Open Faced Apricot Pie Food

OLD TIMEY APRICOT FRIED PIE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Place flour, sugar, salt, vinegar, and egg yolk in the bowl of a food processor and pulse lightly 1 time. While pulsing, add butter gradually; dough should be the consistency of cornmeal. Do not over-mix or dough will become tough and hard to roll out. While pulsing, add ice water slowly until dough forms a ball (again being careful to not over-mix). Turn off processor as soon as dough forms a ball and refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes.
• Make filling:
• Combine apricots, jam, nectar, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes. Add cornstarch slurry and continue simmering for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add almond and vanilla extracts. Let cool to room temperature; mixture should thicken to the consistency of a jam.
• Meanwhile, pour several inches of oil into a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven; oil should not come more than halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat oil to 360 degrees F.
• On a floured board, roll out dough to 1/8-inch or less thickness. Cut or stamp dough into 15 (6-inch) round circles, or as many that size as possible. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each circle of dough and brush edges with egg wash. Fold in half and press edges together with a fork dipped in flour. Poke the top of the crust twice with fork.
• Carefully add pie pockets, in batches, to the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown, turning as needed. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve; be careful as filling is hot.

OPEN-FACE PEACH PIE

Steps:

• Crust: Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl.
• Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Pat evenly on sides and bottom of a 10" pie pan.
• Brush bottom of crust with beaten egg white and chill while you fix the filling.
• Method for filling: Peel, halve and pit peaches.
• Arrange cut side up in crust. Combine sugar and spices and sprinkle evenly over fruit. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
• Blend egg yolks with cream; pour over fruit, letting some of the mixture run into the center of the peaches.
• Continue baking until filling is set, about 30 minutes.
• Cool at least 1 hour before serving.
• NOTE: If you don't have a 10" pie pan use a 8" square pan.
• And if you aren't counting calories serve topped with vanilla ice cream.

APRICOT CRUMBLE PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Toss apricots with granulated sugar and tapioca. Let stand 15 min. Mix flour and brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.
• Prepare pie crust as directed on package for unfilled 1-crust pie, using 9-inch pie plate. Fill with apricot mixture; top with crumb mixture.
• Bake 45 to 50 min. or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool.

FRESH APRICOT PIE

Steps:

• Combine ingredients.
• Pour into 9" pie rich pastry dough crust.
• Bake at 350 for one hour.

APRICOT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour and the salt in a bowl; cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. Using a fork, mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Working on a floured work surface, roll each ball out into a crust big enough for a 9-inch pie dish with an inch or so to spare. Carefully lift a crust, fold into quarters, position into pie dish, and unfold the crust. Set the other crust aside.
• Mix the sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; stir in the lemon juice and apricots. Spoon the apricot filling over the pie crust in the dish, and top with the reserved crust. Crimp the edges of the crusts together with a fork, cut away the excess crust, and cut slits into the pie to allow steam to escape. Cover the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake on center rack of the preheated oven until the pie is browned and the filling is bubbling and thickened, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool and sprinkle top with 1 teaspoon of sugar.

DUTCH APRICOT PIE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine sugar and tapioca. Add apricots and lemon juice; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Pour filling into crust., In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar and pecans. Stir in butter. Sprinkle over filling. , Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.

OPEN-FACED DESIGNER APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough.Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes, until it is soft enough to roll.
• On a floured pastry cloth or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the pastry 1/8 inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle. Transfer it to the pie plate. Trim the edge if necessary so that it extends 1/4 inch past the edge of the pie plate. Cover the pastry lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 24 hours.
• Roll out the second piece of dough 1/8 inch thick and cut about twenty-six 2 1/2 inch leaves, using a cutter or a small sharp knife. Use a small sharp knife to make veins. Cover and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F at least 20 minutes before baking.
• Line the pastry with parchment, pleating it as necessary so it fits into the pan, and fill it with dried beans or peas. Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift out the beans with the parchment. With a fork, prick the bottom and sides and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until the crust is pale golden. Check after 3 minutes and prick any bubbles that may have formed.
• Cool the crust on a rack for 3 minutes, so it is no longer piping hot, then brush the bottom and sides with the egg white.
• In a large bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and toss to mix. Allow the apples to macerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours at room temperature.
• Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will release at least 1/2 cup of liquid.
• In a small saucepan (preferably lined with a nonstick surface), over medium-high heat, boil down this liquid, with the butter, to 1/3 cup (a little more if more than 1/2 cup of liquid), or until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. (Alternatively, spray a 4-cup heatproof measure with nonstick vegetable spray, add the liquid and butter, and boil it in the microwave, about 7 minutes on high.) Meanwhile, transfer the apples to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch until all traces of it have disappeared.
• Pour the hot syrup over the apples, tossing gently. (If the liquid hardens on contact with the apples, allow them to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes or until the moisture from the apples dissolves it.) Arrange the apples, overlapping the slices in concentric circles in the pie shell, starting from the outside edge. Keep adding more apples, using the tip of a knife to help insert them in between the other slices, until you have used all the slices. Pour any remaining apple juices evenly over the apples.
• Brush the baked pie crust rim with the egg. Brush the bottom of each leaf with egg and place the leaves on the border, tilting them and overlapping them slightly. Brush the top of the leaves with egg. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes before baking to chill the pastry. This will maintain flakiness.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating. Place a large piece of greased foil on top to catch any juices.
• Set the pie directly on the foil-topped baking stone and bake for 15 minutes. Cut a round of foil to fit over the apples and the edge of the crust and crimp it in 3 or 4 places to create a dome. Cover the pie with the foil and cut 3 steam vents in the foil, about 3 inches long. Continue baking for 45 to 50 minutes or until the juices bubble and the apples feel tender but not mushy when pierced with a cake tester or a small sharp knife. Remove the foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until the top of the apples is golden brown. Remove the pie to a rack.
• In a small saucepan or microwave oven, heat the apricot preserves until melted and bubbling. Strain them into a small cup. Brush them over the top of the apples. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Store: Room temperature, up to 2 days.

FRESH APRICOT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, sprinkle apricots with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add to apricots, toss gently to coat., Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim to 1 in. beyond edge of pie plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry to make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges. Brush with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. , Cover edges of pastry loosely with foil. Bake 45-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

APRICOT SLAB PIE

Steps:

• Place 1-1/2 cups flour in large bowl. Cut 3/4 cup butter into small cubes. Add to flour with cream cheese; cut with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Shape dough into ball; cut in half. Flatten each half into disk; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Place 1 disk between 2 lightly floured sheets of waxed paper; roll into 11x8-inch rectangle. Repeat with remaining dough, using 2 additional sheets of waxed paper. Place dough rectangles, with long sides together, on work surface. Discard top sheets of waxed paper. Spray 15x10x3/4-inch pan with cooking spray; invert over dough. Flip pan, holding pan and both pieces of dough together. Remove and discard waxed paper. Gently press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan, pinching seam together in center to seal.
• Heat oven to 400ºF. Drain apricots, reserving 1 cup syrup; place apricots in medium bowl. Add tapioca, extract and reserved syrup; mix lightly. Spoon into crust. Combine sugar, nuts and remaining flour in medium bowl. Cube remaining butter; cut into sugar mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apricot mixture.
• Bake 40 min. or until crust is lightly browned, and apricot mixture is hot and bubbly. Cool before cutting into bars.

OPEN-FACED APRICOT PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough:
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If neccessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.
• Using a pastry cloth and sleeve rubbed with flour or two sheetes of plastic wrap lightly sprinkled with flour, roll the dough 1/8 inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 13-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle. Transfer the dough to the pie pan, fold under the excess, and crimp the border using a fork or your fingers. Cover it loosely and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.
• Line the pastry with parchment, pleating it as necessary so it fits into the pan, and fill it with rice or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment with the rice or beans. With a fork, prick the bottom and sides, and bake 5-10 minutes, or until the crust is pale golden. Check after 3 minutes and prick again if the upper layer of dough bubbles up.
• Cool the crust on a rack for 3 minutes, so it is no longer piping hot, then brush the bottom and sides with the egg white. Leave the oven on.
• Make the filling:
• Cut the apricots in half and remove their pits.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the apricots and toss to coat them. Allow them to macerate for about 15 minutes or until the dry mixture is fully moistened.
• Arrange the apricots decoratively in the baked shell, cut side up. Place a foil collar around the border to protect the edge from overbrowning and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the liquid bubbles and the apricots are tender when pierced with a skewer. Cool the pie on a rack until warm or room temperature.
• When the pie is cool, arrange the raspberries in the spaces between the aprictos.
• In a small saucepan or microwave oven, heat the apricot preserves until melted and bubbling. Strain them into a small cup. Use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to paint the apricots and raspberries with the preserves.
• Store:
• Room temperature, up to 3 days.
• Understarnding:
• I do not use my usual technique of sugaring the fruit first and reducing the liquid because the condensing process caramelizes the juices slightly and the combination of the caramel and natural acidity of this particular fruit produces an undesirable bitterness.