There's a bun in the oven!

No buns in the oven....relax....it's just APPLE PIES!!!

Lately, I have seen so many people pinning things with PINTEREST.  I really don't GET IT.....pinning....repinning.....whatever......I just like seeing the stuff!  I mean, really, who thought of making a sleeping bag out of pillowcases sewn together?  It's GENIUS!!  My idea of "sewing" involves fabric glue and a staple gun.  It works.

Back to baking......I saw these "Apple Pie in an Apple" desserts and HAD to make them.  TALK ABOUT LABOR INTENSIVE!!!  I got up early, and started in.  My bastards kept asking me throughout the morning, "Why are you taking pictures of all of this?"

"BECAUSE I AM DOCUMENTING MY ADVENTURE IN COOKING, THAT'S WHY!!"

And here we go:

I started with red empire apples and ginger gold (which are green) apples.  I also have some bananas that are ready for their transformation into DELICIOUS BREAD!  That's for tomorrow.

(Pay no mind to the mixer.  It wasn't needed.  I think it just got jealous and squeezed it's way into the shot.)

I'm getting ready for FALL!!  The mantel has been started.

My zinnia harvest!!  I'll have ZILLIONS of zinnias next year!!

Now, back to the baking.

As I scooped out the apples, I put a few drops of lemon juice in and sort of swished it around the apple. (so they wouldn't turn brown)

I used a cookie scoop to take the insides out!  BUT, you have to be VERY careful.......

Or THIS will happen!  I got a little too close to the edge.....and the scoop POKED right through!  

Who knew that Rocco would love apples so much!  

Daisy was so good....she waited patiently for hers.  

For some reason I forgot to take a picture of the seasoning mixture!!  I mixed together about a 1/2 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar and a 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  I added in about 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg and some allspice.  These measurements are all APPROXIMATE.  I'm ITALIAN.  I really don't measure.

Because I was making 13 apples, and the recipes I was trying to follow were all for 4-6 apples, I had to improvise.  SO, I took a few of the apples, sprinkled on the sugar mixture and cooked them in a pot on the stove.  I added in ABOUT (that is a true measurement in Italy) a tbsp of butter.  It was delicious.

So, here is what the rest of the chopped up apple looked like.  Now, AFTER I cored all of the apples, it didn't look like there was going to be enough filling.  SO, I used a few extra apples JUST IN CASE.

I mixed MOST of the mixture of sugar/flour into the apples, but saved a little out.

AND THIS IS WHY!  I put a little in the bottom of each apple.  I'm not sure why.  I just did.  (I also sprayed the pan with PAM)

Then I filled them to the top.  I didn't OVERFILL them.  I was on the fence about this.  I knew that the apples would shrink, but i was afraid of them overflowing.  They turned out FINE.

Of course, everything is better with butter.  A little pat of butter on top of each apple.....a smidge.....a tiny bit.   A hint.

ALL LINED UP AND READY FOR A PIE CRUST!!  

Now, as you can see, I opted for the READY MADE CRUST.  I always do.  Why try to recreate a recipe that Pillsbury has spent MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PERFECTING!!!  

I used a biscuit cutter to make the little lids.  If you have an extra 4 hours to make a lattice top, have at it.  After spending 2 hours coring the apples, the solid top was FINE WITH ME. 

I then took the scraps and made little apple leaves.  I hate to waste.....NO I DON'T!!  I've thrown out 8 batches of Italian Cream in the last two weeks!!  I just thought the leaves would be cute.  I was right.  They were.

I made little steam holes in the tops. (they kind of look like the little apple seeds, don't they?)  

I then put a leaf on each one.  Voila.

Remember how I thought I wouldn't have enough filling?  Well, I had plenty.  BUT IT'S BETTER TO HAVE TOO MUCH THAN NOT ENOUGH!!  I put the excess in this little casserole dish and made a crumb topping for it.  You'll just have to trust me on that one....since i was interrupted during the making of it by a phone call requesting an EMERGENCY TRIP TO THE BANK to transfer money for the Navy Boy to secure his new pad in VA!!  

Before placing the OH-SO-ADORABLE apples in the oven, take the extra minute to give them a little egg wash.  I just beat an egg.....

....AND brushed it on.  It's that simple.  No milk.  No "just egg whites".  Just an egg.  Beaten. Brushed.

And, in the oven they went.  After I had the baking dishes in the oven, I put a little water in the bottom of each dish.  (like, an 1/8th of an inch)  I cooked them at 350 for 20 min then covered them with foil and cooked them for another 20 minutes.  

This is how they came out!! AND my house smelled TERRIFIC.  Of course, that could also be thanks to the 500 pumpkin scented candles I have burning and the apple spice plug ins.  You can never have "TOO MUCH FALL". 

This is how the SECOND pan came out.  The only thing I can think of is that my top oven has been a little WONKY lately.  I have to fool around with the temperature.  Maybe it doesn't hold a steady temp.  Maybe it was that the lower oven made the upper oven too hot.  Either way, these went RIGHT INTO THE TRASH to be united with the 8 batches of Italian Cream.

The pies were terrific.  I'm not sure I'd do it again.....unless I can get some poor sucker to core all the apples for me.  Big Daddy was at the station today.....so I had to do it ALL MYSELF!!  

THIS is a preview of the BREAD THAT IS BEING MADE TOMORROW!!!  WOO HOOO!!

AND JUST WAIT.....til you see the BEAUTIFUL pot I bought to bake it in!!