Poison Apple Pie

At one point in my past, I was a pirate.  No, really.  I worked as a pirate at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in a big, red ship selling swords and merchandise.

Now if there is one thing about the PA faire, it's stinking hot in August when it opens, and freezing cold by the time it closes in late October.  My first year working there, I made a Snow White costume, and for Halloween I was Snow White and the Seven Pirates.  It was a blast!  Of course, I drank so much apple cider and ate so many apples that I think apple juice was probably coming out of my pores.  I didn't get sick that fall, so there's that!  I believe that the captain had also rigged up a beating heart for me to carry around as well...  Pirates really do know how to have fun.

Since pirates drink a ton of rum throughout the day, I created a spiked apple cider to enjoy in my off time called the Poison Apple.  Here is the drink recipe:

The Poison Apple

1/2 gallon apple cider

3 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 star anise

1 shot of black rum for each mug!

1.  Mull the cider with the cloves, cinnamon, and anise, in a saucepan over medium heat until it's almost boiling  

2.  Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 20 minutes

3.  Strain the apple cider and serve in mugs with a shot of rum to warm the bones, adding a cinnamon stick to stir

On Halloween, I decided that this drink could make for a very delicious apple pie.  I used the medieval pie dough from the Beef and Bacon Pie recipe, but you could use whatever pie dough you would prefer.  I found that using a spring-form pan was perfect for baking this pie, since I could easily take the pie out and display it on the table.  I also used an apple cookie cutter to make apple shaped dough for the top of the pie. So without further ado, I give you the Poison Apple Pie, with Rum Caramel Sauce!

Poison Apple Pie with Rum Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1 batch pie dough, chilled (I used the medieval pie dough, but you can use your favorite)

1/2 cup of rum caramel sauce (recipe below), plus extra for serving

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Juice of two lemons

6 large granny smith apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

Turbinado sugar for topping

1. Put the lemon juice, lemon zest, and apples in a large bowl and toss gently so that the apples are covered with lemon juice
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar together
3. Pour the dry mixture over the apples and toss gently to combine
4. Roll out the chilled pie dough on a lightly floured surface until you have two 12" circles
5. Carefully lay one of the circles of dough in a greased spring-form pan, making sure that it's flat on the bottom and sides, with extra to hang over the edges of the pan; trim excess edges off, leaving a bit to tuck over the top of the pie
6. Fill the pie crust with the apples, tightly packing them in
7. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the apples
8. Preheat the oven to 400°F
9. With the second circle of dough, take your cookie cutter and start cutting apple shaped pieces for the top; lay them on top of the pie, working your way in from the outside
10. Roll the excess overhang over the top of the pie, securing the edges
11. Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg, with a very thin coating
12. Sprinkle the top of the pie with the turbinado sugar
13. Bake the pie for 20 minutes
14. Turn the temperature down to 375°F and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes
15. Allow the pie to cool before releasing the spring-form and cutting to serve

Rum Caramel Sauce

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse's recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup hot water

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons of black rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cold unsalted butter

1. Combine the sugar and hot water in a heavy saucepan 
2. Cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute
3. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and turns a deep amber color, about 5-8 minutes, carefully swirling the pan occasionally but NEVER STIRRING
4. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the heavy cream, it will definitely start to bubble up
5. Return to the heat and reduce the heat to medium
6. Cook until the sauce is thick and creamy, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to mix in the cream
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum, vanilla, and butter
8. Allow to cool

Beef and Bacon Pie

A little over a year ago I found out that I am a huge George R.R. Martin fan.  I also realized that I binge read.  In one fell swoop I watched the first season of Game of Thrones on HBO, and read my way through the entire series of A Song of Ice and Fire.  Previously, I binged on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, and currently I am making my way through Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series (One more to go!).  I can promise that there are a ton of fantastical, literature and game based recipes in this blog's future.

A friend of mine turned me onto a blog, Inn at the Crossroads, run by Chelsea and Sariann, two foodies that went about re-creating a number of dishes found throughout the world of A Song of Ice and Fire.  They also released a cookbook by the name of A Feast of Ice and Fire which I highly recommend.  If you are into medieval history and food, and also a fan of G.R.R.M.'s writing, go buy this book.  It's separated into the different regions, which actually correspond to the seasons, if you think about it.  The Wall and The North for winter, Dorne for summer, and so on.

You can find a medieval, slightly sweet version of beef and bacon pie on Inn at the Crossroads, but the version that I made is from their cookbook.  Try it!  You will not be disappointed.

Beef and Bacon Pie

Recipe adapted from A Feast of Ice and Fire, 

by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer

Ingredients:

12 strips of bacon (I only had 9, and it turned out to be the perfect amount!)

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1 russet potato, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 pounds stewing meat, cut small

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup beef broth

Salt and pepper

1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1/2 batch of Medieval Pastry Dough (recipe below), or enough pie dough for a 9" pie, unbaked

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Weave the bacon strips into a lattice, making it as wide as possible
3. Place the woven bacon on a rack placed on a high rimmed baking sheet, so that the oil can drain (I use a cooling rack that is oven safe).
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy
5. Set aside the bacon to cool, and leave the oven on
6. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat
7. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and potato to the pan and cook until soft and golden 
8. Coat the beef in the flour, shaking off excess, and add to the pan with the vegetables
9. Cook the beef over low heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until browned
10. Stir in any extra flour and cook for a minute longer to thicken the juices and dissolve the flour
11. Add the broth, salt, pepper, and rosemary, scraping the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan
12. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until a gravy has formed
13. Take the meat mixture off of the heat and allow to cool
14. Place your empty pie pan face-down over your lattice of bacon, and cut around the pie pan with a very sharp knife until you have a circle of lattice, and crumble the left over bacon into your meat filling
15. Grease the inside of your pie pan
16. Roll out the pie dough to about 1/4" thickness and line your pan, allowing any extra dough to drape over the edge of the pan
17. Pour the cooled meat filling into the shell of the dough
18. Cover with the bacon lattice, pinching off any excess, and fold the extra dough over the sides of the lattice to secure it
19. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden

To make the Medieval Pastry Dough

Ingredients:

Pinch of saffron threads

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 egg yolks

1. Steep the saffron in the water and set aside
2. In a mixing bowl, rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until crumbly 
3. Add the egg yolks and the saffron water to the flour
4. Mix until incorporated, adding water if needed, until the dough sticks together