Big Vanilla Bourbon Apple Pie

 Last week I realized I hadn't made a classic double crust apple pie in over two years!  Kind of crazy...I guess I am more of a crumble top pie kind of a girl, or I am too lazy and just go for a crisp, but once in a while you just have to make the classic double crust. 

I decided last Friday that it was about time, but honestly I had forgotten how.  I knew the basics of the crust and filling, but how long to bake for?  Luckilly my friend Gabrielle at work is a pie expert so I asked her for a few pointers.  I knew I wanted to make a huge deep dish apple pie fit for a queen! 

I am not going to lie...I didn't actually have a recipe I was following, just my classic single whole wheat vanilla crust recipe I always use which is burned into my brain.  I just doubled it and voila!  For the filling I used my Mom's favorite pie apples, Haralson and tossed them with just enough maple sugar to sweeten, and of course a generous amount of cinnamon. I also decided to add plenty of vanilla flavor from both a bean and the extract, and lets not forget...the bourbon!

 

Once it was all assembled it wasn't the prettiest I will admit, since I had forgotten how to properly transfer a crust to the pie and not damage it, but I knew it would be delicious anyhow once it was baked.  Ugly pies are just learning experiences as far as I am concerned, and it doesn't matter as long as they are delicious! 

It's aroma was wonderful as it baked.  The essence of fall's sweet apples and cinnamon whafting through my home was enough to make me happy.  I had to wait until the next day to enjoy it though, which was tough.  It was for good reason though, it was meant to be shared...afterall, that is what deep dish big apple pies are for! 

I was quite pleased with the result.  An intense apple pie withe the perfect balance of sweet and tart apple filling laced with plenty of aromatic cinnamon and vanilla and a hint of bourbon.  A crisp buttery crust and some cool creamy ice cream made it all quite heavenly! 

My Mom who made the best apple pies when I was young, told me that this pie recieves and A+!  I would have settled for A for taste and B for appearance, but it was up there.  I had to share some with my Grandpa, whose Mom always made apple desserts herself, and decided it was good enough to share some with my boyfrriend Scott and some of his family members. 

This pie was big enough to feed the army...well not literally but it was huge, and good thing since I needed to have a huge piece plus.  A la mode of course!  Even if you have never made an apple pie, you should definately attempt one!  Here is my recipe if you would like to taste it! 

Big Vanilla Bourbon Apple Pie

Makes One 9 inch deep dish pie

Crust:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tbsp maple sugar (or granulated sugar)
1 tsp sea salt
seeds of one vanilla bean
a stick plus 6 Tbsp cold Earth Balance vegan butter

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

about 6-7 Tbsp cold water

Filling:

8 large Haralson (or other tart sweet apples) cut into medium cubes

 1/2 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)
1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp bourbon

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

the seeds of one vanilla bean

juice of one lemon
a pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour

coconut milk, for brushing
turbinado sugar, for topping

To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, sea salt, and vanilla beans.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is in pea sized pieces.  Mix in vanilla and just enough water to create a smooth dough that holds together but isn't too sticky.  Add more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created.  Divide into 2 pieces and shape into rounds.  Cover and refridgerate until workable at least 30 minutes.  Roll each out into a 13 inch round using parchment underneath and floured rolling pin.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  To make filling, mix together all ingredients in a large bowl.  Place bottom crust into a deep dish pie pan and fit to edges.  Pour filling into bottom crust, then carefully place top crust over and crimp edges together.  Brush top crust with a little coconut milk, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  Pierce top crust a few times, and place in the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes then reduce oven to 375 (cover with foil if getting too brown) and bake for another  45 minutes to 1 hour until bubbling and apples are tender.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least and hour.  Serve with ice cream!

PB & J Ice Cream

Everyone has to be able to act their age and not their shoe size once in a while...otherwise we would all just be boring adults!  I may not look like it at first glance, but I enjoy acting a little immature once in a while, acting silly and not caring what anyone else thinks.  Last Friday I was feeling like I was in need of a little seriousness intervention after a little bit of a stressful week, so I decided I needed to just have fun and make one of my childhood favorite combinations into a delicious dessert and just enjoy myself. 

 

I suppose I could have very well made myself a PB and J sandwich, camped out on the couch and popped in the Little Mermaid...afterall it was my favorite movie when I was 5, and I admit I know All the words and enjoy singing along to the songs...but I instead transformed the PB & J into ice cream instead!  Afterall, what makes a better Friday night than ice cream? 

 

 

So I instead made ice cream, popped in a CD from when I was younger and sang along to the music in my kitchen acting silly as I waited for it to freeze because it is not like anyone was around anyhow.  I also managed to make a pie while I waited  because why not?  Playing with the dough is fun!  The peanut butter base for the ice cream was amazing...so incredibly silky you would not know it was vegan. 

 

 

It was salty and sweet...peanutty and delicious, like the inside of the peanut butter cups that were my favorite candy as a child.  Once frozen I swirled in some grape jam that I had made from some Minnesota grown concorde grapes earlier in the week.  The combination was fantabulous! 

 

Seriously...I ate it like a kid not caring about serving size because I could not stop myself!  I know PB and J ice cream has been done before, but I have never tasted one this good...and vegan!  As I was scraping the ice cream maker out and licking the scraper I felt like a kid!  But good thing I have picked up better dessert making skills since then!  If you would like to try some ice cream for yourself, I have included the recipe, jam and all!  But if you must you can use storebought jam to make it easier on yourself.

 

Peanut Butter Ice Cream  with Grape Jam Swirl

Makes 6 cups

Grape Jam:

24 oz concord grapes

3/4 cup agave nectar

juice of one lemon

a pinch of sea salt

 

To make jam, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.   Cook until grapes are jammy and have fallen apart, and juices have reduced about 45 minutes to an hour.  Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender.  Strain through a fine meshed strainer into a jar and let cool.  Store in the fridge for up to 3 months. 

 

Ice Cream:

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

3/4 cup agave nectar

3/4 cup smooth organic peanut butter (no sugar added)

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, pour 1/3 into a freezable container with a lid, then drop a few large Tbsp grape jam on top.  Pour half remaining ice cream over, then more jam, then the remaining ice cream and more jam.  Swirl with a knife to distribute jam throughout and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.

 

Heavenly Vegan Banana Bars

When my boyfriend Scott told me he had thrown away some over the hill bananas I was shocked!  "You should have saved them for me!"  I said, "I could have made something out of them!" Any baker knows that over ripe bananas make the best bread and the sweetest cakes!  He didn't know any better, I love him anyways and forgive him for wasting good produce... hopefully next time he will think before he tosses and I can make him something yummy out of the bananas.  You can at least freeze them and make some wonderful smoothies.  I know how it goes though, I always end up with bananas that are too mushy for eating. 

Luckilly it forces me to come up with another creative use for them!  I had acquired a large bunch of bananas last week and did just that last Saturday!  Banana bread was out of the question, far too boring for me.  What I had in mind were some sort of bars. 

Bars that would be so full of delicious goodness that they would make me swoon.  So I began to think of what made the most delicious pairing with banana.  White chocolate, cream cheese, and pecans came to mind.  Vegan cream cheese swirled banana bars with banana chunks, toasted pecans and white chocolate was what I came up with! 

Oh my were they good!  From the minute I tasted the batter I had mixed up before pouring it into the pan and swirling it with the cream cheese I knew these were going to be the type of thing that you could not simply eat just one of!  They smelled like a banana cake when baking but were even better once they had cooled and I had a chance to cut them up and dive in! 

Sweet banana dough studded with crunchy nutty pecans, smooth white chocolate and decadent cheese cake like swirls.  Heavenly!  Better than any blondies I have tasted by far!  Those over the hill bananas had made them extra delicious...so that just goes to show there is no such thing as bananas that need to be tossed when they simply have a few black spots.  If you have some extra bananas and feel like baking try these out, you will taste why they are called "heavenly"!

Heavenly Vegan Banana Bars

makes 12

bars:

1 cup maple sugar, or granulated organic sugar

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread at room temperature

2 medium very ripe bananas, pureed
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp banana extract

1/2 cup agave nectar

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups chopped vegan white chocolate
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 large banana, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

Swirl:

1  8 oz vegan cream cheese (I used tofutti)

2 Tbsp agave nectar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp flour

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 7 x 11 inch square pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  In a large bowl, combine buttery spread and coconut oil with sugar and beat until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the banana puree, vanilla extract, banana extract and agave nectar until well combined. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined, and stir in white chocolate, and pecans.  Fold in banana slices.  Pour into the prepared pan and smooth out.  In a medium bowl, beat together swirl ingredients until smooth, then drop by the Tbsp full onto the other batter in the prepared pan and swirl with a knife.  Bake for about one 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean but do not overbake!  Cool in the pan about 20 minutes, then lift out foil and set on a rack and let sit until completely cool.  Cut into 12 bars.

Autumn Apple Cobbler with Rosemary Lemon Biscuits

All last week I was daydreaming about what possible apple dessert I could make on the weekend.  I had bought a variety of Minnesota grown apples and was just enjoying them unadorned but what really sounded heavenly was some sort of warm apple dessert served a la mode with cool ice cream.  Come Saturday, pie was what I really wanted, but I just didn't have time to fuss with a crust and the long baking time a full sized double crust pie requires to cook the apples.  So, a cobbler it was!  I will admit, I have never made an apple cobbler before, usually peach or berry, but I was certain it would be delicious!  I used Haralson apples, because my Mom always used them when I was a kid, claiming they made the most delicious pies.  I scented the filling with cinnamon and nutmeg plus a bit of lemon for tartness to balance out the sweet apples and maple sugar. 

The biscuit topping I used is actually my scone dough, it is so light and just the right amount of crispness on the top so it doesn't get soggy when served with ice cream.  It was to be scented as well, but with rosemary and lemon because I love the combination of the two in the fall, especially with apples. Rosemary has such a lovely comforting aroma, and I knew it would smell wonderful in the cobbler. 

I actually divided the cobbler into two separate bowls because I knew I would be sharing it with my boyfriend Scott later that night.  It filled my kitchen with the most wonderful scent while baking like an apple pie crossed with sweet rosemary lemon bread.  It was tough to wait until that night to taste it, but it was well worth the wait to enjoy it with Scott. 

I served it with some toasted pecan maple ice cream I had made earlier in the week, because warm desserts deserve a scoop of something cool and creamy.  It was wonderful! 

http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/2011/09/toasted-pecan-maple-ice-cream.html

Sweet tart jammy apples lightly spiced and topped with a crisp scone with the aroma of rosemary and lemon...simply heavenly!  Scott enjoyed it as well, although I was a bit piggier with mine finishing it all in one sitting with multiple scoops of ice cream.  I cannot think of a better way to spend a Saturday evening than with someone I love and a delicious homey dessert!  If you wish to enjoy it as well, I have included the recipe and I would highly reccomend you try it!

Autumn Apple Cobbler with Rosemary Lemon Biscuits

Serves 2 generously

Fruit:

6 medium organic apples (I used haralson), cut into bite sized pieces

1/3 cup maple sugar or brown sugar

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp lemon zest

juice of one lemon

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

biscuit topping:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup maple sugar, or granulated sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

4 Tbsp cold Earth Balance vegan butter, cut into chunks

1/2 cup cold full fat coconut milk (chilled in the fridge is best), mixed well

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Two 5 or 6 inch wide ovenproof bowls or pie plates

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the rack at the center position. Place a baking sheet lined with foil on the rack. Spray two 5 or 6 inch wide pie plates or bowls with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss together the fruit, maple sugar, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon into prepared bowls or pie plates, and cover with foil. Place plates on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes until fruit is cooked through and bubbling.

Meanwhile, when the fruit in the oven is almost at 45 min, to make biscuits, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture starts to clump into pea sized pieces. In a small bowl, stir the vanilla and lemon juice and zest into the coconut milk. Add the milk to the dough, and stir a few times, but do not overmix. The dough should hold together when squeezed, but still be clumpy. Fold in rosemary until evenly distributed. Place dough on a floured work surface, and pat into a 1/2 inch tall circle.

Remove baking fruit from oven. Cut small hearts out of the dough using a cookie cutter, and place on top of the cobblers.  When all biscuits are on top of cobblers, sprinkle with turbinado sugar and return to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes

until biscuits are cooked through and lightly brown and toasted on top (keep a close eye on they could burn very quickly). Remove from oven and let cool until warm, and top with some ice cream...enjoy!

Toasted Pecan Maple Ice Cream

It may be nearly Autumn and the chill in the air may have set in but that does not stop me from making ice cream.  How else would I acquire a delicious accompaniment to my warm crisps and cobblers?  I haven't bought ice cream at the store in years and am not about to start doing so now.  Besides, how else would I infuse the flavors of fall into the creamy dessert?  I know you can buy cinnamon ice cream at the store, but what about flavors like pumpkin, apple cinnamon or toasted pecan maple? 

I look at ice cream base as my blank palate to create new flavors, seasonally of course since I am not so much craving strawberry in the fall or pumpkin in the summer. 

I love the flavor of roasted nuts in the cooler months, so this week I decided that a toasted pecan maple ice cream would be delicious!  Also it would the perfect accompaniment to the apple cobbler I was planning on making this weekend. 

So I blended toasted pecans into my vegan ice cream base and added maple syrup for sweetener along with some cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.  The smooth ice cream with the flavor of the toasted nuts was delicious, but I decided to stir in some chopped pecans for crunch at the end. 

It was wonderful!  Nutty, sweet and lightly spiced.  Delicious with maple syrup drizzled over, but even more so when paired with a warm apple cobbler! 

Don't let the chill of fall keep you from making ice cream!  You should try this out if you plan on making a warm apple dessert anytime soon! 

Toasted Pecan Maple Ice Cream  

Makes 6 cups

Ice Cream:

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

2 cups chopped toasted pecans, divided

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp maple extract

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients except one cup of pecans in a blender, and process until well blended.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, strir in remaining pecans and pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.

Piña Colada Oatmeal Cookies

Summer may be gone, but chilly fall weather is perfect for baking.  There is nothing more comforting than filling your home with the sweet aroma of something delicious baking in the oven and warming the kitchen. I am welcoming the cool fall weather, as it is perfect for running and I have had just about enough of 90 degrees.  I have to admit though the chill has me craving sweet things a little more.

 

Today was one of those days at work where I was wishing there were 3 of me to get everything done, but I managed and in order to keep myself sane, I daydreamed about what I could possibly bake when I arrived home.  For some reason I thought about the dried pineapple my Mom had recently bought me and got it into my head that it would be delicious in oatmeal cookies!  This soon turned into piña colada cookies when white chocolate and coconut were added to the ingredient list.  And yes, I know rum had to be included as well...but I stuck with the extract so I didn't mess with the moisture in the cookies. 

So when I got home, I fixed myself up some hot apple cider with a bit of bourbon and got to work!  The thing I love about this type of cookie dough is it comes together quick!  A little sampling was involved during the baking and all the stresses of the day melted off.  My kitchen was filled with the heavenly aromas of brown sugar and spice, and how can one not be happy when taking that in? 

The cookies were delicious as I sampled them warm from the pan...the dried pineapple contributing fruity tartness, the white chocolate creamy sweetness and the pineapple nutty crunch in the aromatic spice laced cookie. 

Summer may be over and it may be cool but these are certainly remeniscent of it...while at the same time being fallish with the spices and the oats.  Kind of like the time of year we are in right now, on the boarder of the seasons.  If you need a delicious treat, you must try these cookies as I have included the recipe!

Piña Colada Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

2 sticks Earth Balance Buttery sticks, (or organic butter) softened to room temperature

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large organic eggs

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp rum extract

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp sea salt
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups toasted large flake coconut
2 cups  dried pineapple, chopped

2 cups white chocolate, chopped into hunks

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and rum extract, and beat until well combined. Beat in the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, then add coconut, pineapple, white chocolate, and mix until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for a few hours. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet 2 inched apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden, but not overbaked. Let cool on sheet a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack lined with parchment to cool. Meanwhile, use other cooled sheet to bake another batch and switch off with pans as cookies come out of the oven until all the dough is used up.

Vegan Almond Butter Banana Brownies

Everybody pairs peanut butter and bananas...but what about almond butter and bananas?  I think the combination is quite heavenly myself having gotten used to it when I was in highschool and my Mom would only buy almond butter for a while.  "Almonds are the king of nuts." she would say, to which I would reply "Why can't they be the queen?"  But I knew what she meant, they are a nutritional powerhouse and to this day I tend to eat almond butter about 75 percent of the time when going for nut butter. 

On Friday however I was going to be ordinary and use peanut butter and bananas in brownies when I discovered I had no peanut butter.  But no worries...almond butter to the rescue! Turns out I actually thought they were tastier than they would have been had I simply used peanut butter. 

I used my vegan brownie base, but swapped out the usual tofu for pureed banana, giving them an even fudgier texture.  I swirled a sweet almond butter mixture throughout the batter and added chocolate chips for extra decadence. 

I decided that they needed to be topped off with bananas as well since to me the puree wasn't enough.  They smelled like nutty chocolate cake as they baked and were delicious once I was able to dive in and try them. 

I was not sorry that I had no peanut butter in the house at that point and I was reminded that the ability to improvise is essential sometimes.  Plus new discoveries are made that way!  Try out the almond butter banana combination, you may just love it!  Or if you would like to experience the brownies, I have included the recipe. 

Vegan Almond Butter Banana Brownies

makes 24

Brownies:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp sea salt

1 cup coconut oil

6 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 cup agave nectar

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp banana extract
3/4 cup pureed banana

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cups chocolate chips

Almond Butter Swirl:
1 cup roasted unsalted almond butter
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt

2 medium bananas, sliced
granulated sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle position. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, sea salt, and set aside. In a large bowl, place chcocolate and oil. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between to melt the chocolate, until the chocolate and oil are smooth and well combined. Whisk in agave nectar, along with vanilla, maple extract, bananas, and whisk to blend until well incorporated. Whisk in vinegar until well blended and there are pale swirls throughout the batter. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into the prepared pan.  Whisk together almond butter swirl ingredients, then drop by tablespoonfulls onto the brownie batter and swirl with a knife.  Arrange cut banana slices on top and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until set, starting to pull away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out fairly clean. Do not overbake! Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then lift foil out by the edges and cool on a rack. Let cool completely, then cut into 24 bars (or use a cookie cutter if you want to make it more interesting).