an impromptu visit.
thought to have originated in Scotland, scones are made much like down-home southern biscuits. light and flaky wonders, scones are easy to whip up, and flavorings—like dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, culinary lavender, zests and cheeses—provide sweet and savory diversity. as one might imagine, scones can become quite addictive. and so it was at our home in the Colorado mountains.
when we’d grab a scone at a local bakery or coffee shop, they were nearly always overcooked: light brown on the outside and dry as Death Valley in July on the inside. gosh, we have to be able to do a better job than this at home. and, indeed, mastering how to make a very presentable, deliciously edible scone didn’t take long. treat the dough like a pie crust or a biscuit: mix it by hand, don’t overwork it, don’t overcook it.
soon, donning my headset, i was on early-morning conference calls with my east-coast team, passionately discussing creative projects—and banging out scones in the background. 
putting my little handset on mute, i’d ask my partner, what flavor do you want today? the breakfast scone-making practice went on for quite some time. i never got tired of making them. but my partner got tired of eating them. and frankly, so did i. perhaps it was too much of that good thing.
we took a break from scones. and i began to make them more judiciously. there’s a lot of great advice about scones and their nuances at joy of baking. by applying baking common sense, you can make them in a heartbeat. your friends and family will be duly impressed by your skill and civility—especially if you remember the Earl Grey.
the recipe here delivers a scone that’s flaky, but has depth/density. i add just a bit more sugar to give a hint of sweetness and to balance the tart cherries and lemon. apply your own true north to the flavorings; the combinations are endless!
Tart Dried Cherry and Lemon Scones
a variation on a recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup tart dried cherries
the zest of 1/2 lemon
2 eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream, plus one tablespoon
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
for icing (optional)
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
- preheat oven to 425F; lightly butter a sheet plan; or cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. (i actually bake mine scones at 375F.)
- in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- cut in the butter, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. (i like to leave in a few pea-sized pieces of butter.)
- add the cherries and lemon zest.
- in a small bowl, combine the eggs, cream and vanilla.
- add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- turn the dough onto a floured surface, and lightly knead, 8 – 10 times.
- pat or roll the dough into a circle about 1/4-inch thick.
- cut into wedges or use a biscuit cutter to make rounds.
- brush the tops of the scones with the tablespoon of cream. (if you don’t add the icing, you may want to sprinkle the tops with sugar.)
- bake about 15 minutes, until lightly golden.
- cool slightly on wire rack.
- combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- drizzle icing over warm scones, and serve!
already deeply saddened that cherry season is now but a distant memory, i turned on Food Network over the weekend to catch an episode of Iron Chef America. as is the tradition, the chairman melodramatically waved his hand to reveal the secret ingredient: mounds of luscious, fresh cherries. Bings. Rainiers. Montmorencys. sheer torture. i could defrost some of the pie filling i put up this summer. no, exercise some self discipline; you’re saving that for the holidays. hmmmm. i could open the five-pound bag of tart, dried Montmorency cherries that just arrived from Cherry Republic. brilliant! not really, but it was a sound alternative to preserving the remaining quantity of precious cherry pie filling. and i knew immediately what i wanted to bake: rugelach.
rugelach—or little twists in Yiddish—are rolled, crescent-shaped cookies filled with dried fruit (like raisins or currents or apricots), chocolate, preserves or a combination thereof. when i was still quite small, my dad and i would go on a weekly run to our local Jewish bakery, where Bill, one of dad’s World War II Army buddies, served as the head baker. from my tiny vantage point, the bakery’s endlessly long, shiny silver and glass cases filled with pastries and bagels intrigued and overwhelmed. Bill made it simple by handing me a rugelach. sticky and sweet, the cookie made an indelible impression. but it wasn’t until a few years ago that they became a standard in my holiday cookie-baking repertoire.
i love the process of making rugelach: aside from the fun of playing with dough, when i brush the preserves on it, i feel like an artist mixing paint on an easel. yeah, i should probably stick to writing. the recipe below is a little twist on Martha’s: the plump, moist, puckery dried cherries serve as the perfect counterpoint to the sweeter Hero black cherry preserves i slather on the rugelach dough.
consume this tangy, sweet treat with a cup of tea or coffee or a big glass of milk. i can never eat just one. or two. i used up all my self discipline on saving the pie filling.
Rugelach
a variation based on a recipe from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
i encourage you to look at the original recipe for filling variations; i’m sure you can come up with some cool ideas of your own. enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
for dough
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
2 1/3 cups organic unbleached flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for filling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup walnuts (pecans work, too)
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup Hero black cherry preserves, melted (i just leave it out at room temp)
2 cups tart, dried cherries
for topping
1 egg, lightly beaten
fine sanding sugar or granulated sugar for sprinkling
DIRECTIONS
- in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes; scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- add the sugar and salt; beat until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine after each.
- with the mixer on low speed, add the flour to combine.
- mix in vanilla.
- turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- divide dough into three equal pieces, and shape each into flattened disks.
- wrap the disks in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
- preheat the oven to 325F.
- line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- for the filling: in a food processor (i use the small, three-cup KitchenAid chopper), pulse together the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and salt until finely ground; set aside.
- on a lightly floured work surface (i use a roll pat mat), roll out one disk of dough into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle (long side facing you), about 1/4-inch thick.
- brush the top of the dough evenly with the preserves.
- sprinkle 1/3 of the walnut mixture onto the layer of preserves; use the back of a spoon to press the walnuts into the dough.
- sprinkle on 1/3 of the dried cherries; press the cherries gently into the dough.
- tightly roll the dough into a log.
- place seam-side down on pan, pinching the ends of each side of the log together. tuck ends under log.
- repeat the process for the remaining two dough disks. (place the logs 2 inches apart on the pan.)
- chill the pan with the logs in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- with a long, sharp knife, at 1-inch intervals, make 3/4-inch deep cuts crosswise in the dough. make sure not to cut all the way through the log.
- lightly beat the remaining egg, and brush over the tops of the rugelach; sprinkle with sanding sugar.
- bake each batch until lightly golden brown, about 35 – 40 minutes (in my oven this takes only about 30 minutes; watch over carefully, so the rugelach doesn’t overcook).
- place the pan on a wire rack, and cool for 20 – 30 minutes in the pan.
- transfer the logs one at a time to a cutting board, and slice all the way through.
- return cookies to rack to finish cooling.
Martha’s recipe states rugelach can be kept in an airtight container for up to four days. i’ve found that they keep really well for a week. and they are perfect gift to ship for the holidays.
like many these days, i’m aspiring to manage my budget as expertly as an Olympic hopeful springing gracefully along a narrow balance beam. clipping coupons to save on basics. strategically grocery shopping at a variety of venues to land the best deals. if i’m vigilant, i can still purchase organic meats and produce from local stores and farmers’ markets. i don’t eat out very often, not only as a measure of prudence, but because i savor the ritual of cooking at home.
that said, i just returned from a trip to Colorado, where neither horrifying holiday nor unseasonal snow storm could deter me from visiting just a few of my favorite eateries. waxing nostalgic, i wanted them to be just as i remembered: great food, great service, within my budget. i can happily report that my old haunts continue to serve simple, mouth-watering meals at reasonable prices. tonight, in the spirit of the holiday, i celebrate Phantom Canyon Brewing Company, in the heart of Colorado Springs.
Phantom Canyon’s menu goes well beyond standard pub fare, and i’ve enjoyed some dishes with southwest twists on occasion. but for a juicy, grilled, signature half-pound burger cooked to order (yes, i could actually get it medium-rare), topped with my cheese of choice (if i hadn’t shared the meal with dear Tootie, i would have selected blue cheese) 
and crispy steak fries salted to perfection, Phantom Canyon delivers year after year. 
i can’t personally speak to the pub’s handcrafted brews—although i’ve heard accolades—but i can say its in-house root beer hits the bull’s eye.
despite the phenomenal burgers and sparkling root beer, want to know the real reason i’d hang at Phantom Canyon? the smoked gouda and blonde-ale soup. the photo at the top of this post may appear a bit pasty, but the flavor of this soup is anything but. it’s rich and smoky, with a smooth, creamy texture. in bygone days, the pub would serve the beer-cheese creation topped with a few pieces of popcorn to give it a nice, little crunch. guess that tradition fell by the wayside. the soup, however, continues to please my palate. i haven’t made it for quite a while, but i dug out the recipe originally printed in the Colorado Spring Gazette. it’s intended to feed the multitudes, so be sure to cut it back to meet your needs. i remember it’s important to use an ale that’s light bodied and low in bitterness. otherwise, the beer will overshadow the soup.
i miss the mountains and Colorado Springs. i carry the warm memories of both and of Phantom Canyon with me, wherever i go. serve this mellow ale-cheese soup on a chilly Sunday, when the Denver Broncos are playing. they will, undoubtedly, emerge victorious.
Phantom Canyon Smoked Gouda and Blonde-Ale Soup
another gentle reminder to cut the recipe back, as needed
INGREDIENTS
8 cups chicken stock
6 cups Queen’s Blonde Ale
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups heavy cream
2 pounds Gouda cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of white pepper
DIRECTIONS
- in a large pot, combine the stock, beer and potatoes, then bring to a boil.
- reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender.
- remove from heat, and puree the mixture. (be careful handling the hot liquid; i’ve used either a hand blender or KitchenAid blender.)
- return the mixture to the stove and add the cream, salt and pepper.
- bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 – 7 minutes.
- remove from heat, and add stir in the cheese.
- top with a few pieces of popcorn, if you’re so moved.
fictional hero Forrest Gump said he and lifelong love Jenny went together like peas and carrots. some perceived them, perhaps, as an odd couple. but most as a beloved one. and so, to me, has become the pairing of the pig and the cow.
much like barbecue, cooks of all abilities are impassioned about the contents of their pie crusts: all-butter. all-shortening. a perfect split. or something more asymmetrical. ever on the mission to improve my mediocre attempts, i’ve spent what some might deem an inordinate amount of time researching the topic. until i unearthed my pie crust true north: a fusion of rendered leaf lard (the fat that protects a hog’s kidneys) and european-style butter.
great cooks have already waxed poetic about this winning combination—a combination that yields the most flaky, memorable crust ever known. so, i set out to try my hand at re-creating all its glory. first, i sent an e-mail to Heath Putnam of Wooly Pigs to ask if he had any leaf lard on hand. Heath was kind enough to give me a call to let me know he planned to bring some leaf lard to the next Seattle University District Farmers’ Market. then, early (i’d say bright and, but it was one of those Pacific Northwest gully washers) on Saturday morning, my friend Lourdes and i met at the market. even though we got soaked to the skin, we had a totally fantastic time and left with Wooly Pigs’ leaf lard in shopping bag. the next step? rendering the lard.
i learned a ton about rendering leaf lard from Ashley’s wonderful not-without-salt post and by watching her video, where she uses the stovetop method. there’s also a very nice compilation of other leaf lard-related references on her blog. feeling elated, but pooped after our market outing, i chose to render my leaf lard using the oven method. lessons learned?
- exercise patience during the oven-rendering process (i.e., stop looking through the glass door every 20 minutes; the temp is only on 200F; go to bed).
- probably don’t store your beautifully rendered, precious-as-gold lard in muffin tins (one of the methods i read about); go out and get a nice Ball canning jar. easier to manage and store.
- pie crust born of the perfect union of pig and cow can be used for both savory and sweet applications. oh, and from my new vantage point, simply cannot be surpassed.
i introduced the pig and the cow to the chicken (they became fast friends). you’ll find the results here, created mostly with a bunch of leftovers. a rich, hearty filling that takes advantage of the flavors of seasoned rotisserie chicken. and, of course, topped with that heavenly, flaky, to-die-for crust. sigh.
Odd Couple Chicken Pot Pie
a variation based on a turkey pot pie recipe from Emeril’s TV Dinners
INGREDIENTS
for the pie crust
recipe of your choice. mine new favorite is here. i don’t pretend for one second to know how to make it like Kate McDermott of Art of the Pie, but i aspire to learn one day.
for this recipe, you can choose to have a top and bottom crust or just a top crust. i went with the latter.
for the filling
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion (e.g., Walla Walla, yellow)
salt and pepper
6 tablespoons unbleached organic flour
2 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup diced potatoes (i just cooked small Yukon Golds in boiling for about five minutes, then let cool and cut up) or any leftover potatoes (not mashed!)
1 cup leftover, diced sweet potatoes
1 cup diced carrots (i used whole petite carrots and threw them in with the Yukon Golds for about two minutes)
1 cup sweet young peas, fresh or frozen; defrost if frozen (i used fresh snap peas)
2 cups shredded cooked, leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey
DIRECTIONS
- preheat oven to 375F.
- grease a 9-inch square baking dish (i used 4 small, individual casseroles).
- heat butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
- add the onions, season with salt and pepper, cook/stir for 2 minutes.
- stir in the flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to make a roux.
- stir in the chicken stock, and bring the liquid to a boil.
- reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 4 to 6 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- stir in the half-and-half and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.
- season with salt and pepper.
- stir in the potatoes, carrots, peas, chicken and any other leftover vegetables.
- season to taste.
- if you’re using a bottom crust, line the baking dish with the rolled-out crust.
- pour the filling into the prepared pan.
- place the top crust on top of the filling.
- carefully tuck the overlapping crusts into the dish, forming a thick edge.
- crimp the edges, and cut vents in the top crust.
- place the baking dish on a cookie sheet.
- bake until the crust is golden brown, around 25 to 30 minutes.
- let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
littlebirdbaking.com 