B7

By The Canadian Press

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

Here are three recipes for decadent desserts to serve your family and friends this Thanksgiving from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book (Random House) by Elizabeth Baird and the Canadian Living Test Kitchen.

On Thanksgiving weekend The Village at Blue Mountain, Ont., fills with the fragrance of freshly baked apple pies.

For this Quintessential Apple Pie Contest, bakers from this apple-growing region that rings Georgian Bay carry their pies - double crust, single crust, lattice top, streusel and more - to the judging tables. Baking enthusiast Brenda Hall of Collingwood, Ont., took first prize with this pie, which she called "Grandma Thompson's," a classic double-crust pie that's not too sweet but full and juicy with freshly harvested local McIntosh apples.

For a fall pie, reroll the pastry scraps and cut out maple leaves to arrange over the top crust.

Prizewinning apple pie

Ingredients

Double-crust sour cream pastry (recipe to follow)

1 egg yolk

25 ml (2 tbsp) coarse sugar

Ingredients for filling

8 apples (such as McIntosh or Northern Spy), about 3 lb (1.5 kg)

175 ml (3/4 cup) granulated sugar

25 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch

5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon

Pinch each nutmeg and salt

25 ml (2 tbsp) butter, softened

Set out a 23-cm (9-inch) pie plate.

Method for filling

Peel and core apples; cut into 5-mm (1/4-inch) thick slices to make 2 l (8 cups). Place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, toss together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to apples and toss until coated.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the pastry to generous 3-mm (1/8-inch) thickness; fit into pie plate. Trim to rim of pie plate. Scrape in filling; dot with butter.

Roll out remaining pastry. Whisk egg yolk with 15 ml (1 tbsp) water; brush some of this egg wash over pastry on rim.

Fit pastry over filling; trim to leave 2-cm (3/4-inch) overhang. Fold upper layer of pastry under pastry on rim; flute to seal. Brush some of the remaining egg wash lightly over pastry. Cut steam vents in top; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake in bottom third of 230 C (450 F) oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180 C (350 F); bake until bottom is deep golden, apples are tender and filling is bubbly and thickened, about 65 minutes. Let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Set aside at room temperature for up to 8 hours.)

Makes 8 servings.

Double-crust sour cream pastry

Ingredients

625 ml (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

125 ml (1/2 cup) cold butter, cubed

125 ml (1/2 cup) cold lard, cubed

50 ml (1/4 cup) ice water (approx)

50 ml (3 tbsp) sour cream

Method

In a large bowl, whisk flour with salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter and lard until in fine crumbs with a few larger pieces.

In a liquid measure, whisk water with sour cream, drizzle over flour mixture, tossing briskly with a fork and adding a little more water, if necessary, until ragged dough forms.

Divide in half; press into 2 discs. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in airtight container for up to 1 month.)

Makes enough for 1 double-crust 23-cm (9-inch) pie.