Nonna's Apple Pie

Practice makes perfect.  Although I may never make apple pie as good as Nonna did, I'm heading in the right direction.  I documented my trials with this pie on latent chestnut, and I think I have finally made it as well as I possible can.

In the latent chestnut post, I mentioned how a secret to success was using minute tapioca instead on small pearl.  I also found another recipe card that called for 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon instead of 2 tablespoons.  A huge difference.

Reducing the cinnamon turned out to be the final piece of the puzzle that is Nonna's apple pie recipe.  She didn't make it easy, but I can finally make the pie that takes me back to my childhood.

Apple Pie

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

5 or 6 medium sour apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2/3 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions
Mix all ingredients. Put in unbaked crust-lined pie tin. Dot with butter. Cover with pastry. Make fork holes in pastry. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 degrees for 30 minutes more.

Pie Crusts
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 cups pastry flour

4 tablespoons cold water (1/4 cup)

Use pastry cutter until flour is crumbly (like corn meal). Add water. Stir well with fork; then with hands; form into two balls, one slightly larger for the top crust. Roll each ball on floured board to fit pie tin. Trim off excess crust with knife.

Carrot Cake

This recipe first appeared on latent chestnut on September 2, 2010. 

Taken from latent chestnut:

My old stand-by.  I have been making carrot cake since I was in my early teens and it has always been a hit.  I first started making it for family gatherings, and I remember a conversation I had with my Aunt Joan about how I shredded the carrots.  Not that shredding carrots is some big mystery, but she noted how they were so fine, and weren't really noticeable at all.  Ever since then, I make a point to always shred my carrots by hand on the medium grating blades of my box grater.  Over the years, my recipe hasn't changed much.  I have tweaked my cream cheese frosting recipe a bit, added more cinnamon; and I like to pack in as many shredded carrots as possible to get three cups, since they are the star of the show.

Carrot Cake
Printable Recipe

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely shredded carrots (firmly packed)
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
1 batch cream cheese frosting (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 13x9 baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a small mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and oil, then add the shredded carrots and combine.  Next, add the carrot, oil and egg mixture to the dry mix until it just comes together; making sure not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. package Cream Cheese, softened
4 oz. butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

With an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until thoroughly combined and light and fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, add the salt and gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Add the vanilla and the gradually add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.  Once the powdered sugar is combined increase the mixer to high and mix until the frosting reaches spreading consistency.

Nonna's German Sweet Chocolate Brownies

Taken from latent chestnut:

The brownies were a cinch to prepare and filled the house with the sweet smell of chocolate as they were baking.  Waiting for them to cool was an act of patience I don't soon want to repeat, but I stayed strong.  My patience was rewarded as soon as I tried one.  Still a bit warm from the oven, the brownie was rich, dense, chocolaty, sweet and chewy.  My idea of a darn good brownie.  I have posted the recipe below.  The original recipe calls for margarine, but I substituted butter without any issues.  I also omitted nuts from mine.  We're a nutless brownie kind of group in my house.  I also chose not to put icing on the brownies this time, though I'm sure it would be delicious!

German Sweet Chocolate Brownies
Printable Recipe

Makes 16
1 pkg. (4 oz.) Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate
1/4 C (1/2 Stick) margarine
3/4 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1 t Vanilla
1/2 C Flour
1/2 C coarsely chopped Nuts

Melt chocolate and margarine in a 2-quart saucepan over very low heat; stir constantly until just melted. Remove from heat. Stir sugar into melted chocolate. Stir in eggs and vanilla until completely mixed. Mix in flour until well-blended. Stir in nuts. Spread in greased 8-inch square pan. Bake 350 degrees – 25 min. (DO NOT OVERBAKE) Cool in pan. Cut in squares.
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If you wish icing -
Over low heat melt 4 (1 oz.) squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate with 1/4 C (1/2 Stick) margarine. Stirring constantly until just melted. Spread over Brownies. Chill. Cut into squares.