Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Apple Pie

And one more cooking post...

I wanted to make an Upside Down Caramel Apple Pie.  I've made it a dozen times and never had any problems, but something about crossing the ocean changed that whole story.

From the beginning:

  • I don't have a pie plate so I borrowed two pie pans (thinking the two would equal the volume of my large Pampered Chef pie plate)
  • I bought two boxes of pie crust - after using my dictionary to translate both Spanish and french to be  sure I had pie crust and not phyllo dough or pizza crust (got at two different stores after deciding I would make two instead of one - one was a french brand and the directions were in french instead of Spanish)
  • I went to the outdoor market and bought apples.
  • I pulled out the recipe ready to attack it - 
  • Problem #1 - the recipe calls for white Karo syrup - there is no syrup in Spain, much less a specific type.  
  • Google to the rescue - searched for how to make homemade Karo syrup and did so
  • Made the caramel sauce that calls for brown sugar - brown sugar is not the same over here - it is dry and granular like white sugar in the states - doesn't cook the same because of the lack of moisture
  • Open the pie crusts - and discover one box has two in it and the other has one - I need four - this recipe has a top and bottom crust.
  • No problem - my pans are small and I can cut off some crust and make a fourth crust
  • Make flavoring for inside of pie - calls again for brown sugar and cinnamon and nutmeg - no nutmeg in Spain either, so just used all cinnamon
  • Go to put the 2 pies in the oven that took 30 minutes to preheat and discover only one pan fits.
  • Cook first pie and right after putting the 2nd pie in to cook the oven turns off - if it stays hot for longer than it thinks is acceptable it turns off (I am sure I am doing something wrong with it, but the knobs and directions are not in English) - I didn't notice it had turned off so had to take pie out of oven and reheat the oven and then finish cooking the 2nd pie
  • Dump pies out on plate and enjoy as well as deliver one to friends
Never a boring moment in the Hunter's kitchen!


UPSIDE DOWN CARAMEL APPLE PIE
This is a Pampered Chef recipe.
Glaze and pastry
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbl butter, melted
1Tbl corn syrup
1/3 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1 package refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3Tbl all purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
4 large Granny Smith apples
1 Tbl lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. For glaze, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in Stoneware 9" Pie Plate; spread evenly onto bottom. Chop pecans using Food Chopper; sprinkle over sugar mixture. Top with 1 pastry crust; set aside. 

For filling, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in 1-Qt Batter Bowl; mix well. Peel, core and slice apples using Apple/Peeler/Corer/Slicer; cut slices crosswise in half. Place apple slices in Classic 2-Qt Batter Bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice. 

Layer half of the apples in pastry-lined Pie Plate; sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Place remaining crust over filling. Fold edge of top crust under edge of bottom crust; flute edge. Cut several slits in top crust. 

Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Loosen edge of pie from Pie Plate; carefully invert pie onto heat resistant serving plate. Scrape any remaining caramel topping from pie plate onto pie. 

Cool at least 1 hour before serving.

2 comments:

  1. Wow! I commend you for even attempting American baking in Spain. When I was there I really wanted to bake just one thing, but gave up when I couldn't find brown sugar or vanilla extract ANYWHERE.

    However, you mentioned nutmeg, and I did see that in a number of stores (Día and El Arbol, I believe). It comes in the spice jars just like oregano, parsley, etc. and is called "nuez moscada."

    ReplyDelete
  2. As AGOZAWAY said in Spain we call nuez moscada to nutmeg, you can find it in whole and grounded form. If you're searching for all spice it is known as "cuatro especias" or "cinco especias".

    ReplyDelete

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