Colonial Times Apple Cranberry Pie With Cornmeal Crust Recipes

APPLE CRANBERRY PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal mixed with pea-sized bits of cold butter. (If the butter gets too soft, refrigerate the mixture for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Use a fork to stir in the egg and water mixture until the dough just comes together. (If the dough is dry, add up to 1 tablespoon more cold water.) Divide the dough into two equal-sized disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: Peel, halve and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 wedges and place in a bowl with the lemon juice and cranberries, tossing to combine. Add the sugar and toss again to combine evenly.
• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the apple mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low, cooking until the apples soften and release most of their juices and the cranberries have burst, about 7 minutes.
• Strain the apple mixture into a colander set over the bowl, shaking it to collect as much of the juice as possible. Pour the liquid back into the skillet, add the cinnamon and ginger, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Return the reduced juice and the apple mixture to the bowl and toss to recombine. Chill the filling until it cools completely, at least an hour and up to 2 days.
• To assemble the pie: On a lightly floured surface, roll each disk into an 11- to 12-inch circle. Lay each dough circle between two pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
• Place a baking sheet on a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish with one of the dough discs and trim it to leave a 1/2-inch overhang on all sides. Stir the cornstarch into the filling and add it to the pan.
• Use a chef's knife, pizza cutter or fluted dough cutter to cut the second round into 1/2-inch thick strips. Lay strips of dough, evenly spaced, across the entire pie. Weave more strips of dough perpendicular through the previous strips to make a lattice or basket weave design across the entire pie. Trim the excess ends from the strips of dough. Pinch the bottom crust edge and lattice edge together, and flute the edge as desired. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet until the crust is golden, 50 to 60 minutes. If the edges begin to brown too fast, cover them with strips of aluminum foil. Let the pie cool 1 hour before serving. Once completely cooled, the pie keeps well at room temperature (covered) for 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

BLUEBERRY PIE WITH A CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Make the crust: blend flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and shortening, then pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons ice water and blend until dough forms a ball, adding more ice water, a half-tablespoon at a time (up to 2 additional tablespoons), if dough is dry. Divide dough in half, flatten into two round disks, wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, make the filling: whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon zest. Fold in 4 cups blueberries, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water. Let stand at room temperature about 45 minutes until juices form. Gently fold in the remaining 2 cups blueberries.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out one dough round. Transfer rolled-out dough to a 9-inch pie pan and fill with blueberry mixture. Roll out the second dough round, then use it to cover the pie, decoratively crimping together dough edges to seal. Score top crust with a knife so pie can vent. Brush with milk and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
• Place pie pan on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 35 minutes more. Spoon any escaped juices onto pie. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before serving.

COLONIAL TIMES APPLE-CRANBERRY PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• For Crust:.
• Mix first 5 ingredients in a food processor.
• Add shortening and cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Blend in enough buttermilk by tablespoons to form dough that clumps together.
• Gather dough into a ball;divide in half.
• Flatten each half into a disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap; chill 45 minutes.
• (Can make 1 day ahead).
• For filling:.
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
• Coarsely chop cranberries with sugar and pumpkin pie spice in food processor;transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• Add apples.currants, and flour and toss well.
• Roll out 1 dough disk between sheets of waxed paper to a 13 inch round, peel off top sheet of paper and invert dough into a 9 1/2 inch diameter deep-dish glass pie dish;peel off paper.
• Fold under overhanging dough to form a double-thick edge;crimp edges.
• Using acorn, leaf or shape of your choice cookie cutters, cut out shapes.
• Using a knife, mark veins in leaves or add other decorative touches.
• Slightly mound filling in pie dish.
• Arrange dough shapes around edges of pie and all over top, overlapping decoratively.
• Brush pastry all over with buttermilk.
• Place pie on baking sheet (I line it with heavy-duty foil for ease in clean up).
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Cover pie with foil and continue baking until juices bubble thickly and crust browns, about 35 minutes more.
• Transfer pie to rack and cool 1 hour.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

APPLE-CRANBERRY PIE (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Bring cranberries, juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing berries against side of pot, until berries have completely broken down and juices have thickened to jamlike consistency (wooden spoon scraped across bottom should leave clear trail that doesn't fill in), 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in water, and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cornstarch in large microwave-safe bowl; add apples and toss to combine. Microwave on high power, stirring with rubber spatula every 3 minutes, until apples are just starting to turn translucent around edges and liquid is thick and glossy, 10 to 14 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• While fillings cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer cooled cranberry mixture to dough-lined pie plate and spread
• into even layer. Place apple mixture on top of cranberries, mounding slightly in center; push down any sharp apple edges.
• Roll second disk of dough on generously floured work surface (up to 1/4 cup) to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over pie, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side.
• Using kitchen shears, cut evenly through both layers of overhanging dough, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges of pie with egg white and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Using sharp paring knife, cut four 1 1/2-inch slits in top of dough in cross pattern.
• Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake until top is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate baking sheet, and continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack to cool at least 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.