Pie Dough Recipe

- 2 balls of dough, enough for 2 single-crust or 1 double-curst (9-inch) pie

- 3 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 tablespoon sugar

- 1 teaspoon fine salt

- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

- ¾ cup ice cold water

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss the cubes in the flour mixture to coat. Put the mixture in the bowl of a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the pieces of butter are the size of hazelnuts.

2. While pulsing in quick, 4-second bursts, drizzle the ice water into the food processor through the feed tube. As soon as the dough comes together in a ball, remove it from the food processor

3. Divide it into two equal balls. Flatten to a disk and wrap each disk first in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the disks until firm, about 1 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.)

Cherry Pie How-To

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, grease the cupcake tin generously. Roll out the pie dough and cut out using round cookie cutter. Transfer to cupcake tin.

2. Spoon the pie filling into each mini pie crust, do not over fill. Top each of mini pies with the remaining pie dough.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

The ever so pretty and cute and adorable cake balls made them with Tiffany blue icing. These make a good wedding dessert or finger food. I used the magnolia bakery red velvet cake recipe for the cake and colored white chocolate compound with Tiffany blue food color for the coating. I’m absolutely sure that this kind of blue, white and chocolate are the cutest colors for wedding. And if not, its just inspiration for you to come up with your own color palette!

RED VELVET CAKE BALLS

cake recipe adapted from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp red food coloring
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 batch Creamy Vanilla Frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes).
To make the batter: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake the cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and brought to room temperature
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Beat cream cheese and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add butter, beating until incorporated after each addition.
Reduce speed to low. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, and beat until fluffy and smooth. Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature and stir well before using.

MAKE THE CAKE BALLS

Crumble the red velvet cake up into a large bowl. Add the cream cheese frosting and mix the cake and frosting together with your fingers. Roll the cake and frosting mixture into small bite sized balls. Heat up the candy coating a double boiler. Use a wooden skewer to dip the cake balls into the melted candy coating. Repeat this step for each of the red velvet cake balls. Let the cake balls dry completely on wax paper or chill in refrigerator.

Grilled Figs with Ice Cream

A simple, delicious end of season dessert. A touch of brown sugar, pungent balsamic vinegar, and fruity olive oil give a bit of sophistication to this rustic dish

1 pint figs, halved

1/4 cup brown sugar

olive oil

good balsamic vinegar

vanilla ice cream

To make, just rub a little brown sugar into the figs and grill them over high heat until caramelized and they have grill marks (about 2-3 minutes). Serve on top of vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of fruity olive oil (rather than a sharp, grassy variety) and some good balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Photo art by Abby

Post by Dujour Food Editor Claire

Halloween weekend, yay! I’m planning on having a picnic tomorrow, and I wished for a Halloween themed picnic but my friends want a colorful picnic. Being a good friend and picnic sucker I am, I’m going with the colorful picnic. Oh well. Okay, enough about the picnic, I’m so excited about the recipe I have to share so lets get down to this spiced apple tart! The original recipe was a Normandy apple tart from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home To Yours book, but my family and I cannot have an apple dessert without that hint of cinnamon or spice. Is it the same for you? So I added about 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon to the applesauce and another dash of ground cinnamon to the egg wash. Now if you are a non-spiced apple lover you can just follow the original recipe and use vanilla. The tart crust on the other hand, is a different story, its really good, its almost overshadows the whole apple tart itself. I don’t know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Its perfectly crumby and shortbread-y, just perfect. Love it!

SPICED APPLE TART

adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s

Pate Sablee
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoon butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk

Apllesauce
2 pounds baking apples, such as Empire, Cortland, McIntosh, or Pippin
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon light brown sugar (I omit this)
1-4 tablespoons sugar to taste
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Topping
2 medium-sized, firm apples, such as Golden Delicious.
1 egg for egg wash (loosely whisk with a dash of ground cinnamon)
1/3 cup orange preserves

FOR THE APPLESAUCE:
1 Peel and core the apples, and cut into smallish chunks. Place into a 3 quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Add in the water, ground cinnamon and brown sugar, and stir to combine.
Cover the saucepan and cook the apples over the medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure none of the apples scorch.
If the water seems to be boiling away too quickly, you can add in a little more. Over about 20-30 minutes, the apples should start reducing and softening in the bubbling water. Don’t leave the pan unattended for too long or the water could boil over or the apples burn.
2. When the apples are soft enough to be mashed with a spoon, remove the pan from heat. Scrape the apples into a food processor and blend quickly to turn into applesauce – don’t process too long or you’ll liquefy the apples. The applesauce should still be thick.
Taste and add sugar to taste – traditionally this applesauce is not meant to be very sweet, but you can add at your discretion.
3. Pour the applesauce into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface, and refrigerate until it is no longer warm before using. You can keep the applesauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

FOR THE TART SHELL:
1. Put the flour, confectioner’s sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the pieces of cold butter and pulse until the butter is cut into pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk and combine in several pulses until the dough starts to turn from dry to clumpy. Do not let the dough form one giant ball or it will be be overworked – just keep checking after every pulse and when the dough pieces looks like they will stick when you press them together, stop.
2. Butter a 9-in tart tin with removable bottom. Turn the dough out into the tin and press into the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. You probably will not need all the dough – save the extra for patching the shell after you bake it. Do not press the dough too hard or it will become tough – just enough for it to form to the tin.
Freeze the tart shell for at least 30 minutes. When you are ready to bake it, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. To partially bake the tart shell, take a piece of foil and butter the shiny side, then press the buttered side tightly to the shell. You do not need pie weights. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, until the shell is dry and lightly colored. If any places have cracked, repair with the extra dough. Let cool on a rack until room temperature.

BAKING THE APPLE TART:
1. When you are ready to finish the tart, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill the tart shell with the applesauce almost to the top of the crust and smooth the top. Place the tart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.
2.Peel and core the two apples. Cut each apple in half and then again lengthwise. Cut each apple quarter into about 7 slices – they will be quite thin.
Arrange the apple slices over the top of the applesauce in a pleasing pattern. I found that the apple slices shrink a bit while baking so be sure the edges overlap the tart crust and each other enough.
3. Make a egg wash by beating the egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush the egg wash over the apple slices.
4. Bake the tart in the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes. The applesauce will puff up a little bit and the apples slices will turn golden and slightly burnt at the edges. When the apple slices are soft enough to be pierced by the tip of knife, you can take out the tart.
5. Remove the tart and let cool on a wire rack. If you’d like to glaze the top of the tart, mix the orange preserves with a teaspoon of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Brush the glaze lightly over the top of the tart.

Introducing our latest blog column by foodie guru, Claire! She is the latest edition to the Dujour team, and will giddily find herself at home in the food editorial department. Claire will be coming to us every week with her quick fix 30 second videos and recipes that any Dujour girl or guy can do at home quicker than you can say Miu Miu. So what are you waiting for? Press play and feast!

GETTIN KITCHY with Claire

Crusted French Toast

Cornflake Crusted French Toast

1 brioche loaf, sliced into one inch slices3 eggs

2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups corn flakes

Beat together the eggs, milk, and spices. Crush the cornflakes with a rolling pin. Dunk the bread in the egg/milk mixture and place it on top of the cornflakes. Pat the bread down, flip, and pat again. Place the coated bread into a well greased pan heated over medium heat and cook until browned on both sides. Plate with butter and syrup and devour.

I know caramel apple, its sticky and addicting. But candy apple is new for me, my friend went to Germany last summer and she posted picture of a candy apple she had there. I thought it was a red caramel apple (silly! I know!) but then she explained that it was a candy, solid rock hard candy covered apple and it was really good, she told me.

I Googled candy apple and found that it is really easy to make one, just have a candy thermometer ready and you are all set for candy apples. Okay, maybe a good apple also, I went with royal gala apples, because I like them. It took me only 30 minutes to have the candy apples ready, so, yes, it’s a dead easy sugary treat. I think this recipe is perfect for those who celebrate Halloween, pack the candy apple in a clear cellophane bag and color the candy with the usual Halloween colors like purple, orange or even black. I’ll definitely make these again for Halloween with those colors.

CANDY APPLES

adapted via Martha Stewart
makes 6 medium or 12 mini candy apples

Ingredients

* Unsalted butter, for parchment paper
* 2 cups sugar
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup
* 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring, (optional)
* 6 medium apples, or 12 lady apples

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; butter parchment, and set aside. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, 3/4 cup water, corn syrup, and food coloring, if using. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-high. Insert candy thermometer and continue to boil until temperature reaches between 300 degrees and 310 degrees (hard crack stage), about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, insert a wooden stick into the top of each apple, pushing about halfway through; set aside. When mixture reaches temperature, immediately remove from heat. Working quickly, dip apples in sugar mixture until completely coated. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; allow to cool.