Friday, November 27, 2009

Yes I Can!

"I can't believe how far you've come," my dad said this morning.

Honestly, I can't believe it either.

If you had told me a year ago that I would be baking pies from scratch, I would have called you a liar.

Am I finally getting over my fear of the oven?

If so, it's about time. It's only taken me 41 years!

So in case you're wondering, Thanksgiving was a big success. Avo cooked up the bird and all of the fixings, and I tackled dessert. I ditched the snickerdoodles at the last minute and came up with dessert menu:

1. Homemade Apple Pie (a la mode, with vanilla ice cream, of course)

2. Pumpkin pie (using a frozen pie crust and canned filling)

3. Brownies from scratch

4. Freshly whipped cream (to top the brownies or the pies)

5. Sugar cookies which the kids decorated with disgusting store-bought pink frosting and then topped with equally disgusting "chocolate" sprinkles (this recipe was more for entertainment than culinary value)

Everyone was stuffed after Avo's amazing meal (turkey, gravy, Brussels sprouts, roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce). Still, we mustered up the energy to pack in quite a bit of sweet treats. I've got to say that the apple pie was the real crowd-pleaser.

The consensus was that it was perfectly done -- not too sweet, not too runny, not too tart, not too chunky. Just right. And Crisco fans, take note: the all-butter crust was nice and flaky. The only thing I might do differently the next time is add some more apples.

Maybe it was just beginner's luck, but I'm starting to think this may become my signature dish. I can't wait for the next holiday, just so I'll have an excuse to bake another pie. Then again, who needs an excuse to bake a pie?

6 comments:

Tasty Trix said...

See? Isn't it addictive? I've become addicted to savory baking - my biscuits came out flat on T-day and I was so obsessed I made more today just to make sure I could make fluffy ones. (I could, whew.) Your pie looks super fantastic, by the way.

Bernie Bernstein said...

It's Me, Mom - I couldn't wait to speak with you today to see how the pie turned out. Before I even called you I got the verdict from several sources. Dad said you told him it was great and Aunt Marilyn called to say she heard the pie was wonderful. Can't wait for our next visit to NY. You'd better bake a pie for us... with homemade whipped cream. Yum!!

Alma said...

Congratulations! Doesn't it feel goooooood?

Kathy N. said...

Congrats! I'm so happy for you! And I'm not at all surprised that you're doing so well! And about the apple pie being a signature dish, that's a great idea. I know one of my weaknesses as a cook is that I'm always trying new recipes. Jack of all dishes, master of none!

Dori said...

I'm very, very proud of you. It's very clear what you need for Hanukkah: a real pie dish!

BTW, you ARE saving that last piece for moi, right?

Undomesticated Me said...

Sorry, Dori, but that last piece is long gone! I'll just have to make another pie for you.