My, Oh My...That Pie!

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

You've seen this recipe here before but it's worth another appearance. My friend Missy pointed me toward this Southern Living recipe a couple of years ago. If Missy says it's good, it's good. I made it right after she told me about it. Since then I've made it a few more times. My son-in-law made it twice over the holidays. It's that good. And it's that easy.

It also looks impressive. I had my book club friends here for lunch this week. Carol brought soup and corn muffins. Sarah brought cheese, fruit and crackers to nibble on as the girls arrived. And my job was to provide dessert. The seven of us take turns with the food. When they walked in my front door, our house smelled divine. All that cinnamon! 

This is ridiculously easy to make considering the showy result. The hardest part is peeling and slicing four pounds of apple. My mix of apples was what I had in the refrigerator—Macintosh, Red Delicious, a couple of Galas and one lone Granny Smith. That was fine.

I had a friend watching as I made it. She looked at the big bowl of sliced apples, shook her head and told me, "They're never going to fit into that pan." Although I didn't tell her, I wasn't sure they were going to fit either. But I kept piling them up high, tucking them in along the sides. I wish I had made a "before" photo. But they cook down into a normal size pie.

You might need to scoop it out. One time I actually got slices. Either way, it's delicious.

EASY SKILLET APPLE PIE

4 lbs apples, half Granny Smith & half Braeburn or Macintosh

good squeeze of lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 box refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts per box)

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350º. Peel and slice apples into 1/2 inch slices. Squeeze lemon juice over apples and toss.  Then toss apples with cinnamon, 3/4 cup sugar and pinch of salt.

Melt butter in 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until sugar is melted. Remove from heat and place one pie crust on top of butter mixture. Spoon apples over pie crust. Top with remaining pie crust. (I didn't try to crimp the edges because the pan is hot. Just tuck in anything that hangs over.) 

Whisk egg white until foamy and brush over crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut slits in the top crust so the steam can escape. 

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. If the crust is browning too quickly, shield with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Cool for 30 minutes before serving. And y'all...it begged for a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

PS...I slid a pizza pan onto the rack under the pie as it baked. Only one tiny drip. But better than it landed on the pan.

A Week Of Family And Food

Summer supper—pork tenderloin, orzo spinach salad, grilled corn, sautéed apples.

What a week! We had Little Lady and her mama and daddy in residence here at the farm for a whole week. We had not seen her in far too long. Last time we saw her in person, she barely had hair, she wasn't walking, and she had maybe four teeth. Now you can see the curly hair. And she walking AND talking. (Some words that you could understand, many words that we can understand.) And has too many teeth to count. 

We caught up on things that Mimi does best. Like reading books, snuggling....

...making music, singing songs (Wheels On The Bus is a fav)...

...and spending time on the porch.

Little Lady explored the farm as she waddled over every inch of the front and back yards.

And she got her first tractor ride with Daddy-O.  

That was a big hit! 

Mimi worked a little magic on the christening gown. 

Because of the pandemic, we are having a christening a year later than we planned. 

Thankfully the gown still fit—except around the neck. 

I added ribbon so that we can tie to fit instead of using the traditional gold pins.

It's going to be quiet here this week without those little feet pattering around the house. But we are thankful for the family time we enjoyed. Family time outside around the farm and family time around the table as we shared meals and stories. Here is the menu for one of those meals:

Because my friends have said they liked having recipes for an entire menu in one post, I'm adding another set. I cooked many meals—so many meals—while they were here, but this dinner was the favorite. All recipes we have used before but this combination is worth recording. We grilled the pork tenderloin and the corn, but both of those can be done in the oven. We've done it both ways.

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There are so many good ways to cook pork tenderloin. There are several recipes here on the blog. But hands down, this is our family's favorite. For us, it's one of those never-fail recipes.

BOURBON MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN

2-1/2 lb. pork tenderloins (usually one package contains 2 tenderloins and is about this weight)
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 

Pat tenderloins dry. Combine soy sauce and remaining ingredients in a gallon ziploc plastic freezer bag or shallow dish. Add tenderloins. Seal bag or cover dish and chill 4-12 hours. Turn once or twice while they marinate. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400 to 500 degrees) for 30 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat reads 155 degrees, turning occasionally. Remove from heat; cover with aluminum foil and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees.
 

It's also good cooked in the oven, if you don't have a grill, or if it's raining, 
Put tenderloins in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until thermometer reaches 155-160 degrees. Let rest before serving.

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We absolutely love this dish! If there is an issue with feta in your household, you can sub crumbled goat cheese like we did this time.

ORZO SPINACH SALAD

1/2  box (16-oz) orzo, cooked according to package directions
1/2 bag (5-oz) baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/3 cup chopped red onion (use the amount that you want)
4-oz. container crumbled feta cheese (or crumbled goat cheese)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper (I used a few grinds of fresh pepper)

While orzo is cooking, mix the dressing--oil, vinegar, basil, pepper. Set aside.
Drain orzo thoroughly when done. Stir in chopped onion, spinach and feta. Whisk dressing again. Pour dressing over the pasta and mix to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

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The corn was perfect with this supper.  Daddy-O started it on the grill about 15 minutes before he put on the tenderloin. It all was done at the same time.

GRILLED CORN

fresh ears of corn, shucked and cleaned

Lawry's seasoning salt (or your favorite seasoning)

black pepper

Place an ear of corn on a sheet of foil. Add a couple of pats of butter, sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper. Roll it up tightly, twisting the ends so the butter doesn't leak out.

Put corn on medium grill, not directly over the heat, for 30 minutes. Close lid of grill. Turn corn in quarter-turns as it cooks. 

You can also put the wrapped corn in a preheated oven, 350º-ish, for 30 minutes. It won't have the brown color that you get from grilling but it's as delicious. Jessica says that if she also is baking another dish at 375º or 400º, she slides the corn in with it at that temp.

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I just realized I've never put the directions for sautéed apples here on the blog. It's a family favorite. It was one of those things I would make these when I needed one more things on the plate. 

All of these amounts are approximate. Just used the number of apples you have. Or the number you need to feed the crowd around your table. Make the butter and sugar match. Like I said, these are more "directions" instead of a "recipe."

SAUTEED APPLES

6 apples, peeled and sliced

1-2 tablespoons butter

1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

ground cinnamon

a little water

Melt butter in skillet. Add sliced apples and stir to coat. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Add a little water. (The apples will release some liquid as they cook.) Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are as tender as you like them. I turned them low and put the lid on this time, to cook a little slower. 

The butter and brown sugar cook down to make a nice glaze. I don't use very much of either, although you can make it as buttery and sugary as you want to. 

Last Minute Recipes

I'm sitting here in my pajamas, before the sun comes up, making my final shopping list. It's grown since that one I started last week. I realized that my pumpkin pie recipe has never been posted here. And then while looking for that one, I came across the baked fruit recipe. Same thing for the cake recipe. I'm posting them here today to make them easier for me to find. This blog has become my own "recipe box." You might find these easy recipes useful, too.

There was a time when everyone was happy to get a new recipe without a photo. So I'm going old school and sharing them without a picture. There were no pictures when I originally put them into the family cookbook. But I've made them all. And they are good.

Now, back to my Thanksgiving preparations. Good luck with yours.

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Before Mommy could cook much, she could make this fruit dish. I think even in college she would take this to covered dish dinners. I've made it, too, several times. Don't turn your nose up at canned fruit—because that means no peeling! How easy is this? That makes it a good last minute choice. Perfect for times when you need just one more dish.

SPICED FRUIT COMPOTE

1 (17-oz.) can apricot halves

1 (16-oz.) can peach halves

2 (8 ½ oz.) cans pear halves

1 (15 ¼ oz.) can pineapple chunks

1 (6 oz.) jar maraschino cherries 

1 cup orange juice

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

1/8 tsp. mace

Drain all fruits.  Cut apricot, peach, and pear halves into half length-wise.  Combine fruit in a 8x12-in baking dish (2 qt.)

Combine orange juice and remaining ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Pour over fruit and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool.  

REMOVE CLOVES AND CINNAMON STICK BEFORE SERVING !

Can serve warm or cold.  Can refrigerate covered for up to 2 days.

This baked fruit dish is delicious and it's pretty on the table. If you are carrying it to another house for dinner, wrap it carefully. There is a lot of liquid that can slosh out.

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What's a Thanksgiving with pumpkin pie? Here is the recipe I've used many times. It's not fancy. Just good. I use a refrigerated pie crust put into my own pie plate.

THANKSGIVING PUMPKIN PIE

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 can (16 oz.) solid pack pumpkin

¾ cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk, undiluted

9-inch deep dish pie shell

Preheat oven to 425°.  Mix filling ingredients in order given.  Pour into pie shell.

Bake 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350° and continue baking for 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

This is one of my favorite desserts.  I played around with the recipe on the label of a can of Libby’s pumpkin.  The spices now suit my tastes and this pie is a little firmer than the original, so it cuts better. (I’ve used this recipe a long time---just realized that pumpkin now comes in 15 oz. cans.  It still works.)

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While not a last-minute recipe, it's one that can be made the day before...one last thing to make the "day of." Son-in-law said the first time he tasted this that it came pretty close to his grandmother's homemade version.  I can only handle this cake mix version on this busy weekend.

COCONUT CAKE

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Deluxe II yellow cake mix

  Bake according to directions in a 13x9x2-inch pan.

Topping:

2 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1 (6-oz.) pkg. frozen coconut

Bring to boil.  When cake comes from oven, spoon mixture over cake.  Insert knife in 6 or 8 places (or more) to allow mixture to penetrate.  Cover with foil and cool.

Frosting:

9 oz. Cool Whip

1 (6 oz.) pkg. frozen coconut

Spread 9 oz. Cool Whip over cooled cake and sprinkle with this 2nd package of frozen coconut.  Replace foil and leave in refrigerator about overnight before serving.

I got this recipe from cousin Audrey so long ago. Putting here so that all of the family can find it now.

Jam Session

Freezer Strawberry Jam

I've had many a jam session with fellow musicians over the years. But while I was visiting Jessica, we had our own "jam session." We made a batch of jam using some of the strawberries I took her. (The U-pick strawberry farm is a neighbor to our farm.)

I really hate to admit that after all the years I worked as a home economist, answering questions of all sorts about food preservation, I had never actually made jam myself. We thought we would make the regular kind of jam, but after a survey of her kitchen equipment, we changed plans and made freezer jam instead. No big pot for a water bath needed!

We looked up multiple recipes for freezer jam. Nearly all of them were exactly the same. It only takes four cups of berries so the prep was quick work.

We wondered if you could even buy canning jars in the city. But when we bought the last case at the store, we figured that everyone in Atlanta must be making jam.

We discovered that freezer jam is a brighter red than traditional jam because the fruit isn't cooked. We had to sample the jam before the standing time was complete. Our finished jam is still a little soft, but it's so delicious. It was perfect with the toast made from bread bought at the farmers market.

FREEZER STRAWBERRY JAM

4 cups (1 quart) strawberries, cut in half
4 cups sugar
3/4 cups water
1 package (1-3/4 oz) powdered fruit pectin, like Sure-Jell

Mash strawberries with potato masher or in food processor until slightly chunky (not pureed) 
to make 2 cups crushed strawberries. 

Mix strawberries and sugar in large bowl. Let stand at room temperature  
at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix water and pectin in 1-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. 
Pour hot pectin mixture over strawberry mixture; stir constantly 3 minutes

Immediately spoon mixture into freezer containers (we used wide-mouth canning jars,) 
leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe rims of containers; seal. Let stand at room temperature, 
about 24 hours or until set.

Store in freezer up to 6 months or in refrigerator up to 3 weeks. Thaw frozen jam and stir before serving.

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This is a great first jam recipe. It takes only about 30 minutes to make it. We got 5 half-pint jars of jam, plus a smaller amount for sampling.

A few things I think might have helped:

Have the strawberries at room temp before starting. Ours had been in the refrigerator and it was harder for the sugar to dissolve.

I wish I had left bigger pieces in the mashed berries. It said "slightly chunky" but that is subject to interpretation. I think I was close to having strawberry jelly!

Add the pectin to the water gradually, stirring as you pour it in to help it dissolve easily.

Stir the sugar/strawberry mix until the sugar has dissolved (or nearly dissolved) before stirring in the hot pectin. You can stir longer than three minutes after adding the pectin, if necessary.

I brought a jar to Mommy's house. She had it for breakfast this morning and said, "It's thumbs up for the jam!" I will make this again for sure. I want to see if following my "might have helped" ideas make much difference in the end result. Just remember, that because the recipe is really only strawberries and sugar, that it will be completely edible and totally delicious any way it turns out.

Ozark Pie

I am at the bottom of the apple basket. Finally. There were just a few small apples left yesterday, not enough for another apple pie. (Daddy-O's favorite apple dessert.) But I remembered this recipe that came from my sister over 30 years ago. It only needs one cup of chopped apple. I had enough apples to make this!

This recipe for Ozark Pie is not exactly a pie. If you do a Google search for this recipe, you'll see it called Ozark Pudding, too—and it isn't a pudding either. It has a wonderful crispy/chewy texture. It's a great dessert for the small amount of effort required.

Mommy ate it for breakfast. Yep, I baked this first thing in the morning while Baby Girl was asleep. Breakfast dessert. There is such a thing, isn't there? Mommy said she could have eaten it all. I do believe she stopped with two pieces.

The batter part of this dish is very stiff. I kind of had to pat it out into the dish. It bakes up with a crackled, crispy crust. It is delicious warm, but if you want neater slices, let it cool first. Next time I think I will use baking spray instead of regular PAM. 

I have no idea how this Ozark recipe came to my sister here in the deep South so many years ago—back before the internet and Pinterest and Google and food blogs from around the country. But we are happy it did. 

OZARK PIE

1 large egg

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup diced apple

1 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg. Add sugar and beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. (I just whisk it together instead of sifting.) Stir into egg/sugar mix. Blend well. Fold in apples, nuts and vanilla. Pour into well-greased 9-inch pie plate. 

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Applesauce

I am almost to the bottom of the basket of apples. (Bless you, roaming deer for eating the rest.) Thank goodness. I figured making applesauce would be a good way to use up a lot of apples. I've been making applesauce for years and have never given a thought to needing a recipe. But if you look up applesauce recipes online, there are a gazillion ways people make it. Most are fancier than my plain version. In my mind, applesauce is just cooked apples, mashed up. But fresh, homemade applesauce—even this plain kind—is better than bought and easy enough to make in minutes.

This is great when you're in a hurry; when you need to use those last apples before they ruin; when you have a little one at your house and want to make a "treat." Little Sister had a dish of this for lunch and declared it, "Yummy!" 

Here is my "no recipe" recipe. You can do with whatever number of apples you have. (I might have four apples. I might have eight apples.) Sometimes I add cinnamon. But usually I'll stick to this very basic way of making it.

APPLESAUCE

apples, peeled and sliced into a saucepan

enough water to go about 1/3 of the way up the apples (don't cover them with water)

a squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

a little sugar to taste, if the apples are tart

Bring apples and water to a boil. Lower heat and put lid on the pan. Cook about 15-20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Watch the apples and add a little more water if needed. Or, remove the lid and cook a few more minutes, if necessary, to let the excess water cook out. If you have too much water left, dip some out. You don't want watery applesauce.

Mash apples with a fork or a potato masher until you get the texture you like. (I like mine chunky. Little Sister likes it smooth.)  Taste and add a spoonful of sugar if it needs it. 

UPDATE:  Today at lunch Little Sister pushed her dish of applesauce away and told me she didn't like it. I asked why she didn't since yesterday she loved it. She told me, "I don't like this applesauce—it has APPLES in it!" Guess this dish wasn't as smooth as the big spoonful she ate yesterday.  :-)

An Apple A Day

 I am still working my way through the basket of apples that Daddy-O and Little Sister picked. I only have a couple of days left to use them before they thrown out in the field. This apple crisp is my most used apple recipe in the last 30 years. I have made it so many, many times. I usually think of it as a fall or winter dessert but these apples were ready to be picked in the heat of summer.

Many of the apples from our trees and tomatotes from the garden would not win any beauty contest, but if you have the patience to peel and cut around the spots, they are delicious. In fact, there is a huge marketing campaign by a large supermarket in France to sell ugly fruit and vegetables at much cheaper prices than their beautiful fruit and veggie siblings. The ugly fruit is normally thrown away, often as it's picked. Because we have been conditioned to want the perfect fruit. All that food thrown away while people are hungry. Or, they are struggling with their food budget. That's just sad.

The marketing campaign is called "Inglorious Fruits & Vegetables." You can google it to read about it. Or, for one short article that quickly explains the basics, click the link below. Take a couple of minutes to watch the video. These folks are geniuses!

http://theoptimist.com/inglorious-fruits-vegetables-big-hit-france/

This recipe is a healthier choice than apple pie. (Especially if you leave off the ice cream.) Not much sugar. Not much butter. And it has whole grains in the oatmeal. Next time I think I'll use white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose.

APPLE CRISP

Topping:
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons cold butter

Filling:
5 cups peeled & sliced apples
1/4 to 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients, except butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into other ingredients until mixture is crumbly. (This can be done ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake.)

Spray and 8-inch baking pan with PAM. Mix apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour into pan. Sprinkle topping mix over apples.

Bake in preheated oven, 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Can top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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Keeping It Simple

Things here are settling down as everyone adjusts to a new routine—one that involves a new baby. (Please let the 3:30 AM feeding pass quickly.) I love watching Little Sister care for her "baby" as she watches her mommy tend to Baby Girl. My own help is being needed less and less. I actually have a date for my return to the farm. But I will miss all of the girls here. Even the Bitty Baby!

Part of my grandmother duties while here helping out this young family has been getting supper on the table. Last night Mommy pulled a Pork Tenderloin with Herb Rub from the freezer. I just needed to make side dishes. Preferably without making another trip to the store. 

When I checked the pantry, I saw a can of pineapple chunks and I though about this recipe. Although I had not made it in years, I remembered how good it was. This used to be standard at covered dish dinners. Maybe it's time for a come-back. 

My photo is not terrific because I didn't think about making one until after supper. This one little bowl full was all that was left after everyone had seconds.

BAKED PINEAPPLE

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 (20-oz) can of pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve some of the juice)

3 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice

1/2 cup crushed Ritz cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 1 quart baking dish. (Mine was 6 x 9-inches)

In a bowl, stir together sugar and flour, then stir in cheese. Add the drained pineapple chunks and stir until well mixed. Pour into baking dish.

In another bowl, combine cracker crumbs, melted butter and reserved pineapple juice. Stir gently until combined. Spread crumb mixture over pineapple mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

This can be easily doubled.

When Mommy is fully in charge of meals in a couple of weeks, she can add this easy recipe to her repertoire. She's going to need every trick in the book to get supper on the table for a while. She is already good about cooking double and freezing a meal for later. Hopefully she will find other easy recipes here on my blog. It's one way I can help from afar.

It's All About The Color

I woke up this morning to this beautiful sunrise. I never get tired of watching the morning sky. Yesterday it was just solid gray. It stayed that way most of the day. We got an inch of rain. But this morning the clouds had cleared. I like the gray sky, too, but the color-filled sky always makes me smile.

Yesterday I was the substitute teacher at church for the children's program. This month it's a "kids in the kitchen" theme. We read the story about Joseph and his multicolor coat and talked about family jealousy. They all seemed to understand that! 

Our food project was making fruit kabobs with lots of colors to remind them of the Bible story. Can't go wrong with food on a stick. And we made a wonderful dip for the fruit, too. When they were done, I wanted a photo so that I could share the dip recipe. And then they started a chorus of, "Hey! Make a picture of mine, too."

"Is this okay?"

"Do we have to eat the dip?"

"Hey! It matches my shirt."

The dip recipe was given to me by a local caterer when I was still working as a home economist. I've used it for over 30 years for many baby and bridal showers. It's so good and so easy. The kids at church made it completely by themselves. Not sure why we never make it just to enjoy at home. It can turn fresh fruit into dessert.

MALLOW FRUIT DIP

1 (7-oz.) jar marshmallow crème

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (leave out at room temperature until soft)

1 tbsp. grated orange rind

Dash of ground ginger

Gradually add marshmallow crème to softened cream cheese, mixing until well blended.  Stir in orange rind and ginger.

Serve with fresh fruits, such as strawberries, apple or pear wedges, bananas and grapes. 

(Don’t forget to use Fruit Fresh or lemon juice to keep apples, pears and bananas from turning dark.)