Another pie to add to my ever growing collection of pie recipes. If you were to breakdown the recipes on this site in terms of numbers, cookies and such would be first (I love cookies!) but then pies would certainly be a close second. And this recipe is great. Sweet cherries, tart currants, great combination. And I like galettes because they are rustic and free-form. Lovely summer.
Things that I learned while making these cupcakes: Adding Black Raspberry Puree to Butter Cream does not produce a nice mellow, purplish pink color that I had hoped …. more this lovely Bubble Gum color. Lesson learned. So, while these are the least attractive cupcakes that I have made in a long time, it’s the thought that counts. Happy Birthday to my Roommate!
Here is Kat’s silly tip for the day, which you probably already know, but I am going to tell you again. When making muffins or quick breads, has it ever happened to you that the “stuff” (i.e. blueberries, chocolate chips, nuts) all gravitates to the bottom and then you have a nice top but everything else ends up in a gooey mess? solution: toss the berries, chocolate chips and/or nuts with a couple of spoonfuls of flour, creating a light coating. Then mix them into the batter. This makes the “stuff” grippier and it doesn’t all sink to the bottom!
when I was a little girl, my Oma and Opa in greater-Stuttgart had this great cherry tree. I used to love hanging out under that tree, playing in the mud in the early summer, and then enjoying the bounty of the tree later in the summers. My sister once pulled me out of that tree (well, she pulled the ladder, not realizing that my legs were still looped over it, while I was sitting on a pretty high branch) and I broke my foot, but that is the only bad memories that I have of cherries from when I was a child. I love love love cherries.
So while we are gearing up for Independence Day here in the United States, it’s Canada Day today (July 1st) I’m celebrating with this lovely Maple Apple Pie. It is more autumn-ish than summer-ish, but apples are around year round. Remember to use a firmer apple (pink lady, honey crisp, or if nothing else is available, a granny smith) and avoid ones that get mushy (mackintoshes are a big no no for baking). Also, I used maple extract in addition to the maple syrup, to amp up the flavor some. In full disclosure, the maple syrup didn’t come from Canada… it’s from Maine (New Englander that I am!)