Rosemary Thyme Apple Pie Food

ROSEMARY APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: In a large bowl (or the bowl of a food processor,) combine the flour, salt, sugar, and rosemary. Stir together or pulse in the food processor until well- combined. Add the butter chunks and cut into the flour with a pastry cutter, two knives, or use your hands to spread and work the butter into the flour until it forms chunks no bigger than peas. (If using a food processor, pulse until the butter is broken down to small pieces.) Mix the ice water and vinegar together, and add it to the dry mixture gradually, mixing and folding with your hands until the dough comes together in a cohesive ball. (Don't get too moist, just enough to form a disk.) If using food processor, stream the water/vinegar in while processing. Turn dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and divide into 2 equal pieces. Form 2 disks and wrap well- chilling for a minimum of 60 minutes. For the filling: In a small saucepan, combine the rosemary sprigs, 1/2 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Cook until sugar melts and rosemary loses color, about 5 minutes. Then turn to low and let the rosemary steep into the syrup a few minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice, the cinnamon, flour, and rosemary syrup. toss well and set aside while you roll out the pie dough. To assemble and bake: When the dough has chilled enough, roll out one sheet to about 12 inches diameter and drape inside your 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the apple mixture. Roll out the other disk of pie dough, and either cut strips for a lattice crust, or just keep it simple and drape it over the top as is. Crimp/trim the edges and if you are doing a traditional double crust, cut a couple slits in the top for steam to escape. Brush the crush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Pop the whole pie into the fridge or freezer until ready to bake. (I suggest doing this for a few minutes or until the crust feels cold and hard to the touch. This will help it keep it's shape while you bake it.) Preheat oven to 400F. Bake on a cookie sheet (for leaky juices,) for 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350F and bake for another 45-60 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden and insides are bubbly. Cool slightly before serving.

HONEY APPLE PIE WITH THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice Golden Delicious apples and 3 Granny Smith apples into sixths.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, bring 1/4 cup honey to a boil. Let simmer about 2 minutes, until honey is caramelized. Add 3 thyme branches. Arrange half the apples in a single layer in skillet. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons butter over apples. Cook apples, turning, until well caramelized on all sides (but not cooked through), about 10 minutes. Scrape apples and honey mixture into a bowl. Add tapioca and toss to combine. Repeat cooking process with remaining honey, thyme, butter and sliced apples. Add second batch of apples to bowl; combine. Discard all thyme branches.
• Thinly slice remaining Granny Smith apple and add it to bowl. Stir in sugar, ginger and salt.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out both crusts to 12-inch circles. Place one crust in 9-inch pie plate. Scrape apple filling into crust and top with remaining crust. Pinch edges to seal. With a knife, slice 4 vents in top of crust. Place pie on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is dark golden and apples are tender when pricked with a fork, about 45 minutes more. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

APPLE AND ROSEMARY TARTE

Steps:

• Make the pastry:
• Place the flour and salt in a food processor, and process to mix. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. With the food processor running, slowly add the water and process just until it is combined and the mixture is crumbly. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a ball. Let the pastry sit, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Lightly flour a work surface, and roll out the pastry to a 14-inch circle. Roll the pastry around the rolling pin and unroll it in a 9 1/2 inch, removable bottom tart tin, with the edges of the pastry overlapping evenly all around. Gently fit the pastry against the sides of the tart tin.
• Make the filling:
• Mince the rosemary. Place half the apple slices in the pastry, sprinkle with half the sugar and the rosemary. Top with the remaining apples and the remaining sugar. Bring the edges of the pastry up and over the apples- they won't completely cover the apples, which is fine.
• Make the egg wash:
• Whisk together the egg and the water, and brush the pastry with the mixture. Place the tart tin on a baking sheet, and bake in the lower third of the oven until the pastry is golden and the apples are softened and juicy, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and place the tart tin on an upturned bowl to remove the sides. Let the tart cool to lukewarm, or room temperature,then serve.

SHEPHERDS PIE WITH ROSEMARY, THYME AND BRANDY GRAVY

Steps:

• On a stovetop, use a large stock pot to saute onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent, add carrots, potatoes and garlic, season with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until a little softened, about 10 minutes on medium heat, occasionally stirring to keep even heat. If it looks too dry, add a little oil. Push all veggies to the sides to create a "hole" in the center*, add the butter. As the butter is melting, add flour and stir it into the butter. Add broth, use a whisk or fork to combine. Turn up heat to bring a slight boil, once bubbly, turn down to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cognac at this time so the alcohol burns off while simmering. When the liquid is reduced by half, stir in the the cooked chicken, then pour contents into a 9x12 casserole dish and cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly. Serves 6.
• *Note: If you prefer to remove veggies at this point to make the gravy in the pot, this would be the time to do so. Simply transfer the veggies to a bowl and loosely cover with foil. After gravy is made, add veggies back to pot, give it a stir and continue with the directions from there.

APPLE HAND PIES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Cut peeled and cored apples into quarters, cut each quarter into 3 wedges, and cut wedges into chunks.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; let butter brown to a light golden color and until butter smells toasted, about 1 minute. Stir apples into hot butter; sprinkle with salt, white sugar, and brown sugar. Cook and stir apple mixture until apples are softened, about 5 minutes. Mix in cinnamon and water; continue cooking until apples are soft and sticky, 1 to 2 more minutes. Spread apple filling onto a plate to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Form a dough piece into a ball, place on a floured work surface, and roll into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup apple filling in the center. Fold dough over filling, leaving about 1 inch of dough on the bottom side visible below the top side. Gently press dough closed around filling, using your fingertips.
• Fold the overhanging bottom part of the dough up over the top edge, working your way around the crust, and pinch the overhang tightly to the top part of the crust.
• Crimp the edge tightly closed, pinching a little bit of dough with the thumb and forefinger of one hand and using your index finger on the other hand to push a small notch into the pinched dough. Continue pinching and notching all the way around until the crust is tightly crimped together. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Transfer pies onto prepared baking sheet.
• Whisk egg with milk in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Brush top of each hand pie with egg mixture and sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon white sugar. Cut 3 small vent holes in the top of each pie.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pies are golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.