Sour Cream Apple Pie with Streusel Topping and Cinnamon-Cider Crust

Recipe from Bon Appétit 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This special occasion pie is just fantastic.  It takes a bit of time to prepare, BUT you can make and freeze the pie dough and the streusel in advance! No need for ice cream or whipped cream because this dessert is perfect as is.

Pie Dough

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons (1¼ sticks) chilled unsalted butter

¼ cup ice water or cold apple cider

Filling

8 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (I used Gala.)

1 2/3 cups sour cream

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Make Dough: (This can be made in the food processor.)

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter using pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water and toss mixture gently with fork until evenly moistened. Gather gently into ball. Transfer to lightly floured board and roll into circle slightly larger than a deep 10-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pan and flute a high edge. Set aside. (The dough can be frozen at this point.  Thaw in the fridge.)

Make Filling:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine apples, sour cream, sugar, flour, egg, vanilla, and salt in large bowl and mix well. Spoon into the crust. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking until filling is slightly puffed and golden brown, about 40 minutes. (If edges of crust begin to brown too quickly, cover with strips of aluminum foil.)

Make Streusel Topping:

Meanwhile, combine walnuts, flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl and mix well. Blend in butter until mixture is crumbly. Spoon over pie and bake 15 minutes longer. (The dough can be frozen at this point.  Thaw in the fridge.)

Easy Peasy Applesauce

Makes about 1 quart

Recipe from 100 Days Of Real Food 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

When it’s apple season, plan to visit an orchard and pick your own with the family.  Then on a lovely autumn day, sit outside with a cutting board and start cutting up your harvest.  No need to peel the apples for this delicious applesauce. The sauce can be made on top of the stove or in the slow cooker. (Directions for both methods are below.)  And, it can be frozen for later.  Your family will love finding this treat in their lunch boxes or on their dinner plate. 

3 pounds cooking apples, washed, cored and cut into ½ inch or 1 inch slices or chunks, unpeeled

½ cup apple juice or apple cider

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 large cinnamon stick

1 – 2 Tablespoons local honey

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Combine the apples, apple juice/cider, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick into a large pot**. Cover and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes or until tender (but not mushy.)  Remove the cinnamon stick.  Add the honey and the nutmeg.

**I also tested this recipe using the slow cooker.  Put all of the ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on high for 3 hours.  Remove the cinnamon stick.

Puree to desired chunkiness. (Use a blender, food processor or a stick blender.  You can even use a potato masher for this task.)
Serve warm or refrigerate and/or freeze.

Citrus-Rubbed Turkey with Cider Gravy

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I made this quick turkey for Christmas Eve.  It was quite good. It was handy to have the leftovers for lunches while family was visiting.  A citrus-salt rub the night before results in a succulent turkey; a sprinkle of paprika adds extra flavor and a deep, dark color. The gravy is dark and full of citrus tang.

Ingredients

1 whole turkey (12 to 14 pounds), neck and giblets removed

1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 Tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest plus ½ cup juice

1 Tablespoon freshly grated orange zest plus 1 cup juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 stalks celery, cut into thirds

2 carrots, cut into thirds

1 large yellow onion, cut into 6 wedges

1/4 cup paprika, divided

2 cups apple cider

1 stick unsalted butter (½ cup)

2 cups chicken broth, divided plus more, if needed

5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Tuck wing tips underneath body and place on a roasting rack in a heavy-bottomed metal roasting pan. Combine thyme, lemon and orange zests, 2 Tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons Kosher salt, and 1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper; beginning with underside, sprinkle on turkey, including in large cavity. Refrigerate, uncovered, 8 hours (or overnight). Let turkey sit at room temperature 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove rack and turkey from pan, discard accumulated liquid, and add celery, carrots, onion, and 2 cups water to pan. Return rack and turkey to pan. Wipe any remaining rub from inside with a paper towel. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and evenly sprinkle turkey with 2 Tablespoons paprika.

Place pan in oven, reduce temperature to 375 degrees, and roast 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring orange and lemon juices, cider, butter, and remaining 2 Tablespoons paprika to a simmer over medium. (Basting liquid can be made in advance and chilled until it’s time to use.) Baste turkey with cider mixture; keep remaining warm over low. (Add a bit of broth to the pan as the turkey roasts so that the pan does not get dry.) Continue roasting, basting turkey with cider mixture every 25 minutes (tent turkey with foil if necessary to prevent overbrowning), 2 to 2½ hours. Turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) reads 165 degrees.

Transfer turkey to a platter or cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 30 minutes before carving turkey. Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Skim fat and return juices to pan. Set pan across two burners, add 1 cup broth, and bring to a simmer over medium, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Whisk together flour and remaining cup broth; add to pan, whisking constantly, until gravy is thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm with carved turkey. 

Sautéed Red Cabbage

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

This side dish is quite nice and goes well with pork.  Serve this along side Glazed Pork with Apples and Orange-Cognac Sauce for a special dinner.  We've also had it as an excellent filing for wraps the next day.  

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 medium head (about 1 1/4 pounds) red cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

3/4 cup apple cider

1 Tablespoon apple-cider vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat butter in medium skillet, over medium heat. Add cabbage, sauté for 1 minute. Add caraway seeds and apple cider, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally for 6 to 7 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Cranberry Relish with Apple Cider

Tina Miller of Bon Appétit November 2007
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is quite a fine tasting relish. It’s slightly tart, and yet sweet with the flavor of apples and cider. Serve this along side your Thanksgiving bird or a roasted chicken. When dinner is over, if you have any relish left, just spoon it over turkey or chicken sandwiches or wraps with a smear of goat cheese, a layer of spinach, and a spoonful of black beans and pack it in your Easy Lunch Box, now available at Lost River Market & Deli!

http://www.easylunchboxes.com/

2 cups apple cider
½ cup sugar
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (Optional)

Boil apple cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to generous ½ cup, about 15 minutes (This took about ½ hour for me.) Add sugar; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Transfer to bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour.
Using on/off turns, coarsely chop cranberries, apple, and lemon peel in processor. Add cider syrup; using on/off turns, chop finely. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill overnight.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Stir in chopped parsley, if using, and serve.