baking

As American As…

homemade apple pie
~ flyingtomato ~ Leave a comment

Apple pie, of course.

I once disliked pie. Or at least, I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. Cream and custard pies were OK because the crust served as transport for the goodness within. Fruit pies–meh. A lot of people and restaurants use pre-made flavorless (or worse, freezer-tasting) shells, and a lot of the homemade crusts I’d sampled were tough, underbaked, overbaked–just not good. I could never understand why “pie and coffee” was such a thing–especially if you could have cake instead.

And then, one fateful year, a friend who grew up on a farm in Iowa brought a homemade pie to a birthday celebration. An apple pie. A LIFE-CHANGING pie. At least, it changed my life. I went from thinking pie was inherently disappointing to knowing that pie can be…a revelation.

Before the evening was over, we had agreed to a skill trade. I offered to teach her how to use her pressure canner if she would teach me how to make THAT pie.

What I learned from that experience (aside from the recipe, which–sorry, I’m not going to publish) is what I like in a pie crust. Crispy, flaky, and yeah…just a little bit porky. Did I mention my friend is from Iowa?

Since then, I’ve decided that buying a chunk of lard from a local hog farmer and rendering it myself is totally worthwhile because I can freeze and wrap it in the 1/2 cup measure needed to make a double crust–which can be used for one apple pie or two single-crust pies. Or a pie and a quiche!

The crust mastered, I needed a source of apples.

I’ve planted apple trees just about everywhere I’ve ever lived…and then moved away from. But here in the canyon, we have an apple tree that sprung up years ago from a fluke of a seed washed downstream and embedded in the bank. It has been growing for a few decades now, occasionally throwing up a new trunk to replace the broken or dying main stem.

Beavers took out a part of it, and it has since been screened to prevent that kind of casualty. Two years ago in the late winter we topped it because so many of the apples were too far out of reach. This year it gave us another wonderful harvest. We don’t water it because it’s right by the water. Just this year it decided to start a new tree from its own roots about ten feet from the main trunk.

It’s kinda miraculous. Like a really good pie.

The apples it produces (a large crop biennially) are superb–crisp and sweet with a little tart edge that make them great for just about anything–fresh eating of course, but also the plain, unsweetened apple sauce I put up for my husband, apple butter sweetened with a touch of maple syrup we often give as gifts, and the homemade apple pie we both adore–he for dessert à la mode, and I for breakfast with slices of sharp cheddar cheese.

It’s sad there’s so much crappy pie in the world, and it seems like people don’t even realize how crummy it is. Maybe they had some really good pie once, and they’re always chasing–hoping to re-live that experience. Or maybe they just don’t know that there’s some truly amazing pie out there that could change their life…and probably spoil their appetite for the usual restaurant pie-and-coffee.

Cheddar Cheese Scones–Optimized!

~ flyingtomato ~ 2 Comments

I first discovered savory baked goods when I was in middle school. And the first savory baked good I ever made was a batch of cheddar cheese scones.

I can’t remember where the original recipe came from–I assume it was an old copy of Better Homes & Gardens magazine my mom had lying around. I brought that recipe to her, and she granted me permission (and I assume, help) to make them.

Fast forward a few decades and add in a recent trip to New Zealand–where cheese scones are ubiquitous–and I was again inspired to make this savory treat. But, having tasted several variations on both the North & South Island, my old recipe fell short of its remembered glory. Too dense, too floury, not cheesy enough. Cheddar-lead balloons!

It’s also possible that our home west of Rapid City has something to do with it. At 3,550 feet in elevation, I’ve found a lot of go-to baked good recipes have needed some tweaks. I started reading up on scone recipes and tips and mashing up recipes I’d found based on the direction I wanted my scones to go: more cheesy, less heavy, a more tender crumb.

Cheese scone at a Wellington, NZ Cafe
Pumpkin seed-cheese scone in Twizel, NZ

I wanted them to be tasty plain and room-temp (not optimal, but sometimes you need to pack a field lunch) but also split-able and toast-able in a slot toaster (because that’s what we have) without crumbling to bits. I’m pleased to report that after multiple batches (and my dear one possibly near to crying “Uncle!”), I’ve gotten to a basic cheddar scone recipe that I’m really happy with.

Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on your altitude, humidity, and tastes. But give this a try! I think it’s great.

Cheddar Cheese Scones

  • 3 cups pastry flour
  • 2 TB baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf, crumbled
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaf, crumbled
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder
  • 6 TB cold butter
  • 1 3/4 – 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (plus a little extra for sprinkling tops)
  • 1 TB prepared Dijon or grainy mustard
  • 1 1/4 cups half-and-half or milk

Directions: Place all dry ingredients (including dried seasonings) into a food processor and pulse to blend. Then, cut cold butter into chunks, add to processor, and pulse again (briefly! you want some pea-sized bits). You can, of course, do this step the old-fashioned way without a machine.

Dump the flour mix into a bowl and stir in the shredded cheese. Add the prepared mustard and half-and-half or milk and stir to create a shaggy dough. Dump out on the counter and fold/push together gently to incorporate all the bits–patting out into a rectangle about 1 1/2″ thick.

Use a knife or pastry cutter to divide into 8 or 10 pieces and place them on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Brush the tops with half-and-half (or milk) & sprinkle with a little cheese. Now, put the sheet in the fridge while you pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. When it’s hot, slide the pan out of the fridge and into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes til golden brown.

Notes to know:

It’s absolutely worth it to use pastry flour. A lot of scone recipes I’ve seen (and tried) call for all-purpose, but you’ll get a much more tender crumb with the lower protein content of pastry flour. That said, if you’re jones-ing for a scone and don’t have pastry flour, try it with all-purpose. Just be gentle with the dough–don’t knead it because you’ll make the end product tough.

Cayenne pepper doesn’t make the scones spicy, but it really contributes to the depth of flavor through some mystical alchemy with the cheddar.

I buy fairly inexpensive “sharp-ish” cheddar in a block and grate it fresh for this recipe. I’ve seen recipes warn against using pre-shredded due to the coating they put on that stuff to keep it from sticking together in the bag. I’m not really certain how much of a difference that would make, but it’s cheaper by the block anyhow.

This recipe, as simple and delicious as it is, is begging for variations like green chilies or caramelized onions or bacon or scallions or…whatever you like. I’d recommend adding those wet ingredients right after mixing in the cheese (which could also be changed up). If you want to vary the dried herbs, add with dry ingredients.

Enjoy! And let me know how it turns out for you.