Classic Apple Pie

Special equipment: 9-inch pie plate

Ingredients

serves makes 1 9-inch pie, active time 1 hour, total time 6 hours, or overnight

• 1 double-crust All-Butter Pie Dough shell (ingredients follow)
• 8 cups (960g) apples, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (10g) tapioca starch
• 1 tablespoon (9g) cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon (2g) Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (1.5g) kosher salt
• Crust Dust, for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Pie Wash, for brushing the top of the pie
•  
• Double-Crust Dough Shell
• 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 1/4 cups (333g) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (6.5g) kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon (6.5g) granulated sugar
•  
• Crust Dust
• equal parts granulated sugar and flour
•  
• Pie Wash
• equal parts whole milk and cream

Procedures

1. Make the dough: Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Freeze 5 tablespoons (70g) for 20 minutes or overnight; chill the remaining 1 1/8 sticks in the refrigerator until ready to use.
   
2. Stir the red wine vinegar into the cold water and set aside.
   
3. Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times to combine.
   
4. Add the chilled butter and mix for 25 to 30 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
   
5. Add the frozen butter and pulse 15 to 20 times, until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.
   
6. Add 6 tablespoons of the vinegar water and pulse 6 times. The dough should start to look crumbly. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount in the palm of your hand. If it easily holds together, it is done. If not, add 1/2 tablespoon of the vinegar water and pulse 3 more times. Repeat this process as needed until the dough holds together.
   
7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead together until smooth; dough should never come together in the food processor.
   
8. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Flatten the balls slightly and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator until ready to use, at least 20 minutes but preferably overnight.
   
9. Make the filling: Place the apples in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and toss with a spatula until the apples are well coated.
   
10. Place the granulated sugar, brown sugar, tapioca starch, cornstarch, Chinese five-spice powder, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of apples and mix until the apples are again well coated. Set aside to macerate for at least 25 minutes.
    
11. Place a colander over a medium bowl and transfer the macerated apples to the colander, making sure to scrape down the side of the bowl to get all the juices, sugars, and starches. Let the apples drain for 25 minutes.
    
12. Pour the drained juice into a small saucepan, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl to get every drop. Bring the apple juice to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and continue to boil the apple juice gently until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Once it is room temperature, chill the saucepan in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
    
13. While it chills, roll out the balls of dough. Each one needs to be rolled into a 14-inch circle, 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick.
    
14. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie tin with cooking spray and dust with flour. Rotate the tin to coat the side. Turn the tin over and tap out any excess flour.
    
15. Pick one dough circle up firmly by the edges and center onto the prepared pie tin. Tap the pie tin on the counter several times until the dough settles into it. Gently press the dough into the corners of the pie tin with your fingertips.
    
16. Sprinkle Crust Dust into the empty pie shell. Pour in the apples, making sure to scrape out any dry ingredients or juices that stick to the side of the bowl. Make a well in the middle of the apples and pour in the thickened apple juice. Gently smooth the pie filling with a spatula and dot with the butter.
    
17. If you are cutting decorative shapes out of the top crust, do it now. Try to keep the cutouts toward the center of the top crust. Otherwise, they will get pulled into the crimp and stretched out of shape.
    
18. Center the top pie dough round over the pie. Line up the edges of the top and bottom crust and gently roll them under with your thumb and index finger. Work your way back around the pie, pinching the rolled edge up. Make sure the edge is resting on the rim of the pie tin.
    
19. Crimp the dough: Grab the edge of the pie shell with the thumb and index finger of each hand, about 1 inch apart. Bring your right hand toward you and to the left as you push your left hand away from you and to the right.
    
20. Place your left hand 1/2 inch to the right of the first crimp and repeat the process until you have worked your way around the pie shell. Place your index finger behind each crimp and squeeze the point on the outside of the pie shell with your thumb and index finger.
    
21. Vent the pie: follow this step if you haven't already made cutouts. Three or four simple slits in the top crust will do the trick, although pie bakers have used the vents as decoration for centuries, coming up with all kinds of pretty patterns. At the pie shop we use the vents as guides to easily slice the pies into six pieces later.
    
22. Freeze the assembled pie for at least 20 minutes.
    
23. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
    
24. Brush the top of pie with Pie Wash and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating 180 degrees every 20 minutes, until the crust is dark golden brown and the juices are bubbling thickly through the vents.
    
25. Cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Gouda and Tart Apple Pie

Special equipment: food processor

Ingredients

serves Serves 8, active time 1 hour, total time 4 hours

• For the Crust:
• 2 1/2 cups (11.25 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 20 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 ounces Gouda, grated finely
• 6-7 tablespoons ice water
•  
• For the Filling:
• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 quarts boiling water
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling over crust
• 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Procedures

1. Whisk together the flour, salt, and grated Gouda in a large mixing bowl. Using a food processor, mix butter and flour/cheese mixture until the largest butter chunks are the size of large peas. .
   
2. Open the top of the food processor and sprinkle ice water over the flour mixture in increments of one tablespoon, pulsing a couple times between additions. Repeat until dough begins to clump together.
   
3. Remove flour mixture from food processor return it to the large mixing bowl. Gather the dough together with your hands and press into two disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours or up to overnight.
   
4. Add apple slices to a large bowl and pour boiling water on top. Cover bowl and set aside for ten minutes. Drain apples completely and let sit in a colander in the sink, tossing occasionally until completely dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. Return apples to the large bowl and add sugars, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch, and toss until apples are evenly coated. Set mixture aside.
   
5. Move oven rack to the center position and preheat to 425°F. Roll out one disk of pie dough into a circle about 12-inches in diameter and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Add filling. Roll out the remaining pie dough into a 10-inch rectangle and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Use the strips to weave a lattice top.
   
6. Brush the pie evenly with the egg white and then sprinkle evenly with a tablespoon of sugar. Transfer pie to a parchment covered rimmed sheet pan in the oven. Bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes longer. If the edges are getting overly browned, you can cover with tin foil or crust protectors. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

serves serves 8, active time 15 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Procedures

1. Combine cranberries, apples, white sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries start to pop, about 5 minutes. Press berries against side of pan with wooden spoon and continue to cook until berries have broken down and sauce thickens to a jam-like consistency, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Adjust consistency with water as needed. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or warm.

Easy Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

This recipe combines two of my great autumn loves: caramel apples and sticky buns.
The beauty of using leftover pizza dough is you don't need to wait for a second rise. Your dough will have already done that. The "sticky" sauce comes together quickly, as does the filling. Assemble, bake, and in about an hour you could be eating these beauties fresh from the oven. These buns are best freshly baked. You can store them covered, up to a day, and reheat in the oven prior to serving.

Special equipment: 2 8-inch cake pans, food processor with grater attachment

Ingredients

serves Serves 16, active time 20 minutes, total time 1 hour and 15 minutes

• For the Caramel Sauce:
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
•  
• For the Buns:
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 2 inch wedges
• 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough

Procedures

1. Move oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cake pans with non-stick cooking oil. Set aside.
   
2. For the caramel sauce: In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in sugar. Once sugar has dissolved whisk in milk. Let mixture come to a light boil, stirring occasionally. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until syrup thickens. Remove from heat and divide sauce between cake pans, tilt the pan as needed to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
   
3. For the buns: In a large bowl combine melted butter, sugars and cinnamon. Feed the apple pieces through a food processor fitted with the grater attachment. Add grated apple to bowl and stir to combine with butter mixture.
   
4. Roll the dough out into a 10- by 16- inch rectangle with the long side facing you. Spread apple filling on top of the dough leaving a 1/2- inch on the top edge. Roll the dough along the long side to form a 16-inch log. Use a serrated knife to cut 16 rounds from the dough. Place one round in the center of each cake pan and surround it with 7 rounds. Bake until buns are a deep golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes.
   
5. Remove pans from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Place a heatproof plate over platter over each pan and invert. Serve immediately.

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Note: Because there is enough sugar in the dough to sweeten things, be sure to use unsweetened applesauce. Applesauce made from nothing but apples can be found at most supermarkets and health food stores.

Special equipment: baking sheets, whisk, parchment paper

Ingredients

serves makes 24 cookies, active time 10 minutes, total time 1 hour 25 minutes plus cooling

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (see note)
• 2/3 cup peeled apple pieces, cut into 1/8 inch pieces, from about 1 Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts

Procedures

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla, followed by applesauce. Stir in dry ingredients. Add apple bits and walnuts and stir to combine. Cover dough with plastic wrap (I do this in the bowl as it's very wet) and let rest in refrigerator for 1 hour.
   
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden at the edges, about 15 minutes.
   
4. Let cookies cool completely on pan—they are slightly sticky but will dry out as they cool. Store in an airtight container, layering with wax paper.

Apple Cider Doughnut Mini Muffins

People will think these are traditional cider doughnut holes, but they never actually see a fryer, instead getting a quick bath in melted butter and a toss in cinnamon sugar while still warm from the oven. They're super cute, super delicious, and even better, super easy and super fast.

Special equipment: mini muffin pans, nonstick spray, whisk, spatula, mixing bowls

Ingredients

serves Makes 36 mini muffins, active time 10 minutes, total time 20 minutes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 7 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, divided
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Procedures

1. Set rack in center of oven, preheat to 400°F. Liberally spray mini muffin pans with nonstick spray, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add brown sugar and work into mixture by hand to break up clumps. Set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together cider, egg, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Add wet to dry ingredients and quickly but gently fold together until all streaks of flour are just incorporated and you have a light, fluffy batter. Divide evenly between cups of muffin pans (about 2/3 full) and bake for 8-10 minutes, turning once.
   
2. While muffins are baking, whisk together remaining cinnamon and granulated sugar. As soon as muffins are done, immediately turn out onto a rack and roll them a few at a time in the melted butter, then remove to cinnamon sugar and shake until well-coated. Let muffins continue to cool on rack. You may reheat to serve, with the oven at 400°F— it will only take 1 or 2 minutes.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch® Coated Apple Stuffed French Toast

Notes:Challah bread or regular white bread can also be used. If using Challah, since the slices will be larger, make a total of 4 1-inch slices, and serve one piece per person. Don't coat the pieces of French toast with the topping in advance or it will get soggy.

Special equipment: 12-inch nonstick skillet

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 45 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/8-thick slices
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal, lightly crushed, divided
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, crushed
• 4 ounces mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese), softened
• 1 French baguette (not too dense), (see note)

Procedures

1. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples have softened and are beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon over apples. Cook until apples are golden, about 2 minutes more. Transfer apples to bowl and let cool.
   
2. Whisk milk, cream, eggs, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla in shallow bowl until combined. Toss 2 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal and almonds in pie plate to combine. Stir mascarpone with remaining 4 teaspoons granulated sugar until smooth.
   
3. Cut 1 inch slices of French bread on the bias. Carefully slice a deep pocket into each piece. Spread cream cheese mixture into each pocket, then fill with cooked apples.
   
4. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in large clean nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Dip each filled French toast into egg-milk mixture (soaking well) and then coat well with Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal mixture, pressing to adhere. Place 4 pieces in pan and cook until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, pressing gently with spatula and adding extra butter as needed, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining pieces of bread. Serve with powdered sugar and remaining Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal sprinkled over the top.

Gluten-Free Apple Cider Bread

Special equipment: Four (5- by 3- by 2-inch) mini loaf pans

Ingredients

serves Makes 4 small loaves, active time about 30 minutes, total time about 90 minutes

• 2 cups apple cider
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) sorghum flour
• 3/4 cup (5 1/2 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) millet flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedures

1. Heat apple cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 3/4 of a cup, about 25 minutes. Remove reduced apple cider from heat and set aside to cool.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place four (5- by 3- by 2-inch) mini loaf pans on rimmed baking sheet. Spray mini-pans with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, brown sugar, millet flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, ground nutmeg, and xanthan gum. Add eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and cooled apple cider. Whisk until batter is smooth. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
   
3. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of pan comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove pans from oven. Allow to bread to cool in pan for five minutes and then turn loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store loaves, wrapped, on counter for up to three days or freeze up to three months.

Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Special equipment: saucepan, food processor, 9- by 13- inch baking sheet, foil,

Ingredients

serves makes 12 large or 24 small bars, active time 1 hour, total time 1 hour 45 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooling

• For Caramel
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•  
• For Apple Layer
• 5 cups apple slices (see note) from about 4 large Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
•  
• For Crust and Crumble
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Procedures

1. Make the caramel: Assemble all the ingredients you will need for the caramel and place close to the saucepan you will be using. Place sugar in a large heavy sauce pan over medium high heat. Let the sugar begin to melt, then start to mix with a spoon. Mix occasionally until sugar has completely melted into a lightly golden color. Slowly and carefully pour in heavy cream—the sugar is going to immediately steam and harden into a lump. Turn the heat down to medium and continuously stir caramel until it is completely melted again and mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt, and mix until butter has melted completely. Take caramel off the heat and let come to almost room temperature.
   
2. While caramel is cooling, make apple layer: In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir to make sure it is well mixed. Let stand for 10 minutes.
   
3. Make crust and crumble: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line the baking dish with foil, then grease foil with butter.
   
4. Put flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 times to combine. Add butter and pulse until it is cut to the size of peas. Add egg and heavy cream and pulse until mixture has the texture of wet sand and, when pressed between your fingers, holds its shape.
   
5. Take 3/4 of the shortbread dough and press it into the prepared baking sheet. The bottom crust should be about 1/2-inch thick. Use a slotted spoon to remove apples from the bowl and spread evenly over top of shortbread. Cover the apples with the caramel sauce, gently reheating it over low heat if it's become too thick to spread. Use your fingers to form the remaining shortbread into crumbs and sprinkle the top with crumbs.
   
6. Bake bars until top is golden and bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

Apple and Pear Hand Pies

Special equipment

Baking sheet

Ingredients

serves Makes 8 pies, active time 20 minutes, total time 25 minutes

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 Bosc pears, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 recipe Easy Pie Dough
• 1 egg, beaten

Procedures

1. Heat butter in a non-stick skillet until melted, add apples and pears and cook until fruit begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over mixture and continue to cook stirring often until fruit begins to lose its juices. Mix together cornstarch and lemon juice and add to pan. Simmer until mixture has thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
   
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 375[°]. Line a baking sheet with foil. Divide dough into two pieces and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Divide dough into 4 squares, place a tablespoon of filling near the bottom right corner of each square. Brush edges of pastry with beaten egg and fold over pastry to cover filling. Seal by pressing a fork into the edges then place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining filling and pastry.
   
3. Cut steam vents into the tops of each pie with s sharp knife, then brush with remaining egg. Bake until pastry has browned, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pancake

Special equipment

10-inch skillet

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 20, total time about 40 minutes

• For the Batter:
• 1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/3 cup gluten-free brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons milk (see note above)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  
• For the Apples:
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced

Procedures

1. For the Batter: Preheat oven to 425 °F. Whisk together oat flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in medium bowl. In small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Batter will be thin. Allow batter to stand for ten minutes.
   
2. For the Apples: Whisk together granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. Sprinkle sugar mixture over melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook until sugar begins to melt. Reduce heat to medium-low and carefully place apple slices in a circular pattern in the pan. Cook until sugar mixture begins to bubble up around apple slices, about three minutes. Turn off heat.
   
3. Slowly pour batter evenly into the pan. Some of the apple pieces might float and move. That’s fine. Transfer pan to the preheated oven. Bake until pancake puffs and is golden brown, about fifteen minutes.
   
4. Remove pan from oven. Slice pancake into wedges. Serve warm.

Caramel Apple Flan with Toasted Pepitas

Special equipment

frying pan, saucepan, spatula, baking dish

Ingredients

serves Serves 10 to 15, active time 1 hour, total time 24 hours

• For the Apples
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
•  
• For the Flan
• 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 5 eggs
•  
• For the Pepitas
• 1 cup pepitas
• Applewood smoked salt, to taste

Procedures

1. For the apples: Peel, core and quarter apples. Cut each quarter crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Combine apples, sugar, butter, cream, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean in a large frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring gently and often, until sugar caramelizes and apples are thoroughly cooked yet still hold their shape. Set aside.
   
2. For the Flan: Set 9-inch pie plate or 10 to 15 small cups on a level surface. Place 1 cup sugar in a medium saucepan and add salt and water. Set over medium-high heat and allow to cook until slightly caramelized. Remove from heat and gently swirl until caramel reaches an amber color, somewhere between honey and maple syrup. Pour caramel into baking vessel(s) just to coat the bottom. While caramel is still soft, carefully arrange apple slices evenly on top of it and press down slightly to stick them in place, then top with any caramel left in the pan.
   
3. Place a rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Set prepared pan(s) in a large rectangular cake pan, Dutch oven or other larger vessel. Combine milk, cream, sugar and spices in a medium saucepan and heat over medium, stirring occasionally. Place eggs in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to scramble. Once liquid is hot and sugar is dissolved, gradually pour into eggs, whisking constantly. Immediately pass through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher or other container from which you can pour comfortably. Open oven and set large baking pan holding smaller vessel(s) in center of rack, then carefully pour hot water about halfway up the sides of flan vessel(s). Cover tightly with aluminum foil and poke several large holes in foil. If baking smaller individual flans, check and rotate after 10 minutes, then continue to rotate every 5 minutes. If baking one large flan, check and rotate after 30 minutes, then continue to rotate every 10 minutes, reducing time to every 5 minutes once flan begins to set around edges. Flan is done when edges are set but center is still quite jiggly, but not liquid. Remove from oven and immediately (and carefully) remove flan(s) from hot water to cool on rack. Once cooled to room temperature, loosely wrap with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
   
4. For the Pepitas: Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Evenly spread pepitas on a baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes—you will hear them popping in the oven and they will continue to do so once removed. While still hot, toss with salt to taste.
   
5. To Serve: If you made a large flan, get a serving platter or large plate with a bigger diameter than the pan you used. If you made individual flans, get as many plates as flans you will be serving. Run a paring knife around the edge of the baking vessel, being sure to scrape along the vessel so the flan edge isn't jagged. Invert platter or plate over flan and quickly but carefully flip the whole thing over so the flan rests upside down on the platter or plate. For a large flan, you can help it shimmy out by holding both the pan and the platter and giving it a couple firm shakes; for aluminum cups you can poke a tiny slit in the top to release it. You can tell it's out when caramel gushes out around the flan. Lift the pan or cup straight up. If any apple sticks to the pan, use a paring knife to gently pry it out and replace on flan(s). Garnish each slice or individual flan with pepitas.

Apple and Caramel Aged Gouda Crostata

Special equipment

food processor

Ingredients

serves makes one 9-inch crostata, active time 1 hour 30 minutes, total time 3 hours

• 5 medium Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples (11/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (3 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
•  
• Aged Gouda Cornmeal Crust
• 1 1/3 cups (6.65 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup (3 ounces) grated Aged Gouda
• 1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
• Caramel Sauce
• 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup warm heavy cream

Procedures

1. Make the Dough: Pulse the flour, cornmeal, and sugar in the processor bowl a few times to combine. Add the grated Gouda through the feed tube, continuing to pulse, then drop the pieces of butter through the feed tube, pulsing until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Slowly add 2 tablespoons water as you continue pulsing a few more times, then add more water if necessary; stop when the dough just starts to come together.
   
2. Make the Caramel Sauce: Put the sugar into a medium copper or heavy stainless steel saucepan and set over medium heat. Pour the cream and corn syrup into a small saucepan and set over medium-low heat.
   
3. As the sugar heats, you will see it start to melt around the edges and then turn golden in color, in 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula, nudge the sugar lightly on one side. You will see liquid caramel slowly move out from underneath the granular sugar. Very slowly start to move the sugar into the liquid caramel. Do not rush this process - if the caramel starts to look grainy, you are incorporating the sugar too quickly. If the caramel starts to smoke or get very dark, remove the pan from the heat until the smoking subsides, or lower the heat.
   
4. Meanwhile, watch the cream: You want it to come to a boil when the sugar reaches the liquid caramel stage, so adjust the timing accordingly by raising or lowering the heat under the cream (if the cream comes to a boil too early, just remove it from the heat).
   
5. When the sugar has completely melted and is dark amber in color, remove from the heat and pour in the cream - it will bubble substantially. When the caramel has settled down, stir the ingredients together until smooth. Add the butter and salt and stir until smooth, about 30 seconds.
   
6. Pour the hot caramel into a heatproof jar or container and let cool completely.
   
7. The caramel sauce can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Bring to room temperature or reheat gently before serving.
   
8. Make the pie:Line a 13-by-18-by-1-inch baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner. Mix the apple slices with the brown sugar in a medium bowl.
   
9. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator and place on a floured cool surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 13-inch circle: Start from the center of the dough and roll outward, rotating the dough 2 to 3 inches after each roll—this will help create a true circle. After every four to five rolls, run a large offset spatula under the dough to release it from the work surface. Add a little flour to the surface, rolling pin, and/or dough if the dough sticks or becomes difficult to roll. Transfer the dough to the lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
   
10. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Arrange the apples on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border all around: overlap the apple slices as you arrange them in concentric circles, working from the outside in until you reach the center. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the apples.
    
11. Lift one side of the dough over the apples and press it down over the fruit, making 5 or 6 large pleat folds. Then continue around the crostata, pressing the pleats so they adhere. Refrigerate the crostata until the crust is cold and firm to the touch, about 15 minutes.
    
12. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the fleur de sel over the fruit. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let the crostata cool completely on the baking sheet, then, using an offset spatula, transfer to a serving platter.
    
13. The crostata can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Cake

Special equipment

9-inch springform pan

Ingredients

serves makes one 9-inch cake, active time 15 minutes, total time 1 hour 30 minutes

• For Cake:
• 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounce) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 3/4 cup (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pound Cortland, Macintosh, or Gala baking apples (about 4), peeled, cored, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
•  
• For Topping:
• 2 tablespoons butter, very soft (see note)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Procedures

1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
   
2. Whisk butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until creamy. Whisk in eggs, one by one, then yogurt and applesauce until combined.
   
3. Add flour, baking powder, and cinnamon to bowl and stir with whisk until just combined. Spread batter into pan and smooth the top.
   
4. Fan apples out on top of batter. Brush softened butter on top of apples. In the same unwashed bowl that contained the batter, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle over apples.
   
5. Bake until edges are golden, apples have softened and center is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool in pan 20 minutes, then remove sides of pan to cool.