Fall Series, Part III: The Making of Warm , Delicious Apple Pie

The apple.  By far one of the most meaningful symbols in our civilizations.  At first glance, merely a fruit.  In biblical terms, temptation.  In philosophy, wisdom.  Academics, appreciation.  Medicine, health.  Fatherhood, adoration.

For me, an apple represents tradition.  An especially important one in my family because it's a tradition that I began.  Apple-picking isn't a Latin-Caribbean custom, but like with many traditions, in my family it evolved as a result of where we live and what surrounds us.

My family and I are making the most of living in Upstate, NY . As drastically different from The Bronx as this may be, it's a wonderful place to raise children.

Once September rolls around I'm reminded of some of the many reasons why; small wonderful schools for the kids to go back to, and a vast array of apple orchards everywhere, eager to yield their most prized possessions.  The apple.

It wasn't until I chaperoned my daughter's kindergarten class on a local apple-picking field trip, that we walked with a tour guide and I got to see the many products that are made from apples.  That inspired me every year thereafter to not just take my kids apple picking, but to also celebrate the apple for it's many meanings and uses...  Stay with me on this series as we explore some of my favorite tributes to the apple!

Cinnamon-Spice Apple Pie

To fully appreciate the making of Apple Pie, I love to pick the apples....  From the trees to my dish, the apples truly feel like such a gift.

Once you're home, it will take about 6-8 apples depending on the size. The apples need to be peeled,cored & sliced.

Place the apple slices in a mixing bowl.  Juice half of a fresh lemon and mix in with the apples.  It's not a bad idea to also sprinkle a pinch of lemon rind (finely grated lemon peel)  in there too for a secret boost of fresh flavor.

 

 Now you're ready to mix in your spices:  

3/4 cup of sugar

one tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

a pinch of salt

1Tablespoon of Cinnamon, or more to taste

 1/2 teaspoon of Allspice

 a 1/4 teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of Ginger

1/4 teaspoon of Ground Cloves

2 Tablespoons of Flour  

(this will help soak up the water released by the apples, and provide the pie filling with a rich texture).

 

By the way, most of these spices can be purchased at local Dollar Stores, and can be used for many recipes, in particular, our Caribbean recipes.  Watch and see...

 

 Be sure to mix spices thoroughly and well. This is the part that my daughter loves to do!

 Although making a fresh pie crust is not difficult, I don't enjoy the process of rolling out the dough.  I prefer to buy the Pillsbury Pie Crusts, that come ready made.  It must be thawed out and room temperature.

Be wary of store brands.  I have found that not all of them stand up through the unrolling process when you're taking it out of the package.  I have never had a problem with Pillsbury and so I choose not to risk it.  Line the bottom of your pie dish with one crust.

 

Time to fill your dish with your seasoned apples.

 

 Unroll the second pie crust (2 come in a package; top & bottom).  Lay out flat on a non-stick cutting surface.  With a knife, trace designs on your pie.  This not only looks pretty, but also helps aerate your pie.

Lay your top crust to cover your apple filling now.   

Seal the edges around the dish with your thumb.  Now, trim off the excess dough from all around the edges.

Take that excess dough, and roll into a ball, then roll out flat with a rolling pin, on a non-stick surface.  You should now have a flat sheet of rolled dough. With a small knife, trace and then  cut out shapes to decorate your pie with.  I love to make leaves, and I even trace the detail on them.  You may ask why am I manually cutting them out as opposed to using a leaf-shaped cookie cutter?  Because, leaves all come in unique shapes and sizes.  If I cut them and shape them myself, I can also make them all unique...

 Lastly, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and coat the top of your pie, to provide added flavor and flakiness.

Time to put that delicious pie in the oven...

Although, I started the tradition of apple-picking in my family, I have to thank my Dad Pat for teaching me to make apple-pie as a kid.  It was one of the first things that we ever did together in the kitchen.  

As an Irish man, having married into a Puerto Rican family it must have been hard for him to introduce his cooking style.  We're traditionally set in our ways.  Dad just has a way about him though!  

I was 7 years old when he married my mom, and spoke no English really.  He must have sensed my curiosity in the kitchen because I remember him building a bridge with me that way.  

He also knew that I had a sweet tooth.  First came Apple Pie, Pineapple-Upside Down Cake (which my diabetic grandma, Mamita would sneak, or send me to go get her a slice), and then we graduated to chocolate cake.  

Once we connected with baking, my Dad taught me about how the rest of the world eats.  He had lived in Germany, Turkey and Vietnam as a soldier and learned to appreciate the very best food of so many different cultures.  

My mom and Mamita are the reasons why I feel connected to the kitchen.  My Dad is the reason why I opened my arms to world cuisine and cultures.  

All three of them are the reason why I learned to share happiness in my kitchen.

Was that our kitchen timer going off?  I think our pie is ready...  Come on, let's sit together and have some warm apple pie.  Do you smell the spiciness of the Fall in the air?  I'll grab us some hot apple-cider too.  We'll have some pie while I cook up some other Fall recipes for you.  

...Muy Buen Provecho!

...So tell me...what does the Apple symbolize for you?

Homemade Cuchifritos and Apple Pie. No kidding.

Floods. Hurricanes and cool weather... it's feeling like summer's over, but I'm not sad about it.  I absolutely love the Holidays.

One of the best things that I feel that I've given my kids is Traditions.   For all their lives, this is what they know and expect;

• Once September comes around we go apple picking, come home and warm the house with the sweet smell of homemade apple pie that we've made together.  We also make homemade apple sauce which for those of you who've had it know that the store-bought kind does not compare.  When you make homemade apple sauce, it has this certain melt-in-your mouth, rich flavor that flirts with your taste buds with a hint of cinnamon.  I never enjoyed apple sauce, until I started making it myself.  We also have enough apples that at some point during the week, I will make Apple Fritters for breakfast.  They are amazing with coffee, and small side of some cheddar cheese.
• October comes around and we carve pumpkins.  This is my least favorite activity because I'm a neat-freak and pumpkin guts make me crazy.  I still love watching my kids do it.  My son is adorable because last year, even at 17 he really got into it.  My favorite part is making the roasted pumpkin seeds, which I've only been doing for a few years after getting the idea from my friend Kathleen.  I have the kids pull out all the seeds, which is a long drawn out process but for some reason the younger the child the more they enjoy doing it.  I then boil the seeds in salt water.  Once cooked, I line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place the seeds, sprinkle with a little olive oil, sea salt and bake at 350 degrees until golden.  Again, the store bought seeds do not compare to this.  I also love to bake Halloween cookies, cupcakes and treats with the kids.  Making costumes together is fun too.  I found with my kids, that they never forgot the Halloweens when we made their costumes together.
• Thanksgiving rolls around, and that's my Dad's favorite holiday so we have dinner there.  My Dad likes to go all out and make all the dishes on this day.  I will usually cook a small family dinner before Thanksgiving at my house, just so we also have our own moment to give thanks here at home too.
• Christmas:  Last year my daughter and I baked about 300 cookies to give away in tins, as well as coffee cakes and the famous Pistachio Cake.  We loved it.  She still remembers this as a labor of love and bonding moment.  There's also the celebratory Christmas Ham, Arroz Con Guandules, Pernil, Homemade Cornbread, etc... Also, the making of a gingerbread house is a very big deal in my home.  The kids look forward to this very much.  By this time I'm all baked out so I usually order the "parts" to the house from our local bakery, and have them assemble it on Christmas Eve. 

And now, let me acquaint you with my Puerto Rican roots...  These dishes are usually found in many Caribbean households during the Holidays.  They are primarily served as fritters, or appetizers, but in actuality and nutritional content, would constitute as a meal because of the ingredients.  They do stick to your ribs, but in the most terrific way.  So, satisfying!

Cuchifritos:  Fried meat pastries.  Literally means "kitchen-fried"
(Indians have Samosas.   Latino-Caribbeans have cuchifritos...)

I'll stick to 3 basic ones.  For the sake of learning, and for convenience, you can fill all 3 with the same meat.  These can be time consuming to make, so it helps immensely to have a food processor for these.  And a deep fryer is a blessing as well, if you have one.  In reality, you can fill cuchifritos with any types of meats and cheeses.  My childhood friend, Maria, reminded me that you can even fill them with fruit!

It's also a fun project to take on as a family, or with a couple of friends with a glass of wine and some Salsa playing in the background.  I recommend the classics by Hector LaVoe and El Gran Combo!

Beef Picadillo (pee-kah-dee-jo)

1. Finely dice green peppers, red peppers, purple onions & Spanish olives then saute in a light coating of olive oil.  
2. Add ground beef or turkey
3. Add one tablespoon of Sofrito.  If  you don't have sofrito, generously add crushed garlic, and finely chopped cilantro and coriander.
4. Add Sazon, Adobo and Oregano Powder.  Season well but please be careful not to make too salty.  I recommend that you add the spices in slowly and test.  This could make or break your dish.
5. Add half a can to a can of tomato sauce, depending on how much meat you're making.  
6. I like to mix all ingredients, ground meat and spices with a potato masher, as everything is cooking.
7. Taste to ensure spice level is to your liking.  This dish is so aromatic and delicious.

Now you get to stuff the cuchifritos with your Picadillo.

In Puerto Rico we call them Empanadillas, Pastelillos or a derivation of this that we call Tacos (nothing like what in the States is normally referred to as Tacos).  In the Dominican Republic they also refer to them as Pastelitos.  It took me forever to realize what my ex-husband was referring to, months after we got married.  In the States, I also hear people refer to them as Empanadas but technically an Empanada is a chicken-fried steak.  Semantics, I know.  In the end, all it means is a Latin Beef Pattie.
 

 Empanadillas 

1. Buy a pack of the Goya Discos ("flour discs") in the frozen food section of your market, where the Latino items are kept.  Make sure they are thawed out and ready for use, but not overly sticky either.
2. Lay out a disc, take a heaping table spoon of Picadillo and place in the center.  Now fold over the disc, and close with a moistened fork.  Set down on a plate.  Try not to have them touch each other or separate with plastic or parchment paper so that they don't stick.
3. Heat cooking oil in a pan, or use your deepfryer and fry until golden brown.  Let cool a bit  before eating.  These seem to be everyone's favorite.  So incredibly crispy, flavorful and delicious!
4. You can wrap the remaining ones in PressNSeal and fry at a later date.  They're great collateral for the husbands!  "Honey, I have some empanadillas waiting for you after you finish cleaning out the garage".  Try it!

 Alcapurrias (al.kah.pooh.rree.as)

 This is the more complicated of the 3, because of how the dough is made.  It has the robustness of Platano (plantain) flavor that is so delicious when fried.  This dough is made from Caribbean roots and plaintains and can be  filled with the picadillo as well.

1. 1 and 3/4 Lbs of Yautia (Tuber Root, or Taro Root can also be used)
2. 3 Lbs of unripened, green bananas
3. 2 tablespoons of salt
4. 2 large or 3 small Platanos
5. Peel all roots and bananas.  Now cut up all in chunks.
6. Throw all ingredients in a food processor.  Please, you don't want to do this by hand.  I give all the respect in the world to the women who did it this way, nowadays why would you grind 7 pounds of starchy vegetables by hand?  I timed myself, and with a food processor I was able to complete steps 5 and 6 in exactly 22 minutes.  I tell you this because many people are intimidated by these thinking that it is a long grueling process.  With the right tools, I assure you that it's easy-breezy.
7. Ease some olive oil as you are mixing these. Not too much, do it slowly.  You just need to moisten the mix, and starchiness of the roots. 
8. Ensure the dough is mixed well.  Set in a large closed container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.  This is pure chemistry here, so that the dough binds and sets well.  It will allow the dough to be malleable enough to work with as well.
9. After the 8 hours passed, take out the dough and the picadillo from it's storage container.  Lay out a square of parchment paper.  With a large serving spoon, scoop out dough and set on parchment square. Flatten the dough only very lightly with the spoon.
10. Take a tablespoon and place beef picadillo in the center of dough. 
11. Bring the sides of the parchment paper up, so as to help you roll the dough over the meat filling.  It should end up in an oval shape (see photo).
12. Once the dough completely covers meat and has been formed in to an oval shape, wrap the Alcapurria with press and seal.  This recipe should render about 15 med-large Alcapurrias.  
13. Freeze before you fry.  This makes it a lot easier to work with.  Once fried, let cool a bit before biting into it.  Remember that you cooked this with hot oil.
14. Now enjoy with a bottle of Grape Soda.  Don't ask me why it has to be grape but my Mom insists there is no other way and it must be done.  Pineapple soda may do as well.  Mom?

Filling Alcapurria dough with Picadillo

Dough, once folded over  neatly with parchment paper

 

Grape Soda for Mom

Rellenos de Papa (re.jeh.nos -de -pah.pah)

Literally means "stuffed with potato"

Working Mom Disclaimer:  You already know my theory on keeping traditions alive but doing so in the most convenient way wherever possible.  I highly recommend that you consider using instant mashed potatoes, although that is not how the traditional ones are made. 

1. Make a large serving of instant mashed potatoes.
2. Once cooled, scoop a handful.
3. Place a tablespoon full of Picadillo in the center and push through so that the potato completely encases the meat.  Shape into a ball.
4. Dip in an egg wash, then roll in seasoned flour (just as you would make breaded foods).
5. Fry all sides in vegetable oil until golden.  Let cool and enjoy.  

When eating cuchifritos, people are particular about that they drink.  My mom, for instance, demands her Grape soda.  I love a cold beer with them, and I'm not even crazy about beer.  It's rare that I ever have it, but in this case it goes so well.

Did you notice how we made all 3 in the same weekend using a large pack of ground beef and making a large batch of the Beef Picadillo?  We also used our food processor, parchment paper and PressNSeal.  These tools make this so much easier.

Also, please consider that although balanced with protein, vegetables, carbs and fats, these dishes have a higher carb and fat ratio.  It's tough because they are so delicious and like potato chips, you can't have just one.  I do recommend that for nutritional purposes, we eat these sparingly and keep them to special events or the occasional craving. 

Few things instantly take me back to Puerto Rico as much as making and cooking these do.  It reminds me so much of Mamita, my Mom, Titi Maria and "Madrinita".

So there it is, Friends!  Let's try a practice round together so we can get ready for the holidays.  I sense there will be some very impressed mother-in-laws in the near future...


Muy Buen Provecho!