The Anytimes and the Nevers

For anyone who cook, there are these ‘anytimes’ which you will not hesitate to put on the table.  Then again, there are these ‘nevers’ which you will not attempt in your wildest dream.

Apple pie was one of my nevers. Why?

Well, cos’ it’s too ang moh (westernized).
Er, cos’ I don’t have sweet tooth.
Even the better half didn’t think is our family thingy.

Until… “Mum, we had peach pie at school today and it was AWESOME!!’

So here I am … don’t we all slave around our children??

 

I used Ramsay’s sweet piecrust recipe but I think any basic recipe would work.  The critical step is to use cold butter, mix roughly and not blend, with flour. If you sieve the mixture (before adding liquid), you should be able to collect the butter bits. That’s how it should be; if you like crumbly crust, that is.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you pre-bake the crust?? Most recipes say no, few say yes. I didn’t do it this time but will try doing that next time since I want a saucier filling; crumbly crust baked with caramelized butter/sugar. Yumm… I can picture that anytime.  Oh, prick the crust before baking ya, cos I forgot and the base was puffing like a little bad wolf in the oven and I didn’t have my red hoodie on … darn …

Peach is not in season, so I used apples. I had an outrageously under filled pie, cos’ I was in this smart Alec halving mode. Anyway, I choose to learn and forget.  But the apples thought otherwise, they shrunk so very much in the skillet! A classic case of 屋漏偏逢连夜雨 (broken roof meets many rainy nights). I got myself a super-duper hallow apple pie.  Oh God, just let me die ...  

 

 

 

 

The apples were kinda over caramelized a little.  It was still yummy but bit dry for a pie, good for salad I guess.  So, I am telling you: maintain the sauce, transfer the apple AND the sauce into the pie crust. 

The ingredients for the fillings can range from twelve to three, from recipe to recipe.  I am an ex-perfectionist, that means just nice; no extra, no shortage but just nice.

Translation? – I didn’t have all the twelve ingredients in the kitchen without having to run to the supermart.
Conclusion? – Just nice always end up with shortage.  Make sense ?!
 

So, I picked this. I added a quarter stick of cinnamon and skipped the lemon juice; apple is citric enough for me.  I think 8 medium size apples will be a good stuffed pie don’t you think??